Carer of the Year

Each year, Continence Health Australia’s Carer of the Year Awards recognise exceptional people who provide continence care to loved ones.

The 2026 winner, Muoy, is the youngest of ten children, with a large extended family of 25 nieces and nephews. She stepped away from her work in early childhood education to care for her young son and ageing parents, dedicating many years to supporting others.

Muoy was nominated for the Carer of the Year award by her husband Damien and friend Anna for the care she provided for her mum, Tho-Huoy.

“For more than 13 years, Tieng (Muoy) has faced an extraordinary and overwhelming set of challenges, sustained quietly with remarkable strength and grace,” writes Anna. “She has been the primary carer for her mother, who has advanced vascular dementia and requires full nursing-home-level care. This has meant witnessing the gradual loss of the person her mother once was, while continuing to provide constant support, advocacy and presence.

“Tieng regularly stayed with her mother through long hospital admissions, ensuring her mother was never alone, frightened, or without someone who truly knew her. She also cares for her father-in-law and her own father, both of whom rely on her entirely for day-to-day support. Caring simultaneously for three older adults with complex needs would be overwhelming for anyone, and Tieng does this without complaint and with unwavering commitment.”

Organising complex healthcare

Tho-Huoy (Muoy’s mum) was unwell for over a decade. Initially, there were unexplained falls, but vascular dementia was formally diagnosed five years ago following a fall and hip fracture. Even before diagnosis, doctors had recommended residential care; however, both Muoy and her mum were determined for her to remain at home. For that to happen, Muoy had to explain her mum’s care needs to her siblings and get them on board.

“With a big family of 9 siblings and their spouses, you need to be flexible. It’s important to get support,” Muoy tells Bridge. “At the beginning, the family didn’t know that dementia, rather than normal ageing, was causing Mum’s symptoms. When we got the diagnosis, it got easier, it helped everyone’s understanding. I held a family meeting to discuss the diagnosis of dementia. ‘To fulfil Mum’s wishes, we need your help’, I told them. My family wanted to help but didn’t know how. I got great advice from the geriatrician (doctor) who told me to be assertive about Mum’s care needs.

“With every new piece of information, I let the family know through our group chat, relaying decisions made for Mum’s care and why. We created a 24-hour roster, and the family were asked which nights they could do. Muoy’s siblings tried to take on some of the extra day-to-day jobs, such as cleaning and attending appointments, to ease the load on Muoy. For example, her brothers did the gardening and her sisters-in-law cooked meals.”

Muoy says it is important to be kind to yourself when it comes to navigating parent care with several siblings, working with lots of different opinions and personalities.

“It is good to have a family ally and a second in charge to support you and your parents — in my family, one brother was available to take my parents to emergency appointments, another brother was my advocate.”

Barriers to continence care

As with many health conditions, language barriers can make continence care more complicated. Muoy’s family are originally from Cambodia, and their first language is Khmer. “I didn’t have to translate any medical explanations for Mum because she had advanced dementia, but it was hard for Dad to understand at the beginning why Mum needed the continence products,” explains Muoy. “In Khmer, it is very literal, and there is no word for incontinence or continence, we say ‘your pants are wet’ and ‘poo in pants’.”

Muoy faced many problems trying to talk to her mother and siblings about continence issues initially. “No one in the family would mention it, even if they could smell it. No one wanted to address it. I had to advocate for Mum’s needs,” she recalls. “In Cambodian culture, continence problems are not openly discussed among family and friends,” Muoy says. “It is thought of as embarrassing. We didn’t tell anyone. To be considerate of that, my family and I would say, ‘Mum needs a shower now’ when her continence product needed changing.”

Accepting incontinence support was especially difficult at first due to her mum’s strong sense of dignity. This became easier over time, particularly when pull‑ups were reframed as ‘underwear’. A key turning point was the support Muoy received from a continence nurse at Monash Hospital. “I hadn’t realised this kind of help existed,” said Muoy. “Having someone who understood the system, products, and pathways made a big difference. Without this support, things would have been much harder.”

“Don’t be afraid to talk about incontinence and know that help and support is available,” says Muoy.

“During the later stages of dementia Mum got recurrent UTIs (urinary tract infections) and became double incontinent. We had another continence assessment, the nurse worked with our goal of keeping Mum at home, and she gave practical advice on bowel health, skin health, more absorbent products, and bedding protection which all made caring for mum so much easier and I could spend more time with my family and less time cleaning. Her advice and support gave us the confidence to keep caring for mum at home.”

Did you know: You can access FREE continence support in languages other than English? Call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450, and ask them to connect you to the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66 Mon-Fri 8am-8pm AEST). Information can be translated by the interpreter while on the phone.

We also have resources in almost 30 languages other than English.

Hospital in the Home

Two days after Muoy learned that she’d been named Carer of the Year 2026, her mum had a stroke and was admitted to hospital. Initially, she was told her mum would need to remain in hospital for palliative care. However, through a chance conversation with a nurse, Muoy learned about Hospital in the Home, which became her ‘saving grace’. Everything moved very quickly, and her mum was discharged home soon after admission. “We fulfilled her wishes to bring her back to the family house. She had 10 peaceful days being cared for in her home, and passed in peaceful serenity, in the loving arms of family,” Muoy told Bridge.

Top tips for carers

With over a decade navigating caring for several loved ones at once, Muoy wants other carers to know that it is important to be assertive, communicate with your family and share the load. “If anyone offers help, take it. If they don’t, ask for help, and let them know what you need,” she explains.

“As well as getting help from people around you, seeking the right professional support was important as Mum’s needs changed. Getting a diagnosis and medical advice specific to her condition helped everyone’s quality of life,” said Muoy.

Nominations open later this year for our 2027 Carer of the Year Award, which will be presented at the Gold Coast National Continence Health Conference in April 2027.

Read about our Practical support for carers.

Also in this edition

• Mad about materials
• Finding a group to support you
• A day in the life of someone with neurogenic urinary retention
• What is neurogenic urinary retention?
• Looking after your bowels in hospital
• Disabilities: talking to your GP about incontinence
• Is health advice from TikTok or ChatGPT better?
• Alcohol and incontinence – what’s the connection?