A new client or family member expressing an interest in having a HaloCare Solution in their home will first be introduced to Padraig, one of HaloCare’s Client Relationship Managers. Padraig facilitates client onboarding to ensure the transition to having a HaloCare solution is as smooth and seamless as possible.
We sat down with Padraig as he shared his passion for music, what it’s like working in the Healthtech sector and the number one question to ask clients exploring HaloCare as a support option.
Padraig, what led you to a career working in the Health Tech industry and working for HaloCare?
I changed industry completely during COVID-19. After being Introduced to HaloCare and hearing more about the vision and projects the team were working on I was very keen to be involved.
The role was a people-facing role, which is what I’ve done all my life. I’ve always been involved in sales and customer connections. This role is no different, once you treat people correctly and be good to people, it doesn’t matter what the product or solution is, the skill set you need to build connections with people is the same.
It was an easy transition and [healthcare] being a growth industry excited me, but the biggest challenge has been learning the different cultures. The health industry is the most regulated industry I’ve worked in.
Can you describe what a typical day working for HaloCare might look like?
There are so many different aspects to this role. We can have appointments with the client and Circle of Care at any time of the day because it’s important to meet the families at a time that suits them. Typically, I would begin the day by checking if we have had any enquires overnight.
We do a lot of outreach work also, we are constantly meeting with Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Nurses and various groups to make sure people are familiar with HaloCare.
Our daily responsibilities vary from going out to visit a family home, to internal meetings and reporting that comes with onboarding a new client. Also, the follow-up with clients to ensure HaloCare is a successful solution for them.
You are one of the first people that a potential new client or client’s Circle of Care will speak to at HaloCare, what is the process of understanding the client’s needs and finding the best solution for them?
The first question I always ask is “What keeps you awake at night?” and it’s amazing that from that one simple question, we will get the complete background of the enquiry, enabling us to build a picture of their specific needs and fears.
Then hopefully we will meet the client, and it’s good to get a visual of the home and client’s health so we can bring that back to the HaloCare team, should the family decide to proceed with the HaloCare solution.
Typically, there’s usually been an event or a trigger, like a diagnosis or a fall, that leads people to look for a solution like HaloCare.
We also need to understand how the individual uses the house, where’s the bedroom? Do they now spend most of their day in the kitchen? Which bathroom is used for showering? Etc. We must find out this information as this might impact how the HaloCare solution is used and basically, we are trying to discover the individuals' activities of daily living.
It’s also possible that on a visit we determine that we can’t help. Potentially the condition of the individual is worse than the Circle of Care has described, or maybe the individual is bed bound. We are very aware that HaloCare is not the panacea for everything and may be more suitable for some clients than others, if we can’t make someone’s live better, we won’t take them on as a client.
As you're one of the first members of the HaloCare team the client will meet, tell me a little bit about yourself and what you like to do in your spare time?
I’ve been a musician all my life, so music is a real passion of mine. I play piano, guitar, bass and drums in both live and a studio situation. Until COVID, my business was in the importing and distribution of musical instruments and pro audio products also. It wouldn’t be unusual or me to play a tune on a piano in a client’s home if they have one.
Within your role as Client Relationship Manager, what do you think is the most important skill or quality you need to have?
Listening – you really have to listen to the client.
You often find what the client doesn’t say, often tells you a lot more about how they are feeling. Listening to the client makes the client feel heard. The HaloCare system not only benefits the clients but also the wider family, putting a HaloCare solution in place provides great peace of mind to the Circle of Care.
It's so important to have empathy as well, usually when a client comes to us, we are familiar with the process because we have these conversations hundreds of times, but it can be a new scenario for the individual and their Circle of Care. They could be dealing with this for the first time. Managing expectations from the outset is also very important.
What do you find most interesting about health technology?
For me, it’s an exciting area to be in, we would consider ourselves the ‘positive disruptors’ and we’ve seen, even in the short few years we’ve been in operation, the realisation that there’s a place here for technology in healthcare. We’ve seen that change happen and the acceptance that companies like HaloCare have a role to play in future health needs.