N EW GM HAS A PASSIO N FOR ELDERLY CARE

By Samantha Elley

Mickey Sahni, the new general manager of Bupa Ballina, believes it his Indian culture that helped nurture his passion for looking after the elderly.

“I’ve been working in aged care coming up to 14 years now,” he said.

“I’ve just moved over from New Zealand, working for Bupa New Zealand.

“I absolutely love being in aged care.

“Coming in from an Indian background, we look after our elderly parents and grandparents.”

With his wealth of experience in aged care, business management and quality improvement, Mickey is looking forward to the challenges and triumphs that lie ahead with running Bupa Aged Care at Ballina.

“I am learning the Australian way, it is pretty much similar to New Zealand but the compliances are a little different,” he said.

Mickey understands the continual challenges that lie around Covid and staff shortages, but is not deterred in his goal to continue the care he knows Bupa residents are accustomed to.

“I love to work with staff who are passionate about what they do and from what I have seen so far, everyone is very caring and supportive of the residents and relatives in the home,” he said.

“We have started our new recruitment campaign and are always on the lookout for quality people to join our team.”

With his wife and three children, 10, 8 and 10 weeks old still living in New Zealand while they tie up loose ends before they make the permanent move across the ditch, Mickey is keeping busy. He is focusing on reinforcing the first-rate care and championing Bupa’s ongoing initiative to improve the quality of its care around residents living with dementia.

“Eventually, I would also like to see the home becoming a community hub of care, where residents and local people alike can enjoy the benefits of networking and mutual support, in a setting that provides expert residential, dementia and end-of-life care,” he said.