Adriana

Care Manager and dementia lead, Guildford

Guildford Care Manager, Adriana is a shining example of how career opportunities and job satisfaction go hand in hand at Right at Home GF.

If you travelled back in time to 2014 and told Adriana what she would be doing today, she readily admits that she would not have believed you.

Adriana started her career as a nursery school teacher. After having a child, she returned to work as a dinner lady and took on various cleaning jobs which she could fit in around childcare responsibilities.

How caregiving turned out to be a dream job

When applying for a job at Right at Home GF, Adriana initially thought she was going for a cleaning role but having hit the wrong button, she found herself being interviewed for the role of a caregiver. Despite not believing she could do the job, Adriana was offered the job and spent time shadowing a more experienced caregiver. It wasn’t long before Adriana realised she had accidently discovered a role she loved.

Adriana loves learning and since joining the Right at Home team she has achieved a NVQ Level 3 in health and social care and a NVQ in business administration. This has allowed her to progress up the career ladder and she now holds the position of Care Manager for the Guildford office.

Caregiving – a job that gives great satisfaction

As Care Manager, Adriana supports a team of caregivers and makes sure they are happy, safe and compliant. She also supports clients to ensure they are satisfied and getting the care they deserve. As well as her managerial role, Adriana provides hands-on care to a number of clients which she describes as a ‘tonic’. She says: “After a day at work, I always come home feeling happy and proud – this job makes you feel so good. Since becoming a caregiver, I can really understand that saying about how if you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like you are working.

“I get great satisfaction from helping the caregivers in my team to help their clients achieve their milestones. For example, we have supported and encouraged one of our younger clients to realise her goal to become more mobile. She has done so well and has gone from being bedridden to sitting up and learning how to use a wheelchair which is an amazing achievement. As carers, it is not just physical support we provide but also emotional. We do this in many ways such as helping somebody build their confidence so they can walk into a coffee shop on their own. By personalising the care we provide, we help people to achieve their goals.”

Future training opportunities

As a manager, Adriana wants to help her team progress in care and to share her passion for helping people to live at home for as long as possible. To assist her in understanding more about managing people, Adriana has set herself a challenge to complete her Level 5 in health and social care. She has also undertaken advanced training in dementia care and has trained team members to better understand the condition and how to communicate more effectively.

Advice for if you are thinking about a career in care

For anybody who is thinking about a career in care, Adriana’s advice is to give it a try. She says: “You soon realise that caring is about so much more than caring and that it is as beneficial to the carer as it is to the client. The job really is so rewarding – it’s difficult to put it into words. When I joined Right at Home I was very well looked after and was never alone. We really are like one big, happy family.”

For information about career opportunities at Right at Home, see our jobs page.