Pacific Homecare (PHC) is fortunate to have a workforce filled with dedicated Support Workers. Shining amongst them is the wonderful Maria Pritchard. With South Auckland as her home and hailing from the tropical paradise of Samoa, Maria has resided in Aotearoa for over two decades. Dedicating an impressive 19 years of her life to serving as a Support Worker at PHC.
At 54 years old, Maria finds joy in serving the customers in our community. One of the reasons she cherishes her role is the work-life balance that this job provides. As a single mum, the hours are flexible for her daily schedule. In her breaks in between serving customers, she can effortlessly drop off and pick up her children from school.
Despite having no prior experience in the field, Maria embarked on a journey of growth at PHC. Firstly gaining her Level 1 Certificate, which was Pacific Homecare’s Workplace Literacy Programme before participating and gaining her Level 2 and Level 3 National qualifications over the years. Most recently, she gained her Level 4 certification. These achievements have shown her commitment to her professional development at Pacific Homecare, a value that our organisation holds dear.
Maria’s work focuses on following customer care plans and providing services to both elderly and disabled clients. She mostly works predominantly with Samoan regular customers because of her communication and cultural understanding. Not to mention her expert qualifications and experience. Maria’s capabilities have also made her a valuable reliever for other Support Workers, showcasing her helpful contributions to the team.
Over the years she has seen household management tasks such as housework shift into personal care services i.e., meal preparation, showering, applying suppositories, hoisting and manual handling. Being trained to assist in many different areas of customers’ lives, Maria feels she has upskilled greatly in her role from the variety of tasks involved. Here, her passion for her job remains strong due to the connections she has made with them.
Through Maria’s 19 years of caring for our customers, she has left a positive mark on our organisation.
Fa’afetai tele lava Maria, we’re grateful to have you on the team.
