Half-century of caring for aged care nurse Pansy Po
BaptistCare helps Busselton senior turn back the clock and move from permanent residential aged care back to home care services.
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22 August 2022
News
| Home Care, Aged Care Homes
Aged care nurse Pansy Po celebrates 50 years of nursing.
Instead of hanging up her uniform and retiring, 70-year-old career nurse Pansy Po continues to share half a century of expertise with a new generation of Perth aged care nurses.
As a clinical trainer, Ms Po works side by side with new nurses making sure the future of aged care nursing is in good hands.
Of her 50 years as a nurse, Ms Po has spent the past 37 years in the aged care sector.
She applauds today’s more collaborative approach to aged care, which provides older people with greater choice and flexibility as to the services they need and how and where those services are delivered.
“Advocacy and the Charter of Aged Care Rights of residents are some of the welcome outcomes in aged care,” said Ms Po, who has worked for Baptistcare since 2017.
“As aged care nurses, we are our residents’ companion walking the journey with them. It is the most rewarding job.
“Our focus is on the holistic care of our residents. We plan for their long-term care and to improve their quality of life.”
This may include aspects such as pain management, nutrition and both mental health and physical support.
Ms Po can trace her interest in nursing back to her high school years when she was a Red Cross cadet.
“I was very interested in taking care of people,” she said.
“Nursing is a forever-changing world. There is so much knowledge out there that will enhance the quality of life for the people we care for.
“Continued education also keeps your brain active and challenged, helping avoid the three Ds – dementia, delirium and depression.”
Ms Po may have been the first in her family to go into nursing, but her three children have all followed her into health care. Her eldest son has become an optometrist, and her daughter and her youngest son are both dentists.
Find out more about nursing in aged care on this link.