Ann
Customer Care Consultant
Home Care Packages
Meet Ann
Ann’s passion for helping others is evident in everything she does, whether it’s in her work at Your Side as a Customer Care Consultant, or doing volunteer work in her own time. She thrives on any challenges that allow her to channel her natural empathy into helping others. Her career in aged care began at the age of 16 with her first job at a nursing home. Ann loved talking to the clients and listening to their life stories — so much so that she was fired for being too chatty!
She has come a long way since then. With many years of experience in aged care, Ann knows the intricacies of the system and what levers to pull to help people get the most out of their aged care funding. Ann is known for always going the extra mile. She is especially proud of her client Ken, who had suffered brain trauma at birth that affected his ability to read or write. Although Ken was initially reluctant to accept services, Ann patiently built a relationship with him, earning his trust and guiding him to use his Home Care Package effectively. Once Ken was ready, Ann arranged for a speech pathologist to work with him, helping him with his reading and writing.
She helped Ken use his Home Care Package to get a scanner pen that lets him read his newspaper and mail independently, so now he doesn’t have to rely on a care worker to read to him. With Ann’s support, Ken’s can now read entire novels, and he’s even able to write the days of the week again. Ann has played a crucial role in helping Ken gain his independence.
Outside of work Ann leads a busy life. She loves Latin music and goes to a weekly salsa dancing class. She also volunteers for the State Emergency Services and as part of her training, she was required to learn to wield a chainsaw. Petite Ann was determined to master the formidable power tool, so she could take an active part in protecting homes and cars during storm rescue operations. She also built up her mental resilience through the SES roof repair training, as she had to overcome a fear of heights. She is now proud to be the first one chosen to be sent up on roofs during training workshops.
Ann’s sense of camaraderie and team spirit is one of her many strengths. “It’s a high-stress job, but my team—we just adore one another, and the young ones look up to me because I’m the oldest. Everyone’s always lending a hand and being there to talk through stressful times and I think that’s what keeps us all here. Your Side is like a family”.
Ann’s positive outlook on life, her approachability and empathy are some of the many reasons she is so cherished by everyone at Your Side.
Watch the video of how Ann helped Ken with his Home Care Package here:
