For Lisa MacQueen, a Feros Care Community Support Worker based in Tasmania, the relationship she forms with her clients is just as rewarding. “I just love helping people” she says, simply. Lisa has extensive experience helping people, having worked for 25 years helping both seniors and people with a disability in the community. 

Together with her professional experience, Lisa brings her care and compassion with her to work every day. She sees her role as an opportunity to find out what she can do to make her client’s life better. The results of this attitude can be seen in the difference she — together with other Feros Care staff, the client’s doctor and other supports — has made to her client David’s life.

Lisa and David came into each other’s lives in mid-2017. David had been having a hard time and was in hospital, very unwell and without a strong support network. David was told he’d have to live in a care facility. He didn’t want to, but believed that was his only choice. Thankfully a nurse explained to David that he did have rights and there were other options.

David chose to go back to his retirement village, and that’s where we came in!

Genuine aged care

According to Lisa “He didn’t like me much to begin with, because I was too positive.” David has had a lot of setbacks in his life, together with ill health, and was not in a place where he felt there were any positives in his life. Lisa knew she needed to work on gaining his trust. She did this by remaining positive, professional, consistent — making sure, above all, that David felt safe and cared for. Lisa appreciates the support she received from both her Manager and David’s Wellbeing Manager to allow her to properly build and grow that relationship.

Aged care guidance

Because Lisa is such a constant in David’s life, she sees the whole picture of his life. Early on in their relationship she recognised a situation where David needed professional advice and action. She connected him to the right advocacy group where he could receive that. She takes the responsibility of all her clients’ wellbeing very seriously — always making sure to seek the correct supports for them where she doesn’t have a mandate.

Lisa also works as a team with David and his health professionals — making sure they’re all working toward the same goal — David’s health and happiness. Many health professionals have suggested that if not for Feros Care and Lisa, David would not be here today.

What a strong support network can achieve 

These days David's health and outlook on life has improved dramatically. And his opinion of Lisa? "She is an Angel"

A keen gardener in his younger years, David is now able to go back into his garden where he can potter happily. He’s also back doing a little woodwork. For Lisa, the most rewarding thing is seeing David’s “fun, cheeky and charming” personality re-emerge. Their time together is fun and she rests well knowing she’s made a real difference in his life.

David celebrated his 80th birthday in April, and he marked the occasion with Lisa, a cake, and a cheeky photo. He’s holding a sign that reads ‘David is out of control!’ We couldn’t be happier to have played a part in helping David get back to being bold and out of control!

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