feros
COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
JUNE 2015
feros care in a nutshell —
Feros Care is a vibrant community owned, not-for-profit organisation that has been delivering high quality aged and community care services for 25 years. The objectives written within the Company Constitution are to “operate as a charitable institution catering for the needs of the aged, sick and disabled”. Initially incorporated in 1988 as George Feros Memorial Hostel Committee Inc, in 2003 the company registered as a company Limited by Guarantee, at the same time changing the company name to Feros Care. Since the opening of the first service, a 40 bed residential aged care village in Byron Bay NSW in June 1990, the company has grown to over 80 Community Care programs across Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, three residential aged care facilities in New South Wales and Telehealthcare services nationally. Our mission is to support seniors to live their best life by providing reliable, flexible and innovative services and solutions to meet their individual needs and life goals. Feros Care has expanded its range of services significantly since 1990 and today these include residential aged care, home care packages, home support programs, veteran’s services, respite care, smart technologies and a growing variety of health and wellness solutions designed to assist seniors to remain healthy, active, independent and connected to their families, friends and community of choice. Feros Care is often described as one of Australia’s most exciting and innovative aged care organisations creating a real difference in the lives of seniors. Highly regarded and well known in the industry for pioneering new models of care delivery, enabling technologies, workforce development and workplace culture, Feros Care has won national and international awards for excellence and innovation in ageing services, including three national awards in 2014. Our new celebrating ageing brand is embracing Feros Care’s commitment to ageing well, promoting a positive approach to aged care and recognising, endorsing and celebrating the remarkable achievements and contributions our seniors have made, and continue to make to society.
Our footprint Our wide range of care and service packages are provided to older Australians and span from Tasmania, Victoria, NSW to Queensland, while our telehealthcare technologies are available nationally.
Front Cover - from left; past and present Board Chairs - Stuart Garrett, Keith Castle, Shirley Nelson, Terry Hand.
CEO FOREWORD Jennene Buckley —
This year is particularly special for me as we celebrate this significant milestone of Feros Care reaching our 25 years of service, and I celebrate 15 years of service as Chief Executive Officer. From my first day the organisation has been a very important part of my life and that of my family too. Similarly, four of my senior managers are also reaching significant milestones: Gabriele Taylor, Director of Community Services, almost 20 Years; Robyn Schneider, Director of Capital Works, 15 years; Matthew Grant, Chief Financial Officer, 10 years; and Sarah Marciano, Director of Residential and Clinical Services, 10 years. As I reflect over the last 25 years I cannot recall a year that we have been able to stop and take a breath! I am extremely proud that our growth has been strong and steady and we have been driven by our vision to create an aged care company that Australia would talk about. With the help of our amazing, passionate staff, volunteers and board, Feros Care has evolved into one of the most highly regarded aged care providers in the country. All the hard work and steadfast determination has been rewarded with many accolades including national and international award wins for our innovative services and modern operational models. More importantly, winning the trust of government and being awarded significant funding to rollout new aged care programs across Australia. While we are enormously proud of our achievements and where we are as a company, we are not resting on our laurels and have already set our sights on 2040 and the next 25 year evolution of Feros Care. During this time Australia will see a 25 percent growth in the over 65’s population with a life expectancy that many of us will live well into our 90’s. This will bring many known and unknown challenges but also many eagerly anticipated opportunities to change the face of ageing. Our government has grasped the importance of ageing well and the role that aged care providers can play in supporting seniors to be healthy, independent, actively involved, connected and contributing to their community for their entire lives. Feros Care is excited about working with seniors and our funders to redefine what aged care means. This is our absolute mission - to create new products and services that will meet the needs, expectations and desires of our current and future senior population. Innovation is a critical part of our culture, our staff bring the ideas, they embrace change, work extremely hard, know how to have fun and to celebrate, and above all know our clients are at the centre of every decision. One of our goals in achieving this is to officially launch the Feros Care Foundation in early 2016. The foundation will fund research and innovation creating a pipeline of new products and services that will keep Feros Care at the forefront of ageing well for the next 25 years and beyond! At its heart, Feros Care is about people and as we continue to travel along the Feros Care journey together I would like to extend a big thank you to each and every one of you who has played a role in making Feros Care what it is today.
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FEROS CARE An assessment at 25 years
G
reat ideas are like balloons: bright and attractive as they float skywards but sometimes hard to grasp and easily punctured. Often they need to be tethered to reality, tempered by practical wisdom and handled carefully. So it was with the idea that underpinned Feros Care: an inspiring vision for community care nurtured into life by hard work and careful planning over a quarter of a century.
the history of Feros Care has been the role and vision of the people who have served on the company’s Board of Directors. As former Chairman Stuart Garrett explains, “Different stages threw up different challenges and at Feros we’ve been able to meet those demands in precisely the right way. To begin with we had Shirley Nelson, whose amazing capacity to engage and inspire the local community was elemental in getting us from plans on paper to bricks on the ground.”
The story of Feros Care begins with a remarkable individual, George Feros. An idiosyncratic visionary, George was a Greek migrant to Australia determined to see a nursing home for elderly residents built in Byron Bay. He dreamt of a place where medical care and community spirit could combine so that senior citizens would be cherished and protected. The sort of place where George’s own elderly parents could spend their final years.
As luck would have it George’s barefoot campaigning made him a regular visitor to the small Accident and Emergency department at Byron Bay hospital. He got to know the Matron, Shirley Nelson, a woman of formidable capacity and enduring kindness.
It was a big dream, and for some people just too big. Critics questioned the capacity of a small coastal town to have such a resource. In the 1970s, Byron Bay was better known for its meat works and sand mining than it was for surfing holidays and international tourism. It was a blue-collar town of fishermen and whalers, of dairy-farmers and railway workers who found George’s relentless campaigning obsessive, and even a little humorous. It’s not hard to imagine why. Armed with a small wooden collection box, a pushbike and a brass bell George was indefatigable. All and sundry were asked to make a donation as George did his endless rounds of the town, ringing his bell and brandishing his homemade collection box. As the years passed he became ever more strident in his determination to achieve his dream, but his enthusiasm desperately needed the right people to make it a reality. Luckily for George a signature element of
Shirley didn’t dismiss George’s quixotic campaign. Over and over again she heard his dream explained, the need for a high care nursing home for the town’s elderly residents. Practical by nature, Matron Nelson decided to investigate. In 1976 Shirley Nelson made her first inquiries to the NSW Health department, only to be met with bureaucratic indifference. It seemed nobody in government could care less. Crucially, however, it was a different story in the local community. As practical people are want to do, Shirley enlisted the support of some influential locals and on the 14th August 1979 the United Christian Nursing Home Committee held its inaugural meeting in the Byron Shire Council Chambers. George, always more a dreamer than a doer, didn’t attend but at least he knew his vision was now in safe hands. Suddenly the practical overwhelmed the personal. A new nursing home required land and land meant money. Shirley joined forces with dairy farmer, Trevor King, and solicitor, James Black as well as a local Catholic priest, Fr. Rex Hackett, to get the fundraising ball rolling. Ron Barnes came on board as a professional
“Armed with a small wooden collection box, a pushbike and a brass bell George was indefatigable”
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IMAGE lef t GEORGE FEROS
fundraiser and soon hundreds of people were engaged in the task of building a residential village in Byron Bay. By the early 1980s the “Buy a brick, build a home” campaign had captured the collective imagination. Things were happening. As Chair of the Committee Shirley was uniquely placed to guide the initial phase. Along with the other committee members she knew instinctively the Feros project had to inspire community enthusiasm. Sound business decisions had to be linked to the broader community’s desire to realise a dream. Commerce and compassion had to work together. Throughout the early years of fundraising and planning, the focus of the Committee was to ensure that community-wide events reinforced the key concern of caring for the elderly. George’s vision remained central to the project. The successful construction of Feros Village Byron Bay was a momentous milestone for Feros and for the Byron community. As the financial resources and responsibilities grew a new emphasis was needed. In the early 1990s Keith Castle, a successful and wellknown businessman, moved to the area and became involved with Feros. Keith was to become Chairman at a critical time, when the Board turned its attention to the next big goal of building a high care residential facility in Bangalow. Keith remembers it as an exciting time. “When I first become involved the project didn’t really require much governance. We were simply a group of community minded people overseeing a wonderful project that had great support and enthusiasm. The big change came when we incorporated and applied for more money to build a high-care nursing home. If you’re asking for a capital grant you have to think in more corporate terms.” The challenge for Keith was to bring his many years of business experience to a project that was grounded in the compassionate desire to Continued page 4.. .
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F ERO S C AR E An assessment at 25 years
S hirl ey N e l s on
K eit h C a st le
improve the lives of elderly citizens. “We knew that if we were going to deliver the high quality services we aimed for, then we had to be a successful business. You can only develop a good product when you have reliable income to pay your bills and deliver high quality care in a sustainable, profitable way.” The second phase of the Feros story saw the successful building of a high-care nursing home in Bangalow. Under Keith’s stewardship corporate rigour was engaged to fully realise the ambitions of Feros Care to deliver high quality care in a sustainable, accountable way. From his years building a very successful tourism operation, Keith knew that Feros Care had to grow; just surviving was not enough. Without profitable growth, the regulatory environment would threaten to overwhelm operations as the burden of regulation grew heavier. He understood implicitly that it would be crucial for Feros to look beyond residential care and expand into community care. It was a critical shift in focus. The next person to Chair the Feros Board was local solicitor Stuart Garrett. Asked how he saw the operation of the Feros Board when he assumed the chair, he smiles and suggests it was “like a duck swimming – all calm and unruffled on the surface while we paddled furiously underneath!” Stuart contends that the key to Feros Care’s successful business operation is that it remains based on trust. “Let’s face it, people are entrusting us with their elderly loved ones. They want the highest possible standard of care and that’s what Feros delivers. That’s the product we can be so proud of, that we are a successful business grounded in the fundamental concern of caring for vulnerable people. We see it as a privilege.”
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T erry Hand
St uart Garrett
Feros Care’s current Board of directors 2015
IMAGE left FRONT ROW - L TO R
STUART GARRETT TERRY HAND ALLEN LIND BACK ROW - L TO R
BARRY JAMESON JENNENE BUCKLEY DAWN STANDFIELD JILL MCCANN
That idea of a personal relationship builds on the work that Shirley Nelson and Keith Castle undertook. Stuart explains it like this: “We don’t have an inconsistency between our practice and our ethos. Right throughout the organisation, from the Board to senior management to staff and volunteers, we have inculcated an organisational philosophy that insists on compassionate practice. We are constantly monitoring our performance. We prefer to know if there’s an issue straight away, so we can deal it straight away. Combining knowledge and action is essential.” The current Chairman of the Feros Board, Terry Hand, leads the team at a time of enormous change within the aged care sector. The ageing of the Australian population brings with it both challenges and opportunities for Feros Care. A key challenge is to deliver care in a way that utilizes the promise of digital communication. Feros Care is at the forefront of telehealth and online initiatives that have enabled people to be cared for in their own homes. Terry and his fellow Board members are charting a course through a new terrain of aged care services. Residential care is expanding into community care. Facilities
and resources are being delivered in new ways, stretching what is possible without ever compromising on the integrity of the product. The decisions to implement a self contained Information Technology system has meant Feros can develop the right blend of services and meet individual needs in a precise and compassionate way. The development of a Strategic Plan, presented to the Feros Board by CEO Jennene Buckley, means the Board has a range of options to improve performance and to maximise the benefits of a team approach. In 2015 we are witnessing a paradigm shift in aged care as we move to greater levels of home-based care. For the Feros Board this means weighing up different ideas, assessing and understanding new political agendas and keeping abreast of new technology. In the past quarter century, Feros Care has seen distinct phases in its development. From the initial moment of community engagement through to consolidation and expansion. Change has been abundant but the consistent threads of compassionate care and careful decisionmaking continue to intertwine to make the fabric of Feros strong and resilient.
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The Early Days of Feros Care
O
f course there was enormous joy and much celebration in 1990 when the George Feros Memorial Hostel officially opened.
For many it was also about the recognition that a big bold idea born in the 1960’s had actually come to fruition and realised a remarkable achievement benefiting the entire community. During the 1960’s the idea was almost considered unattainable and in the realm of whimsical wishful thinking. The story of Feros is a remarkable, poignant and inspirational journey of shared passion, energy, commitment, and love for community. It is a story at whose heart are “the people”. In the very beginning the big bold idea was born when a determined Greek immigrant, a local Byron resident named George Feros, driven by his concerns about caring for his ageing parents, devoted the last years of his life to raising funds to fulfil his dream of a nursing home in Byron Bay. Through his ceaseless and dogged determination he successfully implored well known and respected community members, to assist him with his vision to provide much needed aged care services in the region. On 14 August 1979, a small group of tenacious and influential local people – Ron Barnes,
George Feros - Byron Bay
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Trevor King, James Black, and Fr Rex Hackett led by Byron District Hospital matron Shirley Nelson – held their first committee meeting. The committee (which would eventually evolve into the Feros Care Board of Directors) and the community of the Byron Shire, rallied to raise the $400,000 required obtain the government grant of $808,000 to build a hostel. The committee commissioned award winning architect Christine Vadasz and the result was an aged care facility that was considered to be the most advanced in Australia at the time with a layout and design that was more like a resort reflecting the unique environment of the Byron Shire. Thanks to the tireless, unwavering, and indominatible dedication of ‘the people’ – this committee and the generous Byron community – with the support of the Commonwealth Government, the George Feros Memorial Hostel in Byron Bay became a reality. Today it remains a lasting legacy of what can be achieved when heart and head are engaged with purpose, passion and commitment. Since those early days in the 1960’s, today Feros Care operates not only residential aged care facilities in Byron Bay, Bangalow and Kingscliff, but also a wide range of care and service packages to seniors living in their own homes along the east coast of Australia.
Christine Vadasz (left) and Shirley Nelson (right ) with architects plans.
celebrating an innovative journey History Timeline
Opening of Feros Village Bangalow – a 30 bed high care residential home, achieving George Feros’ dream of a nursing home in November 1997.
1990 Grand opening of Feros Village Byron Bay, a 40 bed low care residential home on 23 June 1990.
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Opening of Feros Village Bangalow’s first extension, bringing total beds at the village to 45.
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Commence Community Aged Care Packages in Byron Shire, NSW. Especially important for Feros Care‘s growth, this was the first opportunity to provide services to seniors living in their own homes.
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F E R O S
C A R E
C E L E B R A T I N G
Commence Community Aged Care Packages on the Gold Coast, QLD. For the first time Feros Care was now offering services in QLD, along with NSW.
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Company conversion of the George Feros Memorial Hostel Incorporated to Feros Care Limited.
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Opening of Feros Village Bangalow extension expanding bed capacity from 30 to 64 including an Extra Services wing known as ‘The Cottage’.
20 0 6 Commence Home and Community Care programs, providing personal care and domestic assistance services on Far North Coast, NSW. Commence Veterans’ Home Care services from Gold Coast, QLD to Coffs Harbour, NSW. Commence Veterans’ Nursing services on Far North Coast, NSW. Launch pilot for Palliative Care Planning and Support services on Far North Coast, NSW. Opening of first Community Services Regional Office in Pottsville, NSW.
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Commence Community Aged Care Packages in South Brisbane and Logan, QLD.
Commence Community Aged Care Packages in North Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg and Wide Bay regions of QLD.
Opening of Community Services Regional office in Tewantin, QLD.
Commence Home and Community Care programs for Social Support Monitoring using Telecare ‘smart home’ technologies, in Port Macquarie, NSW.
2008 Opening of the international awardwinning Community Gateway Contact and Referral Centre including Feros Care’s Business Centre, in Coolangatta, QLD. Launch of LifeLink Telehealthcare service arm with the pilot of Telecare ‘smart home’ and Telehealth technologies.
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Receive the IAHSA (International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing) International award for Excellence in Ageing services in Washington DC.
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Commence Community Aged Care Packages on Mid North Coast, NSW, expanding the service footprint from Forster, NSW to Bundaberg, QLD, covering a 1400km stretch on the east coast of Australia. Commence the first Consumer Directed Care Pilot on Far North Coast, NSW. Launch of Feros Care’s Sevenstar staff development program, a three year course aimed at creating the future leaders of Feros Care.
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F E R O S
C A R E
C E L E B R A T I N G
Launch of the ‘Get Bold Not Old’ campaign aimed at showing vibrant and interesting seniors living life to the fullest in an effort to break down the stereotype of ‘old people’.
Launch of Health & Wellness service arm with the first Allied HomeHealth mobile team offering services on the Gold Coast, QLD and Far North Coast, NSW. Launch of Feros Care’s My Health Clinic At Home technology under NBN enabled telehealth pilot in Coffs Harbour, NSW. Commence Community Home Care Packages in Northern Sydney NSW, Melbourne, Bendigo and Geelong, Vic; Northern and Southern Tasmania and Darling Downs, QLD.
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Officially took over the ownership and management of Wommin Bay Hostels Limited, a 70 bed residential aged care village in Kingscliff, NSW. Opening of Community Services Regional office in Port Macquarie, NSW.
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margaret fish er
20 13 Launch of Feros Care‘s new branding including the “celebrating ageing” logo to reflect our ethos of ageing well. National accreditation of the Feros Care sevenstar program, with the first graduation ceremony in November. Commence Community Volunteers program including social transport and friendly visits with further expansion via Community Visitors Scheme funding. Launch of the ‘Feros heroes’ campaign to raise public awareness of the value of seniors by promoting seniors achieving extraordinary things well into their 80’s.
Commence Home and Community Care programs in NSW and QLD including Strong Foundations and Forever Young in the Illawarra region of NSW, My Health Clinic At Home in South East Sydney, NSW and transport services in Darling Downs, Wide Bay and the Gold Coast, QLD.
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In the near future we look forward to:
Celebrate a hat trick of wins, collecting three national awards for excellence:
Opening the Feros Care Innovation and Logistics Centre.
2014 HESTA Aged Care Awards – Outstanding Organisation.
Launch of Feros Care‘s Virtual Seniors Centre.
2014 Aged & Community Services Australia Aged Care Award – Organisation of the Year.
Commencement of virtual volunteering and digital life story booking programs.
2014 Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Better Practice Award – Staff Development and Retention.
2014 LifeLink Telehealthcare celebrates the installation of 1500 ‘smart homes’ as part of its Telecare operations. Launch of eVillage project using video conferencing to better connect our village residents with General Practitioners, specialists and other health services funded by the Commonwealth’s Better Healthcare Connections Program.
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2015 - 2016
20 15 Launch of My Aged Care’s Regional Assessment Services in fifteen regions across QLD and NSW, including three new regions for Feros Care; Hunter, New England and Central Coast, NSW. Commence a telehealthcare pilot in partnership with the Selwyn Foundation in New Zealand.
Commence Community Home Care Packages in Western Melbourne and Ballarat, Vic. Celebrate our first ’20 year service’ staff member.
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funding the dream
F
er os Car e ’ s e v olut ion an d growth would not have been possible without the enormous fundraising efforts of many dedicated community groups, businesses and individuals. George Feros (the organisation’s namesake) singlehandedly raised $75,000 to go towards a nursing home and in the process, he inspired an entire community to get behind him and his cause. George joined forces with Shirley Nelson, and together they created the Australian United Christian Nursing Home Committee – whose charter was to recruit members to undertake intensive fundraising activities. This group held its inaugural meeting in 1979, and was kept busy with a range of fundraising and charity events, from lamington drives and garage sales, to garden parties, tennis days and debutante balls. In 1985, the group changed its name to the George Feros Memorial Hostel Committee in recognition of George’s (who had died in 1981) fundraising efforts and determination to establish a local nursing home. Conditionally in 1987, the committee was advised that it had been granted $808,000 in government funding, which was to build a hostel (low care) rather than a nursing home, but it would need to raise a further $400,000 by March 1989, for the project to proceed. To achieve this objective, the George Feros Village Appeal office was established and led by local real estate agent Ron Barnes. The committee worked tirelessly over the next two years,
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FEROS
CARE
CELEBRATING
25
YEARS
OF
SERVICE
approaching businesses, service clubs, banks, community organisations and individuals for donations that ranged from $500 to $30,000. Last but by no means least, in terms of fundraising, was the establishment in 1988 of the Friends of Feros, by Nola Lake (who had been a member of the George Feros Memorial Hostel Committee since 1986). This industrious group of men and women contributed generously, both with a hefty program of continual fundraising activities and later volunteering their time to provide help and support to residents and staff. The ‘Friends’, as they were known, were a powerhouse of energy helping with working bees, garden blitz days, serving lunch during staff education days, and memorably ‘spring cleaning’ the new building at Bangalow before people moved in – some fondly remember the ‘little hoover’ that worked just as hard as they did on that occasion. Today the ‘Friends’ are proud of their support and although they have formally disbanded they still meet for lunch every two months to catch up and reminisce with some members contining to volunteer their time to provide nail care and hand massages to the village residents.
“A lot of my role with Feros Care involved advocating for them to get funding from 1995 through to 2005. I recall lobbying at budget times to make sure Feros Care got a fair share and it was rather like a David and Goliath - with the organisation up against some very large operators. Their sheer tenacity , dedication and good management has seen Feros Care develop into a very big, fantastic enterprise, employing a lot of people” Larry Anthony
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Feros celebrates seniors
I
n the year 2050 over one quarter of Australians will be over the age of 65 years with the average life expectancy of men and women living well into their 80’s. It is very important as a country that we embrace both the challenges and opportunities that will inevitably come with this changing demographic. In 2006 Feros Care noted in its strategic plan: “how we’ve provided aged care services up until now, will need to be transformed if we are to keep pace with the ageing population”. It also identified that this new group of seniors would have very different expectations; want to be much more in control of their care and services and have an absolute desire to live independently in their own home for as long as possible.
The Byron Model This information motivated Feros Care to develop a model of care that is not only bespoke for the 21st century but importantly, embraces the concepts of wellness, active ageing, and positive living as a core part of its service philosophy. The Byron Model marks a significant change in the thinking behind care and services and the way they are delivered. Its focus is to assist seniors to remain as independent, as active and as socially connected to their family, friends and community for as long as possible. The model supports seniors to continue to live life to the fullest and underpins Feros Care’s strategic planning, thinking and innovation, shaping the development of its services. Along with the Byron Model, the 2006 strategic plan also saw Feros Care develop new service principles to better match the future direction of the organisation. Both the Byron model and the updated service principles sharpened Feros Care’s desire to stretch beyond traditional in-home care and residential care to introduce new services that would better meet seniors’ needs. This led to the launch of LifeLink
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Telehealthcare and a range of Health and Wellness initiatives including Forever Young group fitness classes, Strong Foundations falls prevention services, social transport programs, Virtual Visiting and Eat Well Live Well program. In 2012, the Federal Government introduced a reform package for the next 10 years called ‘Living Longer, Living Better’. It was designed to change the landscape of aged care in Australia. Fortunately, Feros Care had already completed significant market research, anticipating many of the changes and was well positioned to implement the reforms and embrace new opportunities as they presented themselves.
Celebrating Ageing But there is so much more to Feros Care’s positive approach to ageing! In 2013, Feros Care announced to the world that it was time to celebrate our ageing population and officially rebranded the organisation including a new corporate logo with the words ‘celebrating ageing’. This celebrating ageing mandate is supporting our desire to “turn aged care on its head!” and offers a range of innovative client driven, flexible services that support and assist people to ‘age well’. To this end, Feros Care is also passionate about raising the profile of seniors launching our ‘Feros Heroes’ campaign to promote the value and contribution seniors make to our society by showcasing everyday seniors who are continuing to set goals and achieve them, well into their 80s and providing the community with important role models. Another part of our mandate uses cheeky imagery and a “Get Bold Not Old” tagline that seeks to break down the stereotype of ‘old people’ by showing vibrant and interesting seniors living life to the fullest. Feros Care wants to reinvent ageing as we know it, demonstrating its sincere commitment to promoting the status of seniors and their right to live their best life!
IMAGE top
FEROS HEROES; BEVERLEY YEOMANS KEITH CASTLE MARGARET FISHER MIDDLE
SISTERS; ANNIE HILL & JUDY COX BOTTOM
ONE OF OUR CHEEKY ‘GET BOLD NOT OLD’ PHOTOS SHOWING SENIORS AT THEIR BEST
Feros Care’s Service Principles
Preserving Dignity
The life experience of every senior is valued and deserves respect. Promoting Healthy Ageing
Focus on ageing as a positive experience involving the mind, body and spirit. Empowering Lifestyle Choices
Empowering seniors to live the way they want by offering service choices. Encouraging Independence
Seniors’ rights to self-reliance are encouraged by whatever means possible. Involving Family and Friends
Involvement of extended family and close friends at every opportunity. Community Citizenship
Seniors are encouraged to remain active participants in their community.
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Feros residential villages continue to be the jewel in the crown years on and Feros Care makes sure that every day is full of opportunities and inspiration for its residents, and boldly states “Don’t just live with us, come alive with us”. While there are plenty of options available in residential care, Feros Care villages are uniquely homely, and are designed to inspire and motivate people to stay connected, active and part of their community. This is achieved by having a dedicated team of more than 180 staff that care and support the residents at the three Feros Villages. These staff are always looking for interesting ways to keep residents engaged and bring purpose to each day. In addition, there’s an army of 90 volunteers that are actively involved in the villages, and are often found playing board games with residents, taking walks to the beach, or escorting them on social outings. Combined, this team of staff and volunteers are dedicated, fun and spontaneous and have a natural ability to come up with out-of-the-box activities and just make things happen. On entry into a Feros Village many visitors remark on being greeted by a caring atmosphere that is warm and relaxed. There is a continuous buzz of activity but the fun isn’t always planned, it often just happens – it is like the villages have a heart and soul! Pets are encouraged and you will see a wide variety of animals wandering throughout the villages offering joy, laughter and unconditional love and companionship to residents. The village pets were originally introduced more than ten years ago and form part of the successful blueprint of Feros’ villages engaging residents and bringing purpose to their lives. Feros is not risk adverse, and residents are encouraged to try different things and to continue to live a little! This is carefully balanced with a high level of care and support, but the focus is on remaining active, and finding enjoyment and purpose in each day. - 16 -
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community Connections Feros Care values its community connections and partnerships. It continues to build relationships with local businesses and community groups such as the Lions, Freemasons and RSL clubs who have provided great support for a number of projects and initiatives over the years. A partnership with Southern Cross University has allowed students studying naturopathy, massage and third year Registered nurses to do work placements at the villages. This is a win-win for both the villages and the students who gain valuable experience in working with older people in an aged care setting, while Feros residents get a chance to enjoy the pampering and treatments that are being offered by the students.
The journey of the Feros Villages Feros Village Byron Bay first opened in June 1990, designed by local architect Christine Vadasz the 40 bed low care residential facility was state of the art for its time. The goal was to co-locate a nursing home next to the village. However, faced with native title, zoning and environmental barriers, the company purchased land and opened Feros Village Bangalow, a 30 bed high care village and dementia unit in November 2007. Since then, Bangalow has undergone two extensions (including an extra services wing) and now cares for 64 residents. In 2012, Feros Care added one more village when Feros took over the management and ownership of Wommin Bay Hostels Limited which operated a 70 bed low/high care village in Kingscliff which is now known as Feros Village Wommin Bay.
FEROS VI LL AGE S PIONE E R S G ROUN DBR E A K I NG PROJ E C TS E-Village takes off Feros has launched an e-Village pilot1 that connects Feros Care residents with their GP and other health professionals using videoconferencing technology. Funded by the Commonwealth’s Better Health Connections program, the pilot takes an innovative and modern approach to improving health outcomes and social interactions among seniors in community and residential settings. The goal is to provide residents of the villages improved access to health care providers, fewer hospital admissions and increased integrated care. e-Village improves timely patient care and allows GPs to be paid for work that they often find themselves performing free of charge.
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Feros Care’s e-Village program is part of a national trial by the Department of Social Services to assess whether the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) should include a billing item for GPs to conduct video calls with seniors living in residential care.
Robert, a resident of Feros Village Byron Bay said “It’s great to be able to talk with my doctor from the comfort of my own room; it’s a big win for me not having to travel and to also have the support of Natalie (Care Manager of the Village) when speaking to the doc.(sic)”
technology keeps seniors connected While the main focus of the funding is to increase access to GPs and health professionals, Feros Care is also committed to using technology to improve seniors’ wellbeing. One such initiative being the launch of Wheel-I-Am (an iPad on wheels) to allow residents to virtually access community events and places of interest such as galleries. One recent excursion saw residents go on a virtual journey to the Tweed Regional Museum where they toured the ANZAC exhibition – entitled Continued over
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FEROS VILLAGES PIONEERS GROUNDBREAKING PROJECTS Continued
Fragments: Words of War – featuring diaries, letters and service records of World War 1 soldiers with connections to the Tweed. Less mobile residents were still able to be a part of this event, albeit by remote controlled robot that receives real-time video and audio so people can see, hear and ask questions. Feros Care is always looking at ways to enable people to continue to be involved in the community. Virtual technologies provide residents with the opportunity to participate and reminisce even if they aren’t physically able to be there. In 2014 this same technology was used to allow village residents to participate ‘virtually’ in the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival. High speed broadband has also enabled Feros Care to hold virtual chat clubs and games. The games include virtual bingo and Scattorgories and are interactive, highly competitive and strangely addictive, with residents, staff and volunteers all vying to win.
Res idents get p hysica l in res earc h trial Feros Care Villages place significant importance on residents continuing to be mobile, with the goal of keeping them active for as long as possible. We encourage all or residents, including our high care residents to be up and about each day, and to be a part of village life, participate in activities and contribute to the community. Feros Care is sponsoring a research trial that focusses on strength and balance based activities to reduce falls among seniors living in residential care. The trial2 is now in its fourth year and is being run by Feros Care’s physiotherapist Jennie Hewitt. 2
Seniors from Feros Village Wommin Bay have signed up for the falls prevention program which started in March and concludes in September 2015. Participants do two hours of balance work a week using specially designed weight bearing machines. The exercises are designed to suit the varying abilities of participants. 91 year old resident Les Clarke said the program made him feel stronger. Also throwing her support behind the trial is resident Joan Smith, 88 - who has suffered several falls in the past - and after only a few sessions, believes the program has helped her regaine her confidence to walk.
The trial is ‘Exercise For Falls Prevention In Residential Aged Care Research’. Ms Hewitt is part of a team from the University of Sydney, and is working with the University of Queensland and the University of Technology to conduct the scientific study in 16 North Coast residential villages including Feros Villages at Wommin Bay (Kingscliff) and Byron Bay.
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Food glorious food – Feros implements its food is medicine project Proving the importance of a wholistic approach, Feros is shining a light on food in residential care, and the fact that nutritious food is good for the soul with its ‘Food is Medicine’ project. We want our residents jumping out of bed in the morning and looking forward to the delicious, creative, organic meals on the menu that day. Feros has also partnered with Gold Coast dietitian Cherie Hugo, who conceived The Lantern Project idea, and is looking at how residential menus nourish the body and soul. Meal times – irrespective of how old you are or where you are – are important. They represent sharing time and flavours with family and friends and we want families to be happy to come and enjoy a meal at our villages. In a residential setting, good food is often one of the highlights of the day so it is imperative that meals are provided that represent love, flavour and nourishment. Many of our seniors are used to growing their own produce and know what a great home cooked meal consists of. When people move to a residential setting, they need and deserve a variety of foods that both make them happy and keep them healthy.
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feros care AT HOME Our community care journey
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n 1999 motivated by the strong desire to remain true to Feros Care’s underlying ethos to care for seniors, the ‘battle’ of applying for funding began. It is a hard and unnerving task requiring hundreds of hours of researching facts and figures, talking to people about what’s needed in their community, then finally putting pen to paper and writing thousands of words and trying to put some rational context into such an emotive desire ‘to do good’.
Feros Care – with a larger growth goal as its vision, started to research and develop a new community care delivery model resulting in the opening of its Community Gateway Contact and Referral Centre in 2008. This centralised ‘one stop shop’ for all community operations uses electronic records and technology to enable case management and community teams to work remotely through virtual offices. This model allowed Feros Care to mobilise quickly as new growth opportunities arose.
However, the effort proved worth it when in 1999, Feros applied for, and won funding for 25 Community Aged Care Packages in the Byron Shire. This was an exciting achievement made even more proud when another 15 packages were awarded in the following year. Although buoyed by these two successes, some disappointingly lean years were to come with no luck despite the continued hard work and efforts in completing many funding applications.
In 2009, after yet more applications had been written, Feros further consolidated its expansion in Queensland, with a huge allocation of funding from the Commonwealth government meaning Feros Care services were now available in North Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, and Fraser Coast regions.
2005 saw Feros finally stretch beyond its Northern New South Wales boundaries and start providing community aged care on the Gold Coast in Queensland. A significant milestone - Feros had officially become an interstate service provider!
The excitement of this expansion brought renewed confidence to the team. It reaffirmed that the Byron Model of Care and the use of technology solutions to augment services were not only relevant but necessary in a modern aged care sector. A year later, in 2010, there was a welcome expansion further south with funding provided for services across the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. 2013 saw the biggest milestone for the organisation when it was awarded the largest allocation of Home Care Packages nationally, and expanded its services across four states. In 2015 Feros Care was amongst 13 providers across the country who will pioneer the new Regional Assessment services on behalf of Government. Creating a one-stop information and entry point into aged care. The last 15 years of strategic focus to expand Feros’ community care services, has resulted in an extraordinary growth trajectory that has taken its annual turnover for community care from $250,000 to $45 million across four states spanning 2700 kilometres down the eastern seaboard and has positioned Feros Care as one of the top 10 percent of aged care providers in Australia.
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Without a doubt, Feros’ rapid growth in the community care services sector can be attributed to its commitment to offering truly individualised flexible care and support options and providing better care and health outcomes to seniors across the nation. Offering new and innovative services and solutions has provided Feros Care with a point of difference that sets it apart from other community care providers. Alongside the traditional services such as home help, personal care, nursing care, allied health, wellness and lifestyle are the award winning assistive technology solutions. The blending of these services has shown remarkable results and provided affordable 24/7 peace of mind for users and families, alike. Whether there is a small occasional service required or ongoing multi-level complex care needs there are tailor made service packages suited to each person’s needs. Feros has always danced to its own beat, and has never waivered in its approach to providing cutting-edge services, and always puts seniors in the driver’s seat. 25 years on, Feros is renowned for setting benchmarks in delivering quality aged care services in a sustainable way for older Australians.
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FEROS CARE’S STAFF HELP ED PARKER CELEBRATE TURNING 102 MIDDLE
CARE WORKER DEB CROOK ASSISTS NEIL SCHOLES BOTTOM
ROBYN SCHNEIDER AND HER MUM DAPHNE
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The Health and Wellness Team Our wellbeing mission
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eros Care’s Health and Wellness business arm had humble beginnings with the appointment of its new manager in May 2012 who was charged with creating a new service division. This division had the critical and exciting mission of rolling out programs to keep seniors healthy, independent, active and connected while optimising staff health and wellbeing. The brief for the new manager was to focus on Reablement and Restorative Care - harnessing self-determination, goal setting and capacity building, while providing wholistic services with a focus on promoting independence.
In 2014, the team expanded with new allied health disciplines, new locations and new innovative individual and group programs devised by the Feros team. This included the testing of new ‘virtual’ services utilising smart technologies to ensure Allied HomeHealth services could be provided anywhere across the Feros footprint. Service locations included Gold Coast and Far North Coast with the suite of programs including: A Physiotherapy A Podiatry A Exercise physiology
A llied HomeHea lt h The first official task for Health and Wellness was to test the viability of establishing Feros’s own allied health service and the development of a comprehensive business plan. The resultant plan detailed the latest evidence to support an investment in allied health staff and eligibility for multiple external funding sources available to fund the service. The business plan was able to demonstrate the benefits of allied health services. The latest research clearly indicated that seniors were never too old to lead a healthy active life; they just needed access to the right services and programs. Feros Care’s own Allied HomeHealth service was launched in July 2013 with a passionate physiotherapist providing services on the Gold Coast and Far North Coast, NSW on a trial basis. The key point of difference with Feros’ Allied HomeHealth program was its mobile service, providing goal centred services in the comfort of the client’s home. The trial was evaluated showing excellent client outcomes and therefore allied health became an invaluable addition to the Feros Care team.
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A Occupational therapy
A Forever Young; a group exercise program focusing on strength, balance, agility and flexibility
A Strong Foundations; falls prevention program
The expanded Allied HomeHealth team provides a comprehensive range of restorative services designed to support clients to retain and regain energy, vitality, and health. Outcome data captured for all clients shows excellent improvements in strength, balance and agility. The clients are confident, energised and enabled to get out and about more in their communities and to remain living independently at home. The Health and Wellness team are also ‘growing’ the workforce of the future by working closely with local universities to sponsor students, provide placement and learning experiences and shape the curriculum.
Community Volunteering In June 2013, a Positive Living Program Coordinator joined the Health and Wellness team to establish community volunteering and to develop new services and programs based on Feros Care’s Byron Model of Care. Community volunteering was launched in October 2013 with a weekly social bus in the Tweed. This quickly grew to providing in home ‘friendly visits’ where volunteers were matched with clients based on shared passions, interests and hobbies. Inspired by a new Volunteer and Transport Manager joining the team in October 2014, volunteers have been critical to rolling out new social transport services in Queensland. Stimulated by a rich and varied calendar of daily social activities, clients say their lives have been ‘transformed’. The social transport program enables participants to engage in a full and deep cultural life while meeting new and interesting friends. Volunteers will soon join the rest of Feros Care staff in embracing new technologies. In mid 2015 Feros is piloting its ‘Digital Life Stories’ where volunteers will use new ‘Apps’ to capture the life stories of seniors. ‘Virtual volunteering’ will follow allowing meaningful connections anywhere at anytime.
The Byron Model Projects The Byron Model focusses on wellness and empowering clients to make a difference in their own lives for better health outcomes, better quality of life and more meaningful community connections. Our Positive Living Coordinator is developing and implementing a number of programs to support our Byron Model on Wellness including Eat Well, Live Well, Strong Foundations and Bringing Reablement to Life. Continued over
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The HEALTH AND WELLNESS TEAM Our wellbeing mission
Mindful of the importance of good food for overall health and happiness, Feros Care offers clients the Eat Well Live Well program. This involves identifying clients at risk of unintentional weight loss and delivering practical, long term nutrition interventions depending on clients’ needs and preferences. Eat Well Live Well aims to make food shopping, cooking and eating an enjoyable experience to reignite our client’s appetites and fuel their bodies. The Strong Foundations program ensures clients have access to evidenced based falls prevention strategies while Bringing Reablement to Life ensures our front line staff have the skills, confidence and motivation to support the implementation of the Byron projects.
Staff Wellne ss The Health and Wellness team believe staff wellbeing is critical to service excellence. Coordinating the inaugural Fitness @ Feros Forever Challenge between 10th June 2013 and 18th August 2013, this workplace wellness initiative engaged 172 staff in a structured, 10 week program aiming to improve nutritional intake, increase physical activity, enhance team development, improve fitness and reduce body weight and size. Enabled by innovative technology, the program delivered impressive results with staff achieving an average weight loss of 2.4 kilos, reducing body size by almost 10 centimetres and an average increase of 100 reps from the baseline fitness measure. Staff embraced the program and dived in to significantly increase physical activity levels. The 2014 Challenge had 183 participants, losing an average of 3.2 kilos. Not only did Feros staff substantially increase time spent in moderate and vigorous physical activity and walking but healthy eating improved dramatically with increases in consumption of fruit, vegetables and water and reductions in the amounts of takeaway food consumed, and increases in cooking and growing food at home.
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Overwhelmingly, participants reported positive outcomes from the programs and described feeling healthier and having more energy and vitality as a result of participation. In 2015 the Challenge involves Feros Care staff participating in over 30 fun runs, charity walks and events across four states including the Global Corporate Challenge. The Health and Wellness team is currently working on a wellness@work portal providing tips for better health and showing that wellness is an everyday event!
The Home S upport T eam In June 2014, a new team was established within Health and Wellness to act as a ‘virtual’ care manager for HACC services. Working closely with the At Home services team, the Home Support team is responsible for the coordination and case management of existing Home And Community Care (HACC) services including: Personal Care and Domestic’ social support and physiotherapy in the Far North Coast of NSW.
Diver s ity P roj ect s Within its rich portfolio of services and projects, the Feros Care Health and Wellness team is also leading diversity and inclusion initiatives to make sure every senior receives care and services that are sensitive and appropriate irrespective of their culture, ability, sexuality or religion. A representative committee has been created to oversee a suite of Diversity projects. The RIDE (Rights, Inclusiveness, Diversity and Engagement) Committee has focused first on ensuring Feros Care provides inclusive practice for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex communities. The RIDE committee has commissioned an LGBTI inclusive practice audit process, updated key corporate language to be more inclusive, amended assessment and intake forms, and coordinated staff sensitivity training.
The Home Support team also manages the implementation of new HACC services that commenced in 2014 including: A
Social Transport: providing engaging and enriching ‘Social Bus’ outings to ensure eligible clients have access to a range of recreational activities and social opportunities
A
Medical Transport: ensuring people who cannot use regular transport, or who have no other alternative transport arrangements, are able to attend essential medical appointments
A Allied Health: providing a comprehensive range of reablement services and programs A
Telehealth Nursing: providing innovative technology and supporting eligible seniors to monitor their daily vital signs at home including: blood oxygen, glucose levels, blood pressure, weight and pulse rate. The program is based in South East Sydney, and works closely with the local health district and Medicare Locals to provide an integrated Chronic Disease Management Service.
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Technology Changing the Face of Aged Care
A
core capability of Feros Care has been the use of technology to provide modern solutions to support service delivery, client care and staff. From an early stage, Feros Care knew it had to embrace technology if it was to grow, expand and develop an agility to respond quickly to the changing needs of the aged care industry. To many, it seems a contradiction to pair the traditional ‘aged care’ sector with cutting edge technologies however, this insightful approach has improved the efficiency and flexibility of the Feros workplace and led to improved quality of life outcomes for seniors. The rationale for Feros Care adopting a wide range of technologies was simple. The organisation’s community care service footprint was growing and the need to maintain a viable and sustainable operational model was paramount for a small community owned not-for-profit business. Feros Care’s growth provided the opportunity to pioneer a fresh and modern approach to the coordination and delivery of aged care services in the community across an expanding geographic spread.
Community Gateway and Teleworkers Feros Care has taken a bold step to implement a virtual workforce or teleworker model issuing staff in the field with technology kits that enable them to work remotely from anywhere. This is supported by electronic client records, online collaboration tools and a virtual private network enabling a secure connection to Feros Care information, irrespective of where they are located. The virtual workforce was then supported by the establishment of Feros Care’s Community Gateway, Contact and Referral Centre in 2008, providing a simple ”one stop shop” for all stakeholders to access Feros Care, including staff, clients, families, health professionals
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and the community. This central point for all incoming calls and forms of communication, is managed by an experienced team of client and staff liaison officers, ensuring that no services or enquiries are unanswered. Feros Care’s pioneering work using this centralised Gateway model was recognised by the International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing, in 2011, with Feros Care announced as the winner of the prestigious International Award for Excellence in Ageing Services, in Washington DC. More recently an important component of the model has been the use of video conferencing technology which has been integral in bridging the geographical gap between managers and workers. While the key objective is to adopt technology that creates a team environment despite distance, and improve productivity by lessening travel time, it has also opened the door to finding innovative technology-based service options for clients.
Smart Technology for Clients Feros Care, after conducting research both nationally and internationally to identify emerging technologies to support client’s health, safety and wellbeing launched Lifelink Telehealthcare services in 2009, to pilot of a range of Telecare Smarthome and Telehealth technologies. Telecare smart home technologies include sensors and devices to monitor the safety of clients in their own homes 24/7, and reduce the risks and concerns for family and people living with dementia or living alone. Telehealth remotely monitors the vital signs of seniors living with chronic disease, supporting them with daily access to Feros Care’s telehealth nurses and health care professionals.
The Gateway and Teleworker Model Director of Community Services, Gabriele Taylor said “Technology has been a key enabler for Feros Care’s organisational growth in Community Care, linking and engaging management, employees and clients across large and growing organisational footprint. “ “The Gateway and Teleworker Model has made far greater business sense as opposed to setting up local offices in many different locations. Instead, Feros equips its workforce with all the necessary technology to keep them connected and communicating, using a robust video conferencing infrastructure and our community gateway call centre to link all of our stakeholder to Feros Care 24/7.” “The virtual workforce model has enabled Feros to deploy services in new areas quickly, and to employ local people who know the areas they are working in and who understand the local needs.”
In 2011 Feros Care was one of only eight organisations awarded funding to operate a National NBN Enabled Telehealth pilot which saw the launch of its own My Health Clinic At Home technology. The success of these pilot ventures resulted in winning two National Awards in 2014 for leadership in pioneering technology based services models. Telehealthcare services are now a mainstream service option, with Feros Care implementing over 2000 smart homes to date and over one third of Feros Care clients choosing some Telehealthcare technology to support their health and/or independence. Continued over
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T ec hnology Changing the face of aged care
e-Village – T ec hnology Res idential Aged C are Feros Care Village residents actively engage in the use of technologies to support both their health and social needs. Feros Care received funding in 2013 under the Better Health Connections program to utilise video conferencing to improve connections with health professionals to support residents with complex care needs. Through the implementation of gigabyte wireless networks across all the villages, technology has now taken on a life of its own playing an important everyday role in monitoring and improving health outcomes and social interactions amongst the village residents. Called Feros Care’s e-Village project, the residents use laptops, tablets and robots (using Segway technology) to connect to their GP, specialists, family and friends locally, interstate and around the world. The village also runs virtual social tours where the robot is taken to community events, (such as art exhibitions) to enable those residents who are not able to attend in person, to join in and participate in the tour from the comfort of their bed or chair in the village.
V irt ua l Senior C entre Both the NBN Pilot and the e-Village project have inspired Feros Care to develop Australia’s first Virtual Senior Centre with plans underway for the official launch in late 2015. The Virtual Seniors Centre will provide a simple technology platform to enable seniors to connect and engage in a range of activities such as online games, cooking workshops, gentle exercise classes, book clubs and so much more. People will use simple video conferencing technology to connect and participate from the comfort of their home. This initiative is designed to address the ever-increasing issue of social isolation that our ageing population is facing. CEO Jennene Buckley said “I am very proud to say that Feros Care is leading the way in using technology to provide more innovative, flexible and alternative business models. “Our skilled and dedicated employees have embraced the flexibility and innovation that technology has brought to the workplace. We are also excited by how our clients have embraced the use of technology and they will certainly be the driver of future changes in the way they want to be cared and supported. “We’ve found that technology has empowered our staff to provide innovative care options and support and to reach more clients, and they are excited about the future possibilities”. In 2016 Feros Care will open its LifeLink Innovations Centre in Tweed Heads which will house its telehealth care services and enable ongoing research and pilots into emerging smart technologies.
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Honouring the Feros Workforce
F
rom the very beginning, Feros Care has always valued its staff knowing that the best care and support cannot be delivered to seniors without having a dedicated and passionate workforce.
In order to attract and retain a range of skilled and enthusiastic people, Feros Care realised it needed to develop an exciting strategy that would encourage an influx of talented and committed people who could provide person-centred direct care services, help shape strategy and vision, participate in organisational transformation, and provide exemplary aged care leadership. Feros Care has subsequently worked hard to develop a vibrant and visionary People and Culture Strategy that ensures their culture is bigger and stronger than any individual and serves to link everyone together, regardless of service area or department. Key to the strategy is ensuring people become intrinsically engaged with the organisation so that the Vision and Strategy is more likely to be ‘owned’ by all and focussed upon as they grow. And grow it has…from 90 staff just 10 years ago, to today, employing more than 500 people, of which more than a third are teleworkers working remotely in the community through the use of virtual offices. With this in mind, Feros has placed priority on building innovative engagement, participation and support strategies to enrich its corporate culture. Jennene Buckley CEO, said “It’s hard to comprehend how far we’ve come in such a short period of time. We have experienced
Continued over
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honou ring the Feros workforce
a growth rate of over 25 percent each year over the past nine years. We simply would not have been able to achieve this without having highly skilled and dedicated staff and managers who continue to build our reputation with clients and provide individualised, responsive and passionate care and support. That’s when you really need to be surrounded by the best of the best, because our people on the ground are the people who deliver on our mission and create our reputation.” “I am so very proud of our staff and managers – they are the team that makes great happen. Our 500 plus staff work tirelessly to deliver services to more than 5000 seniors per annum across the eastern seaboard of Australia,” Ms Buckley said.
our volunteers Feros Care is so lucky to have many caring volunteers in our residential villages and in the community who support our staff to improve the opportunities for our residents and clients enable them to live life to the fullest. Our 100+ volunteer team assist each day in social events, bus trips and outings, companionship, craft, therapies and a range of activities. They are dedicated, generous people who give so much to our residents and clients and are very important part of the Feros Community.
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long serving staff show that work is a labour of love
A
sk two of Feros Care’s longest serving staff members why they just won’t quit and their responses reflect the same commitment to aged care that is at the heart of the organisation itself. Director of Community Services Gabriele Taylor and former Community Care Manager turned Volunteer Belinda Seaton have, between them, devoted more than 45 years to Feros Care. Gabriele, who began working at Feros Care in 1996, said “My grandparents were a strong influence in my childhood and I have always been drawn to the wisdom, stories and life experiences of older people. “Being able to work in an organisation that has as strong a commitment and passion for elders is gratifying, humbling but most of all – fantastic.”
“The most fulfilling aspects of my job as both a member of staff and as a volunteer has always been to ensure clients and their families are assisted to access all Feros Care services and receive the highest quality of care.” Both Gabriele and Belinda have witnessed the company grow from a small hostel in Byron Bay to one of Australia’s most respected aged care providers. Both women agree that the ever-expanding footprint is the result of planning, strong leadership, and exceptional teamwork. “There is no doubt that a very clear strategic plan coupled with a values-driven vision and mission is at the heart of all we do. It guides everything from our operating plans right through to our day-to-day activities,” said Gabriele.
“Aged care is an extremely complex, everchanging industry and Feros Care’s growth is the proof that that we have been both strategic and sensible in our journey. We are always looking to the future in a planned way to meet the needs of seniors,” she said. Like Feros Care, Gabriele has also embraced change during her tenure. Having originally joined the organisation as a diversional therapist and education officer, she is now Director of Community Services, and oversees the in-home services provided to seniors in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Another long-time staffer is Belinda Seaton, who began working as a personal carer for Feros Care in 1990. In her 25 years with the company Belinda has worked as a cook, cleaner, residential services manager and community services manager. She retired in 2014 only to quickly take up work as a Feros volunteer working in administration, staff training, recruitment and ”whatever else was needed.” “I wanted to give back to the community,” she said. “I love the organisation and what it stands for – it’s a company that continues to break down myths about how to provide services.”
Gabrie le Taylor
Belinda Seaton
Winner 2014 Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Better Practice Award – Staff Development & Retention. In 2014, Feros Care was recognised by the industry and its peers for its outstanding workplace culture and commitment when it was awarded the AACQA Better Practice Award. Long standing team member and CEO Jennene Buckley said “ we are proud of our culture but know it is something we have to work hard on every single day, particularly as we continue to grow”.
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Feros Care Looking through a crystal ball 25 years on
F
ast forward 25 years from now – hello 2040! What will the world look like? What will be the key drivers for change? What gadgets will be part of our everyday life - will we have live-in robots? Will we still have cash money or will our fingerprint be all we need to prove our identity and purchase goods? Will our fridge or pantry simply reorder the weekly shopping ‘online’ and have it delivered when we will be home according to the diary on the fridge? Will we be printing our own clothes and shoes? Sounds fantastical, absurd, somewhat silly and a trifle scary. However according to futurist Morris Miselowski:
“In the past two years we have experienced the equivalent of ten years of change. It is expected that in the next 10 years we will experience the equivalent of 100 years of change.” There is no doubt in the minds of many that the 21st century will see technological change on an astonishing scale.
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How organisations, including Feros Care, weather this era of complex, rapid and unprecedented change will be very reliant on their ability to adapt and react responsibly in the face of business adversity, to embrace innovation, and their capacity to have sound implementation strategies which cover a broad range of ‘what ifs’ and possibilities. Organisations will need to be both bold and brave to be at the forefront of the change, to help design the future, and to be ready to follow those mavericks willing to lead. It has also become increasingly clear that new knowledge must be coupled with a capability to put it into practice. Customer Service will be THE new key driver across all sectors and all industries as choice and control becomes an essential desire of the consumers of the 21st century. During this year, 2015, for the first time in the history of the world, the number of people aged 65 years and older will outnumber 0-15 year olds! In order to meet the enormity of the ageing challenges facing us in the 21st century it will be essential for aged care providers to change their default positions of ‘ageist’ thinking. They will need to move away from the ‘dependency illness’ mindset where ageing is viewed as a subset of illness, towards a paradigm that at its core not
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only normalises the ageing process but also fundamentally celebrates ageing as part of a full and satisfying life.
determinedly seek ways and opportunities to place clients in the ‘driver’s seat’ and in charge of their lives.
Feros Care has worked steadfastly over the past 25 years and has eagerly welcomed and embraced new opportunities for business growth to ensure a vibrant, viable and sustainable organisation into the future. Key to this has been the development of comprehensively researched and well defined Strategic Plans that have defined our dreams for the future. Feros has nurtured a genuine desire to participate in the shaping of a modern aged care system for the 21st century and has allowed the adoption of change, a stream of new ideas and resulted in the development of a varied range of individually tailored lifestyle and service products to meet the rapidly changing consumer market.
Feros Care is turning the future aged care challenges; workforce, demand, funding pressures, industry complexity and consumer expectations, into opportunities to implement new leading edge, real and on-the-ground innovation in service delivery models, operational efficiency and organisational transformation. Feros Care is a contemporary and real example of how a small organisation can lead innovation, mobilise quickly and inspire industry change. Our commitment to building on our robust operational capabilities; developing innovative and flexible service delivery models will continue to shape Feros Care’s future.
Today Feros Care is focused on partnering with seniors to enable them to realise their best life potential, to live in the place of their choosing, to achieve their best health outcomes and connect with family and friends in the community of choice. We are completely committed to creating a future which continually challenges the traditional thinking, practice and paradigms of ageing and
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So in 25 years from now? Perhaps in the 50th year celebratory magazine (or e-zines) we’ll read… “Today Feros Care is a dynamic, highly regarded Australian not-for-profit organisation known globally for their research and innovation is supporting seniors to age well. Delivering high quality aged and community care services since 1990 (50 years) the company is celebrating the official opening of their 100th international service outlet!”
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COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
About Feros Care Feros Care is a multi-award winning not-for-profit organisation that’s been offering quality care and support services for older Australians since 1990. We strive to be a strong ambassador and partner in the lives of seniors. Our focus is on helping seniors to remain living independently, socially connected, healthy and fulfilling lives for as long as possible. Feros Care takes a fresh approach to aged care, providing seniors with reliable, flexible, and innovative solutions designed to meet their individual needs. Our mission is to support seniors to live their best life and to believe our senior years are something to be Celebrated! We have been recognised nationally for innovation, receiving awards for the use of smart technologies, service delivery models, sustainable business practices and positive ageing. Feros Care is proud to be an inclusive organisation that openly welcomes all people, regardless of their ethnicity and culture, gender, identity, sexual orientation or disability. —
Call 1300 763 583 www.feroscare.com.au —
C E L E B R AT I N G
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