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A former marathon guide runner for the visually impaired is now sharing his inspiring spirit motivating aged care clients in Adelaide.
Ben (Fo To) Wong is proud to be a home support worker with Accept Care in Adelaide, with his enthusiasm and commitment to his clients making him a standout finalist in the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) Excellence Awards 2024 (these awards will be known as the You are ACE! Awards in 2025).
Accept Care General Manager Rima Niemz says Ben’s transition to working in Australia’s aged care system has proven very successful, and he is a true delight.
“Ben’s story is beautiful, he’s a migrant from Hong Kong who has always volunteered in community work. He’s lived such an inspiring and amazing life,” said Rima.
“He’s been absolutely remarkable, his determination and willingness to learn and be the best he can be to deliver excellence services to the people that he supports is admirable.
“Ben started out doing domestic assistance and we saw amazing potential from the get-go. We supported Ben through various education and training programs so he was able to do more of the social support and transport and personal care. Everybody who meets Ben asks for him to come back.”
Ben was born in Hong Kong and arrived in Australia in 2015. He began working at Accept Care in 2020 after spending five years caring for his mother who had health challenges.
“I love this job and I love the people,” said Ben who is delighted at being named a finalist in ACCPA’s Excellence Awards.
Ben’s work involves direct care for older Australians and people with a disability who receive home care packages. He works around 30 hours a week and treats his clients with the respect and care he would show to his own mum.
Ben especially enjoys seeing the emotional and physical improvement of socially isolated clients who over time become more active with encouragement.
“For me, it’s not just a job. This is my first work in Australia and I’m lucky because I have really good support and training. I’m glad they gave me the opportunity,” Ben said.
“A client I see two times a week, I started taking him to the gym and outside for a walk. He’s now getting fit and he’s really different from before. It makes me happy.”
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