Faces of Baptcare | Karana’s singing Personal Care Worker is Wan of a kind

Wanderful.

Wan in a million.

Baptcare’s Karana residential aged care community Wan the lottery when they secured him as an employee.

Wan (pronounced like ‘one’) Tanamas is famous at Karana for singing to residents as he undertakes his Personal Care tasks.

“I love to sing, and a lot of the residents like being sung to,” Wan said.

“I like doing karaoke and even have a karaoke machine at home. I sing a lot of the classics like Sinatra and Louis Armstrong, and it makes people happy.”

Wan started life in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he studied law and started a wholesale pharmaceutical company. In 2000 he moved with his children to Australia.

“I have two daughters and two grand-daughters. No boys, so I tell them I’m the King in my family!”

Singing and caring are inextricably linked in his personal and professional life. Away from Karana, Wan sings in the choir at St Francis’s in the city, where he also volunteers to serve food to people in need.

“I like to help people. The residents at Karana are really good. They seem to love me – I must be a sweet talker! But seriously, I know everyone at Karana, every staff member and every resident, and I try to show care for everyone.

“I love my job because, if I’m still able, I want to be helping others.”

Jared McLeod, Spiritual Care Coordinator at Karana, has seen the difference Wan makes in people’s lives. “Wan is incredibly attentive to residents’ needs,” Jared said.

“He is so insightful about how people are going, monitors them closely every day, and sometimes lets me know if he feels people have spiritual care needs we can help with.

“He is a super caring man. Just one of the best.”