Transcript: Why being a support worker is so rewarding and why you should consider a career in care
You’ll be inspired by integratedliving Support Worker, Katrina Baxter and her passion for supporting older people to stay well in their homes and connected to their community.
You can also listen to the full episode, or view more podcasts and transcripts at Live Well Podcast.
Jo
Hello and welcome to the Live Well podcast. I'm Jo Isaac, Senior Manager - Communications at integratedliving Australia, and I'm speaking to you from Awabakal country in Newcastle. integratedliving acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this country. We pay our respect to them, their cultures and customs, and to elders both past, present and emerging. Today, I'm very pleased to be joined by one of integratedliving’s wonderful support workers, Katrina Baxter to talk about what it's like to support older people in the community. Welcome, Katrina.
Katrina
Hi.
Jo
Can you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?
Katrina
Hi, obviously my name is Katrina. I'm a support worker for integratedliving. I live in the Newcastle area and I am a support worker for the Lake Macquarie team.
Jo
So, Katrina, how long have you been a support worker?
Katrina
I've been a support worker since the January 2019, so it's just gone on five years now.
Jo
Had you been a support worker prior to starting with integratedliving?
Katrina
No, I was an AIN working in a facility prior to this.
Jo
What attracted you, Katrina, to becoming a support worker?
Katrina
This is a pretty easy one for me. I was currently at Uni studying to be a midwife, but then my mother fell really ill with ovarian cancer and dementia. So I think I think after watching the care that mum received through palliative care with the nurses, but also workers from the community came in and really helped support Mum, supported me, so that's when a light bulb sort of moment come on for me and I decided to defer Uni. I never went back, and I actually whispered to my Mum, cause Mum was in hospice for 9 days before she passed away, and the last thing I said to her was, “I promise I'll give back to the community.”
So that was enough of a challenge for me to think, okay, I'm going to study and be an AIN and give back to the community. And here I am. That was that was probably the biggest moment and calling for me to want to be a support worker but also I did really love when Mum and I, before Mum got really ill, that we used to go out and have coffee every Tuesday and I'd see support workers in the community working and bonding and laughing and having a great time, just out and about and it was so inspiring. And that's, I wanted that and I knew I could do it. So, I was like, “Yep, this is me. This is where I need to be.”
Jo
Ah, that's awesome, Katrina. And thank you for sharing that story because it's so meaningful to you. Obviously, every day you have your mum there with you in many ways, when you're doing what you're doing.
Katrina
Hundred percent and she's the one that gives me the drive. And I know she's looking down and it's made me more passionate to want to do what I do. Yeah, I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm definitely glad I kind of switched from beginning of life to then switch over to working with the elderly. Best decision I ever made.
Jo
That's wonderful. Thank you, Katrina. So is being a support worker what you expected it to be when you start it out?
Katrina
It's more than what I expected it to be. It's definitely more. I didn't think I'd have the more deep connections as what you do with the clients. It's more rewarding and it's more challenging, but in a positive way than what I thought it would be and I didn't realise there was so much variety in work with the clients. It's not, sometimes when people think support worker, oh you're just going in and having a cuppa, it's not, it's so much more than that, and it's just such a big variety that I didn't expect. But I think to care for those who once cared for us, is the biggest honour we can have. So it's definitely exceeded more than what I thought it would.
Jo
And when you say the positive challenges, what do you mean when you say that?
Katrina
Like having clients that have been sad or they're unable to do stuff for themselves. And then you've worked with them for such a long period of time, doing numerous things, whether you bring in occupational therapists (OTs) and stuff and then just see the changes in them is really positive like some clients can be very shut off, they've got past trauma and to see where they are now, like it can be a little bit challenging at first, but it's a positive challenge. It's always positive.
Jo
That's amazing because yes, you can work with many people in integratedliving, all different allied health and nurses and you can bring people to them as they need them. You're like that conduit in a lot of ways to, you know, find those more positive outcomes for the clients, aren't you as a support worker?
Katrina
Absolutely. Yeah, definitely.
Jo
That's so good. It's so good to see positive change in anyone, isn't it? To see and feel like that you've been a critical part of helping that person get to a more positive place is so rewarding, I imagine.
Katrina
Absolutely it is. Like even one client I had, I used to go there, and it was mum and daughter. And the daughter was our client, and she hid in her room for six weeks before I actually got her to come out of the room. And now as soon as I get there, she's at the front door before I even get there.
Jo
Ohh that's amazing.
Katrina
Someone that would not go near anybody now is.
Jo
Excited.
Katrina
She's excited. Yeah, she's full of life. She goes out in the community now, where she never would. That's amazing.
Katrina
That's her doing that not me. Like, that's all thanks to her. Pretty inspiring.
Jo
Well, absolutely. And you're right, because obviously the people have to want to make that change, but she obviously felt safe enough with you to make that change.
So that's also, a lot of credit, no doubt belongs with you.
Katrina
Thank you.
Jo
What do you love most about working with older people, Katrina?
Katrina
I love the fact that we can assist them independently to stay living in their home. Probably the thing I love most is, I love the stories. I love the history. I love the knowledge. I could stay there for hours and listen to it. That is the best part of the job. Like some of the stories, and like the adventures and the life that people have lived, it's incredible. And even like to hear some of the stories, like some of the veterans, what they've been through to where they are now, I would not have known any of this had I not been a support worker.
Yeah, that that's probably one of my favourite things, but one thing I do love the most too is knocking on the door and seeing your clients smile and be excited because sometimes clients, some of them don't have any family unfortunately, not a lot, but some do. So we could be the only people they see coming in and out of the house. Just going there and knowing that you've made an impact on their day and you've assisted them in whatever they may need for that day and then walking out the door when you both got a smile on your face. That's what I love.
Jo
That's magic. It's so good. When you tell people what you do, how do you describe it to them? Is there a way you talk about support work to you, you've family and friends?
Katrina
Yeah, often they'll ask me or what do you do? Cause my sister says, “Oh, do you just drink cups of tea all day”? I'm like, no, no. Well, I do, but no. It's more about looking after their wellbeing, assisting them in their daily life, personal care, which showering, shaving, cleaning their teeth. Doing meal preps for them, maybe just making a meal for the night or preparing something to put in the freezer. Being a support worker is assisting them shopping, taking them to doctor's appointments or any other appointment that they may need, even just something as simple as, like I said, sitting down, having a cuppa and a chat, and just listening to what you know they they'd like to talk about. It's a huge variety being a support worker. There are many different things you do daily.
Jo
Absolutely. Yeah, and every client would have their own preferences and you can't plan for it, I guess. It's just whatever happens on the day, which is exciting, really as a job, isn't it because it's not the same all the time.
Katrina
No, that's right and, we get a roster and it tells us, so you might go to someone in the morning, and then you're doing something completely different in the afternoon. Yeah, it's the variety is amazing.
Jo
So can you tell us a favourite story or two about how you've been able to help your clients and some ways that you've impacted them in a positive way?
Katrina
Yeah, this this one's a little tearjerker for me. But it's a good one, but a sad one. We had a beautiful dear client. Unfortunately, I just lost him a couple of weeks ago.
Jo
I’m sorry.
Katrina
Thank you. When I first went in there, the first service, I went into the house, I've gone in and you know, you introduce yourself and whatnot, and often like I’ll do a little scour around of seeing something that I can make a topic of, and I noticed a sausage dog ornament on their TV unit. So that became the first topic to talk about. And I was like, “oh wow, you got a little sausage dog”. And both the husband and wife, the husband was my client for the day, and we got talking and the wife was telling me after he had a stroke, he ended up with a brain injury unfortunately, and all he wanted was a dachshund for therapy because they used to have dachshunds, they've had dachshunds their whole lives, and the wife was saying to me, “I've been trying to find someone to do dog therapy. But a dachshund is not really a therapy dog. “Oh my goodness, I have seven and that became the biggest topic and his eyes lit up and I became his best friend from that day until I told him I was a Broncos fan and he was the St George fan. A Rabbitohs fan, I should say.
So after thinking about it, when the service ended and I was there for three hours, so we had a pretty lengthy story about it, I spoke to his case manager about how could we try and get some form of dog therapy in for the client. The case manager knew that I had dachshunds and we both agreed, and we spoke to integratedliving and I got all approved and every second Wednesday I was able to take two of my dash hounds that got approved to do dog therapy with the client. Now the look on his face when I first turned up with a dachshund is a look I'll never forget. He went from not really speaking, pretty quiet man, just sort of played on his iPad and you know, we spoke and had coffee, to all of a sudden every second Wednesday the wife was making a roast chicken, I kid you not, for the dogs, for when I got there on the Wednesday and my client only got the leftover bits. And my dog ended up loving my client more than me.
Jo
That's a beautiful story. It's amazing. Ohh.
Katrina
Yeah, it was so special. And it got to, like I was saying, he kind of just sat in his chair, never really got out of his chair, to then coming out the backyard. Just slowly watching the dogs play. He then started throwing a ball for the dogs. He started interacting, making conversations, and these all helped with his brain injury as well. And his communication skills. It was a huge progress for him.
Jo
Oh that's such a beautiful story. I'm so pleased. It's almost like when they say the world aligns and you were supposed to meet him and not many people have six dachshunds.
Katrina
No, they ended up buying one.
Jo
Wow. That's amazing.
Katrina
Yep, the daughter and his wife. Probably about 12 months before he passed away, he's had the dog. So yeah, he's got a little long haired dapple dachshund who's just absolutely gorgeous because we both said like the love he had for my dog was just, the connection was instant and the feeling was mutual with my dog as well. He just absolutely loved him. He'd sit on his lap and he wouldn't come near me for two hours. And when I’d be leaving he'd still be sitting on the lounge, looking at the client, as if to say, “I'm not going anywhere.”
Jo
That's so funny. Oh that's beautiful though. It’s just a great story. Thank you so much for sharing that. So, you have touched on this a little bit, but what are the most interesting things you've done with or for your clients over your time?
Katrina
Yeah, there's probably a few that I could rattle off. One of them was a client of mine, both husband and wife were clients with integratedliving and I've been with these clients husband and wife for five years. They were actually the first week of me starting with integratedliving. So, I was with them for a long time and every, not every service, but most services, when I was doing personal care for this lady, she always spoke about her love of horses. They're very big on horses in the family. And she had a horse named Trixie and I'd always put a T shirt on her that looked like her horse, Trixie and she had dementia.
So the family and I, we spoke, and I knew near my house there was a paddock with the horses and I know the people, so we surprised her, put her in the car we stopped and got, just myself and the client, this was a respite service in the afternoon, so coming on sunset, we stopped at Maccas and got a coffee each and then I stopped at the servo and bought a loaf of bread. She kept looking at me as if to say, “What on earth are you doing with a loaf of bread?” And that’s when I took her to see the horse, because it was the same colour as her horse Trixie.
Jo
Oh, that's beautiful.
Katrina
So when we got there, she thought that the horse was Trixie and she got to feed the horse and it just brought back so many memories for her. We got some gorgeous photos that the family ended upmaking onto tiles and they are now in the home.
Jo
Oh, beautiful.
Katrina
Unfortunately she passed away just after Christmas.
Jo
Oh, I'm sorry.
Katrina
Yeah, but that was a really interesting day that day that we did that. We stayed out there for quite a while. Like we were there for probably about an hour and just watching her face feeding the horse and it jotted her memory.
Jo
Yes.
Katrina
Yeah, she spoke about it for probably six months after.
Jo
That's so precious, isn't it? That being able to connect someone living with dementia with something so precious to them, yeah, what an honour to be there to see that.
Katrina
Yes, absolutely and that's just part of, also with our role being a support worker, it's something like doing something like that for the client is so unique and special. I've had a few interesting ones. I've also got to do water aerobics and this client, when we were leaving, she actually said to me, “I can show you what I used to do when I was younger, if you like”. And I said, “Oh, what's that?” She goes, “I can do a back flip.” And I said, “Oh no, please don't do backflip.”
Jo
Not while I'm on the job.
Katrina
Yeah, hopefully not while I’m on the job. Yeah, that that was a really fun and interesting day doing water aerobics. So we stopped it for now, but we are about to jump back into our water aerobics once a fortnight.
Jo
Oh, that's wonderful. And look, you're keeping fit on the job too there, which is really great while you're working.
Katrina
I get to go to the hydrotherapy pool. Yeah, I got certified through integratedliving to do that as well with her. So that was something I never thought I'd do something like that. So integratedliving brought out a lady and she certified me to be able to do it and showed me some techniques to help the client with movements in the hydrotherapy pool. Yes, that's really interesting, I really enjoyed myself that day.
Jo
Ah, that's so good and you're going to be doing that again very shortly, which is amazing. But like also that those opportunities, you know to become qualified in other areas while you’re helping your clients is really fantastic too to be supported in that way. That’s really good that integratedliving supported you like that, it's really excellent and also goes to show, those two stories, yeah, there’s really heaps of variety in what you do in any given week.
Katrina
Absolutely. And there's so many different, I've noticed being a support worker, there's so many different opportunities out there with integratedliving and they’re always on board. You know to be able to assist and help, exactly like being certified to do the water therapy and then being certified to do the dog therapy was really amazing and quite special. So, I'm grateful for integratedliving doing that for me.
Jo
The next question is, what's a typical day look like for you, Katrina? Or is there no such thing as a typical day?
Katrina
I'd probably say there's no such thing as a typical day for myself apart from a Wednesday and a Friday. My Wednesday and Fridays are my roster kind of rolls over each week, which is fantastic cause it's great.
Jo
You have that continuity with your clients then too, is that right?
Katrina
Yes, definitely. But each day is a little bit different. I personally don't get a lot of different clients. I have a lot of regular clients but do have different clients from time to time, but each day is a little bit different. I normally start off the morning with doing one or two personal cares and then I might switch up and have a tea break and then go into doing some domestic assistance for a client for an hour and a half and then jump into some lifestyle and leisure social support for a client. And then possibly finish off with a meal prep or personal care.
Jo
So the social side of it, Katrina, like the lifestyle and leisure you call it, which is the way we describe it. How, in your mind, how important is that social connection that you bring to people? It might be a scheduled social activity, but the whole time you're there, no doubt, you're interacting with your clients no matter what you're doing, obviously. Is the social, and you mentioned wellbeing before, that social wellbeing side of what you do is pretty vital, isn't it with some of the clients who may not have a lot of interaction with people every day.
Katrina
Absolutely. It's really important and vital to be able to interact and have that lifestyle and leisure to get them out, introduce them back into the community because some clients may have been in respite, due to personal reasons, injuries, things like that. So, I think having that lifestyle and leisure is really important, so they've got some form of interaction with other people out in the community, with myself. Yeah, it's really important for them.
Jo
Especially after a while they build up that confidence to be out independently of you as well. Isn't that right?
Katrina
That's right. Yeah, to build that independence back for them. So they're able to be able to go out in the community if one of us support workers are not there on the day that they may have an appointment or may just want to pop out, meet someone, some friends. Yeah, they've got the option to be able to get a cab or whatever they may need and have the confidence to get back out by themselves. So yeah, it's definitely really important for their wellbeing.
Jo
For sure. So, we did talk a little bit about this before, about your vital role as a support worker in noticing things about clients when you see them, especially, as you say, you have regular clients and how if you feel like there's something not quite right, as a support worker, you can connect them to other services that integratedliving offers, like allied health services or nursing services. So, how does that work in practice with connecting our whole team together to ensure that all of our clients have better health outcomes, better wellbeing outcomes.
Katrina
Yep, that's where we're pretty lucky with integratedliving. We really are supported with amazing team leaders. Each team is broken up into little teams. We have our own team leader and at any time, like if we go to a client's house and we notice something different, we've got the ability to be able to communicate through documenting, letting the team leader know, letting the client’s case manager know. We really are supported with fantastic registered nurses as well, which is great. And we also have a customer service line that we can call at any time.
We are pretty lucky and we all communicate together, the case managers if we report something, they will then pass that on to allied health, RNs and then it is through client notes, emails and things like that. But that's one thing I can definitely say our team leaders are absolutely amazing and super supportive. Everyone in integratedliving’s supportive, even the work colleagues, other colleagues that go to the same client. The communication with integratedliving is spot on.
Jo
What are your top tips for people thinking about working in aged care, Katrina?
Katrina
Research. You definitely have to do your research. You need to look into the roles that you would be providing for that company and the clients just to make sure that you have the correct skills to be able to provide it. Communication, that is a big skill you should have. Also you should really do your Certificate III, that will give you a bigger step into the door to be able to provide extra services for clients. Look into doing your first aid, your CPR and just a good general health knowledge is what I would say.
Jo
And what would you say to someone who is considering support work as a career? Like it's about all those things, having those, I guess the skill set, but what is it in their heart that's going to make them a great support worker do you think? Is it all about the heart really at the end of the day?
Katrina
It's all about heart. I'd say don't hesitate, do it. You won’t regret it. It's extremely rewarding, extremely. You’re providing both physical and emotional support for clients, and that's something you just can't put a price on.
Jo
That's so true. I can imagine how often you come away from doing your job and just feel really great about what you've done that day. It must be a wonderful feeling, really.
Katrina
It is. It's a beautiful feeling and to hear the client saying, “Thank you so much. I couldn't have done this without your help”, it just warms your heart. You have to have a big heart. You have to be kind, have good communication skills. Patience, just generally a kind person. Yeah, it's such a rewarding job, it's the best thing I’ve ever done. The only thing I wish I did, I wish I did it sooner. Yeah, I should have started it sooner, but here I am five years later, and I'll still be here in another 5, 10, 15, 20 years. I'm not going anywhere.
Jo
We're very happy to hear it because everybody who you work with, loves you, I know that's a fact.
Katrina
It’s so cute when clients tell you they love you. You walk out the door and they're like, “Oh my God. See you, Katrina. I love you. See you next week.” I’m like, “Oh did they just say they love me?”
Jo
Well, that's amazing because there's not many jobs that you can do that when you leave at the end of the day, someone says I love you.
Katrina
No, not at all. I’ve actually caught myself saying, “Love you, bye.”
Jo
I’m sure you’ve become very protective of your clients and no doubt you think about them all the time even when you're not with them.
Katrina
I do. I just want to grab them all and just nurture them all. They're just so beautiful. I grew up with no grandparents either, each and every one you go there, and it doesn't feel like work. I'm obviously there working, but it doesn't feel like work. It feels like I'm just going in to have a cup of tea with my grandfather or my grandmother and you can sit down and talk to him like you've known them your whole life. It just touches my heart so much. I just love them all. I want to nurture and just keep them all safe.
Jo
That describes it so well. What you just said is, do you think you're going to feel like this when you're working with or supporting older people, then this is the job for you. I think a lot of older people just feel like no one really thinks about them because they're older but they have so many things to teach us and they are still the same person they always were.
Katrina
Yeah, you're definitely correct there. Like sometimes people think, “Oh yeah, they're old.” No, no, they're not. They're a walking book of knowledge. They have so much history and so much knowledge, it's unbelievable. Like I myself have grown and learnt so much and if I'm at work and I'm thinking oh I feel a bit tired today, I didn't get much sleep and then you go to someone's house and then you see them and hear their stories, it’s just like, “What are you whinging for?” Like me, what am I whinging for? Look at me. I'm fine.
They inspire me, honestly, they really do. Some of the stuff they do for their age. I had a lady the other day who’s 98 and she came out of the house and we're walking to the car and she pretty much just opened the door and jumped in my car. And I couldn't believe it. 98 years old! And she's sitting there and she's laughing and she's talking and she was the funniest lady ever, and that was the first time I've been to her and from the moment she got in my car, it was like sitting next to my best friend. And then she just jumped out of the car when we got out and I'm like, you're full of life. I need to be like you. You take little snippets from each client and it just it builds your strength and it builds your heart.
Jo
And I think, well in my experience or the older people I know, are just so engaged with life and want to be engaged with life and enjoy younger people around them. So I think it's just amazing what you do and to be, like genuinely interested and present with the clients that you're with would just mean the world to them. I have no doubt about it. And they'd want to know all about your life and what you're doing. It's all about connection, really, isn't it?
Katrina
It is, it's about the connection. Absolutely, you're right.
Jo
You do an amazing job Katrina. We’re so blessed to have you as part of the integratedliving team, and all the wonderful work that you do with our clients is, I'm sure, very much appreciated. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and your stories with us. We really appreciate it and it's been so lovely to talk to you today. Thank you so much.
Katrina
You're very welcome, thank you for the opportunity. I really do appreciate what you guys do for me as well. Thank you.
Jo
Thanks Katrina.