Introducing Lauren: A day in the life working in the Care Hub

Care is more than a role. It is a mindset shaped by experience, empathy, and a willingness to act when it matters most. In this team spotlight, we hear from a HaloCare team member Lauren as she shares what it’s like working within the Care Hub.

Tell us about yourself and kind of what led you to working on Halo care?

From a young age I have helped with family members, and I have a cousin with additional needs, so I have always felt a pull towards caring. I entered the caring area in my transition year after doing work experience and it grew legs from there! I went on to get my qualification in Early Years and I’ve gone to the opposite end of the spectrum in care! I worked in the Early Years Sector for a few years before deciding that I wanted a change.

I was familiar with Netwatch in Carlow Town already and had heard of HaloCare, so I looked at the website and from reading the testimonials of people that had worked here and seeing what HaloCare do, I found it very interesting.

I decided to take a jump and change career. It wasn't an easy decision to make, it was something I had to really think about, but I just felt I was lucky in life that I was able to take a risk and try something different.

Working at HaloCare, the technology side was new to me. I have had a certain amount of experience when studying for my degree, but it's very different. Seeing how the technology has developed even in the time I’ve been here has been amazing to witness and be a part of.

What does a typical day look like working in HaloCare?

You generally start off by looking at who’s on your list of client calls and throughout the day, you’ll check in with each of them and see how they are doing.

As the day goes on naturally other things can crop up. It’s important to be able to be multitask and be flexible in the role, as falls or incidents can happen at any time. Building relationships with the clients, we get to know them and understand what patterns are normal, and if anything is out of the ordinary, we will pick up on it. One of our daily responsibilities is checking to ensure we notice if anything is unusual in client behaviour, and if they might need further assistance.

The comfort calls are really powerful - the clients know me, they've seen my face on the video calls and we have a lovely chat together.

The clients know who they’re talking to. It's not a stranger. It puts them at ease straight away and we even build relationships with the family and get to know them too.

It’s nice that the Comfort Calls can feel familiar and casual, and the clients feel they can open up, and get to know us.

What would you say is the most important responsibilities in your role?

I think the main thing is respecting the responsibility that comes with the role and caring for people. Treat everything that comes in with importance, because it is. For example, if an alarm comes in, that's quite straightforward, but let's say I'm on a Comfort Call with someone and I can see something's off. Maybe it’s not something overly obvious, but I know something is not right with them. It’s crucial to trust your instincts, not dismiss the concerns and follow-up right away.

You must remind yourself that you know no one's going be annoyed at you for reaching out because at the end of the day, it's just a little extra check in and that can make a big difference.

I had a client who had a bad cough, but I was concerned it was something more. I flagged this and followed up later that evening to check in with them, and found out they had gone into hospital with pneumonia. Clients may also have carers attending them too, who might be able to pick up on these changes, but what’s important is that we all work as a team. You might be the first person that catches that change in behaviour. Our responsibility is genuinely caring for people, so it’s always worth going the extra step.

That’s just one story, we are constantly learning from different experiences within this role.

What motivates you on days that are a bit more challenging?

One moment you can be dealing with a very stressful incident call, but the next you can genuinely be laughing with someone. There is a lot of humour which is fantastic. The stories we hear from our clients and the things they tell us are just priceless. This kind of genuine interaction motivates you to keep going.

The families are often very grateful, and they will come back to us and say thank you and how much it’s meant to them and their loved ones.

A family member might live far away from their loved one and when they know we are able to support their family member overnight, they really appreciate that and it brings them peace of mind.

The people we work with are fantastic and the families are lovely. We are very lucky.

What excites you the most about the future of Halo Care?

Seeing the changes that are coming - the technical team are constantly making changes to make it easier for us and something that was just an idea a few months ago for example, is now being implemented. I can only imagine in six months or a year's time what it's going to be like.

I like to be busy and learn new things. I like the fact that each day is different, it’s an intensive day but the time actually goes so fast!

The team are also very open to and value our feedback and suggestions, which makes it an exciting and collaborative place to work.

If you had to describe work in Halo care in three words, what would you use?

My three words would be meaningful, rewarding and lasting.

It's genuinely meaningful work - we are there for a very significant part in our client's life. Their final years are thankfully spent in their own homes, and some people do unfortunately pass away, but it’s incredible to be part of their life up until the end.

In the same way I would say rewarding, the work we are doing for both the client and their families. And finally, I would say it’s lasting. Being there for a family and the client, especially in their final years, we would hope our assistance makes things easier and can help leave lasting, positive memories for family members.

Working at HaloCare is built on trust, awareness, and genuine human connection. Every call, every check-in, and every decision carries real impact for clients and their families.

As speaking with Lauren shows, small actions can lead to life-changing outcomes. With ongoing innovation, strong teamwork, and a clear sense of purpose, HaloCare continues to create a service that is meaningful, rewarding, and lasting for everyone involved.