Leongatha's Deanna Walters recognised for her need to help others
Leongatha-based BaptistCare Consultant Deanna Walters was recognised on Aged Care Employee Day for her dedication to her clients, colleagues and community.
Helping others has always been at the heart of who Deanna Walters is as a person.
Whether she is supporting older Australians to remain independent in their own homes or caring for her family, the Leongatha-based BaptistCare Consultant is driven by the one simple goal of making life a little better for others.
"I am here to help make a difference in people's lives," Deanna said.
Ms Walters was recognised on Aged Care Employee Day for her dedication to her clients, colleagues and community, and the compassion she brings to her role every day.
After joining BaptistCare in 2022 with no direct aged care experience but a strong passion for helping people, Deanna quickly established herself as a valued member of the Gippsland team.
Since then, she has successfully progressed from Customer Service Support Worker to Lead Customer Service Support Officer, completing a valuable secondment as a Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) Assessor, and returning to the Gippsland team earlier this year as a dedicated Care Consultant.
Today Ms Walters supports older Australians across the region to access services and remain living safely and independently in their own homes. For Deanna, the most rewarding part of the role is the relationships she builds along the way.
"I love spending time out doing home visits because you get to build great rapport with clients," she said. "Seeing them smile and knowing I have helped make a difference is what I enjoy most."
Her journey into community care was inspired by a lifelong desire to support others.
Before entering aged care, Deanna completed a Diploma of Community Services Case Management and worked as an employment consultant helping disadvantaged people.
This meaningful commitment to helping others continues to shape the way she approaches her essential work today. "Helping older people stay at home longer and maintaining that connection with clients is incredibly rewarding," she said.
BaptistCare Gippsland Area Manager Sarah Taylor praised Deanna’s dedication, noting that she consistently maintains the highest standards of care and compliance while going above and beyond for clients.
Outside of her professional life, Deanna balances a demanding home life as a mother of two boys. Her 17-year-old son has special needs and requires ongoing care. Deanna credits her personal circumstances with deepening her professional capacity for empathy and patience.
"I hope that when I'm older, and when my son is older, there are people like me looking after him," she shared. Deanna noted that her daily interactions with older Australians teach her valuable life lessons, emphasising that families matter and life is too short to worry about minor things.
“I simply want to help make a difference,” she said.
