A Day in the Life of a Wellbeing Coordinator During Lockdown
With current Government restrictions in place and schools being closed, a day in practise comes as a welcome relief from home schooling and the pressures of juggling the role of Wellbeing Coordinator as well as my children’s teacher, personal chef, entertainer, peace broker and child counsellor.
With four telephone appointments booked in for the day and administration work to complete from previous day’s consultations, I approach the surgery in high spirits and well-motivated. Actual face to face contact with other human beings outside of my bubble is a welcome release and allows conversation topics to broaden ever so slightly from usual daily ones that have become the ‘norm’ with loved ones.
Once the telephone appointments commence, it hits home how everybody is coping (or not) in the current situation we find ourselves in. This is the part of the job that really motivates me and drives me - being that person who could make a positive change to a patient’s life. It may seem a small matter to some people but could make a massive difference to others. Every small win is a win.
The first couple of calls made were to members of the elderly population of the community. Both patients lived alone and the sound of my voice to them comes as a welcome relief. A chance for them to let off steam and engage in conversation with somebody other than possibly the radio or television noise. An opportunity that has been few and far between for both patients over the past year. Through the conversation with both patients the opportunity to engage with them opens up a few avenues that I can explore further to help them or ease issues that they were currently experiencing. Both patients were fully appreciative of the service and welcomed the support that I proposed for them. Following both calls, these conversations are recorded on the appropriate records of each patient and referrals to outside agencies were completed. I complete these ASAP so that the help that they could receive gets to them the quickest it possibly can.
In my role I also work closely with the Social Prescriber who is located a short walk away at the local community centre. I pop down there for a catch up and we share with each other how everything is going and share anything that needs sharing with each other. We have a good relationship and they have been a real boost to the service we provided. We make a good team.
Following a brief lunch break and a walk around the local parks to get my steps in, I make my remaining calls. These are follow up calls from previous lengthy appointments and pretty short. Nothing major to discuss but the patients appreciate the call and they feel the need to keep me informed of how they are getting on with the services that they are involved in. I had to chase up one referral that I made for one patient who was becoming a little anxious about the lack of communication from them. Contacting them allowed me to put the patient at ease and make them feel happier. Another small win. You need to collect as many of these small wins as possible because they all add up!
Once all the notes had been complete for these two calls, it gives me the chance to catch up on some administration work. Updating spreadsheets and also preparing for tomorrow’s schedule mainly. I like to feel fully prepared for what is coming ahead. Poor preparation leads to poor performance. I always like to ensure I am in control and one step ahead. I research each patient’s background and have prepared possible support that I could propose or suggest ways in which they could make changes to their lifestyle that would benefit them.
The next job is mentally preparing to go home and face the children who have been cooped up at home all. A positive day at work always helps. Knowing that you have made a difference to people’s lives in some way keeps a smile on my face and makes you want to come back and do it all again tomorrow. This is what my role allows and I am grateful I have this opportunity every time I go to work. Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to make positive impacts on lives.
Rikki Lloyd
