News and views from our community

A day in the life of a caseworker at Sanctuary — farewell and best wishes, John Mirabile

John Mirabile, one of Sanctuary's most experienced and long-serving caseworkers, recently bid us farewell. His career with Baptcare spanned more than ten years and many eras in asylum seeker policy.John was farewelled at a very moving lunch prepared and attended by our residents. Their message to him was of overwhelming love and gratitude for all the times he has walked alongside them and been a ‘brother' in their hardships.What does a Sanctuary caseworker do?Casework is a multi-faceted role addressing both the practical and the emotional realms of human needs. The overriding objective is always to help the person gain independence, confidence and the skills to solve their own problems — it's not as simple as just stepping in and fixing the issue.The caseworker needs to act like a buddy as well as an advocate: providing information, suggestions, encouragement and advocacy to boost the person's own abilities and equip them to overcome the barriers confronting them. At the same time, they must ensure that each client's interests keep moving forward - that essential information is submitted, timelines met, reports prepared, appointments scheduled and attended. Please consider donating directly towards critical support for people seeking asylum by clicking hereGetting life back on trackHealth and legal matters are important areas of life: homelessness is part of a bigger picture of disadvantage and deprivation. The caseworker's role is to help the person get their life back on track now that they have housing at Sanctuary.In a typical day, John would deal with residents' routine health needs — explaining hospital letters, providing information about transport so that residents who don't speak English can get to their appointments, providing MYKI (public transport) top-ups if the person is without income, sometimes accompanying them on medical visits to ensure that they find the correct clinic and that an interpreter is present. John frequently accompanied residents to the city offices of Home Affairs to be the familiar and kindly face they can look to for explanation about their caseOn many occasions, he has dealt with pressing health emergencies amongst his clients — suspected heart attacks, acute mental health crises and injury and illness arising from self-harm (which is itself the expression of despair and devastation). Caseworkers are not health-trained so the limits of their intervention are a fast assessment, calling emergency services, providing first aid, staying on hand to facilitate communication and then giving trusted emotional support to the distressed person.The major concern of people seeking asylum is their application for protection — getting a visa to enable them to stay and work rights to earn income and access Medicare support. Caseworkers dig deep and search widely to secure pro-bono legal assistance for their clients so that they can get informed advice in the very complex and specialist field of immigration law.When people have been homeless, their documents can be hopelessly soiled or lost - caseworkers help with recovering and replacing lost credentials. Ensuring complex correspondence is made more accessible by discussing it with the person is another important aspect of the job, as is sitting with them to provide support and reassurance when challenging news is provided by their lawyer. John frequently accompanied residents to the city offices of Home Affairs to be the familiar and kindly face to look to for support and explanation about their case.A path to independenceOther areas include residents' efforts to find work — getting resumes into shape, making applications and assisting in interview preparation, helping with clothes for the interview, coaching to ensure that expectations and behaviours are appropriate for the workplace. For those who don't have work rights, or who can't find work, help obtaining income supplements or emergency relief is vital.The essence of John's greatness is that he listens to and respects his clients' hopeMost people seeking asylum have no eligibility for Centrelink payments and live precariously. John and the casework team distribute vouchers - $40 per month per person is the limit that we can provide but we also access other sources of assistance to allow for basic needs to be met. Through the Sanctuary Foodhub, a ministry of the West Preston Baptist Church, rescued food is collected and distributed to residents, ensuring a continuous supply of nutritious meals.A message of hopeThe overwhelming issue for many people seeking asylum is hope — the hope for a visa and the opportunity to make their home in Australia, to be reunited with their families and to be able to work and pay their way. Many residents at John's lunch affirmed that the essence of John's greatness came from the fact that he listened to and respected their hope. The tears and speeches at the lunch table were the proof of that.

• 08 Dec 2022

Nancy and Fred: Caring for the whole person

Our belief at Baptcare is that care should be holistic – not just looking after people’s physical requirements, but also their spiritual and emotional needs.At Baptcare Northaven Community in the northern Victorian town of Kerang, these equally important aspects are overseen by a married couple.Nancy Mugambi is the Nursing Unit Manager. Her husband Fred is the Spiritual Care Coordinator, as well as the local Baptist Pastor. Since moving to Kerang five years ago with their two children they have become highly valued members of the community.NANCY – WHY I LOVE MY JOB“I like my job because I like changing people’s lives. I love working with the older generation. They are a good bunch, and I especially like when we can put a smile on their faces. I also really enjoy the team here, they are supportive and everyone knows everybody.”NANCY – WHAT I DO“In my job I offer clinical support and oversight to residents as well as acting as liaison between residents’ families and multi-disciplinary teams. Additionally, I support Registered Staff and Personal Care Assistants who collectively deliver seamless service to the residents.“We take care of the clinical and psycho-social needs of our residents. For example, if a resident needs to see a GP, speech pathologist, podiatrist, dietician or psycho-geriatrician, I organise and oversee this. In this job, it is paramount to keep families informed about whatever is happening with their loved ones.”NANCY – WHY FRED’S WORK IS IMPORTANT“God gave Fred this personality that when you sit with him, before you know it you've given him your whole life story. He has a way of extracting information from you, and such a calm nature. I have seen people who are turbulent or even violent, and I have witnessed them calm down when Fred is around them. Over the years we have worked alongside each other, he has been instrumental to my role as I have referred residents to him and there has been a very high rate of success. He is wonderful at building rapport and trust.“If residents have emotional needs, they will tell Fred even when they might not tell me or anyone else on staff. Due to the nature of our work and the time constraints, we are often task-oriented, running to the next job, but Fred, as the chaplain, will sit with them and have a chat. If there are any concerns he will relay them to me or other staff members. These issues range from clinical, to my toast was not well buttered, to some extra TLC because of what they may be going through. Nothing is trivial!“His role is just so important. It completes the puzzle.”FRED – WHY I LOVE MY JOB“The key for me is making sure there is emotional support for residents. I love being available to help people along. We need to build relationships and show people they can feel safe to talk about things. It is the most important part of my job, to be there for people when they need that support.”FRED – WHAT I DO“I visit people, sit and listen to their stories. For example, when the floodwaters were coming to Kerang this year there were people who wanted to tell stories of the past floods – not just 2011, but 1955-56 as well. Those stories gave us hope because we could say, we know that this flood will be scary, but it will pass.“We work to support people’s spiritual interests. This includes rituals, devotions, Bible reading, prayer. I work with the wider faith community in Kerang, and facilitate access to leaders of other faiths – Catholic priests, and Anglican ministers for example – to make sure there is support for rituals from residents’ own religious traditions.“For some residents, it is hard to transition from home to an aged care home They can arrive with grief about loss of independence, loss of their home, or they can be angry at their families, or have a traumatic personal or family history. I am there with them through that transition, to journey through that with them and let them know they are supported and not alone.”FRED – WHY NANCY’S WORK IS IMPORTANT“Nancy plays a very key role in charge of our clinical staff. She works with specialists in the community, dealing with medical issues. She works with families, like I do, but on a different level. She is a very caring person, not just towards our residents but also other staff. We try to work together to bring more harmony.”

• 05 Dec 2022

Music as a supportive therapy for memory loss

In the opening moments of the documentary ‘Alive Inside’, a startling event takes place. A 90-year-old woman with dementia is struggling to remember a time in history. She looks apologetically at the interviewer as she explains how her memory has faded. She seems slightly embarrassed by the fact and resigned to her fate.Remarkably, when the interviewer plays music from the past, her eyes light up. She starts to recall a range of events and occasions taking place in her life at that time. Names, facts, circumstances and laughter pepper her speech as she recalls things in detail. Things that just seconds ago were lost to her.Which leaves open a tantalising thought: are people experiencing memory loss actually going through a process where those memories are lost forever? Or are some pathways to those memories just more blocked than others?No one can doubt the degenerative nature of dementia, Alzheimer’s and many other conditions affecting recall and memory. Currently, there is no cure for dementia and Alzheimer’s. For people experiencing these conditions, however, there is an ability to improve quality of life through supportive therapies.Positive experiences have been recorded in relation to the impact of music therapy on many people with these disorders. What if, at least in the early stages, music therapy can make a significant impact on the quality of life for people experiencing memory loss?Music at Baptcare residential aged care communitiesBaptcare offers residents the opportunity to enjoy live music across its residential aged care communities. At a recent piano concert provided by one of our talented volunteers, the joy experienced by residents was on full display. Eyes brightened as many recalled childhood piano lessons, while others recalled singing rehearsals as part of the school choir.Caroline*, a resident of one of our residential aged care communities in Melbourne, shared happy memories of singing for the nuns at her convent school. “I started singing lessons at school when I was six years old,” she said. “We did group singing next to the piano – I remember much later on performing the Sleeping Beauty opera. We’d always sing at the cathedral on Sundays and a nun would play the piano.”Another resident, Philippa*, shared her experiences learning piano with a strict teacher who would rap her over the knuckles with a wooden ruler if she hit a bad note. “Madam Sophie* was so strict! Oh, I dare not hit the wrong key during practice!” she laughed.Stories like these were shared between residents and staff well after the concert had ended. People were connecting not only with their cherished memories of days gone by, but also with each other. (To watch a short video profiling one of our volunteer pianists, Louis Schmidt, click here).What is music therapy?Music therapy has been found to reduce agitation in people experiencing dementia (Livingston et. al. 2017: 2703). Dementia Australia lists music therapy as a non-drug alternative therapy for people living with dementia which may improve quality of life. But what is it?The Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) is Australia’s peak body for music therapy. It defines music therapy as 'the intentional use of music by a university-trained Registered Music Therapist (RMT) that draws on an extensive body of research to incorporate a range of music making-methods within and through a therapeutic relationship' (AMTA 2020: 2).The organisation has a set of five Competency Standards that all applicants must satisfy – music skills, psychosocial knowledge, clinical knowledge, music therapy knowledge and music therapy skills. Registered music therapists create bespoke music therapy programs to address specific client goals.Some limitations of music therapyWhile music therapy has seen positive effects for some people with dementia, it’s true that not everybody responds well to this style of intervention.Garrido et.al. (2020) conducted a trial of a music playlist guide with 45 people with dementia and their caregivers in residential care facilities and home-based care. Their research indicates that while improvements to quality of life can be enjoyed by those experiencing dementia, multiple studies show that some people do not respond to music therapy in a positive way (Garrido et.al. 2020:220). This points to the importance of trained music therapists developing and monitoring programs to ensure recipients’ mental health is not compromised. While music can be a source of great joy, it may trigger unhappy memories for some people or cause emotional overstimulation.If you are living with or caring for someone with dementia, you may like to explore the value of music therapy as part of their supportive therapies. Consider speaking with your medical practitioner about the appropriateness of a tailored music program for your loved one.To quote author and poet Michael Bassey Johnson: “Music replays the past memories, awakens our forgotten worlds and makes our minds travel.” And that is what fullness of life is all about.*Names have been changed for privacy reasons. Stock image used.References:AMTA (Australian Music Therapy Association) 2020 Royal Commission – AMTA Response to Counsel Assisting’s Proposed RecommendationsGarrido S, Dunne L, Stevens CJ and Change E (2020) ‘Music Playlists for People with Dementia: Trialling a Guide for Caregivers’, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 77(1) 219-226. DOI 10.3233/JAD-200457Livingston et. al. (2017) Dementia prevention, intervention, and care, The Lancet Commissions, Volume 390, Issue 10113, P2673-2734, December 16, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31363-6

• 02 Dec 2022

• Faces of Baptcare

Faces of Baptcare #29: Meet the Family Violence Team

Ginnelle: +WAVES Team Leader.Megan: Adolescent Family Violence Team Leader.Brylee: +SHIFT Team Leader.What did you want to be as a young child?Ginnelle: Vet.Megan: Park Ranger.Brylee: Lawyer.Why do you think days like the 16 Days of Activism are important? One woman is killed nearly every week in Australia due to family violence and on average in Victoria, police attend a family violence incident every six minutes. We could continue with startling statistics but collectively we believe many voices become one to raise awareness of what is happening within our communities.What motivates you to work in this Family Violence space? We are motivated to support this community and end the fight against gender-based violence. By working in family violence, we have the privilege of working across diverse communities; family violence does not discriminate.Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life?Ginnelle: Make every minute count.Megan: You don’t have to be better in the future, just need be better than yesterday.Brylee: Don’t be afraid to start over again. Remember, this time you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.If you could sit next to someone at a dinner party, who would it be and why?Ginnelle: Brené Brown is a US writer and Professor - as I am inspired by the amazing contributions towards research and supporting people across the globe.Megan: Bel Hooks is an American Author (Feminism is for Everybody) and Social Activist - as I have a lot to learn.Brylee: Bruce Perry is an American Psychiatrist and Author (The Boy who Was Raised as a Dog) due to his insight, knowledge and intelligence relating to attachment and developmental trauma.Favourite local restaurant near our workspace?We work in Sunshine, Melbourne, Victoria and our go to is Hot Chilly Banh Mi.What has your career journey been?Collectively we have had experience within:

• 30 Nov 2022

• Residential Aged Care

Books, the Bombers and Betty

Approaching her 94th birthday, Betty is one of the livewire residents of Baptcare Northaven Community.

• 28 Nov 2022

Equine therapy: A reflection from Martin Reilly, Spiritual Care Coordinator

Martin Reilly is a Spiritual Care Co-ordinator from Baptcare Sanctuary, about his experience of equine therapy with some of Sanctuary’s residents who are seeking asylum.Being aware: it is what you notice in the here and now; it is paying attention to what is happening inside you and outside you; it is what keeps you safe.These were words from a brochure, Horse Wisdom, given to me and eight residents from Baptcare Sanctuary by the therapist at our first equine therapy session last month.During the session we learned a lot about horses: how they have great peripheral vision but poor direct vision; how they are extremely intuitive animals, picking up on the feelings of both humans and other animals; how they are incredibly giving animals and that as a pack animal, they like to be near - but not too close - to each other.But we learned more about ourselves: how our feelings impacted their feelings and what the nature of our feelings told us about our current situation. But best of all, we forgot about our own situation for a little while and became mesmerised by these big affectionate beasts. One of the residents said, “It was so wonderful for me to be with the horses, brushing them, leading them, stroking them. For a short time I forgot I was depressed.”One horse was named Tiger. He was a New Zealand champion trotter who arrived here in Australia but never won a race again and was therefore discarded. He was welcomed into the equine therapy centre and has learned his place in the pack of five other horses. He was the quickest by far, the most credentialled, and yet strangely the smallest of all these discarded racing animals.The head horse in this bedraggled discarded group, however, was Betty. She was a beautiful mare, and very stroppy, very sensitive to what the horses were doing. A bit like all of us. She was aware of what was around her like it was important to her, and maybe to the pack. A kind of duty. Then there was Jack, the real love of Betty, who was affectionate and playful. We were not sure of his story, but it was probably about failing somewhere in the racing world and therefore being deemed valueless. Not to us though. Jack, and all the other horses we met, were all beautiful and special.Just for a time all of us became aware of something other than ourselves. Just for a time we were able to drift off to another world and be with the horses. We couldn’t keep our eyes off them. It taught us so much. We learned that by being more grounded to the present, to the here and now and to what is actually happening in our lives, we can be more aware of others and of ourselves. And that was freeing.Maybe, however, the biggest lesson for us as all being with the horses, (perhaps especially for the residents seeking asylum, many who feel a lack of value and connectedness in Australia given our hard line and punitive border approach) is that we learned that we too could love again, and be loved, at least by horses. That we are all beautiful and special in our own way. We just hope the government sees that too, so all our residents can know and finally appreciate that they are safe.

• 05 Nov 2022

• Faces of Baptcare

Spiritual Care Week 23-29 October | Faces of Baptcare #28 - Nalissa Maberly

What is your role at Baptcare and can you describe a typical day in your job?My role is Spiritual Care Supervisor – Family, Community, Disability and Housing (Acting). I don’t really have a typical day, as I work with the team at Sunshine, supporting Spiritual Care Coordinators in Hobart, Launceston and Brunswick. One type of day is working from the FACS office in Sunshine — this will involve connecting with staff and it may include offering a reflection for a staff meeting. It may also include a conversation had with coffee in hand, while taking a fresh air break. Currently, the spiritual care process for clients is under review and we are working to create a best practice model to more effectively support the client experience and outcomes. This means I will be attending and learning from various programs. I am also providing support to my team depending on their needs.What do you like about working with Baptcare and in the FACS space? Or can you share a particularly special work day/customer interaction you’ve had recently?I really enjoying working with the FACS team. They are such a motivated, passionate, caring and fun team. They are constantly looking for ways to not only support their clients but also give voice to the issues. This month they are doing 16 Days of Activism against family violence.Did you always want to work within the spiritual care space?I didn’t have any aspirations to work in the spiritual care space. I came to it unexpectedly while working at a hospital ER as an Admissions Clerk on a break from a church-based ministry. Needless to say, I never returned to church-based work and have worked in the spiritual care space across hospital, workplace, community and aged care sectors ever since. I am grateful for all the amazing people I have met, the stories shared, the many cups of coffee (of varying quality) and to see the passion people have to make a difference in their unique spheres. Spiritual Care spans the breadth of wonderfully mundane and routine to the exceptional. It can involve connecting with people during times of celebration or on the worst day of their life. Being there for these moments is a privilege.How would you explain spiritual care to people who haven’t come across this role in an organisation?Spiritual Care is working alongside and supporting people to reconnect or notice all that life is giving, and hopefully providing connection, meaning and purpose. It may also be marking events and celebrating people in an honouring way. It may be about taking a breath, pausing and reconnecting, reminding us of who we are and what we are here for. Hopefully Spiritual Care comes from the heart of the Baptcare identity, holding the history, supporting the present and also committed to the future of the people who make up this organisation.What did you want to be when you grew up?This was a constantly changing thing! As I lived overseas for most of my childhood, I wanted a job that involved travel (I even tossed up the idea of being a tour guide at one point!). There was the nurse phase, the lawyer phase, the management phase (this was an ongoing joke in my family, that I could manage and organise anything), and then my most serious phase, to work in international development. So, this past is not directly related to where I’ve ended up.Can you tell us two surprising things about yourself?I speak Thai.Also, I love all forms of transport that aren’t cars – trains, ferry boats, airplanes…not so much buses. One of my favourite pastimes is to plan trips in weird parts of the world that involve trains, boats and anything that doesn’t involve a car or a plane.Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life?Not in a tight concise way, that could be my problem. I do, however, choose to remain open to what may come, plan well and then expect those plans to be disrupted! (In my experience, this is when the most memorable experiences are likely to appear!). Another belief is that people are always more interesting than you think they are, and that finding good coffee anywhere will lead to fellow travellers.How would your friends describe you?Thoughtful, creative, good sense of humour, a good listener and not rushed when it comes to conversation.Do you have a mentor or idol?I don’t really have a mentor or idol but what I do have is a ‘circle of elders’. These are people whose writing, music and thoughts have — and continue — to encourage me. Some of them are Brené Brown, Richard Rohr, Leonard Sweet, Joel McKerrow, Diana Butler Bass, Pádraig Ó Tuama.

• 28 Oct 2022

• Faces of Baptcare

Spiritual Care Week 23-29 October | Faces of Baptcare #27 - Danny Parkinson

What is your role at Baptcare and can you describe a typical day in your job? I am the In-Home Care Spiritual Care Co-ordinator for the Loddon region, which covers an area loosely defined by Kerang to Shepparton to Maryborough, and down to Gisborne.My day basically consists of pre-arranging visits with our In-Home Care clients who have indicated they want to receive spiritual care, and then driving through my region to visit these people in their homes. Spiritual care can best be described as a supportive, compassionate presence for people at significant times of transition, grief and/or loss. It is mostly about meaning, hope, purpose, connection and spirituality.What do you like about working with Baptcare and in the IHC space? Or can you share a particularly special work day/customer interaction you’ve had recently?The best part of working for Baptcare is the high-quality people who make up its workforce.Baptcare are very intentional about doing more than just ‘turning up’ or ‘getting the job done’. Our people genuinely care. There is a human warmth and connectedness from the CEO to the local volunteers.Recently, I received some wonderful feedback from a lady who I have been spiritually caring for over the past 12 months. At the end of our session together she said “it has helped so much to have someone to talk to. It has really helped me get through”.Did you always want to work within the Spiritual Care space?No. I was in pastoral ministry, then Residential Aged Care Chaplaincy and Sports Chaplaincy up until a few years ago, and I really enjoyed these vocations. When the opportunity came up to continue similar work in people’s private homes, this really attracted me. There is opportunity for deeper, ongoing conversations and care relationships. I have been in pastoral care work and ministry most of my life, so this was a positive transition.How would you explain spiritual care to people who haven’t come across this role in an organisation?Most care work is either practical, administrative or highly functional. Spiritual Care is about being a compassionate listening presence. We have time to sit, listen, guide and provide feedback if needed. Spiritual Carers can also offer people spiritual and/or religious practices if that suits, and/or invite them on a journey of self-discovery and self-encouragement.What did you want to be when you grew up?Hahaha, an ornithologist. But life did not take me that way. As much as I love birds, I am glad I took another path.Can you tell us two surprising things about yourself?I love solo bushwalking, and I have lived in five states of Australia.Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life?I have two:“When in doubt – don’t”“If you want to be interest-ing, be interest-ed”How would your friends describe you?Relaxed, focused, warm, and just a little bit quirky.Do you have a mentor or idol?Jesus Christ.

• 25 Oct 2022

• Faces of Baptcare

Spiritual Care Week 2022 | Faces of Baptcare #26 - Jenny McClish

What is your role at Baptcare and can you describe a typical day in your job?My role at Baptcare involves the spiritual care of residents, their families and staff. I also liaise with church volunteers.Every day, I try to start with a quiet moment in my office, noting residents who need intentional time spent with them. Next, I start in the Aged Care Community, greeting, assessing and spending time with residents.Having said all this, there really is no ‘typical day’. I have to be ready to respond to the needs and requests that are suddenly in front of me. It may be a wife who has just moved her husband into aged care and is struggling with guilt and grief. It could be a staff member who lost her mother earlier in the year and needs to talk. Or it could be great grandfather who has suddenly been confronted with this place now being his permanent residence, when all he wants is to go back to his ‘own’ home.The only ‘typical’ thing every day is that the main focus is the residents and being available to them. Throw into that mix services, phone calls, hospital visits and that becomes a day in my life as a Baptcare chaplain.What do you like about working with Baptcare? Or can you share a particularly special work day/customer interaction you’ve had recently.One of the joys of being part of the team at Baptcare is the support from both team members and management.Recently, I spent time with a man who was on end-of-life care and his family. The family shared memories and then spoke about how they had tried to pray the Lord’s prayer but ‘didn’t do it very well’. At their invitation I read a Psalm and prayed the Lord’s prayer. I also gave them a small hand-carved cross from the Iona community. The son immediately took it to hold for his own comfort. I visited them a number of times over the next days, taking them a printed copy of some prayers and blessings, including the Lord’s prayer. Did you always want to work within the spiritual care space? I have always had a heart for older people. Earlier work in nursing and aged care set the stage for what I’m doing now. Working in this space feels like I’m doing exactly what I have been created to do.How would you explain spiritual care to people who haven’t come across this role in an organization?Spiritual care is about nurturing the whole person. It’s listening to their story, both joyful and sad. It’s hearing what has given hope in the past, what brings joy and most of all, valuing who they are as a person.What did you want to be when you grew up?Although I didn’t have the words for it, I always wanted to be a nurturer. Stepping into nursing training at the Royal Children’s Hospital was my beginning step towards this.Can you tell us two surprising things about yourself? As an extracurricular activity in my first job, I learned to use a Braille typewriter and transposed some children’s stories into Braille, one of which was The Little Prince. I have just recently completed a six-day walk of the French Camino in Spain.Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life? “Take a breath. Take some time and take a breath.”How would your friends describe you? I had to ask some friends to be able to answer this one. Here are their words: ‘Kind, funny, compassionate, caring, good company!’ I’m also told I have ‘a rascal side’ to me.Do you have a mentor?A very wise church leader, Helen, who is now at home in the heart of God, mentored me for a number of years. She was passionate about women with a strong leaning into seeing people experience personal and spiritual growth.

• 24 Oct 2022