“I’ve had people say that if it wasn’t for what we do for them, they wouldn’t be able to get their shopping done.” – Nada Juresa.
Jayne Sullivan, a Home Care Worker for Australian Unity, has continued to provide personal care, social support and cleaning services for her customers throughout the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent restrictions.
“A number of clients aren’t going out to do their shopping anymore,” says Jayne, who has been helping customers with additional services during the pandemic.
“Clients we normally would take shopping are now writing a list and we’re doing it for them and delivering it to their homes.”
To ensure customer safety, Home Care Workers are donning gloves and face masks and remaining at least 1.5 metres away from their customers.
“There’s a set of questions that we have to ask them when we first go to their homes,” Jayne says. “This is a standard lot of questions that healthcare professionals are asking clients or patients – have you travelled overseas, has anyone in your family tested positive?
“In return, I then say: ‘I haven’t recently returned overseas. No one in my family nor myself has tested positive. I have no symptoms’.”
Jayne says many customers have needed reassurance and found new value in their connections with the outside world since being in lockdown.
“They’re feeling so much more cut off and they’re not getting out,” she says.
That means a lot more talking and cups of tea when she visits.
Jayne says some of her customers have embraced the use of technology for a connection with the outside world. “We had one lady who was a regular churchgoer. Her friend was trying to help her connect up something to view church services online.”
Nada Juresa, a Home Care Worker for customers in the western suburbs of Sydney, has found people have been very appreciative of the care she has offered during lockdown.
“I’ve had people say that if it wasn’t for what we do for them, they wouldn’t be able to get their shopping done. Just things like that. Nothing over the top, but very basic things,” Nada says.
“They’re always wanting to thank you, always wanting you to have coffee and tea with them or wanting to give you things.”
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