S1: We acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which
S1: this podcast has been produced, and we pay our respects
S1: to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to elders,
S1: past and present. Welcome to Snack the Aged Care podcast,
S1: where we break down some of the big questions around
S1: what it really means to be person centred. This podcast
S1: is brought to you by the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland,
S1: also known as IC. The peak body for multicultural communities
S1: in Queensland. In today's episode, we'll be hearing about the
S1: rewarding aspects of working as a carer for culturally diverse people.
S1: Amanda Bowden from IC Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care program
S1: speaks to David when care Worker with Diversity Care, which
S1: is the home care division of IC. David came to
S1: Australia from Vietnam and for the past ten years has
S1: been enjoying a fulfilling career in home care work.
S2: On Saturday Market, I met a young Vietnamese lady, Lin.
S2: She's a home care worker and oversee care for almost
S2: five years. And she suggests me to think about becoming
S2: a home care worker. I look up and file the
S2: Interesting Diversity volunteer program and I become a member. On
S2: May 2013. Yeah. Uh, during the visit, uh, as a
S2: volunteer worker, I found happiness. The resident in, uh, nursing
S2: home is so nice. Very lovely. And the kind nurse
S2: I met. The kindness and the ein, which is the
S2: assistant nursing carer, and certainly so. Surprise, it's. My sister
S2: was a cook over there. They, uh, suggest me to
S2: take the course and, uh, get into the home care
S2: worker and I. Got a job in Nebraska on November 2013.
S1: We then asked David what is important on the first
S1: visit to a client.
S2: This is so important for a first visit. I normally
S2: try to find out the background of the person I'm
S2: going to visit, because I can build trust and show
S2: respect with them, the people they have I met through
S2: the last ten years. I have all different, uh, culture background, uh,
S2: from Vietnam, Australia, England, Spain, Poland, India, like Asian, uh,
S2: culture background from India and Vietnam, Chinese. We have something
S2: like clothes, like wearing. Appropriate attire can show respectful to
S2: take the shoe off. Before enter the house. But over
S2: here I need to wear a suit. So I bring
S2: another suit. Inside suit. Okay. With the people in Vietnam,
S2: they like to pass thing or receive things by two hands. Uh, they, uh,
S2: like to live close together. And the children love to
S2: support their parents at all age. With, uh, borrowings. Uh,
S2: sometime before I when I read, I find that borrowings uh,
S2: only uh happened now in Japan or uh, Korea, but
S2: I just before I come here, I have a visit
S2: a uh, uh, people from India and they said that
S2: about borrowings to all the people is not appropriate now
S2: in India. Yeah. So therefore, to visit you, you better
S2: talk to the person you are going to visit. Then
S2: you get the best result, the best culture you need
S2: to know.
S3: And you'd ask the person themselves and also their family
S3: members how they like to be cared for, how they
S3: like to be shown respect.
S2: Exactly, yes.
S1: When a care worker first starts work, they are assigned
S1: a buddy by their care coordinator. The buddy is an
S1: experienced care worker who shows the new person what the
S1: work is about. Usually the buddy goes with the new
S1: care worker to the client's house during the first visit.
S4: Yes.
S2: Uh, it's an interesting thing that, uh, when the newcomer
S2: they first came to the work, they might worry so
S2: much what they are going to do. And British ship
S2: program is the person can follow an experienced worker. And, uh,
S2: they can help him whatever, uh, in detail and might
S2: be helping one week or two weeks. And after that,
S2: they will be so, uh, confident in their job and, uh,
S2: will feel the job is become easier for them.
S3: So the new home care worker follows you around as
S3: the experienced home care worker, and you show them what
S3: to do and how to do it. Is that correct?
S2: Correct, yes. Uh, the experienced, uh, worker. We saw every detail,
S2: every trick, any tips which is can help the newcomer.
S2: To work properly so they can get a job and
S2: they will confident in their work.
S3: David, I understand that you began your career in aged
S3: care as a volunteer. Could you tell us a bit
S3: about that, please?
S2: Yes. I suggest, um, before you get into, uh. Uh,
S2: aged care workforce, you need to drive us. To in
S2: to join the team. Core volunteer work in a nursing home.
S2: You at that time you will to visit the older people.
S2: You will find your happiness and you will find the
S2: worker over there, the nurses, the worker. They help you
S2: and they show you the way. Then you feel more
S2: confident and to think about for a longer term by
S2: taking the course like me and, uh, get into the
S2: home care worker over ten years.
S3: So you'd recommend doing some volunteering in aged care first,
S3: just to see if you like it, to see if
S3: you're well suited to it, and if it's something that
S3: you would like as a career path.
S2: That's 100% correct. Yes. And, uh, volunteer will, uh, will
S2: tell you that you are able to meet the older people, uh,
S2: you feel, uh, that you can, uh, start a course and, uh,
S2: get into the caring industry.
S3: So what would you recommend for people starting their careers
S3: as a home care worker?
S2: With the home care worker? Uh, you might require to do, uh,
S2: different job. Uh, such as, uh. Domestic assistance, social support,
S2: personal care. But you can go detail with that, uh,
S2: when you get into the workforce. But over here, um,
S2: I only suggest that, uh, first of all, you need
S2: to like the job you are. You know what you
S2: are doing, uh, being on time, respecting the people you
S2: are working, uh, cooperate with the family member and your
S2: colleagues at work and asked if you don't know, uh,
S2: the family member or we call the primary carer should
S2: know the person much better than we do. Uh, talking
S2: about habit, keeping habit to learn a better way to
S2: perform your tasks. Checking your progress. And up the see
S2: through coordinator or your colleagues.
S3: David, when you first meet a new client or consumer,
S3: what are some ways that you get to know them
S3: and know what they like, what they don't like? How
S3: do you get to know them?
S2: Okay. It's a first visit is one way. Things I
S2: need to know I need to know the person, condition, health, condition,
S2: history of, for, and the specific things I need to know,
S2: especially the culture. Because, uh, some people have a different
S2: culture when I know that I will avoid any thing
S2: that I can against their culture. For example, when I
S2: walk into the people house, I bring my own suit.
S2: I think they happy with that. And, uh, it happened
S2: to many places where I go. Uh, another thing, uh,
S2: when I build trust with them. After a period of work,
S2: then I can.
S5: See, I.
S2: Can ask them about their, uh, culture. Uh, what I
S2: should learn. I'm interesting on learning people, uh, consumer culture.
S2: And they were happy to tell me. I when I
S2: work over there, I can smell their cooking. Uh, I
S2: can see some spiritual statements and or photo or picture,
S2: even something different on their house. I don't touch and
S2: I respect all of those things, and I leave it there.
S2: It saw that, uh. They hit me the way I do.
S2: I keep learning, I keep asking, and I will get
S2: the better. About culture for my work, right?
S3: I guess there's no end to to learning about your
S3: client or consumer. There's always something more to learn about them,
S3: and the more you learn about them, the better the
S3: quality of your care is for them.
S2: Certainly, yes. And I through that, I can, uh, build
S2: more relationship with trust and, uh, my work before become
S2: more comfortable. Um.
S3: And would you say your relationship with the client or
S3: consumer is more important or just as important as getting
S3: the task done for them?
S2: I think that's more important to know people, to get
S2: the trust build, uh, to the the consumer I work to,
S2: that's more important than the task.
S3: Do you think that there are any advantages of being
S3: born in a country outside of Australia, or from your
S3: hardship of your experience as a former refugee that might
S3: give you a special perspective or empathy for the older
S3: people that you care for?
S5: Yes they are.
S2: As a Vietnamese, I have the habit to work hard
S2: to earn a living because I know I learned that
S2: the Vietnamese government at that time could not provide enough
S2: support for the underemployment worker and retiree. Uh, they may
S2: need the charity for the poor and own children. Support
S2: their parents. HHI I started, uh, helping my parents on weekends.
S2: I wrote a bike, my bike from school to, um,
S2: about 16 K to help my parents, whatever they need.
S2: And in that way, I feel real happiness. Yeah. Uh,
S2: living in Australia, I try to keep the same habit
S2: because I think that already in my bloodstream and supporting
S2: older people is one way my, uh, ordinary work.
S1: David's Vietnamese cultural background influences the way he cares for people.
S1: He introduces the concept of karma, which is a belief
S1: about cost and effect. It is about how one's good
S1: deeds in this life influences the outcomes in this generation
S1: or the next.
S2: Yeah, I believe in karma because, uh. Karma. Is that
S2: something happened. The very beginning in the universe. Before anyone.
S2: With the karma. If you believe in karma, then you
S2: will see the result of what you have done in
S2: the past. When you think of karma, when you do it,
S2: you don't think it happened in your life. It might
S2: be happen in the next life. If people believe in karma.
S2: I think the war will end. They will love each
S2: other more. Uh, we'll make a.
S5: Good deed.
S2: For Arthur so they can receive good karma. I believe
S2: in karma. So whatever I do now. I will receive
S2: it in the future. Don't have to be in this life,
S2: but maybe my next life.
S3: And finally, David, if there was one piece of advice
S3: that you could offer to a new home care worker,
S3: what would it be?
S2: Have a positive thinking to the matter in any situation.
S2: Believe in teamwork, effort. Because by yourself you can never
S2: done successful anything. Good karma will guide you a correct choice.
S3: Thank you David.
S2: Thank you.
S1: Join us for the next episode of Snac to hear
S1: more about caring for culturally and linguistically diverse people. Funding
S1: for this podcast has been provided by the Council on
S1: the Ageing Queensland. Home Care Workforce Support Consortium as part
S1: of the Home Care Workforce Support Program, which was funded
S1: through grant funding from the Australian Government.