A year on…

18/03/21

They say hindsight is 2020 vision, though few of us could have envisioned what a year 2020 would be.

I was lucky enough to travel at the start of that year; on the 25th of January, as I was preparing myself to come home, I received a text from my mum. It read “See if you can get some hand gel, and paper masks for your flight. And wear your glasses rather than your contacts. Protect yourself from the risk of this horrible coronavirus!”. My reply was simply “what is the coronavirus?” and with that I wrapped up my trip and looked forward to beginning my new role with Cair once I returned home.

The Telecare industry certainly has my heart, having first come across the life saving abilities of a simple pendant during my time as a 999 call handler for the police. When the opportunity came to coordinate a Telecare service for my local authority came up, I grabbed it with both hands. This role gave me a taste of everything about the service from assessment to installation which gave me an opportunity to listen to what people really needed for a person centred, empowering Telecare service. Cair had been established for 7 years in 2020, and already creating equipment that would have made a real difference to the people I worked with in those early days, and were expanding their portfolio of equipment to make a difference in the lives of many more.

To be given the role of Regional Account Manager was so exciting and I couldn’t wait for the year ahead. The equipment being launched was innovative, smart, responded to challenges that customers were facing daily and they looked really good too. I couldn’t wait to get out to meet people and introduce our equipment, to help more people feel empowered and independent, to allow more people to continue to live at home, to allow more carers to have valuable time with their loved ones, to help make more differences.

The challenges of this year meant that things needed to be done a little differently: events would be cancelled, working remotely from home would become mandatory, less time spent on the roads. My role has been very different to what I expected. Cair is such an inclusive company, and all teams are involved with all aspects of the business, which for me personally has allowed me to be involved with some inspiring, creative and very fun pieces of work. Along with other colleagues, I have contributed to the launch of a brand new website, I have input into the design of new equipment, I have helped write tenders, lead on marketing and social media, created videos, written guides, translated documents, lots of them. I have met colleagues and customers remotely and built new relationships. I have been encouraged to spend time listening to what people really need and how we can improve, and I have had the opportunity to see those changes happening. I have seen how despite everything, our equipment has been able to allow more people to continue to live at home, to allow more carers to have valuable time with their loved ones, to help make more differences.

Hindsight is 2020 vision; looking back on this year, I’m proud to have been given the opportunity to be a part of a team who are always working towards making a better future for many more people.

End.