Article edited by: Rachel Yeo
Having contracted a debilitating illness as a child, Sirinluck (Billie) Taninram was put in a hospital in Thailand for a gruelling two weeks. It was during her stay at the hospital where she met some of the nicest and most caring nurses, making her stay at the local hospital one of the most memorable ones she has had to date.
“The nurses at the local hospital were so caring and kind,” said Billie in an interview with Homage. “That was when I thought, I wanted to be just like them.”
A Growing Interest in Care
That was the initial spark that led Billie to pursue her interest in nursing. Fresh out of secondary school, she volunteered at a nursing home for a full year as a lifestyle assistant, before becoming a personal care assistant. Thereafter, she moved on to become an enrolled nurse at the nursing home, all while studying for her degree in nursing at Monash University.
“My experience at the nursing home was fantastic,” said Billie. “It gave me lots of joy to be around older people. The residents introduced me to older music and films, which I love, and I danced and talked to them all the time!”
“Maybe I find it easy for me to connect to older people because I’m an old soul,” Billie added.
Indeed, Billie’s hobbies include listening to music from the 60s to the 80s, belting to the tunes of The Beatles, Monkees, Mindbenders, Searchers, Supremes and more. She owns an impressive collection of vintage CD albums from the 60s, and her love for classic films (especially those by English filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock).
“Speaking with older adults fascinates me. Some of them went to war and have a lot of stories to tell of the prime of their lives,” said Billie. “That is why I think we need to value older people in our community.”
The Joy of Making Healthcare Accessible to Those in Need
As a nurse working in Aged Care for almost 4 years, Billie has a wealth of experience when it comes to working with older clients. Wanting to do something different, she joined Homage to provide personalised care for older Australians in the community, as it was aligned with her goal of helping local Australians across both urban and rural parts of Melbourne.
“Providing compassionate care and access to healthcare for people living in rural areas is important to me,” said Billie. “Homage gave me the opportunity to experience that, and I feel strongly aligned with the company’s mission to improve healthcare access to people across Melbourne, especially to those living in rural areas.”
“Sometimes, I have to travel an hour to the client’s home. Some places are a little remote, while others aren’t. Every place that I travelled to was interesting, and I gain new experiences every time,” she added.
Homage offers a variety of home care packages catered to your needs. Through our mobile app, you can now get qualified, on-demand care from professional caregivers and nurses simply with a touch of a button. Get notified of visit updates, manage your appointments, view care visit summaries and more all in one app!
Learning to Provide Empathetic Care for Those With Dementia
Being a home care nurse has its fair share of challenges. For Billie, it was learning to navigate complex situations with those she cares for. When Billie provided care for Ava*, it was her first time caring for someone with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dementia.
When Ava was home, she was constantly looking for her house keys and would wander around the house in a frantic manner searching for them. Given her condition, this was something Ava constantly frets about, and Billie was initially unable to soothe her anxieties.
Thankfully, Ava’s other carer knew where her keys were and was able to placate Ava after showing them to her. Through this experience, Billie started learning more about ADHD, and how to care for someone with ADHD and dementia in a more empathetic manner.
“It was my first time caring for a person with ADHD. It was only until Ava had told me that she has been diagnosed with ADHD that her behaviour started to make sense to me,” said Billie.
After finding out about Ava’s diagnosis, she was able to provide a stable sense of reassurance to Ava by giving her the exact and precise information that she needs so that Ava can feel safe and secure while at home.
*Name has been changed for confidentiality purposes.
Homage offers a wide range of home-based elderly care services that can help alleviate the burden of caring for loved ones at home. Some services include:
- Activities of daily living (Feeding, transferring, toileting, etc)
- Companionship
- Nursing care including wound care, catheter or feeding tube care
- Private ambulance or medical escort services for routine check-ups
- Specialised Care (Dementia, diabetes, stroke)
How a Homage Care Professional can help you
Billie’s natural affinity with her clients allows her to form deep and meaningful friendships with them. She has shared her love for oldies and classic films with many older adults with the same interest and was able to provide both companionship and nursing help for those she cares for.
Just like Billie, our Care Professionals are equipped to provide the best care your loved ones deserve. We offer a wide range of home-based elderly care services that can help alleviate the burden of caring for loved ones at home. Some services include activities of daily living, companionship, nursing care, or specialised care.
Many of our services are covered under various government and private funding options such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Home Care Plan (HCP), and WorkSafe.
Need some assistance with care for yourself or your loved one? Find out how Homage can help!
