Culturally safe care: Meet Darinka, our Aboriginal Health Practitioner

At McLean Care, we believe that care is not just about meeting physical needs - it’s about honouring identity, culture, and connection. For our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, this means creating a culturally safe environment where they feel respected, understood, and valued. Leading this work is Darinka, our Aboriginal Health Practitioner.

Darinka is a proud Kamilaroi woman who grew up on Wiradjuri Country in Dubbo, NSW. With strong family ties to the Angledool Mission near the NSW/QLD border, along with Czechoslovakian and Scottish heritage, she brings a unique and rich cultural perspective to her role. Working virtually, she provides support across both our residential aged care services and home and community care programs.

Her role goes beyond health monitoring - it’s about holistic, culturally inclusive care.

“As an Aboriginal Health Practitioner, my role is to support the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients in a way that respects their culture, identity, and community connections. I focus on delivering care that looks at the whole person -body, mind, and spirit,” she said.

This means checking in regularly with clients, offering health education, and helping them understand and access services. Importantly, she acts as a cultural advocate, ensuring care plans reflect each person’s values, traditions, family ties, and spiritual needs.

“I also support the broader team by building their confidence in working with Indigenous clients, so care is always culturally safe and inclusive,” she added.

For Darinka, connection is at the heart of her work. “I love being able to connect with our Elders and support them in ways that honour their culture, history, and wellbeing," she said.

"Even though we’re working virtually, there’s still a deep connection that comes from listening, sharing stories, and building trust. It’s a privilege to be in a role that allows me to be a voice for culturally safe care.”

Looking ahead, Darinka is passionate about bridging the gap for communities that are harder to reach. Through accessible technology and improved digital health literacy, she hopes to make culturally safe care more widely available, particularly for Elders in rural and remote areas.

“I see opportunities to strengthen care by using more accessible technology, improving digital literacy, and advocating for services that are designed with community input,” she said.

Her vision is clear: a future where every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander client can access care that embraces their culture, identity, and connection to Country - no matter where they live.

At McLean Care, we’re proud to walk alongside Darinka in this vision, ensuring that culturally safe care is at the heart of everything we do.