David Berresford

Name: David Berresford

Qualification: New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4)

David Berresford’s journey in healthcare began eight years ago, when he lived in Australia after a volunteer trip to an orphanage in South Africa. A friend suggested he work in the sector and, after completing an initial qualification, he began a long and valuable career working in dementia wards.

Now pursuing a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4) with NZTC after moving home to New Zealand, he’s honing his skills in providing ethical and safe care.

“My favourite course so far has been the one I’ve just finished in Client Advocacy. I didn’t know how involved I could be as a Healthcare Assistant in supporting a client or resident, so learning about the processes involved and how I can better assist my clients has been helpful,” he says.

“I take each day as it comes, and just enjoy my work caring for the residents. But I have an open mindset and every day I learn something new.”

We asked David a few questions about his online learning experience and what it’s like to work in dementia care:

What kind of qualities does a person need to have to work in a dementia ward?

Patience is one of the main qualities you need to have, and being flexible as residents will often do their own thing. I’ve always been patient, but my patience is way more enhanced now. You can’t be someone who rushes, but you need to be efficient in your work as there is a lot to do. You can’t be slow paced either. It’s also good to have a sense of humour to keep things light in your day, and to be observant and notice things around you between the residents and the team.

Do you find working in dementia care rewarding or challenging?

Both – my experience has been challenging at times but also very rewarding, in terms of the feedback you get from families of the residents and management. It can also be fun if you’re working in a good team, the team can make all the difference! When I first started working in dementia care I was a bit more emotional in my work, but aside from that I built great relationships with my residents and they became familiar with me.

How has studying through NZTC Online been for you?

It’s my first time studying online as I’ve always done face-to-face study before, but I like that I can take my time to read through course material online. I also have people around that motivate me when I’m too tired from work to complete assignments.