Elderly have a special place

Liscombe House clinical care coordinator Bini Biju brings a lot of her cultural values with her when she comes to work each day at OCAV’s aged care facility. Born and trained as a nurse in India, Bini grew up in a culture that respects and values the elderly and considers them revered members of the family. That’s how she treats the residents at Liscombe House.

Bini came to Australia in 2012 after working in aged care in Saudi Arabia and Ireland for several years. She began nursing at Liscombe House in 2014 before becoming one of the facility’s two clinical care coordinators in 2016. Her work involves daily care of residents, working with families to ensure a resident’s care needs are met, ensuring all documentation complies with legislation and ensuring all staff are up to date with best practice.

“We develop care plans for all our residents to ensure their medical, emotional, mental, spiritual and cultural needs are met,” said Bini who only began nursing in aged care in recent years.

“After I did my nursing training in India I worked in critical care. There were no aged care facilities in India then, because older people stayed in the care of their families. That is changing now and some aged care facilities are being set up.”

Bini loves her work at Liscombe House and doesn’t think she could ever go back to nursing in an emergency or critical care unit. She believes the respect shown to the residents allows caring relationships to develop and thrive.

“When you nurse in a hospital, the people get well and eventually go home. Our residents are with us, usually till the end of their life. So we have the chance to really give continuity of care and the residents become very fond of us and we become fond of them,” Bini said. “I think one very special part of aged care nursing is focusing on the care of each resident today; here and now. It is about valuing this moment with the person.”

A great deal of planning and care is also taken when supporting residents who are dying and also meeting the needs of their families. Bini said staff ensure residents are free of pain and their final wishes are met.

“Our care planning here at Liscombe House is about making sure our residents are comfortable for the whole time they are with us and that also means at the end of their life,” Bini said. “As my parents get older I sometimes wish that I could be there in India caring for them in the way we care for people here.”