Page 16 - Possible Magazine Issue 8 EMAG

FINDING
THE
16 — JUST BETTER CARE
POSSIBLE
PERFECT
A chance encounter between her husband and a Just Better Care franchise office owner sealed Krystan’s fate as a valued Just Better Care staff member. Next year she’ll celebrate ten years supporting local communities in Queensland, across three different offices.
Back in 2010, Krystan had been trying for months to get a job in IT but was finding it difficult.
“When people would ask me to come in for an
interview, I would tell them I was in
a wheelchair to make sure I could get to the office,” she says. “So
many times, there were stairs or accessibility issues. I was qualified for the roles, but it was quite hard to find something that worked.”
Just as the lack of success was starting to wear, fate had a different plan. Krystan’s husband, known for his friendly and chatty nature, found himself chatting to a prospective Just Better Care office owner. The conversation turned to Krystan
and her frustrating job-hunting experiences.
2 years later, and long after the conversation had been forgotten, Krystan received a call requesting that she come in for an interview at the newly opened office, Just Better Care Brisbane East. On the spot, she was offered the role of afterhours coordinator and accepted it.
“It was a huge relief. I like being honest about my wheelchair, but a lot of times, when I did mention it, the mood and the exchange with the person at the other end of the line would change quite suddenly,” she says. “This time, things worked out perfectly.”
Her role was to coordinate care outside of office hours, working with
customers and Support Professionals from home and from the office. It kept her busy. Calls would come in at any hour and Krystan was always ready to take them.
Soon, word of her skill and good nature got around. She picked up more work with other Just Better Care offices, adding Brisbane North and the Gold Coast to her roster.
“We have some lovely customers and I really like the job,” she says. “It also helps that I really like talking to people!”
Krystan lives with Charcot-Marie- Tooth disorder and uses a wheelchair due to weakness in her lower body. She has full use of her upper body, with mobility in her hands and
arms, and drives a car to get to her
FIT