
Meet Lilian!
Lilian is one of our fabulous Dieticians who works in Residential Aged Care facilities across Adelaide, SA. Lilian commenced as a new graduate Dietician with us in early 2019 and has become a central part of our dietetics team! We were lucky enough to steal some of her time to hear what her job is like and what her favourite part of it is as part of our #MeetUs series!
If you’re unsure of what working as part of a wider allied health team is really like, then stay tuned for our #MeetUs series where we showcase various team members and the work they do with us.
Why do you like working in aged care/community/NDIS?
Working as a
dietitian in aged care has given me the exposure to the care of our elderly
population. There is a sense of community in most of these homes which gives a
very welcoming and homely environment that I really enjoy being in. Working in
aged care has given me the opportunity to work with the elderly and their
families to improve their quality of life through nutrition which has been very
rewarding.
What does a ‘normal’ day look like for you?
I am fortunate
that this job isn’t limited to one worksite as I get to travel to many
different nursing homes all around Adelaide and rural SA. This has exposed me
to so many different areas of SA that I’ve never been to which has been
awesome! A ‘normal’ day would see me going to 2-3 different sites which can be
challenging as I have to try and adapt to each new site that I am introduced to
however I’d much prefer that over being limited to the same one site as it
allows me to meet so many new people and expose me to different
environments.
How have you found working with the elderly population?
I have loved my
time working with the elderly as they are incredibly inspiring people with so
much wisdom and life experience which is truly valuable to me. I am very
grateful that I am able to work together with the elderly towards improving
their quality of life with nutrition support as they are equally as important
as everyone else in our community.

What’s your team like?
Although there is
a team of dietitians, we work autonomously so we don’t really see each other
and there are some whom I’ve never met in person! We stay in touch via MS
Teams which has allowed us to communicate through a forum if we needed some
advice or support from other dietitians.
What do you do to help your clients?
I speak to the staff and other therapists to get to know the resident a little
better before seeing them. Once prepared, I will speak to the resident and
discuss what we can do to help via nutrition interventions to help achieve
their goals and improve their quality of life. I then relay our discussion to
the staff so the nutrition interventions can be implemented via the kitchen and
carers with different dietary needs and/or the nurses and doctors via oral
nutrition supplements (if necessary).
Did you always want to work with the
elderly or in community settings?
As a new
graduate, I was open to working with the elderly as I just wanted to gain some
working experience since completing my degree. Since working with the elderly
for about a year now, I am so glad and grateful that I chose this path for my
dietetic career as I now love working in aged care with the elderly because of
them and the hardworking staff.
What’s your favourite part of your
job?
My favourite
aspect of working with the elderly is when I spend my time talking to them and
getting to know them as an individual as it really makes my day. Whenever I
feel down, I always think of this one resident who I spoke with and once we
were saying our goodbyes he put his hand over his heart and said, “thank
you dear, you’ve made my heart fuller and lighter”, and it brings me a
lot of joy and happiness that I am able to help someone like that.
Do you have any advice for students or new graduates?
Be open to any opportunities offered to you as you may end up finding your true passion.
Thanks for catching up with us again!
For more information on what your allied health career could look like with HCA Allied Health, call us today on 1300 952 433 or email our team at: people.alliedhealth@healthcareaustralia.com.au.