Janita has enjoyed her home care job at ONNI. The work is not too stressful and everything runs smoothly. She tells us how it feels to help the elderly live in a place dear to them – at home. You can watch and read Janita’s interview below – and then apply for a job at ONNI!
With home care, the elderly gets to live in the place most dear to them
“Lovely to have you come by, please come again soon!” This is what many customers kindly say at the end of Janita’s visit.
For Janita, who works at ONNI hoiva home care services, a good day at work often means that nothing out of the ordinary has happened. When a customer thanks you for your help, it makes you feel good.
“I love visiting the elderly. Home care provides them the opportunity to stay home, at a place that means the most to them,” Janita says.
In fact, many customers say that they want to live at home until the end. Janita treats their homes with respect by keeping them clean and refraining from any criticism.
“I chose to be a practical nurse because I want to help. Working with the elderly is very interesting also because they have a lot of life experience and fascinating stories to tell,” Janita continues.
One recurring topic is youth. The customers have lots of stories from their younger days. Janita also helps them keep track with the outside world as she updates the customers on what’s happening around town.
“Many reminisce about the war. As you get more familiar with your customers, they usually open up more, which also allows me to ask more questions. If the customer does not want to talk about the past, I won’t ask.”
Janita likes working in home care because she gets to travel from one customer to another during the day, quite independently – the team is of course available for support via phone throughout the shift.
Flexibility, community and good pace make the work enjoyable
Janita’s day starts at the office where she checks her work phone for today’s customers and to-do lists. In addition to her daily tasks, the list may include, for example, checking blood sugar and blood pressure levels, bathing and showering assistance and medicine deliveries.
She grabs everything she needs and the keys to customers’ homes. Then she hops in a car and heads out to see the customers.
What Janita enjoys the most at ONNI hoiva are the work community and the flexibility.
“The work suits me and my rhythm very well. I like to sleep in late, so I prefer the evening shift which I mostly get to do. If I need to have a day off, my wishes can usually be accommodated by moving shifts around."
According to Janita, the flexibility is evident both on the employee side and in the team. A tight-knit community works well, shares the good and the bad, and communicates smoothly.
“For instance, if you see a colleague do something you think they could improve upon, you can say it without fear of upsetting them,” Janita explains.
A team that shares life’s ups and downs is important to Janita. “I love to bake, which is something my co-workers have gotten to enjoy over the years,” Janita says.
The pace of the workday is one of the biggest reasons why my work is so enjoyable. The number of daily customer visits is quite reasonable. You can spend the full allocated time at each customer and even have time for breaks.
“You would not be able to put the same effort in your work if there were too many visits per day. A nice pace and breaks truly help you manage. You also have time to pack everything in the morning and put everything back at the end of the shift.”
High-quality home care is reliable and adaptable
As Janita arrives at a customer, she first greets them cheerfully and exchanges pleasantries. A friendly, respectful encounter is important for both parties.
“You have to listen and appreciate what they say. It is important to value their opinions and experiences. Let’s say someone is feeling bad. You really want to sympathize and kind of go along with it,” Janita explains.
Janita always wants to be worthy of the customer’s trust. To her, high-quality home care means taking care of the customer, including supplying medicine and care equipment and scheduling appointments – both during the visits and otherwise.
Customer visits are generally scheduled for certain tasks but if there are sudden needs, they are also taken care of. Sometimes Janita might make a quick visit to the ATM or to the store to pick up something a customer needs.
“In home care, your assignments can change a bit during the day. The schedule you’re given in the morning is not always set in stone. I like to just take it easy and go with the flow.”
Lately, Janita has also given thought to the importance of having a responsible and trustworthy employer. She hopes to be able to fully rely on the employer’s choices.
“It is also important that I work for a Finnish company, because I want to support our economy,” Janita says and adds that many customers feel the same way.
At the end of the day, Janita returns the car, the keys and the other stuff at the office. Her evening is mostly reserved for two her cats and her fiancé, jogs, photography and video games.
Would you like to join our ONNI team? See our vacancies and read more about ONNI as an employer.
