Mum’s knowing advice foreshadows Aoifou’s compassionate care

You don’t have to talk to Gannet House’s Aoifou Fili for too long to understand why she was awarded the Metro North Health Assistant in Nursing for 2024.

While Aoifou is a quiet achiever, her compassionate nature and kindness is clearly evident in the way she speaks, her gentle manner, and the way she is described by her colleagues.

The Assistant in Nursing at Gannet House, a residential aged care facility at Brighton, has a genuine and natural willingness to put others first, especially the care she provides to the elderly and her family.

“When I was younger my mum told me that I should go into nursing and look after older people,” Aoifou said.

Since that point Aoifou hasn’t looked back, being an Assistant in Nursing since 1998 and caring for the elderly.

“I have been at Gannet House for seven years supporting the aged care residents, and a further 10 years in aged care at Zillmere,” she said.

“I really enjoy looking after the elderly patients, looking after everyone.”

Whether it is her grandparents, parents, family or aged care residents at Gannet House she is a very special carer, and that nature resonates with people who meet her and are under her care.

“I like looking after people, just making the elderly comfortable and especially taking residents for walks along the Brighton foreshore,” she said.

As part of her role at Gannet House, Aoifou also supports the residents to undertake daily activities such as showering or having breakfast or meals.

Specialised Aged Care Nurse Unit Manager Sixolisile Mpofu said the quality of Aoifou’s work and high standard of work ethic makes her stand out.

“She is consistently respectful,” Sixolisile said.“Aoifou sees the person and goes out of her way to ensure residents are looked after. She has a wealth of knowledge yet is very humble. She is just a force to be reckoned with in her own way.

“She is an asset to the team and has definitely served the community well.”

Aoifou received multiple nominations for the 2024 Metro North Health Assistant in Nursing award, and was acknowledged ahead of hundreds of nursing assistants across the whole of Metro North.

“It’s the quiet ones in the team that sometimes don’t get recognition,” Sixolisile said. “Not that she ever looks for it, it is definitely well-deserved.

“The Gannet team is blessed, honored and humble to have such an amazing person as part of the team.”

Gannet House is a state government-funded residential aged care facility. The service has the capacity to accommodate 40 residents who may require a range of specialised care within the purpose-built residential facility.

Clinical services are provided by skilled nursing staff with the support of allied health, administrative and ancillary staff.