Privileged to help our seniors stay independent at home

VMCH Case Manager Belinda Smith spends a lot of time on the road, visiting seniors to help manage their Home Care Packages. Belinda sees first-hand the incredible importance of being able to stay living at home as you age and feels privileged to help seniors do just that.

Belinda has been working for VMCH for three years now – however she initially worked for the organisation back in 2000 as part of the Carer Services team supporting family carers looking after an ageing loved one.

Why did you choose to work for VMCH?

I know their values, beliefs and ultimately their want for good client outcomes align with mine. Being able to support people in their later years is an honour and I try to ensure I am always working for the good of the clients each day.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that I get to go out and meet people in their own homes and hear all about their life journey. Lives change and evolve so quickly these days and hearing about people’s experiences can shape who you are as a person. I believe that I am privileged to be able to share in people’s lives and learn from a group of people who have so much to give.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen while you’ve been working for VMCH?

The biggest change I’ve seen is the merger. When I previously worked for VMCH it was known as Villa Maria Society. The biggest difference I have seen is how much VMCH has grown in time and the amount of people throughout many communities across Victoria, that it supports. It is truly a pleasure to work for such a caring and professional organisation.

What does it mean to you, to work for VMCH?

To help and support people of any faith is an honour and I feel blessed to be doing a job that I love, with a company that truly cares about all the people it works with, including the people who work for it.  I also love working from Star of the Sea Retirement Village in Torquay. Working from within the retirement community better enables me to spread the word about Home Care Packages and help people to access services at a much earlier stage. I love that we are a multipurpose organisation, providing at home aged care, retirement living, and residential aged care and it is an organisation that I am proud to work for.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have two primary school-aged children so outside of work I like to spend time with them and my husband. The kids usually have a jam-packed week with extra-curricular activities so often we watching them play sport (while being that loud, embarrassing parent) or just spending quiet time at home with a family movie or game night!