Hi! I’m Karen and I am proud to be the Envigor Community Care Business Partner that looks after the Cairns region.
When I say care, I don’t mean filling out a checklist of what people need – I’m talking about providing exactly the right assistance for you or your loved one when you need it, for as long as you need it. This is something that our clients come to understand and expect from Envigor.
We pride ourselves on taking the time to actually discuss care options to ensure that every client is able to make their own choices.
To us, personal care should be just that – personal. If you are admitted to hospital in an emergency, Envigor can make sure your home is ready for your return. We even provide a basket of basic food to get you started on the way to good health again.
Envigor can also ‘top up’ the social and personal care services for people, even those living in nursing homes. To have the time to brush someone’s hair gently, to read to them, to talk with them: that’s not a luxury, that’s dignity and respect. That’s Envigor.
Your local Envigor Home Care team provides individualised personal and nursing care services to seniors, and people with a disability, living in the Cairns region from Palm Cove south to Gordonvale.
Karen, Envigor Home Care Community Care Business Partner for Cairns, explains how she helped a client to gain a new lease of life in her own home:
“I met a delightful, intelligent 85-year-old lady, “Elsa” living alone in her old Queenslander home of 60 years. She lived here with her fluffy cat and aviary birds on a large double garden block.
Members of her church referred Elsa to me to see if I could help her. They were concerned for her safety and wellbeing. She had no family in town who could help, although her sons cared for her deeply.
Elsa’s beautiful old home was split level and was filled with a life time of treasures and memories. Unfortunately, these treasures also created a haven for spiders, cockroaches and other nasties. Elsa wasn’t worried that her back door couldn’t be locked – her screenless windows were always open to let in the breeze (and the cat). Elsa was very trusting. It didn’t occur to her that she was vulnerable.
With mobility restrictions, blood pressure and severe constipation, Elsa was having a tough time looking after herself at home. During my first visit, I saw that the shower was almost inaccessible and the toilet pan was broken. Fixing these areas was a priority for both me and Elsa.
Elsa’s two sons wanted to move her into a nursing home but that was not on her agenda at all.
When I visited Elsa, our first visit was more of a chat than an assessment. I quickly worked out that there were a few things we could do quickly to help her. Safety was a priority so the back-door lock was fixed and an emergency alert system installed. I also had the toilet pan replaced and had grab rails installed in the shower and toilet. I made an appointment for the occupational therapist to visit to assess Elsa for a walking aid.
She hadn’t been eating well so she agreed to have Meals on Wheels delivered. Lifestyle carers provided domestic assistance weekly, cleaning up the house room by room under Elsa’s watchful eye. She went out on shopping trips and just for coffee and cake with them. The final room was her bedroom which she had declined to have cleaned. After a couple of months, she finally told me why – her cat had started using the corner of the room as a toilet and she was too embarrassed to let the carers in to clean. After much reassurance, we blitzed the room and set up a kitty litter tray in the laundry.
Elsa called me one day and invited me to drop in for a coffee. What a surprise to find she had set her coffee table up with a lace cloth and a vase of fresh roses from her garden. She had made coffee and served me a plate of her home-made biscuits. Elsa said that this was her way of saying thank you for making such a difference in her life. Elsa told me she loved the carers I sent to her and that they treated her with respect. She said she felt that we had really listened to what she wanted and that her home was now a safe haven for her.
This story is just one of many that keeps me inspired and passionate about working in aged care.”
Envigor provides everyday home care services to help you remain living independently in your own home. We work with you to ensure we are providing you with flexible and individualised support to help you live life your way.
Our specialist services provide you with the personalised care you need, when you need it. Whether you need nursing care, respite, dementia or palliative services, we design a care plan that caters to your individual preferences.
PO Box 3325
Newmarket QLD
4051 Australia
ABN 31 147 108 870
