Radfield Home Care worker praised for moving out of family home

Radfield Home Care has hit the news after one of its employees has protected her immunocompromised husband by moving out of her home for three months.

When care worker Leah’s husband Mark suffered kidney failure in 2000, a transplant surgery permanently damaged his immune system. As a key worker in the healthcare sector, Leah has been forced to move out of her family home to limit the risk of him catching coronavirus. Mark explained:

“My immune system does not work as well as it should, so I am at risk, which isn’t nice to think about. Leah’s work is absolutely essential. She cares for people who have no one else so it is absolutely necessary.

“We have had to make a big sacrifice and I’ve not gone stir crazy yet, thankfully. But it’s clear what we have to do after the instruction from the government. ‘This isn’t a time to be selfish, it’s about saving as many lives as possible during this outbreak.”

Mark is now relying on friends and neighbours to drop food at his door as he avoids contact with others. Meanwhile, Leah is living with her mother and step-father, and has taken her young son Oakley with her. The home care franchise employee said:

“My work is really important to me and the people who we look after. I am a key worker and am out in the community every day. I look after elderly people and people who are mentally ill. Some of them don’t have any family and rely on us for food and home care.”

She added:

“I have to go to work, so when me and Mark spoke about it, there really was no other option. Moving out seemed like the sensible thing to do. I love coming to work and the people I look after will need us more than ever at a time like this.”

The family are looking forward to the time when they can be together again – which they’re hoping will be in June. But for now, Leah is dedicated to helping vulnerable people in the local community as the COVID-19 crisis unfolds.