Meet Luu: a case manager with heart

Whether he’s spending time with client, enjoying a spot of fishing with friends or hanging out with his family, Luu is always up for a good chat.

This is why he loves his job so much. As a case manager and registered nurse for Australian home care agency Home Caring, Luu has time to get to know the people he’s helping. We asked him a few questions to find out what this looks like on a daily basis.

What led you to pursue a career in the caring industry?

I’ve always liked to help people. When I see a change in their condition, knowing that something I did helped them feel better makes me happy. My family experience also impacted me – when my mum was living in Vietnam, she had cancer and didn’t have access to the same care that we have in Australia. Seeing what she went through motivated me to become a nurse, so I can help people in need.

Why did you start working for Home Caring?

When I worked as a nurse in a hospital emergency ICU, I noticed that many patients – most of them elderly – didn’t have many visitors. I enjoyed talking to them and found I could easily connect with them, but due to lack of time and the ratio between nurses and patients meant I couldn’t spend as much time with them as I would have liked. Then I moved on to an aged care facility, where there was constant pressure to get the task done instead of building a relationship with the resident.

That’s why I made the shift to home care services over a year ago. Building a relationship with the person is easier than in a nursing home or hospital. I’m not pressured by a lack of time. I can visit someone at home, and I’m always on the phone if they need anything.

You have a very busy week! Tell us what you do for your clients.

As a registered nurse and case manager, I do lots of different things. On the manager side, this includes organising services for our clients, looking after their schedule, managing their funding, and assisting them with reimbursement for purchases orreferrals to external providers. In my nursing role, I also look after clinical care. That includes yearly clinical assessments and taking care of any concerns they may have, such as wound care.

How important is building a relationship with the person you are caring for in home care?

Very important! You need to know someone’s needs and preferences so you can care for them in a holistic way. Even if you’re case managing and not actually performing the task, you’re arranging the service and the care worker to help that person. To do this well, you need to get to know the person. For example, one of my clients has swallowing difficulties and is on thickened fluid. Her funding wasn’t enough to cover all her services. By getting to know her needs, I was able to get the doctor and dietician involved and push her through as a priority to get the funding she needed.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

One of my clients is on a level 4 package. She didn’t know about home care funding from the government. When we explained to the family that this service is available and we can use the funding for home care services, their faces lit up. Helping people understand the system is very rewarding.

“I love seeing the change we can make by providing real help to make their lives easier”

And it’s not just about the client, but also the families that care for them. In Asian culture, we are committed to caring for our parents. Because of this, people sacrifice a lot of their time. With our care workers’ help, they can take break, go out, even attend their own medical appointments, which they don’t usually have time for.

What is challenging about working in home care?

I see a lot of need in my role, but the funding isn’t always enough. That’s the challenge now how we use the funding to deliver services that meet the client’s needs. We’re flexible with this, which is why getting to know my client is so important.

Thanks Luu for your time! We appreciate your passion for connecting with people, and so do your clients.