A Spotlight on Salvos Home Care Worker, Jeann Pierre

"I think every Home Care Worker needs to be kind and have empathy; it’s the way you interact with clients when you’re with them that I feel is most impactful,” says Salvos Home Care worker, Jeann Pierre. Jeann Pierre has been an employee of Salvos Home Care for over two years now, having worked as a cleaner prior to joining the organisation.  

“I was looking to do something else; both my parents had moved into working with the elderly and one of them suggested for myself to do the same. Helping older people as a job did appeal to me, so I decided to apply for work as a Home Care Worker with The Salvation Army Aged Care, after doing the appropriate course and getting my driver’s license.”  

Salvos Home Care assists clients from the initial stages of support right through to organising the first home visit. The Salvos Home Care team can advise clients on the aged care funding process, various Commonwealth subsidised support options, assist with paperwork and find personally tailored solutions. 

Once a client is set up with Salvos Home Care, a Home Care Worker will support clients in finalising a personalised care plan, which can be adjusted according to client’s needs, including their health and well-being. Salvos Home Care Workers also assist with a range of tasks including personal care, domestic assistance, clinical care, home maintenance and transport services – just to name a few. 

In terms of Jeann Pierre’s day-to-day role as a Home Care Worker, he notes that there is a lot of diversity. “I do a bit of everything,” he explains. “I have quite a few clients and most vary depending on the day, though I now have at least one client I see every day.” Jeann Pierre’s tasks encompass domestic assistance and to personal care for clients. “I do everything from cleaning, helping clients take a shower and get dressed, taking them to shopping or to an appointment if needed.”  

For Jeann Pierre, working in the aged care sector provides him with an opportunity to not just assist clients with their daily living tasks, but also form meaningful connections with them. “I really like helping clients” he says. “I like seeing them happy when I arrive every day to their homes. I enjoy keeping them company, talking with them, hearing their stories, sharing some of my own, laughing and having a good time. I find that very fulfilling.”  

When considering The Salvation Army Aged Care as a workplace and what makes it unique, Jeann Pierre notes it is the culture of the organisation. “Salvos Home Care has been amazing for me,” he states. “Everyone that I’ve had the pleasure to work or talk with, has been friendly, helpful, patient – just wonderful people to be around. And we all share the same goal, enriching the lives of elderly people through the services we offer.”