News
25 August 2026
‘Community is that feeling that you belong to somewhere, to somebody’ – Janet Lopez Nunez, Dovida Caregiver
Originally from Mexico, Janet Lopez Nunez has worked as a Dovida Caregiver for three years. Recently, we caught up with her to speak about what community means to her and how she supports her clients to stay connected to the places they call home.
Hi Janet, first off, how do you help clients to remain in their community?
Some people that I help, they live by themselves, or they have a neighbour or a friend that will drop by to ask how they are. But if they want to go to the church or to the shop, I am there to help them with that. It’s amazing that they can still rule their own life, and for some people that would be impossible without the help of a Caregiver. I help them by seeing what they need, what they want; I support them to just have a normal life.
What’s something you’ve learned from your clients?
I know a lot about the history of Ireland because of them. Sometimes, there are things that I would never learn in college or in a programme because they were living in the time that the history was passing. They have stories of great adventures, they maybe also knew people that was challenging something at the time Ireland was going through big changes as a country, and they share that with me: the easy times, the hard times, the relaxing times. And they told me, for example, how the Liffey had changed, or that there used to be a fountain in O’Connell Street. I love those kinds of stories, and they’re deep in Ireland. So, I’m learning all the time.
What does community mean to you?
For me, community is where you belong. A place you know that you are going to have support when you need it, and somewhere to help people in the big things, the small things, the funny things. You are always going to have somebody to talk to. To be with you. Community is the feeling that you belong to somewhere, to somebody.
How do you feel about being a Caregiver?
Sometimes it’s very hard work, but the reward that I have makes it all worthwhile. I have met a lot of incredible people. Sometimes I support people who have dementia, but also I help people who just want to do their groceries and live their daily life as normal, like they used to do. There are also people who only want to have someone to chat to. It’s amazing that it’s never the same day; it’s always a different situation, so that is a good thing.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I know that after what I do, the life of the people changes in a certain way and for good. They are trying to do things: for example, they used to do something with their hair daily, or they used to have their breakfast in the way that they wanted. I help them. I do it exactly the way that they would be doing things if they were strong enough. So, that is a big reward.
And finally, what advice do you have for those thinking of a career in care?
Do it. We, the Caregivers, have different backgrounds, and the only thing we have in common is that we try to do our best to keep the clients independent. I have experience supporting older people and people living with disabilities. The good thing is that here, Dovida gives you the training so you can feel you are doing the things you need to do to keep the clients and yourself safe.
The best thing is just to try, to see if the training, if the interaction with the clients, is what you are looking for. Another good thing is that before you are with a client by yourself, they give you something called shadowing, where you go with an experienced Caregiver to see what it’s like to be with clients, and if you like it, you can start to work.