Sarah Evans tells us about her experiences of working at the home and the special effects that some four-legged friends have on residents.
I qualified as a registered nurse in 1991 but I first started working in care at the age of 14, when I volunteered at weekends at a hospital in Cranage. I started at Station House as a staff nurse, working my way up to manager in 2011.
I'm very passionate about my job, and I'm a really enthusiastic, caring person. I love to see pleasure on residents' faces – seeing them smile is a great feeling. We have lots of animals that either live at the home or visit us and I think they have a very special effect on residents. When my dog, Sox, comes to work with me, the atmosphere changes - having pets around is very soothing and calming.
We also sponsor two donkeys at a nearby rescue centre. They're called Rusty and Molly and they come to visit us twice a year. One of the donkeys can even go into residents’ rooms and rest its head on the pillow, like it’s having a cuddle! I think it’s a nice touch as it means no-one has to miss out on the experience.
We have an intermediate care suite here too and it’s very rewarding to be able to support people to make progress and achieve their goal of returning to their own home.
