Angels of aged care in Nhulunbuy

Jen receives support from the Anglicare NT aged and disability support team in East Arnhem. She shares about the joy the ‘Anglicare NT angels’ bring her.

“I moved back to Nhulunbuy in 2021 with my daughter and her children, my grandchildren. This was my very first experience living in Nhulunbuy, even though I was very familiar with Yirrkala, Gunyangara and other homelands. I had been part of the Yolngu world on and off for many years since 1980.

I came here, and all was well, until one day unfortunately I broke my femur. I was shipped off to Darwin and had to have an operation to insert metal plates, screws and wires in my leg and no weight bearing for about two months.

I had a wonderful rehab experience in Palmerston and I came back to Nhulunbuy in a wheelchair. I was told there was no service available to do anything to help me in Nhulunbuy because it was remote and nothing existed here.

To my astonishment, miraculously, there was an aged care package that I was able to access. And so that began my relationship with Anglicare NT.

People used to come and load the wheelchair into the back of the vehicle and be so patient and push me up and down the aisles so I could do a bit of shopping.

Over time I learnt to walk again, and that’s how it began. All I can say, all these years later, is I am still on the Anglicare NT books, which for me is a wonderful thing because I‘m 80 now and don’t have a vehicle I can drive here in Nhulunbuy.

A couple of times each week, the wonderful ladies, I call them my ‘Anglicare NT angels’ come to take me shopping, to the post office and wherever I want to go. If I need it, I’m also eligible for a little bit of housekeeping assistance which I do access from time to time, but not every week, just as needed to help me out with some basic things if I feel like I’m lacking energy.

Anglicare NT is the most fantastic organisation. Every person I have ever had to deal with since the time I moved here, I have only ever received wonderful care, attention, politeness and regularity. I’ve just experienced great kindness and I’ve been the very fortunate recipient of this whole organisation. I couldn’t say anything negative about the organisation.

Staff have gone beyond the boundaries of what would be prescribed as their job to help many members of my very large extended Yolngu family. They are patient, they are kindness-personified, long-suffering in some cases. We have jointly celebrated some successes in recent times, with members of my big family who were not coping so well, but now have had their lives turned around. This is also due to the aged care facility ARRCS which has provided wonderful care and safety for people who don’t have in these modern times.

Staff are dedicated, they work so hard, they show extraordinary kindness and efforts to understand Yolngu life.”

We thank Jen for sharing her experience.