Ruth is a Senior Healthcare Assistant working in residential care
How long have you worked in care?
“Just over six years.”
What does your current role as a Senior Healthcare Assistant involve?
“My role involves managing the care staff and making sure people know what they’re doing. I show new care staff how to do the job on a day-to-day basis.”
What did you do before you worked in care?
“I worked at a hotel in Salisbury for five years. Prior to that, I was raising my children.”
“It was very rewarding to see the new things he could do, and he had to learn to speak again. It was nice to know that you’re helping someone, so that’s why I wanted to get into care.”
What do you love most about working in care?
“The residents, because some of them are so, so nice – especially the ones that can’t do anything for themselves. I really enjoy feeding the residents as you get to know them more. I really like it, it’s a good job.
“You can tell the residents are grateful. They’ve got lots of really good stories, too.”
What inspired you to get into the care sector?
“My dad had a stroke, about eight years ago in Australia. I was going to the hospital to see him. I was going down to Southampton General five times a week to see him, and to notice the change in him from us going to see him and talk to him actually encouraged him to start talking and doing things for himself.”
“He lost 45 years of his memory so he didn’t remember he had kids. Eventually he said, “Oh yeah, I know who you are now,” but it was good, looking after him.
“We didn’t really have much of a relationship before. We would just send cards and photos over. I was five the last time I hugged him – and now I’ve been able to do it, so it’s nice. It was great to see him change, and he’s become funnier than ever.
“It was very rewarding to see the new things he could do, and he had to learn to speak again. It was nice to know that you’re helping someone, so that’s why I wanted to get into care.”