Rika at The Russets
Following the departure of Rejàne as she heads back to join family in Australia, Rika Mienes has been appointed as head of the dementia care service in Sandford. It’s been a hectic first few months.
Rika joins the St Monica Trust from Leonard Cheshire Disability, where she has managed a care home for people with learning disabilities for more than four years. With a wonderfully diverse and varied background, she’s had the opportunity to experience a wide variety of care facilities since she qualified as an RNMH, Registered Nurse Mental Health, some 20 years ago, supporting the needs of both young and older people.
Says Rika, “I was inspired to apply for the post at The Russets because it’s such a fantastic new service. Having been lucky enough to be appointed, it’s everything I hoped it would be. It is truly innovative and the people who work to support it are wonderfully motivated. It’s a unique place to be.”
Along with her busy induction schedule and specialist St Monica Trust dementia training, Rika launched straight into the large recruitment drive that took place in March in Sandford, choosing new staff to expand numbers for the dementia care service and for Sherwood, a full five days of interviewing in her first two weeks alone.
“Well, I knew it would be busy,” she laughed. “It’s great to start with that sort of project and get an immediate sense of achievement. Now I’m looking forward to getting to know all the staff, the residents, who will soon be up to 50, and all their relatives, not just the names and faces but the individuals behind them, and that might just take me a few more weeks!”