Affable Aihi a natural fit at Juniper

The 38-year-old from Papua New Guinea joined Juniper Wyndham Day Centre in February, his natural ability to converse with customers and offer a sympathetic ear making an instant impression.

“I can say for sure, Aihi is a valued work mate and even better community support worker to our customers,” says Debbie Beck, Juniper’s Customer Care Lead in the Kimberley.

“We’ve only ever had female workers, so since Aihi has joined us, we now have a lot of men wanting to come to the centre knowing there is a male worker onsite who is able to chat with them and tend to any needs they have.

“Before they may have felt too shy to express their needs or wants to our indigenous female staff due to cultural reasons.”

Aihi moved to Australia in 2004 and spent time in Brisbane and Darwin before arriving in Wyndham a year ago.

It was while working as a manager at the Wyndham Community Club that he caught the attention of Debbie, who was impressed by his warm demeanour with customers.

Despite having never worked in aged care, when Debbie said he would be the perfect fit for Juniper, Aihi thought, “I’ll give it a go”.

“Hearing these stories first-hand is such a privilege and I’ve learnt so much, like fishing and cooking on a fire … and that if you catch a bush turkey and the meat is yellow, don’t cook it, it’s too fatty!”

For Aihi, a typical day at Juniper involves picking up customers from their homes and bringing them to the centre, where they enjoy a cup of coffee and a biscuit, a game of cards … and of course, a good yarn.

He also provides domestic assistance, helping to clean houses and drop off lunches, but it’s the human connection he finds the most rewarding.

“From the stories they tell me, it helps me picture what life has been like for them.”

Aihi has also been forging strong relationships with the wider community in Wyndham, where he has settled with his partner and three of their four children.

When he’s not working at Juniper he helps mow people’s lawns, plays on the local footy team, works at the Wyndham Community Club and volunteers for the local Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).

“Before Christmas I made it my New Year’s resolution to get more involved in my local community,” he explains.

“I had friends involved with DFES, so I signed up. We tend to do a lot of controlled burns and I’m also looking forward to training in roadside assistance so I can help people if their car breaks down.”

Aihi says there’s a lot to love when it comes to Wyndham, “the fishing, the beautiful sunsets, going out bush with friends” and he can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Nor can he imagine being in another role.

“Just give it a go,” he says to others considering a job in aged care. “There’s so much knowledge to be gained from learning about the past.”