Elderly care touches the heart of every community
The last few years of life are so meaningful and a time to treasure. Every person needs a unique style of care that fits their individual situation. Not one person is the same, and each PHC care plan is created to represent the support that benefits the individual.
The only way to achieve quality care is by spending time. It is important to us to take the time that is needed to listen and get to know our clients. We enjoy doing what we can to connect with them and their families through communication and supportive care, which is best done over a cuppa.
We value kindness
Being the most important aspect to our work, kindness enables decisions to be made that always benefit the client, their families and the community. It means going slow and being thorough. We take the time to communicate and support both our clients and our team.
Sometimes, kindness means the carers take time out to recharge. To care well for others, we must know how to care for ourselves. Self-care is strongly encouraged and a priority in our team culture. We provide a gentle work ethic that enables our team to thrive in a safe and supportive environment.
Kindness also means we keep a policy of low anxiety and low pressure at all times. Through a high level of support our carers/nurses always have help on hand and are able to say no to work they are not comfortable doing. This gives the clients a valuable experience of care with a relaxed and happy worker.
Being kind & easing concerns
Sometimes care is put in place to be kind to the families and ease their concerns. This is a nice element to caring for people whose families are not living in the area. We feel privileged to be invited into our clients’ homes and treat them with respect at all times. It is a very personal service, and their well-being is our priority.
Caring because we enjoy it
This is not just a job to us, our team is full of kind people who believe in what they are doing. PHC requires all our workers to not only have the skills needed for the services we offer but to have genuine kindness and integrity. This creates a healthy team ethic and safe practises at all times. Quality Care is not just about getting the job done, it is about giving what is needed in a gentle caring way, every time.
We value kindness towards all the services we come in contact with. It is important to us that every health service we work with feels supported and valued when they work with us.
Many of our team are working hard to make things better for all our healthcare partners. We are community focused and are constantly trying to find ways to support this special industry. We value genuine care as a way of life. Compassion is our privilege.
About Sarah
Caring for people has always been an integral part of my life. My interest in human behaviour, mental and emotional health has enabled me to get constant enjoyment from observing others. Helping people to live well and thrive continually motivates me to learn more and try new initiatives.
I trained as an early childhood teacher and then as an artist. I enjoyed being an at-home mum for my three children, practising my art in my spare time. In 2015, my family moved from Christchurch to Wānaka. I quickly fell in love with the nature we found here. Spending my time between trail running and doing art, I found I was still looking for meaningful work, that I was missing something.
Falling into the care industry has opened my eyes to a practical, strategic way of showing kindness. It’s both incredibly complex and at the same time the most simple act we can give one another. I am discovering more and more each day, that genuine care is rather magical and I feel incredibly grateful to say this is my job.
The importance of quality care
I began working for Penny in 2020 after our first lockdown and discovered how refreshing it was to put my energy into practical caring. I began to enjoy the different aspects of looking after people’s physical needs and saw that there were so many levels to caring well. I began to feel inspired by the opportunities quality care can give and how impactful it can be on the individual, family and community. I kept telling my family during the time I worked as a carer, "I can’t believe I get paid for this". It was a wonderful time for me to see this industry I had not had any experience in before.
After working for Penny for two years, we began a mentorship that evolved into a gentle business handover. The next few months were invaluable for me, and I learnt so much about how I work from Penny's rich experience and knowledge. She has become a great friend and mentor.
An inspiring team
PHC has a team of registered nurses, retired nurses, carers and admin crew. My work involves supporting this kind, dedicated team and providing a safe, nurturing environment for them to work in. They continue to inspire me daily, and seeing them thrive is my greatest joy.
As I work, I continue to learn about Genuine Care and how it affects us all. Every client we have teaches me something different, and I enjoy creating services that meet their specific and personal needs. We are in an industry that touches the heart of the human soul, enriching it on so many levels. Kindness is simple yet so effective for our health and well-being, no matter what age we are. I am excited to be on this new adventure and look forward to seeing what opportunities are around the corner.
Sarah Holmes
“Each day I work, I continue to learn about ‘genuine care’ and how it affects us all. Every client we have teaches me something different, and I enjoy evolving the service to meet their specific and personal needs.”
