From town to town

THE Uniting AgeWell care adviser also enjoys where the job takes her. Driving along country roads to meet customers in their own home is something Teresa never takes for granted.

Growing up in Myrtleford on a dairy farm, Teresa now lives in a larger country town. She enjoys being close to her children and it’s a stone’s throw to the office. The convenience of living in a larger town with shops, parks and other amenities is great for her and her kids. But if you ask Teresa, she misses farm life in Myrtleford.

“I did love growing up on a farm and I miss the feeling of having that space,” she says.

For many years Teresa did seasonal work picking walnuts, kiwifruit, hops and blueberries.

It all changed 16 years ago when Teresa, who was raising three children, was looking after her then terminally ill mother. Her mum told her: “You’re a born carer – you’d make a very good nurse or caregiver one day.”

With her late mother’s words echoing in her mind, Teresa studied to become a personal care worker and then a nurse, working in residential aged care communities. Then, drawing on both experiences, she joined Uniting AgeWell a few years ago as a care adviser working in the community.

“Mum was right,” says Teresa. “I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing. It gives me great joy to enable older people to live where they want to be – at home surrounded by everything that they love.”

Her customers speak about her kindness and care. “She’s the best,” says Morris Lister, his weather-beaten face lighting up under his trademark hat.

One of the not-for-profit organisation’s top five strategic priorities is to be an employer of choice. A part of its investment in staff, the Uniting AgeWell Scholarships Program was launched and saw 26 staff awarded in the first round in 2024. Comprehensive training for care workers across 2025 will enable workers in home care settings to hone their skills and learn new ones.

International Women’s Day on 8 March is an opportunity for Uniting AgeWell, with women making up over 80 per cent of its workforce, to celebrate the daily impact women make through their work.

Director of Regional Victoria Home Care Meagan Thomas says there is no better example of women supporting community than in rural settings.

“Today is a great reminder of why working in aged care is such a rewarding career,” she says.