The Care Home: Poems by Rebecca Rijsdijk
The Care Home - A Testament to the Invisible Labor of Care
Rebecca Rijsdijk's The Care Home is an unflinching, deeply human exploration of life on the frontlines of care work. In a world that often overlooks those who dedicate their lives to others, this book serves as both a reckoning and a love letter-to the elderly, to the forgotten, and to the underpaid and overworked caregivers who keep society's most vulnerable from slipping through the cracks.
Through poetry and raw, personal reflections, Rijsdijk captures the stark realities of a profession that is as emotionally grueling as it is profoundly meaningful. The Care Home is not just about loss and resilience; it is about the quiet revolutions that happen in the corridors of nursing homes, where lives end in silence, where love lingers in the smallest gestures, and where the dignity of human existence is fought for every single day.
About the BookThis collection lays bare the daily experiences of a care worker-the moments of tenderness, the injustices, the grief, and the resilience required to keep showing up. From the UK to the Netherlands, Rijsdijk recounts encounters with patients who hold entire histories in their fragile hands, navigating the indignities of aging, illness, and bureaucracy. But The Care Home also highlights the strength found in shared laughter, in whispered goodbyes, in the last grasp of a dying hand.
What You'll Find in This CollectionUnvarnished Truths - These are the stories most people prefer not to hear-the exhaustion, the trauma, the patients who die alone, the ones who fight to be remembered.
Moments of Light - In the midst of hardship, there is humor, connection, and the radical act of care itself.
A Call for Recognition - Rijsdijk doesn't just document; she demands that we see, that we acknowledge the unseen labor of those who work in care.
Poetry as Protest - With razor-sharp lyricism, she dismantles the idea that caregivers are 'just the carer'-they are witnesses, healers, and keepers of final stories.
Praise for the Book"The Care Home is as honest a portrayal of life as you will ever get. There is no glory or fame, just the stark realization that you are dying, and you are lucky enough to do so not watching death tick another life away, day in and day out." - Mickey Finn, author of Golden
"I felt these pieces very deeply. My mother worked in nursing homes for most of my childhood, and it was an enormous strain on her life and health. The disregard for care workers is incomprehensible, and I love Rebecca for sharing these deep, hard truths." - Emily Perkovich, Editor in Chief of Querencia Press
"This is hands down one of the best poetry books I've ever read " - Jillian Callahan, author of Church Bells
Who Should Read This Book?This book is for the caregivers who feel invisible. For the healthcare workers who have held the hands of the dying while their paychecks remain stagnant. For the families who have seen their loved ones age and wither in a system that values profit over people. And for anyone who wants to understand what it truly means to care-for others, for oneself, and for a world that so often looks away.
About the AuthorRebecca Rijsdijk is a healthcare worker and poet who writes to make sense of the impossible. With a background in design and a life spent in the margins of both art and care, her work illuminates the spaces where humanity is both at its most fragile and its most resilient. The Care Home is a testament to her firsthand experience on the frontlines, and an urgent reminder that caregiving is an act of radical love.
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