This year, to celebrate Harmony Week and the cultural diversity of the Mable platform, we speak to independent support worker Lenora who was born in India and speaks German with her clients via Mable.

Lenora was born in India, as an Anglo Indian, her family descending from England and Scotland. At school, she learned Tamil as her second language, then later learned German when she lived there for a few years. Her shared heritage and cultural background have helped her build trust and understanding with her clients.

“We can connect and understand each other. I can empathise with them as I can understand their viewpoint and cultural background. The clients family is delighted that they have me to talk to their loved one in their native language” says Lenora.

It’s important to recognise that Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, and not everyone speaks English. 28 per cent (6.7 million people) of the Australian population was born overseas. Having a shared cultural background with your independent support worker means you may be able cook traditional food together, and share the same cultural customs. Or an independent support worker may be able to connect you with others in your community and potentially bridge the gap with any language barriers.

Lenora is an example of an independent worker on Mable who is combining her cultural background with her skills and expertise to deliver exceptional care to her clients. One of Lenora’s clients says: “Lenora has been assisting with the care of my elderly mother and uncle since August 2017. Her duties have included personal care, meal preparation, and light housekeeping tasks.  She has a strong background of experience in aged care, calm and confident nature and the ability to quickly establish a warm and comfortable rapport with her clients. She is impeccably honest, hardworking and reliable. We feel very privileged to have her on our team of carers.”

Are you looking for some in-home support? You can search for independent support workers in your local area, and use our advanced search functionality to filter workers who speak your language, or share the same cultural background.