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ParaQuad News
•
The NDIS Edition 2016
Story
Personal Care Asistant
Stacey Hinten
What is your job title?
Personal Care Assistant
ParaQuad NSW
How long have you
been a carer?
18 months
Tell me about your role
This role involves supporting my
clients to complete a variety of daily
tasks, including personal care, meal
preparation, house maintenance, as
well as accessing the community
and completing errands.
How long have you been
employed by ParaQuad?
I have been with ParaQuad since the
end of 2014. This is my first position
as a carer.
What is it that you most
enjoy about your role?
The thing that I enjoy most is seeing
how a simple action, gesture or
comment can make a big difference
in my client’s day. I also enjoy the
personal interaction, as well as the
variety and challenge that each
day brings.
What is the typical
day of a carer?
A typical day involves an early
start as I help my clients to
prepare themselves for the day
ahead. This includes assisting
them with personal hygiene,
getting dressed, preparing meals
and a variety of other tasks as
required to meet their individual
needs. Once this service is
complete, I drive to the next client.
Each shift varies according to
individual requirements and goals.
I may be with one client for an
hour to help them get showered
and dressed, or spend a few hours
with another client, helping them
to maintain a clean, functional
home. The next day I may have a
community access shift, where I
am enabling my client to do their
own shopping, or attend a medical
appointment or social event.
What is a positive
difference between
the role of a carer
and an average
‘9-5’ job?
The difference between the role
of a carer and a 9 to 5 job is the
variety. As I mentioned, each day
is different to the last. This was a
career change for me, as I had
spent the previous few years in a
call centre customer service role.
The most notable difference for me
has been the personal interaction,
rather than just being a faceless
person on the other end of the
phone. I am now able to have
meaningful interactions with each
client as I help them to achieve
their goals, while having a chat
and sharing a joke or two.
How did you get
involved with ParaQuad?
I decided that I wanted to do
something with more personal
contact than working in a call centre.
My brother inspired me to complete
a Certificate 3 in Aged Care. Shortly
after finishing this course, I saw
an ad for ParaQuad, attended the
information session and decided
this is what I wanted to do.
How do you think the
NDIS will affect your
clients?
I am enthusiastic about the
NDIS rollout, as it will allow
clients to be empowered to
achieve their goals through a
greater variety of supports and
funding, as well as greater
flexibility and control on how
these supports are implemented.
I have been able to witness the
positive effect the NDIS has had
on my clients as they become
participants in the scheme. Some
clients have simply been able to
receive more funding for service
hours so they can be more social.
Others have been eligible to receive
home modifications so they can be
more independent around the home,
or new equipment allowing them to
travel to the local shopping centre
on their own for the first time.
Has the NDIS affected
you as a carer?
The NDIS has affected me as a
carer through being able to assist
the clients with increased hours.
Increased funding has allowed
clients to upgrade equipment such
as hoists and car modifications,
which in turn has made manual
handling tasks for these clients
safer and more effective.