Healthcare Assistant on Richmond Wing, Russell, tells us a bit about himself and what makes his job at Care for Veterans so worthwhile.
Russell decided to move into healthcare to realise his childhood ambition of helping people and joined Care for Veterans in March 2020, just before lockdown.
As a Healthcare Assistant, Russell is a vital part of the nursing team and provides direct care to residents. This involves working closely with residents to assist them with anything they might need as well as helping them participate in activities.
“I always wanted to be a nurse when I was at school, but the teachers said it wasn’t a ‘male’ job, so when I left school I trained to be an engineer.” Russell explains.
After working as an engineer, Russell moved into motor insurance claims, holding senior positions in several large companies. More recently has worked as a bus driver, helping to run bus and coach companies in Worthing and Brighton. If you need to know which bus to catch, Russell has all the routes committed to memory!
On starting a new career in healthcare in December last year, Russell, says: “I am pleased to be able to get back to what I originally wanted to do.
“I really wanted to work at Care for Veterans. I live in Worthing and so have known about the charity for a long time. Military history is one of my interests, so I enjoy speaking to our residents about their experiences. We have people from all different backgrounds. I find it fascinating, and they enjoy the conversation.
“Talking to the residents is a real highlight of the role. The Wing is like a big family, and we really feel like part of the residents’ families. You see the good and the bad. You get a chance to get to know the residents, and they become real friends. It’s great when they say thank you.
“There are sometimes challenges with the range of behaviours caused by their different injuries. Getting to know each resident helps you understand what they require you to do for them. The work doesn’t faze me, and you learn to deal with anything.
“We are like a family here. It’s a proper home for our residents, and we never forget that. Especially through COVID, when there have been restrictions on visiting, we have acted like a family. We are here to back them up and help them through the hard times.”
Responsive site designed and developed by
Click to go Madison Web Solutions' website
