Individualised care vital for diverse lives of older Australians

With one in three older Australians born overseas and 20 percent of people across the general population who speak a language other than English at home, having a home care provider who understands your cultural background and speaks your language can be vital in ensuring quality home care.

Home Caring recognises that accepting a person into your home to provide support and services can be daunting, which is why it is so important that the carer who assists you is a local and understands you and your lifestyle.

Home Caring is located across 42 places in New South Wales, Melbourne, Queensland, and Western Australia, and has positioned itself to deliver “quality care to locals by locals”.

Group Chief Operating Officer of Home Caring, Michaela Brown, says the organisation is committed to delivering individualised care to their clients which allows them to live for longer in the community they love and close to their support networks.

“Our care managers, support coordinators and carers are from the communities they serve, so they intuitively understand the demographic and have strong local knowledge to share,” explains Ms Brown.

“We also aim to provide our clients with a small and consistent team of carers who listen to feedback, and work hard to meet their needs, so our clients feel comfortable with the people providing care in their home.”

Ms Brown says that a good home carer needs to be someone the client trusts so that the care is delivered to the highest standard possible, which is why a carer should be a local who understands their client’s needs and is well versed in the community they call home.

Thu Hong lives in Sydney and receives a Home Care Package through Home Caring.

When Ms Hong first contacted the organisation connected her with case manager, Phuoc Nguyen,who could communicate with Ms Hong in her native language, Vietnamese.

From there, Ms Hong was paired with a local support worker with a similar background, Thuy Van, who provides care three hours a week, including domestic assistance, social support and transport.

Ms Hong has been thrilled with the care and support she has received from Ms Van, including her small acts of kindness.

For example, Ms Van found out that Ms Hong’s son would normally drop off fresh bread rolls for breakfast but was unable to due to COVID-19 restrictions, so Ms Van stepped up and started going to the bakery to pick up bread rolls for Ms Hong on her way to work.

“Thuy Van remembered this detail, and she volunteered to get the fresh rolls for me. I really appreciated it. She plays such an important role in my care. She is just like a daughter to me,” says Ms Hong.

Home Caring believes that providing care that is catered to clients can enhance the experience of their clients and result in better outcomes.

For more information about Home Caring and what services they provide to older Australians, visit their website.