As we are all aware, staff who work in the caring community are performing some of the most dependent jobs in our society, from nurses and carers, to kitchen staff, wellbeing/lifestyles, maintenance and housekeepers. We have interviewed more of our Oaklands House Nursing Home staff to see what working in the care sector means to them, and why they are Glad To Care. Alongside, some of our residents have told us what their life at Oaklands is like and what care means to them!
Rhys Orman joined Oaklands 6 months ago as a Health Care Assistant. We asked Rhys what made him want to work in the Care Industry, he told us: “Due to Covid I got made redundant from my job as a chef. I thought I would try care work and realised how much I loved it. We asked Rhys what he likes about his job, he said: “I enjoy the feeling of achievement, the variety and knowing our Residents are being looked after effectively. We also asked Rhys what makes a good carer, he responded: “A passion for care, a love for the people you work with, empathy and understanding of the people you are caring for”.
Resident Irene has been living at Oaklands for 6 months. We asked Irene how she felt about living at Oaklands, she said: “I like it here very much, I came from hospital for what was supposed to be a few weeks, but I liked it so much I wanted to stay. When you get older it’s nice to have a bit of company”. We asked Irene what she enjoys about living at Oaklands Irene said: “There’s nothing I don’t like, I like the variety of activities, the choice of food and the fact my family can come whenever I want, even the little ones, they are given the freedom to walk around the home, the staff have become my surrogate family as well.” We also asked Irene if there was anything she would want changed to make her stay more comfortable, she said: “I wouldn’t change a thing, I like everything just the way it is”.
Team Leader Louise Wilton has been part of the Oaklands Night Care Team for 6 years. Louise told us she went into care work because she wanted a career change and found something that she was good at and loved doing. We asked Louise what she likes about her job, she told us: “I like the career opportunities, when I started with Oaklands I had never done a care job before, now I have two NVQ’s, become a Team Leader and am working towards an ANP. I am a leader that loves to pass my knowledge on to others that are as passionate about the job as I am. Sometimes my job can be very challenging, but I like to find solutions to problems that leave both our Residents and me feeling happy and positive. I love my job, no two nights are the same. I find it very rewarding giving the best care that I can to our Residents, having a positive impact on their lives”.
Rachel Kent has been part of the Oaklands Housekeeping Team for 6 years, and has a total 9 years experience in the job. We asked Rachel what she likes about her job, she told us: “I love getting to know the Residents, learning about their lives and building a relationship with them, I always chat with them when I am cleaning, I enjoy meeting their families too. I like that I can help to keep their home clean and germ free, the way they would like it. I like the variety of different tasks, keeping busy, there is always something that needs to be done. It’s nice working with friendly staff as well”. We also asked Rachel what makes a good housekeeper, she replied: “Being able to prioritize your workload, whilst making yourself available for the emergency spills etc that inevitably happen, knowing what chemicals to use where, how to store them safely, being cheerful and getting on with the job”.
Jean has been a Resident at Oaklands since September 2020, we asked Jean what she likes about living at Oaklands, Jean told us: “One of my favourite things is the garden, going out to feed the birds. I like joining in with the activities, doing the quizzes, having my nails painted, going to the hairdresser and the entertainment, the singers that come in. I do join in with the other singalongs we have, even though I can’t really sing!” I like that my daughter and grandson can come in to see me whenever they want. The food is nice too, if I don’t want something on the menu, the kitchen staff always find me something else instead. I like helping the other residents if I can and have made some good friends. I like the staff and I feel safe here”.
Wendy Reavill has been working in dementia care for 12 years. She joined Oaklands Lifestyles team as a permanent member in January 2019. Wendy had been visiting Residents here for two years previous to this as part of her work for the Bonhomie Charity. We asked Wendy what makes a good Lifestyles Team member, she replied: “We need to be compassionate, empathetic, happy and want to help our residents lead their best lives, and think outside the box to bring happiness into our home in different ways”. We also asked Wendy what she likes about her job, she told us: “I like making a difference to our residents days, spreading happiness and helping our residents realise they can still have fun at this stage of their lives, getting to know each of them as individuals and making them feel valued. No two days are the same, we do a huge variety of activities and other jobs and we know our residents really do appreciate the time we spend with them”.
All our staff do a wonderful job, and each one is a vital part of our team at Oaklands.
