Two years ago, Heikki Tervahauta got the feeling that 35 years of work in the psychiatric and neuropsychiatric fields was enough, the care sector had now been done and dusted. Retirement did not feel like a good idea either, so Tervahauta decided to start doing renovation works alongside care work.
However, part-time renovation works felt tough and Tervahauta stopped to think if there would be a full-time job somewhere after all. Coincidentally, in November-December last year, he noticed that the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District was organizing a tender for the installation of disability aids. Tervahauta decided to submit a tender.
“I thought about and calculated the tender many evenings and even nights”, Tervahauta says now.
Careful calculations were worthwhile, as Tervahauta’s tender won. Now he works daily with people who need disability aids due to illness, injury or aging. “I can say that my previous work has been very useful in the current field, I made a lot of house calls even then and dealt with different people”, Tervahauta says.
Heikki Tervahauta’s typical day starts at eight o’clock in the morning, when he arrives at the disability aid loan shop of Oulu University Hospital to pick up work orders and disability aids to be installed. The upcoming locations of the day are reviewed once more with the personnel. After this, Tervahauta starts to agree on appointments with his customers by phone and sets off. He can easily accumulate 300 to 400 kilometres per day.
“There may be several house calls during the day. In the afternoon, I call the next customers and arrange appointments for the next day“, Tervahauta describes.
Omapaja entrepreneur is not alone
Initially, Heikki Tervahauta intended to establish a business name and work as a private entrepreneur. However, he heard about Omapaja and decided to find out more.
“I realized that this is a good system! I feel I get a lot of priceless advice and guidance.
Being self-employed, loneliness is present every day, but with Omapaja I got the feeling that I am no longer alone. I have been very satisfied.
Being self-employed, loneliness is present every day, but with Omapaja I got the feeling that I am no longer alone.
Although the installation of aids is a full-time job for Tervahauta, he does not intend to change Omapaja light entrepreneurship to private entrepreneurship in the future. Tervahauta gives a good example of the care and service-mindedness he has experienced with Omapaja.
“I did the invoicing last night and added kilometre allowances according to last year’s rate. I immediately got an email from Omapaja that stated that there is different kilometre allowance this year and if I would like to change it. I feel safe to trust that there is one last check at that end, for example, with regard to invoices“, Tervahauta praises.
You cannot worry the customer’s fate
Heikki Tervahauta enjoys his job as a disability aid installer. One of the best aspects of work is the feeling that you are able to help or facilitate the life of a seriously ill person.
“I just installed an electric bed in the home of a person in palliative care so that the lady can spend the last moments of her life in her own home”, Tervahauta says.
Tervahauta considers his previous profession in the care sector to be an advantage, which enables him to meet, for example people in psychiatric care, professionally. Still, there are heavy cases occasionally. Tervahauta admits that paediatric patients sometimes sensitize a man who has seen a lot. In difficult situations, Tervahauta contacts the disability aid loan shop and eases his mind by talking with someone.
“There are good guys who I can call. I have Bluetooth in the car so I can chat while driving to the next place.“
Support from his wife also helps over the worst cases. However, Tervahauta is not very often left to ponder the fate of the patients, for which he toughened himself already during his career in the care industry.
“Especially in recent years, when I met a lot of young people with ADHD, I was forced to develop a ‘working mode’. When I got home, I actively tried to forget about the day’s work.“
Tervahauta says he enjoys the nature and playing with his grandchildren.
While situations can sometimes be tough, it is human encounters that Tervahauta enjoys most about his work. Retirement still does not feel attractive, but on the contrary he hopes to be able to continue his service in the next contract period and still as a light entrepreneur in Omapaja. “Light entrepreneurship suits me.”
Hobbies on days off keep thoughts appropriately separate from work. Tervahauta says he enjoys the nature and playing with his grandchildren. The actual reset takes place at home, in an armchair.
“I actively follow English Premier League football. When I sit and relax in an armchair, I just follow the game and there is nothing else in my mind at that moment“, Tervahauta laughs.