Join us as we meet some of our amazing aged care team members.
No two days are ever the same for Jo Gibson, and that’s one of the things she loves most about her job as a care facilitator with BaptistCare At Home in WA.
A personal journey into the job she loves
Jo might be newer to BapitstCare, working with BaptistCare for two years, but she’s no stranger to the field.
She’s worked as a care facilitator for 15 years and it was a personal experience she had that made her want to follow this career.
“My parents were living back in the UK and when the calls from them started getting less and less, I knew something was wrong,” Jo explained.
“Mum had Alzheimer's, and Dad refused to acknowledge it. We sought someone to help and ended up with a really good worker from the Dementia society in the UK who told Dad it wasn’t about him, it was about Mum.”
“They were so supportive putting a plan in place that worked for both my parents.”
“It was inspirational, and I was like, I want to do what she does,” Jo said.
Jo made it happen and now loves being able to provide what she felt for her clients and their families.
A guiding light in hard times
There are many elements of being a care facilitator that Jo loves.
From no two days being the same, the team she works with or being able to be that support for someone who needs it, but it’s guiding clients and her team through their early Home Care journeys that resonates with her most.
“I have a rule of no stupid questions for everyone I work with, from clients and their families to the staff I mentor,” Jo explained.
Understanding that the Home Care field is big and sometimes confusing helps Jo explain to her clients that everything is okay, she’s there to help, and if something isn’t working it’s as simple as talking about it and making a change.
“It can be really vulnerable to admit you need help and so it makes sense sometimes we see pushback and confusion at the start,” said Jo.
“I get to have that conversation with them telling them it’s alright, their feelings are normal, and I’m here to help them and make it fun along the way.”
For her colleagues that she mentors, Jo loves empowering them to be the best carer they can be while also supporting them through the ups and downs that comes with starting a new job.
“I like giving people a true picture of what the job is about so they know what’s coming and how to overcome some the challenges they might experience,” she said.
“It’s a great job. Especially for people with a high level of empathy and care, and sometimes they just need to know the support is there and they can pick up the phone and get a bit of reassurance.”
Inked to perfection
In and around her working days, you will often find Jo hanging out with her two delightful grandchildren or maybe in a tattoo parlour.
“People are often surprised that I have so many tattoos,” Jo laughed.
She has tattoos that represent her kids, a beautiful piece featuring words from her mum that she got after she passed away, as well as just moments in life captured with ink under the skin.
Jo has no solid plans to get anymore ink just yet, but never say never.
“My husband says I’m too old,” she laughed.
“I’m definitely going to be that old lady in the aged care home who has to stretch out their skin to show off my tattoos.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, when asked about what she thinks the secret to aging well is Jo simply says ‘enjoy every moment’.
“Life is too short to not drink the wine or do the things you enjoy,” she said.
“Do what you want! Life is too short, so just enjoy it.”
