Every workday, Sadhna drives an hour from her home to the May Shaw Health Centre in Scottsdale where she works as an aged care professional. The hilly farmland and wintry climate of northeast Tasmania are a striking contrast to her tropical homeland of Fiji.
‘It’s different. It is very windy, but I love it, I love the cold weather. My husband and I are in the countryside so it’s a nice drive and I love my job,” Sadhna said.
Sadhna’s passion for caring for older people stems from her earlier life in Fiji where she helped look after elderly friends and family throughout her community. She enjoyed listening to their stories and learning from their experiences. After marrying a Tasmanian and moving to Australia more than 15 years ago, she decided to build on those natural skills and turn them into a career.
With support from Work & Training (part of the IntoWork Group), Sadhna completed a Certificate III in Individual Support and is now a qualified and dedicated carer. She says the guidance she received played an important role in helping her succeed. “My consultant Vicky showed me how to study, how to communicate with older people and what’s important when giving care,” Sadhna said.
Her commitment to learning was recognised last year when she was named Equity Student of the Year at the Work & Training Awards. She says winning was a proud moment and reinforced her confidence in the career path she has chosen.
Sadhna brings a happy, positive energy to her work and deeply values the relationships she has built with her colleagues. She believes the key to quality care is to bring compassion and understanding. “The most important thing is to have respect for the residents,” she says. “It is hard work, but they love to share their old stories and just being present and listening means everything to them.”
Looking ahead, Sadhna hopes to complete a diploma in dementia care. She knows how challenging memory loss can be for residents and their families and she wants to be able to support them as effectively as possible. “Many of the residents remember the past clearly but struggle with what’s happening now,” she said. “So it’s important to listen, spend time with them and make sure they know you care.”
Sadhna says the team at May Shaw feels like a family, and that everyone looks out for each other. She says there’s a shared commitment to making sure the people they care for feel heard, valued and understood – a principle she has lived by since long before she stepped into her formal role.