Enjoying quality of life looks different for each person.
For Jane, a 56-year-old living in the suburbs of Manly, it’s all about doing the things she loves: socialising with friends, chatting to people, going on trips and spending time with her beloved cat Lucy.
Not so long ago, these simple joys were a challenge for Jane to achieve.
Living with severe arthritis and a mental health condition made it difficult for Jane to get out of the house, do chores, or take a shower. Her parents and her husband had sadly passed away, which left Jane without support. Although she had been on an NDIS plan for four years, she wasn’t able to access services that addressed her needs.
Providing care when it’s needed most
Things started to change for Jane in October last year when HomeCaring Glebe, led by husband-and-wife duo Milton and Dora, stepped in to help.
The HomeCaring team helped Jane clean her home once a week, for two hours at a time. “Jane couldn’t live in her house and hadn’t received any assistance from anyone,” says Milton. “We provided cleaning and helped her organise her things. I’m glad we could help her, and that she was happy to let us do this for her.”
It wasn’t long before the HomeCaring team noticed that Jane needed help with other things, such as doing the shopping, going out and exercising. Camila, HomeCaring clinical manager with 15 years’ experience as a registered nurse, chatted with Jane about the kind of support she wanted. The team increased her care to three hours a day, which allows Jane to take part in activities such as swimming and going on trips with her friends.
“My carers are very lovely – they take me out to meet my friends,” says Jane. “At Christmas, they took me on a road trip to the Central Coast to meet my friends. I like to go out because I’m a social person … and now I get out more.”
Milton agrees, noting the positive change in Jane. “She used to stay in bed every day. Now Jane’s very happy because she can do things out of her home,” he says. “She’s very integrated with the community.”
More than a task to tick off the list
At the heart of Jane’s care is HomeCaring’s person-centred approach to all of its services. Rather than seeing clients as a task to tick off the list or a shift to complete, we make an effort to treat each person with compassion and dignity.
For Milton, Dora, Camila and their team, this means working hard to build trust with their clients, so that they feel comfortable relying on the people who provide their care.
“Jane is a very special client for us. We were the first company to provide assistance for her. It was new for her, day by day she started to trust us,” says Milton.
“Now we have a very good relationship which is quite respectful; we see Jane as part of our family. We try to do our best for her.”
As for Jane, HomeCaring has helped her gain more confidence and rediscover the things she loved to do. “The fact that I’ve got a lot more support with carers has helped, as you can’t do it all on your own,” she says.
“I’m now a much happier person. I would definitely recommend HomeCaring to others.”
