For Registered Nurse Brianne, caring for others comes from the heart and from experience.

“My grandparents both had dementia, and I just love helping people,” she said.

Brianne’s role at AQ @ Home covers continence assessments, education, and clinical assessments.

“In this role, I see a lot of carers as well, and being able to help them and tell them what’s available for them in terms of help from the government, what’s out there – it’s a good feeling to be able to help people,” she said.

“Lots of people are very nervous or worried, and we’re able to help them with all services, not just what we offer.”

According to Brianne, it’s the personal touches that matter, and she feels that is at the centre of what AQ @ Home does best.

“We personalise everything – we like to know when does this person like to have their shower, or how do they like their coffee,” she said.

“It’s the personal details that are important and with our system, every staff member can all see that information.

“We like to know what the client prefers, what appeals to them – it’s person-centred care. All the information is recorded there for us and it’s available in a heartbeat.”

At AQ, client information is managed securely, staff can access client files on mobile devices, and cases can be viewed in a time-sensitive manner. Staff can also upload photos, making it easy to track a client’s progress.

“People come to us looking for help and assistance,” Brianne said.

“It’s difficult for carers, as there are different types of dementia, and how they all present is different as well. Not everyone is on the same journey.

“With continence management, a lot of what we deal can be embarrassing for people, the questions can be invasive, so we try and put them at their ease.

“All the staff here – we’re all from multiple countries and when you find someone for a client who speaks their language, they’re so grateful. You want to hug them sometimes!”

Brianne added seeing the care and compassion that goes into every aspect of the services offered at AQ was “so rewarding”.

“We cater to everyone’s needs individually,” she said.
“Our respite centres are incredible, and our centre in Toowoomba used to be a hospital. Some of our clients come in and they say ‘oh, I was born here!’ which is amazing to me.”

Find out more about your local AQ @ Home services, email aqhome@alzqld.org.au or call 1800 272 846 today.