From studying real estate law to working in a call centre, leading a team and working in sales, Twinkle Kashyap has certainly had a varied path into aged care.
But she’s clearly found her niche – and it shows! She lives up to her name in her new role as Lifestyle Coordinator at Kalkee Nangatta. There’s a twinkle in her eye that matches her smile and she radiates positive energy.
Our team of vibrant Lifestyle staff work across every Uniting AgeWell residential care site with a primary goal to enhance the everyday life of residents through an array of interesting and creative activities.
Sharon Levey was thrilled to welcome Twinkle’s energy to her busy team of 35, and is on the search for more cut from a similar cloth. “There is always so much we’d like to do with and for our residents - at the end of the day it is a job that is designed to be fun!”
Twinkle was born in India, finished school, was married at the age of 18, then divorced and moved to the US to study. Her daughter was born via an emergency C-section on a Saturday, and she wrote her final real estate exam, baby in tow, two days later – and scored a distinction.
She moved back to India, met her current husband and moved to Australia with him. When her father became very ill with throat cancer, Twinkle dropped everything and spent a few months in India nursing him. And it was here that she realized her true calling – working in aged care.
She returned to Australia when her father’s cancer was in remission, took off a few years to raise her two daughters, and then studied a Cert 1V in Ageing Support. She also nursed her grandfather for a few months until he passed away. Her other grandfather also lived with dementia for many years, and Twinkle is still determined to learn as much about the disease as she can.
She took up a temporary role in aged care, and when a permanent position came up at Kalkee Nangatta, she jumped at the opportunity. Twinkle took up the post a few months ago, and finds it both rewarding and fascinating helping to enrich the lives of the residents, who are mostly all in varying stages of their dementia journey.
“If I can make them laugh and smile, I’m happy,” Twinkle explains. “I love being able to make a difference to their lives.”
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