A day in the life of a caregiver

Sally Johanson has been enjoying a position as a caregiver for just over 18 months now at Ryman Healthcare in Nelson; a place she is extremely proud to work for and calls her second home.

While she says working as a carer is full on and not always glamorous, Sally wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I work night shifts which begin at 11pm and finish at 7am. Some people assume that working at night would be a lot less busy since residents are sleeping, but this is actually not true. We have 42 residents who we check every two hours, attending to needs as required.”

For Sally, being able to communicate with the residents is a significant highlight of her role.

“I love working these hours because even though it’s busy, we get a bit of discretionary time to spend with the residents. It’s a privileged position to be able to spend time and develop relationships, which while still professional, are also quite deep, understanding and valuable.

“I get to talk to residents from different walks of life, and even if they can’t speak, I can read their notes and learn their history. We know each of them closely, and get to enjoy their personalities at a time that is relatively quiet and ultimately very precious.”

Sally says that Ryman Healthcare offers many interesting, innovative and creative activities to enrich the lives of the residents.

“Caregiving isn’t simply providing personal care. It can also involve driving residents to the beach, wearing fancy dress on special days, singing Christmas carols, baking, or going for walks in the sun. It’s a varied and rewarding career, greater than one might expect from the outside.”

When looking ahead to the future, Sally sees herself in the same role.

“I have the option and support to train as a registered nurse, but that is a completely different job and I love what I am doing right now. The people will change, but the essence remains the same. There will always be challenges within this role, which I relish.

“If you have tons of patience, love people in general, and have excellent communication skills as a team player, then caregiving is the job for you!”