“I joined the Brown Nurses after a lengthy nursing career, including working in an outpatient clinic of a large hospital during the period when the first HIV cases were emerging in Sydney. I saw first-hand how people could be marginalised and ostracised. There is no such thing as an ‘average’ day working for the Brown Nurses. I derive great satisfaction from ensuring the people in our care receive the respect and treatment they may otherwise be denied.”

Brian was referred to us by a hostel for homeless men. He’d been allocated a public housing unit but was struggling to maintain the property to an acceptable standard. Brian’s mental health condition was not well-managed and affected his ability to organise his household chores, shopping or seeing his doctor regularly. Working with the local mental health team, we supported Brian as he began a new medication and linked him with a sympathetic local GP. Despite this, Brian continued to struggle in his accommodation. Unwelcome ‘guests’ occupied the spare room in his flat, frequently threatening Brian and any visitors. The Brown Nurses successfully advocated for Brian to be relocated to a smaller, more manageable, apartment nearby. With our support, Brian receives his medication on time, works hard at keeping his unit clean and is feeling more relaxed about life.

“No two days are the same. You might start out on a routine medication delivery run or taking a client to an appointment, only to discover they’ve been stood over for money and have nothing left for food.  When I’m in the office, there’s advocacy work involving various government agencies or telephone and electricity companies, because some of our clients are not confident to speak for themselves – and many don’t have access to a phone or the internet.  It’s satisfying when we achieve a ‘win’ for a client, such as negotiating for them to be moved to safer accommodation or supporting them through complex medical or surgical treatments.”

A concerned neighbour referred Mick, who was living in semi-squalor, to the Brown Nurses. He had poorly-controlled blood pressure and was unable to make sound decisions after suffering several strokes. We began to visit him to administer his medication and then discovered he was paying for support that obviously did not meet his needs. It was not uncommon to find him with overdue bills or going hungry because he’d bought alcohol instead or someone had borrowed his ATM card. The Brown Nurses applied for a financial management order to ensure Mick’s bills were paid and arranged a Meals on Wheels service for him. However, this did not fully address Mick’s health needs or protect him from being preyed upon. Drug addicts frequently used Mick’s home as an injection room. Attempts to relocate him to safer accommodation failed twice when various ‘hangers-on’ persuaded Mick to return to his public housing unit. We then sought a guardianship order and managed to have him relocated to a quiet and safe environment.

Angus moved to Australia many years ago but neglected to become an Australian citizen. He worked as a self-employed handyman but was left without any source of income or benefits after he suffered a stroke. He was diagnosed with cancer soon afterwards. Angus was forced to rely on his friends’ generosity to cover the costs of his medications, rent, food and utilities. A hospital social worker asked the Brown Nurses to assist because there were gaps in the man’s care. We discovered that his unit was overrun was cockroaches and arranged to have the property fumigated. Angus later told us how wonderful it was to pass a night without having insects crawling over him in his bed. We collected Angus’ medications when he became too weak to leave his home. Towards the end, we saw him once or twice a day to ensure he was clean and comfortable and had a selection of beverages and toiletries within easy reach.

Gail was diagnosed with major mental illness as a young woman. Her children were removed from her care and she became estranged from her family. Gail now lives in a tiny bed-sit with her cat. The Brown Nurses provide domestic assistance, support with shopping and managing her budget. We also work closely with her case manager at the local mental health unit to help keep Gail’s mental state as stable as possible. There are periods when Gail becomes verbally aggressive stemming from high levels of anxiety and agitation but she has come to welcome our twice-weekly visits.

Stefan was an elderly man who was born in Eastern Europe and moved to Australia as a boy. A self-described ‘long-haired uni rabble rouser’, Stefan’s life had declined in the grip of alcoholism. His love of the arts, interest in politics and keen observations of humankind provided great conversation during our visits – but he often missed his medical appointments. His health gradually deteriorated. One day, we found him almost unconscious near his home and he agreed that it was time to move into supported accommodation. We worked with Stefan through this process, taking him to places we thought might suit him and then visiting him regularly until he’d settled in.

“I have been nursing for more than 30 years and became aware of the wonderful work of the Brown Nurses whilst working as a registered nurse at a clinic for homeless people. I had the opportunity to join last year. Many of our clients have mental health, addiction, cognitive impairment and major medical conditions. They are often without the support of family and are socially isolated. The Brown Nurses are a community nursing service for the poor and we offer a holistic service. We promote health and harm minimisation/reduction. Our clients need support to manage their health needs, advocacy to live independently and assistance with the skills of daily living. We promote and facilitate activities to assist our clients to integrate into the community.”

“I’ve worked as a registered mental health nurse for more than 20 years in both the public and private sectors. What’s so special about working for the Brown Nurses is that they treat every patient with such compassion and humanity. Without this support, many would become isolated, homeless or even end up in the criminal justice system. It’s one of the friendliest and supportive working environments I have had the pleasure of working in.”