Česky
"I came to work as a social worker by accident many years ago when I started working as a temporary activation worker with people without shelter at the Beroun Parish Charity," says Mgr. Jana Kuchyňková, a social worker at the Rehabilitation Centre of our hospital. "From there it was only a short step to social work, because I graduated in special education at university. After two years of working with homeless people, I started working with people with mental disabilities, which lasted me five years. This was followed by seven years of working with the elderly for another social service organization. The Beroun Rehabilitation Hospital was actually brought into my path by life itself and I am very grateful for this opportunity. It's again a completely new experience and the hospital environment has always attracted me. If I may say so, this is the fulfillment of an old wish of mine. The hospital has enthralled me with its environment. Its grounds are large, with lots of greenery. The buildings are renovated or new and very tastefully furnished. I don't have a bigger experience yet, but the people are nice and helpful. As a newcomer, I don't feel bad here at all. Everyone I have asked has answered me willingly," says Jana about her feelings as a newcomer.
What is the specific content of your work?
The main focus of my work is working with patients in the rehabilitation department. There is a mix of people of different ages and different needs. Not everyone has a home base to fall back on when they return from hospitalisation. So I help people to make their return to their home environment as easy as possible. We arrange for follow-up services, whether medical or social care. At the same time, I inform them about what the options are in terms of social care, what benefits there are from the state, I prepare their applications and try to get the process started. And then of course the different individual wants and needs, so the work is really varied.
All my clients are always an asset to me, I learn something new from them every time. Or I remind myself of important things that we often forget because of the amount of work. I am currently caring for a patient as we deal with her return home, which will not be easy at all due to her limited mobility. When I learned that this lady had crossed Siberia the year before last, specifically the Trans-Siberian Railway, I realized how fragile our health is and certainly not a given. I am very much keeping my fingers crossed that she will soon be able to do trips at least in the Czech Republic again.
Is it possible to switch off after such a mentally demanding job? How do you relax?
Apart from spending time with my wonderful husband, with whom I like to take hiking and biking trips, I relax with our two dogs. In addition to our walks, we occasionally go to the exercise room or go to "dog camp". I added an old Yamaha Virago motorcycle to my active recreation last year. I know it's a sure counterbalance to the adrenaline rush against the psyche and thoughts of my clients' often troubled lives. A person who has never ridden a motorcycle can't know how amazing it is to turn your brain off while riding and just enjoy being 100% present in the moment.
We thank Jana for sharing her experiences and wish her well.
