Meet Liana - Aged Care Help with Heart

Liana provides customer service with empathy and heart, drawing on her own experience caring for her parents, and then seeing them move into an aged care home.

“I love helping people,” says Liana. “It’s in my nature and I think I can make a difference for others by sharing my personal experience.”

Liana is a family-focused woman who lovingly cared for her ageing parents Charlie and Gianna for ten years, while raising her two small children.

Pictured above: Liana is looking forward to helping people living in the north to understand their aged care options, well as share all that Mayflower Reservoir has to offer.

Gianna was undergoing dialysis when Liana started to provide daily care in her parents’ home. Her dad was in his 70s, and both parents had started experiencing memory problems.

“Mum had kidney failure and was on dialysis, so we were at the hospital a lot. We were like part of the furniture,” says Liana. “Eventually I even started working there.”

Liana initially visited her parents daily, then moving to twice daily over time, looking after all their shopping, cooking, cleaning, medications and personal care.

Liana’s children went along with her, with their grandparents enjoying the close relationship that develops from frequent visits. Liana cherished every moment they shared together.

“I loved being there for my parents,” says Liana “it meant the world to me.”

“It was so rewarding to be able give back a little bit of what they gave me.”

A difficult decision

Over time, Liana’s parents’ health deteriorated, which brought Liana to the difficult realisation that she may need help with their care.

Gianna, was living with Alzheimer’s disease, and her safety and wellbeing had become a concern as she increasingly became lost on her travels. So in 2013, Liana reluctantly started to look into care options.

“It was such a hard decision to even start looking at aged care services,” says Liana, “I wanted to look after mum and dad at home, but it slowly became impossible. I was really worried about mum’s safety.”

Liana began her search for an aged care home on the internet, doing most of her own research with some advice from her mum’s social worker.

Liana already had much of the necessary paperwork in place, including Powers of Attorney (medical and financial), which helped speed the process along.

The benefits of care

Once Charlie and Gianna had made the big move, Liana was pleased to find that providing care and support became more satisfying, as her worries about their safety were taken care of.

“I was still very active in providing care for mum and dad,” she says, “but I didn’t have to worry about their safety anymore, so I was able to really enjoy each moment we shared.

“We were lucky too,” she says, “as mum was fortunate enough to be able to retain her memory of familiar faces. I am still incredibly thankful that mum continued to recognise us, and remained bright and bubbly until she passed away peacefully,” says Liana.

A food loving Italian-Australian

Born and bred in one of Melbourne’s European hubs, and with a proud Italian heritage, it’s not surprising that Liana understands the importance of family, culture and diversity.

“I’ve lived all my life in the northern suburbs of Melbourne,” says Liana. “My first language was Italian, and, at home, it was the only language my parents spoke.”

And like many with a European background, Liana is a true ‘foodie’ who enjoys to dining with friends and family whenever she can.

“I enjoy the simpler part of life – ‘going out’ and ‘dining out’, and trying new cuisines or having a drink with friends,” she says. “But home cooked meals are the best - they really bring family together.”

Fresh is best

Liana believes authentic home-cooked meals are as important in aged care as they are in her home.

“When looking into aged care homes for my parents, one of the first things I asked about was the food and how it was prepared,” says Liana. “It had to be cooked fresh on site, with a menu that reflected what we ate at home.”

So, it is no surprise Liana was excited to hear that Mayflower Reservoir has its very own in-house chef and a wide variety of meal options to choose from.

“A big part of European and Australian culture is to gather around the dinner table and enjoy good food,” says Liana. “So I love seeing Mayflower residents enjoying home-cooked meals, and making connections in our new dining rooms,” she says.

Liana at home

Away from her working life, Liana likes to keep fit and active, and loves going for a run. She is also enjoying balance and yoga classes over the internet during COVID-19 restrictions.

But Liana’s family continues to be her number one priority, and they love spending time together at the beach in the warmer weather.

“Family holidays are what we live for!” says Liana, “I love summer - spending time with the kids, going to the pool and the beach, and going boogie boarding.”

Being an active family, Liana and her clan follow the footy, supporting Collingwood in the Australian Football League. Of course, she likes to join in friendly rivalry with the residents and staff.

“We almost made it to the grand final this year, next year we will do even better,” says Liana. “I’m looking forward to joining the footy tipping competition here too.”

Supporting families

Liana is looking forward to helping people living in the north to understand their aged care options, well as share all that Mayflower Reservoir has to offer.

“I want to help make aged care really simple for families,” Liana says, “as it can be quite complex, particularly navigating the funding side of things.

“I like to act as a personal guide, taking families through a step by step process,” she says.

“I’m most excited about welcoming families and showing them around on tours, supporting residents as they transition into care, and most of all, helping them to feel safe and secure.”

Liana commenced her role shortly before the new Mayflower Reservoir aged care building was completed, and was surprised that an aged care home could be so lovely.

“You don’t feel like you’re in an aged care home at all,” she says. “It’s like you’re in a premium suite of a hotel, but with a real feeling of warmth - beautiful and homely at the same time,” says Liana.

Why you should meet Liana

Liana is just the person you need to help you navigate the ever-changing and sometimes complicated world of aged care. Liana will be there for you, each step of the way, providing thoughtful advice to you and your family as you consider our home – and to welcome and nurture your transition into our thriving community,

And, with customer service and person-centred care in mind, Liana will pay close attention to your individual needs.

“We all have different circumstances, and everyone has a unique story and path to take,” she says, “I’m here to be a concierge and a guide, to hear each story and to relate on a personal level.”

To contact Liana call 9460 2480 or at info@mayflower.org.au, or visit our website to find our more about Mayflower Reservoir Aged Care.