Being a home care worker is no routine role for Jane
by KinCare — 22 July 2022
When Jane started at KinCare, she was the organisation’s first Home Care Worker in Toowoomba, Queensland. Despite having no prior experience in aged care, Jane took to her new job like a duck to water. The dedicated and caring worker says that from the moment she was offered the job, she never looked back.
“I think being a home care worker is the greatest experience. What motivates me is that I enjoy helping people as much as I can,” Jane says. “And I love routine. Since my first day, I‘ve followed a set routine when cleaning someone’s house, and nearly seven years later, I’m still on that routine today,” she laughs.
Jane’s priority is to provide the highest quality care
As a KinCare Home Care Worker, Jane visits customers’ homes to assist them with domestic tasks such as cleaning and tidying. She also takes customers on shopping outings or to appointments, and helps them settle back at home after the outing.
“At the moment, I work from 8:00am to 1:00pm and visit three customers each day. At the end of each shift, I want to get all the chores done in the given time, but I also want my customers to be happy and to keep smiling at me.
“Providing the highest quality of care to ensure that my customers are healthy and safe is also the priority,” Jane explains.
Being a companion to her customers is one aspect of the job Jane thoroughly enjoys.
What I like best is when they open the front door and the first thing I see is a smile on their face.
“Over and over again I get told, ‘I’m so happy to see you’,” she says.
Home is where they want to be
Jane is passionate about KinCare’s vision to enable older Australians to continue living at home for as long as they wish, with care pathways that are tailored to their unique needs. She hears firsthand from customers what it means to them to be able stay in their homes.
“I think in-home help is wonderful. There are so many people and customers who have said to me over the years,
I am so appreciative that I have home care come and look after me, here in my own home.
” ‘I do not want to go to a facility. I love being in my home. I have my family nearby, and I’m in my surroundings that I know’, ” Jane recounts.
At KinCare, we know there’s no place like home
That’s why we pave the way with our connected care pathways so you can live safely and comfortably in your own home for as long as you wish. Our care pathways adapt to your changing needs and circumstances, giving you and your loved ones peace of mind for your safety, independence and wellbeing.
With her broad experience, Jane transitioned smoothly into in-home care
Prior to joining KinCare, Jane worked in a wide variety of different roles. She “roughed” it on large sheep and cattle properties and, while living in outback New South Wales, cooked for the Country Women’s Association. And since moving to Queensland more than 20 years ago, she’s held jobs in retail and book-keeping, as well as food and beverage service at the local army base.
When a friend told her about the Home Care Worker position at KinCare, Jane was looking for a role to complement her afternoon kitchen-hand shift at a local boarding school.
“I thought the skills that I’ve learned over the years in retail, and working in food and service, plus my kitchen-hand job, would help to gain this position with the aged community,” she says.
While Jane says her customer service skills have definitely been a benefit in the role, she’s grateful for the training opportunities KinCare provides to its staff.
“I love the training that KinCare provides. I was given on-the-job training [when I started], but I was also given safety training and an overview of the business. We also have group training four times a year, which is fantastic,” Jane says.
Supported by a close-knit team
In her time at KinCare, Jane has enjoyed working with a well-connected team who support each other by sharing information and the little things they notice about the customers they care for.
“We’re supported by our supervisor who keeps us up-to-date as to what’s happening all the time. If we need any help, we contact him immediately and he will support us in what decisions need to be made,” Jane says.
To someone considering a career in aged care at KinCare, Jane’s advice is to go for it!
“We are receiving more and more customers who require our services to stay and be looked after in their own homes.”
The job is very rewarding. You’ll enjoy it.
“I’m looking forward to my next seven years with KinCare!”