"The residents are like a second family” - Lauren’s 16 years at Wantage

When Lauren Woodwards welcomed the very first resident to Wantage Residential and Nursing Home in Oxfordshire, she never imagined she would still be here 16 years later. But for the devoted care assistant, Wantage feels like home.  

“It’s more than a job, I feel like this home is my baby and I love being here,” she says. “I love looking after the residents and making a difference to their lives.  

“You see the residents every day and they become like a second family to you – you worry about them if they aren’t well, you care for them and you enjoy listening to their stories.”

For Lauren, one of the most important parts of her role is getting to know her residents as unique individuals by finding out about their life history, so she can provide truly person-centred care that enriches their lives and engage them in activities and conversations which genuinely mean something special.  

“It’s about what they enjoy, their family life, what they used to do as a job,” she adds. “I love looking at their photographs to see what life was like for them years ago. We get to know them inside out.”

Although Lauren is the longest-serving member of staff at Wantage, several of her colleagues have been working alongside her for over a decade.

“I feels so special to have been here from the beginning, I love being here and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!”

Wantage provides residential, dementia, nursing and palliative care, as well as respite care breaks.  

For more about how the team are enriching lives at Wantage and our other care homes in Oxfordshire, our Enquiry Support Team are here to talk on free-phone 0800 331 7421.