Belonging and connection in communities are essential for Juana

Hi Juana, how important is community to you?

Community for me is very, very important. The people here are very friendly with me, and at the same time I have a lot of places I can go and enjoy with my clients and by myself as well. The way the community has received me since I arrived in Ireland has more than welcoming, and I feel very grateful for that.

How important is it for clients to be active in their local community?

I think it’s very important because it’s a way I can help the clients to feel like they belong to the community. When you take them out for a walk and have this interaction with them, they feel like they belong to the community, you know, so to have a chat with them, to have this connection with them, it’s very, very important for them and for me as well, because I can help them to have that connection with more people.

What does it mean to you to help people the way you do?

I think helping them to stay in their house a long time and support their independence is so good. To have a chat or help them wash or dress, continue with their routine, to continue through life, it’s very important. You can see when they receive you with a smile that they feel happy to have you there. It makes me feel very special, and I’m very happy to give them that support.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

I think the stories. When you are with the clients and they tell you about their life or they share a moment, or even when you start to get to know them better, know their routine and the things they like, for example, words in Irish, or speaking Irish, books or music – you can learn a song and start to sing with them, it’s very nice, you know, because you feel how good it makes them feel. That part is a little gift that you take with you.

Also, when you start to make a connection with the family and client at the same time, to help them, for example, to get a nice meal, go to the church or read a book with them, that kind of thing is very special, because when you start to know the client more and more you can help better.

I think, the family, when they see the client with a Caregivers who has that connection, they feel safe. They know that they are leaving their father or their mother with a good person – with a person who cares. You can communicate that “I am here. Everything is fine, and everything is under control,” and they feel grateful for you. And for us as well, it’s very important to make that connection with the client and the family because they give you that confidence. It’s very special.

What do you like about your community?

Personally, I love the community I belong to, you know. The people are very friendly, and the places I go are very nice. For example, when I have a break between one client and another, there are so many parks here, so many coffee shops, so I can go and have a nice coffee just to relax for my next call. That’s very good. I appreciate it because it gives you a break, and you can have some time for yourself, maybe listen to music in the park. The people here are so friendly that you feel welcome, so I think that is amazing about Ireland and about Dublin.

What’s your advice for some thinking about becoming a Caregiver?

Just to think that you can apply because it’s a very grateful job, and the company provides very good training, and when you start to know more about your job, it’s perfect, you know. So you don’t have to think too much. Just enjoy the process and go for it. You feel very, very happy to share moments with clients because that moment is like a treasure for me. It’s lovely to have this job and the connection with the people.

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