How long have you been with Medcall, and what is your role here?

I just celebrated 6 years with Medcall. I started on the 7th July 2014 as a Bureau Consultant. Throughout the years I have been a Personal Assistant to the CEO and General Manager as well as a Recruitment Consultant, Quality Control and Office Administrator. Now, I’m the Bureau Manager with a team of Bureau Coordinators under me.

What are some of your main responsibilities in this role?

My role was basically developed for me as I have my fingers in all the pies, so as I’ve changed roles I’ve kept some of the responsibilities from each. However, my main role is managing and supporting the bureau team, overseeing our rostering system, training new coordinators, recruiting caregivers for the Auckland region, and keeping the office supplies stocked.

Where did you work prior to Medcall?

I worked for Bosco Verde, an Italian restaurant. I absolutely loved working in hospitality and interacting with people. I had been with Bosco Verde for 4 years and my colleagues felt like family. I couldn’t imagine leaving them, but when I came into Medcall and met the team I felt that same vibe. It was a smaller company back in 2014 and we all became very close.

How did you enter the aged care industry?

I was actually enrolled to start nursing, and then the Bureau Consultant role came up and appealed to me for a few reasons; 1. Because I learned about it from my friend Jessie Shaw, and thought it would be awesome to work together; 2. It was still sort of in the sector that I wanted to be in. I got the job and decided to put nursing on hold, but then really enjoyed my time here so stayed.

What are your favourite parts about working here?

All of my colleagues are genuinely caring and kind people, they trust and respect me and put up with my weird quirk’s and OCD (I’m a perfectionist) - I have made really strong relationships with colleagues (both past and present). The culture here is very welcoming and accepting, we try to keep things light and have a fun atmosphere in the office.

I started when I was 20 and am now 26, so I’ve grown so much as a person both professionally and personally while being here. Professionally, at Medcall I’ve helped implement new processes, and change/update old ones, too. I have learnt a lot about the aged care sector and want to help improve it. Medcall are always looking for ways to expand and explore new areas and keep up to date with any changes in the sector. On a more personal level, we do really cool little things like birthday cards, cakes, shared lunches, celebrating people’s news like engagements, weddings or babies. It such a warm, comfortable and relaxing place to work even when the actual work can be stressful at times.

Do you have any advice for those looking to work in aged care?

I think you have to have really good interpersonal skills, and the ability to go that extra mile for someone. Also, you need to be able to read situations and make quick decisions. Finally, you really need to care about the people in the sector - obviously the elderly citizens we care for - but also the caregivers and nurses that look after them, too.

Thanks so much for sharing your journey Katey! We love to hear from our staff about how they came into caregiving and aged care. If you have anything you would like to share about your experiences working in the sector, we’d love to hear from you too! Ngā mihi nui.