How a Nepalese migrant found her true calling in caring for others

Today, her path has taken a heartwarming turn, leading her not to a corporate office, but to the homes of nearly 100 older Australians in Dubbo, Kandos, and Mudgee, where she coordinates their care and finds her greatest joy.

Find out more about her below.

What do you love about living in Western New South Wales?

It's very different because I used to be in the city before, in Sydney. So when I moved to Western New South Wales, the regional area, I wasn't sure what it was gonna be like, because I came from the city.

It's completely different, and that's why I stayed here, because it's small, it's a community. In the city, it's big, and people don't care about people. But here, it's more about the people, the community, and you can connect with people.

People know everyone and if something happens in this town, everybody knows and sometimes it can be a good thing and a bad thing but for me it's easier to connect with people.

What inspires you?

To start with it was my mum and dad, they're very caring people, it's just part of their personality. I have seen them looking after their parents, and back home (in Nepal) we don't have a nursing home, so there's no age you reach where you go to a nursing home. We all stay in one house and then we look after them, and then they pass away. That's how I've seen it, and what my parents have done for their parents and that's so inspiring.

Otherwise, it's people who inspire me. The people I work with and helping add to the quality of their life, and making sure they are safe, so that inspires me.

What is your greatest achievement?

I think the person I have become is my greatest achievement. I probably had the misconception before coming into the [aged care] industry that it was just showering people but when I got into it, it was completely different. You are helping people, but then you are adding to their quality of life.

When you are connecting with people, that affects your life and has really added value to my life as well, because I'm more caring by nature now.

I look back, and 10 years ago, I was a different person, and it's just because of people and what they've given me.

I remember day three of being in Australia, and I was working as wait staff, and they handed me a pamphlet, and all I had to say was that we had a 20 per cent discount on all our food items, and I couldn't even speak a word, and I felt like running away.

But now, doing this, I can easily go in for a conversation with my client and not even realise an hour has passed.

I can look back and think that version of me would be so proud of how far she's come.

What's something you're working on improving?

Every day, I am trying to improve myself so that I can be better for the community. I try to make sure I do the right thing every day, but I want to enhance myself because I don't want to limit myself on what I'm doing, because that doesn't grow you.

I want to make sure I'm up to date on things so that clients are getting the best version of what they need to get. Sometimes it's as simple as being up to date on the best can opener, but it can be more than that. You need to stay on top of legislation that is changing so you're giving correct advice, because you don't want to give people incorrect information, especially when I'm doing their budget and dealing with money.

I think you never stop learning; there's always something to learn.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

To listen, then to react, because sometimes we react too quickly, and sometimes you have to just listen, wait and then respond.

The other piece of advice I received was if you look after cents, the dollar will look after you, which is great for someone working with numbers.