Doris Vasquez gets emotional about what her 30-year career working in home care in Melbourne’s west means to her.
“There can be no greater honour than to look after the elderly,” the Home Care Worker says. “They have given so much to make Australia the great country that it is today. Taking care of them has always been a passion of mine, and always will be.”
Doris worked in aged care at the Maribyrnong Council for 25 years, and for Uniting AgeWell for the last five years when the service transitioned over. Her husband, Oscar, has followed the same path, only he has not worked in aged care as long as she has.
Although she’s been in the same role all these years, the 67-year-old finds each day brings something new and different. From personal care to assisted shopping, from home cleaning to cooking to respite care. “I always ensure that every client feels valued and respected and knows that I am there to deliver the best service that I can,” Doris says.
Doris initially worked as an accountant in her home country of Guatemala, but found that balances and spreadsheets didn’t fulfil the need in her to help others. She moved with her little family to Australia in 1984, and started volunteering with the Society of the Aged in Footscray before starting work at the council.
She enjoys working at Uniting AgeWell and says she feels supported and appreciated. “It’s a great organisation,” Doris says. “Their values are my values. I intend to carry on in the role for as long as I can.”
One of her joys is to work with people of different cultures. “It’s a very enriching experience,” she says. “Some immigrants have had challenging journeys in moving to Australia. I’ll never forget how difficult it was for me to learn English, which is not nearly as phonetic as Spanish!”
Doris, who has three grown children, has another passion: bushwalking. “I love the mountains, the gum trees, the koalas and the kangaroos,’ she says. “Nature gives me so much joy.”