Pictured above: Deborah Calliss (left), Mel (right)
Community Support Worker (CSW) Mel helps Elders in the Metro Adelaide area live with dignity. She has kindly shared some stories and thoughts about her experience being a CSW. We are delighted to have passionate team members like Mel at Aboriginal Community Services, and are excited to hear more about what this career means to her.
How long have you been a CSW?
I have been a CSW working for nearly 12 months now and I love it.
What is your favourite part of your job?
My favourite part of my job is spending one on one time with my clients while also learning
more about their ways and their culture.
Is there anything you have learnt about yourself since becoming a CSW?
Yes, there are a few things I have learnt; I am more in touch with people and I enjoy it more than I thought I would.
What do you wish more people knew about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care?
I don’t think people know enough about Elders in aged care and what they want in the home
to make them happy, so they can live out their lives with dignity. One of my clients has moved into an aged care nursing home, and the only thing she asked for was to be able to go and sit outside to have her coffee. She wanted a nursing home with trees and shrubs and a window so she could look outside, such simple things to ask for.
What’s been your proudest moment as a CSW?
Gaining the trust of my clients, seeing them smile, taking them to places of culture where they have told me stories about their heritage.
Thank you Mel for sharing!
Keep your eye out for opportunities to join the Aboriginal Community Services team on our Careers page.
