Life & Love Issue 26 by Hall & Prior

Life&Love A HALL & PRIOR P U B L I C AT IO N H E A LT H & A G E D C A R E G R O U P

ISSUE 26 | 2020

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Honouring our Veterans Sharing stories of courage

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Life&Love A HALL & PRIOR PU BL IC ATION H E A LT H & A G E D C A R E G R O U P

Life & Love Issue 26 | 2020 EDITORS Beverly Ligman bligman@hallprior.com.au Gabi Mills gmills@hallprior.com.au

From the Chief Executive Officer

COVID-19 Response

Corporate News

Remembrance Day Special

Doffing & Donning Workshops

In Our Homes

Meet The Staff

End of Life Project Launched

PHOTOGRAPHY Fabrizio Lipari

Decade of Healthy Ageing begins

Ryan Ammon

In The Pipeline

Rising Through the Ranks

My Favourite Things: Caroline Cairns

Teabreak

EDITOR'S LETTER As a writer some stories leave their mark on you more than others; one such story for me is our courageous cover star WWII veteran Raymond Bartholomew. Spending time with Mr Bartholomew, a highlyawarded Naval Officer, as he relayed his stories of being an A-Gunner on WWII ships in Europe, was a privilege I will cherish forever.

DESIGNER Jennifer Mattison CONTRIBUTOR Jacki Downs jdowns@hallprior.com.au

Liam Lim COVER IMAGE WWII Veteran Raymond Bartholomew takes a moment to reflect. Photo: Fabrizio Lipari Printed by VANGUARD PRESS, WA A&O PRINTING, NSW All rights reserved. No material published in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written authority. Every endeavour is made to ensure information contained is correct at time of going to print. ÂŠ2020 Life & Love is published by Hall & Prior Health & Aged Care Group.

His bravery, strength of character, razor-sharp memory and sense of humour was a joy to behold. I hope you enjoy our special Remembrance Day issue and it makes you grateful for those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget . . .

Beverly

Visit hallprior.com.au facebook.com/ HallandPriorAgedCare

A beautiful moment shared between a veteran and CEO Graeme Prior at an ANZAC Day Service in NSW in 2019.

A WORD FROM THE

Chief Executive Officer

have written previously in Life & Love that Remembrance Day is a day that I treasure, especially as it is my Mother Poppy’s birthday. This year I will treasure it more than ever before as I have recently lost my darling Mum.

I will continue to honour Remembrance Day for the rest of my life as I believe we can all learn from our veterans; in the modern age they still have much to teach us about sacrifice, selflessness and resilience. And as we continue to navigate turbulent seas on a global level with the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems fitting that for this issue we spoke to one of the last remaining World War II veterans in our homes; 96 year-old Naval Officer Raymond Bartholomew, who lives with us at Rockingham. Raymond’s bravery, humbleness and can-do attitude played a huge part in him surviving WWII where he was put in all manner of dangerous situations as an A-Gunner on warships throughout Italy and Malta before eventually being captured by German soldiers. There is an old adage; ‘fortune favours the brave’ and if our veteran’s stories are anything to go by, I believe that saying to be very true indeed.

Speaking of brave, in this issue we also say thank you to our four staff members who were deployed to Victoria as part of the National Aged Care Emergency Response (NACER) team. These selfless souls left their loved-ones for a month to help the aged care sector in Victoria; you can read all about their journey on page 8. I would like to express my gratitude and admiration for the bravery of this wonderful team of people who headed into a COVID-19 hotspot to help the most vulnerable in our society with their colleagues from Italian Aged Care by their side. Their actions were highly commendable and speaking to them on Zoom calls, I learned firsthand how truly frightening the situation in Victoria was, how essential ongoing PPE training is and how vitally important it is that we all work together to share knowledge and learnings about this pandemic. Hall & Prior’s motto Compassionate People, Dedicated to Care, has never been more important than during COVID-19. Lest we forget. Yours truly,

You can read Raymond’s story and learn about two of our other proud veterans who live with us in WA and NSW from page 16.

GRAEME PRIOR Chief Executive Officer

PREPARINMG IC FOR A PANDE

ike many people in Australia, Emily Preece, Hall & Prior’s Manager of Policy and Procedures, is keeping a gimlet eye on COVID-19 as it continues to cut an unpredictable swathe across the world.

Unlike many people however, since February, her role has taken on a vital importance, as she was tasked to create a contingency plan for managing an outbreak of COVID-19 in a Hall & Prior home. It has been up to Emily and a cohort of insightful professionals by her side to arm the aged care group with a strategic approach which may very well be the gold standard pandemic management handbook for the industry.

With a Master’s degree in Public Administration and with the added advantage of being a gifted communicator, as the world learned of Wuhan’s crisis in early 2020, Emily was tasked by CEO Graeme Prior to put in place a working document which the Group could refer to should the worst happen: an outbreak of COVID-19 in one of the 27 homes in WA and NSW. “By the time the first version was completed on March 12, there were just 112 cases in Australia and three deaths,” says Emily. “Graeme had the insight to recognise very early on that we needed a detailed plan in place and that gave us a great head start.” Emily and her team had to refine and distill their plan several times, often within a week of each version, until arriving at the current incarnation – Version 6. This hefty handbook is now split into two documents, with

Creating a COVID-19 strategic response k document has been a once-in-a-lifetime tas for Hall & Prior’s Emily Preece, but thanks to some extraordinary work, the aged care group is now well-placed to cope, should a COVID-19 outbreak occur. By Gabi Mills. a corporate pandemic plan, and an outbreak prevention and management plan for the homes. “It’s designed to be a living, breathing document which can evolve in a nimble way as the situation changes,” says Emily. In the early days, it wasn’t obvious where to find information for managing a pandemic from an aged care point of view on this scale, although the World Health Organisation certainly provided increasingly exact clinical information. “We had to create our own response and quickly implemented quarantine procedures early on as well as controlling entry to our homes. Now we have a detailed plan in place, we can educate our staff in terms of prevention and management of an outbreak,” says Emily. The aim for all this preparation is simple: to stop COVID-19 getting through the front door of all Hall & Prior homes, and the easiest way to achieve that is with consistent day-to-day infection control. Such is the enormous amount of time and effort that’s been put into the COVID-19 plan that according to the Aged Care Quality and Care Commission, Hall & Prior’s prevention and outbreak management plan is among the ‘best they’ve seen.’ As NSW nervously keeps an eye on those daily numbers of COVID-positive tests, Emily

is confident that the Sydney team are well-prepared for any eventuality.

Turn to page 22 to find out how we’ve been training with PPE

“They are practicing on a daily basis because they’re assuming there is community spread. There’s updated health advice from the local authorities on a regular basis and they’re reacting well to each new directive.” As Hall & Prior staff are drawn from all over the world – and some speak several languages other than English – it was essential that Emily’s plan was easily understandable for all. “I purposefully wrote the outbreak plans from scratch and used visual aids to help make the instructions very clear to all members of staff.” Professionally, Emily is well aware that her current workload is (hopefully) a once-in-alifetime event. “The volume of that information and the constantly changing directives make it hard to make sense of the constantly shifting situations in WA and NSW,” she says. “Working with such a diverse, focused team has been such a wonderful opportunity, and we’re as confident as we can be that we are prepared, should there be an outbreak.”

NSW gets COVID Safe Tick Our 11 NSW aged care homes are now officially registered as a COVID Safe business. This shows our residents, visitors and the community that as a business, we are following strict Government guidelines to keep everyone safe when visiting our homes. On your next visit, we look forward to sharing with you how we’re playing our part to keep the community COVID safe. For more information about the NSW Government’s COVID Safe program please visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/covid-safe 7

COVID-19 RESPONSE

Our returning

HEROES share their stories

When four Hall & Prior medical professionals headed over to Victoria, the experience would be an unforgettable – and ultimately valuable - one. By Gabi Mills.

n September, four members of the Hall & Prior team headed over to Victoria, to offer assistance in stricken aged care homes as part of the National Aged Care Emergency Response. Their bravery in the face of such an unrelenting pandemic foe lead Hall & Prior CEO Graeme Prior to call them ‘heroes’ and express his admiration in no uncertain terms. “I am incredibly humbled by the courage of this team to head to Victoria and help,” said Graeme. Now back in WA, and after serving their mandatory period of quarantine, the famous four – Jade Murray, Nita Ale, Diana Tshidibi and Edrian Villano – are sharing their valuable experience with the entire Hall & Prior team, so in the event of an outbreak here in WA, each aged care home team will be wellprepared for every eventuality. Arriving in Victoria in September, there was no time to waste. It was straight on with the PPE and into the homes to assist existing teams on the ground. Along with two other WA-based aged care workers from Italian Aged Care, Jade, Nita, Edrian and Diana found the circumstances they were expected to work in ‘challenging’.

“Some residents found it hard to respond to us in the PPE, as they couldn’t hear us properly or see our faces and facial expressions,” said Jade. “They couldn’t see us smiling at them.” Despite this, Jade felt confident that as she knew how to do her job well and was a ‘good communicator’, she would be able to overcome these difficulties. “I had confidence in my PPE as well,” she said. “I would suggest that it’s advisable for home teams to have plenty of stock on hand, and to make sure all staff are aware and comfortable with PPE – and not to forget the importance of communication.” For the last few months, the executive management team have been working to create a comprehensive COVID-19 strategic response plan, and many of the observations brought back to Perth by the Hall & Prior response team have already been anticipated in that plan. Diana found the first few days of deployment ‘a little confronting’. However once she had mastered donning and doffing PPE, she would go on to describe the experience as ‘amazing’.

“I will forever cherish the bond I made with residents and the stories they told me about their younger days.” Nita also found the first 24-hours in Victoria ‘tough’, not least because the team had to learn rapidly the residents’ daily routine. “I got used to them quickly though and enjoyed my work,” says Nita. “The residents were so lovely and they really appreciated what we were doing. Their response to us with PPE was normal because they have been facing this problem for so long.” Nita also felt her contribution was very appreciated by the Victorian staff, who recognised that the incoming WA team were all ‘giving of our best’.

For WA home teams, he recommends ensuring there’s proper ventilation, plenty of PPE in all sizes and enough staff on hand, in the event of an outbreak.

“My advice would be to stick to the rules of the organisation strictly during an outbreak, maintaining high levels of hand hygiene and proper use of PPE are a must, and to clean areas frequently – don’t wait for the cleaners to do so.”

However, by the end of the first week, Edrian felt more confident about this aspect of his daily routine.

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She also recommended that staff change PPE for each room, despite the fact that this can become gruelling during the course of a shift.

If I’m honest, the job felt really exhausting for those first few days. . .

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Edrian also noted that donning and doffing PPE throughout the day was something that took a little time to feel natural and not constricting.

“It initially felt very uncomfortable – wearing PPE while giving a resident a hot shower was really a new experience for me. The first three days of the work was really about adjusting and getting used to wearing PPE and if I’m honest, the job felt really exhausting for those first few days,” he said.

The threat of a new outbreak in the home was ever-present, and on the fourth day, a Registered Nurse confirmed that there were indeed new cases in the wing where they were assisting. “That reinforced the need to be very careful about wearing PPE and maintaining a high level of hand hygiene to protect ourselves,” said Edrian. “It taught me the lesson to treat each resident as a positive case, especially as it’s hard to enforce most residents to wear masks or remain in their own wing.” Edrian also felt deep empathy for the residents, some of whom had been in lockdown for more than three months, mostly confined to their rooms. “They can only speak to their loved ones via a video call or telephone,” he said. “Others were missing Matilda the hairdresser, letting me know they couldn’t wait to see her again so she could cut their hair. “You really feel that some are sad and depressed about their situation, and can’t wait for the time when things will be back to how it’s supposed to be.”

CORPORATE NEWS

Submission sent to

Royal Commission Since 2018, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has given the aged care sector the chance to put in place real reforms. Hall & Prior has submitted its own response to the landmark hearing - and we look forward to the final conclusions being handed down in February 2021.

Since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety began on October 8, 2018, the landmark hearing has given the aged care sector the opportunity for a oncein-a-lifetime chance to put in place real reforms to transform aged care services. During September, special hearings were held at the Royal Commission, looking into Funding, financing and prudential regulation of aged care. Focusing on identifying

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I am proud of how the submission has captured the stories and vision of our wonderful residents and staff. CEO Graeme Prior

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fter multiple hearings and submissions from aged care organisations across the country, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is approaching a conclusion – and Hall & Prior has played its part in creating a more accountable aged care sector.

ways to ensure that sector funding not only provided a level of care that met the needs of individuals, the hearings also put a spotlight on establishing accountability in the way that funding was spent. The hearings provided a forum for the presentation and robust discussion

about alternate funding models, including how the sustainability of the sector can be streamlined by improving means testing as well as a re-adjustment to the split between government and private funding. There was also significant attention placed on increased accountability from the sector, with a strong focus on improving the reporting currently required of aged care providers. Hall & Prior is an advocate for an aged care sector that not only is appropriately funded to provide high quality care, but is also accountable to the government and community at large as to how this funding is spent. The relationship between funding, care outcomes and the need for greater sector-wide accountability

Hall & Prior provides care to some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.

were the central themes in a submission that Hall & Prior made to the Royal Commission in October. Hall & Prior’s submission, titled Residential Aged Care at the Crossroads: Recommendations for Reform was a culmination of the experience gained over Hall & Prior’s 25-plus years in the sector and provided the Commissioners with 20 high priority recommendations. Hall & Prior believe the aged care sector should seek to be a national inspiration. We should seek to demonstrate the world’s best practice and be a sector that allows the entire country to be proud for how we care for our most vulnerable.

These recommendations, were identified following a collaborative process involving a wide variety of Clinical and Corporate Managers from across our organisation and covered proposed reforms around workforce, clinical and quality outcomes, vaccinations and organisational governance. “This was our last opportunity before the final report is written to communicate our vision for the future of the aged care industry directly to the Commissioners,” Hall & Prior CEO Graeme Prior said. “I am proud of how the submission has captured the stories and vision of our wonderful residents and staff.”

Residential Aged Care at the Crossroads: Recommendations for Reform Submission to the

Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Hall & Prior Health & Aged Care Organisation 20 October 2020

Hall & Prior’s submission is available on our website, hallprior.com.au. The final report from the Royal Commission is due to be released 26 February 2021.

CORPORATE NEWS

WHAT IS

ESG? Without a doubt ESG is the new corporate hot topic, but what does it mean to Hall & Prior? By Beverly Ligman

nvironmental Social Governance, or ESG, is becoming increasingly important to businesses across the globe. It illustrates to the world at large that a company is not only committed to its core business model and making a profit, it is also interested in the bigger picture; contributing positively to the environment, to aligned social causes and conducting its business responsibly. The appointment of Hall & Prior’s Director of Social and Community Impact Penny Fielding earlier this year means there is now a focus on ESG within the business. Penny has drafted a comprehensive ESG framework to guide us and said she is excited about the future of Hall & Prior.

“The core of our business is about heart; ESG helps us celebrate what is already great and make it even better for the future - this is something that we are committed to going forward,” Penny said. “Already we are a leader in the provision of aged care services in Australia and we believe that our residents are entitled to the highest standards of care with respect, dignity and privacy. “We also believe that our success is intrinsically linked to our people. “Our ESG Framework helps us strengthen areas of our business with a renewed focus and improve them for staff, residents and the community at large. “It is aspirational and speaks to the core values we have as a business while also

underpinning the business that we aspire to be in the future. “ESG works across the whole of our business and aims to inspire us as a workforce to be the best we can possibly be in the aged care sector.” In a practical sense, Penny will now work with our Executive Management teams to incorporate changes across the business which align with the ESG Framework.

BREAKING DOWN ESG ENVIRONMENT Includes our broader environment, our new developments and our existing services. This means that we will consider our interaction with our environment in all that we do, we want our new builds to be built in a way that embraces the environment within which they are built and we will do more to ensure our processes and practices minimise the impact on the environment.

SOCIAL

“The ESG movement is driven by demand; the modern employee wants to work for a responsible company and investors want to know that there is more to a company than its bottom line. Transparency plays a vital role in ESG as does accountability,” she added.

Includes our people, residents and community.

“I look forward to working with you all to make our ESG framework a success.”

Includes our compliance, our performance and our accountability.

For more information on ESG please contact Penny Fielding on pfielding@hallprior.com.au

ALL ABOUT

PENNY

Working in the health and community service sector for more than 25 years at the senior executive level, Penny holds a Masters in Primary Health Care and an Executive Masters of Public Administration. Following a number of positions across public health and primary health care in Central Australia, Penny moved to Darwin in 2007 to lead the NT Aged and Disability Services.

This means we value our people, as key contributors to the care we provide and the community we are building. Our residents underpin our whole of person approach to care, wellness and reablement. We want to contribute to the community that we serve, and support community members to contribute to the life of our homes.

GOVERNANCE This means we take our legislative obligations seriously and will continue to comply with these requirements. We will continue to monitor our performance against key benchmarks and metrics. We will publish our performance results and be accountable for the outcomes of our care.

During that time, she led the implementation of the Disability Services Review. In 2011 she became the Deputy Chief Executive/ Director General, leading the Department of Health’s reform agenda. She played a key role in the implementation of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment service system and infrastructure and held a leadership role in the Palmerston Regional Hospital development, and financial reform initiatives. Penny then moved back to Perth at work with North Metropolitan Health Services. She has a personal interest in supporting community non-government organisations and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

MANAGING RISKS HAS ITS REWARDS Linda Jackson, Hall & Prior’s Manager of People and Risk, is leaving the Group after a stellar 12 years. Gabi Mills reports.

f you cast your mind back to 2008, when the iPhone was released in Australia, we were coming out of the GFC, in a mining boom, and nobody had heard of a certain virus beginning with C, Hall & Prior’s Manager of People and Risk Linda Jackson was beginning her 12-year stint.

understanding of many different strands of legislation and best practice strategies from various bodies like the Aged Care Standards, Fairwork Australia, SafeWork and Australian Standards. Linda believes it’s also just as valuable for the Group’s key staff to have ownership of risk management at a grassroots level.

“I started in an injury management role and had a background in exercise physiology and industrial relations,” says Linda, who is leaving the company in November. “I studied sport science and industrial relations at UWA and didn’t know back then those studies would lead to a role like this.”

“We hold a quarterly OSH committee meeting when a representative from each home, nominated by an election process, attends.”

“In my first week, there were nine workplace injuries resulting in workers compensation claims,” she says. “It was probably due in part to the affect the GFC was having on the workforce as a whole – there were quite intense workforce pressures at the time.” Currently H&P average 30 claims per year (still 30 too many) but greatly reduced, no doubt in large point to the rigour and strategies Linda and her team have introduced. Typically, Linda modestly would suggest an alternative view. “I’d put that down to much better resourcing of equipment, an increased commitment to psychological and occupational safety. Also the Managers and Directors of Nursing taking more accountability for their staffs’ wellbeing.” Creating a people and culture (or HR) department which is also responsible for managing risk requires an overarching 14

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It has been an honour to work with such dedicated people and to see the Group and its services grow and evolve.

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Until Linda joined Hall & Prior, the Group had outsourced injury and risk management programs. It was timely, perhaps that a new way of approaching this part of management was brought in-house.

Over her 12 years with the Group, Linda has watched the homes’ cultures evolve. Working closely with General Managers Jennifer Grieve in WA and Kris Healy in NSW, she has come to greatly respect the role of the managers and staff.

“Hall & Prior managers are great people and deserve all the accolades,” says Linda. “They’re all heroes, often with really inspiring female leadership in action. But it’s all the staff, at all levels, from catering to maintenance, and especially the care teams, who contribute to the Group’s outcomes – compassionate people dedicated to care.” She believes that in terms of culture, staff are listened to more these days, something she’s particularly proud of, and would love to see continue to improve.

“I’m proud that I’ve supported staff to have difficult conversations - and where possible contributed to improved outcomes through clarification and improvement opportunities.” She also draws pride from helping staff members map their career pathways over the years and hopes there will be an opportunity to reintroduce internships and student placement for prospective nurses and other staff in a COVID-19 safe manner. In 2018, Linda and her team negotiated with the health care unions a novel clause in an enterprise agreement around flu vaccinations for aged care workers during an outbreak. “The unions agreed with us to recognise the inherent requirement of aged care workers to be vaccinated,” she says. “It wasn’t mandated but now, thanks to the hard work of Jennifer Grieve and Toni McHale and others who have helped drive this strategy, we achieved some of the highest rates of vaccination in the industry. This year flu vaccination was recognised as a mandatory requirement.” Working closely with unions, which in the early days Linda admits was ‘very adversarial’ has developed into something much more collaborative. “We now have a very open partnership with the unions,” says Linda. “I’ve been involved with three generations of enterprise agreements and throughout these bargaining periods, we’ve all come to realise that we share a common goal, in that we care for people and must care for each other too.” Undoubtedly, 2020 has been a busy year – not least because the emergence of the threat of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Group’s homes – and has caused some sleepless nights. The Group is in a growth phase, opening Karingal Green during COVID was certainly a challenging time” says Linda. “The Royal Commission has highlighted opportunities for reform which will come into effect over the next few years. The team at Hall & Prior have responded to these challenges with courage and determination.

“I hope that the workforce will be recognised for their professionalism, their care and their services to older Australians and that this recognition will provide for greater career and development opportunities to attract and retain more great people into the sector.” “It has been an honour to work with such dedicated people and to see the Group and its services grow and evolve.” Jennifer Grieve, Hall & Prior’s General Manager Health and Care Services said the Group would miss Linda’s contribution greatly. “Linda embodies the Hall & Prior way of being a compassionate person dedicated to care. Her consistency of compassion and care for our staff has had that marvellous cascading effect of staff in turn caring for our residents, themselves and each other; it’s a strong legacy she leaves for us.” 15

REMEMBRANCE DAY SPECIAL

Fortune favours

the

brave

Remembrance Day is a special day at Hall & Prior, a day where we pause for one minute’s silence to honour our veterans, fallen and still with us, for the incredible sacrifices they made at war. This year veterans from WA’s Rockingham and Mosman Park, and NSW’s Fairfield Aged Care Homes share their stories of bravery. By Beverly Ligman. Portraits by Fabrizio Lipari.

highly awarded Naval Officer and former Prisoner of War (POW) Raymond Bartholomew (or Old Fred to his mates) has lived at Hall & Prior’s Rockingham Aged Care Home since March this year. 96 year-old Raymond – or Leading Seaman & Underwater Weapons Officer Bartholomew as he was known - played an instrumental part in WWII, defeating German U-boats around Malta and Italy before ending up at Benghazi Prison Camp in Italy for eight months. He remembers the day he was captured in Tobruk well. It was September 14, 1942 and he was aboard the HMS Sikh. It was night time and the campaign wasn’t going well. To avoid imminent capture,

all sailors who could were told to abandon ship. Raymond swam in the dark water with his boots tied around his neck, until he was hauled out of the water by a German officer who gave him a cigarette and a cup of wine. “It’s a sailor thing . . . a tradition,” Raymond says, “We would have done the same thing if we’d captured a German or Italian officer. Just because we were enemies at war, didn’t mean there weren’t some small kindnesses along the way.” The 14 medals that Raymond proudly wears are testament to his long and decorated naval career. He has five stars for each campaign he took part in and a number of other medals for bravery and service. He also holds the special Russian war medal for sinking a German U-boat aboard the HMS Ascension. He takes these acts of incredible bravery in his stride, but always spared a thought for those who weren’t so lucky and didn’t make it home. “That German U-Boat went down with the whole crew on board,” Raymond said. “It did make you feel sorry for them, for how many lives were lost and for their families, but we had a job to do and we just had to do it.”

around the mess. It built our comradery and they prepared us as best they could,” Raymond says. It was while he was on board the HMS Ganges that Raymond earnt his lifelong nickname “Fred”. “All of the officers were called to the mess tent to watch a movie called ‘Captain Courageous’ – it was a Navy film, and featured two big stars of the time, Mickey Rooney and Freddy Bartholomew. As my last name was the same as Freddy’s I was Freddy from that moment on. It stuck all through my naval career and has stayed with me for the rest of my life. It has certainly served me well!” After the HMS Ganges, Raymond was deployed on the HMS Pembroke – he still remembers his Navy number – CJX 163484 – and spent time in Rochester protecting civilians before boarding the HMS Sikh and manning the A-gun. The A-Gun was the foremost gun on the ship and vitally important to its defence.

Naval Officer Bartholomew’s career started in 1938 in Chatham, Kent in England (where he is originally from) when his mother decided to put him on a training ship.

OUR HERO Raymond Bartholomew, with his 14 medals.

He took to the Navy like a duck to water and when the Second World War started in September 1939 he was transferred to the Royal Naval Annex HMS Ganges where he received his training for war. “We learned everything on the Ganges, rifle drills, exercises, how to do knots and splices and there was always work to be done

“Back in the day we didn’t have earmuffs,” Raymond said. “We just plugged our ears with cotton wool and hoped for the best!” “We were in the North Sea and it was pretty rough. Our mission was to sink the German warship, The Bismarck and we knew it would be tough. But we battled on and because we had radar and they didn’t, eventually we sunk them. Story continued overleaf . . . 17

Although Raymond’s POW experience was relatively short compared to other veterans he remembers having to pick lice out of his clothes and often feeling hungry.

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in Northern Ireland. They dated for three weeks before he asked for her hand in marriage. Raymond and Martha had two children together (Fred and Edith) and were married for 72 wonderful years before she passed away in May 2017. Raymond’s son, Fred, is himself a Vietnam veteran who served from 1967 to 1969.

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“It was such a triumph for the British Navy, but we all knew it wasn’t over and there was more to be done. We had to batten down the hatches and keep going.”

We were the lucky ones - eight months later we went home.

“They gave us what they called ‘Skully Soup’ once a day. It had meat and vegetables in it and we had some Italian bread with it. I think we were incredibly fortunate when you consider how long and how badly treated other POWs were,” he says.

“Martha was in the navy too, she was a ‘Jenny Wren’ (a nurse) and I knew from the moment I met her that she was special,” Raymond said.

“We were the lucky ones eight months later we went home.”

“In 1955 because there wasn’t a lot of work in the UK, we decided to come to Australia. We landed in Fremantle and I said to Martha ‘this is it, we’re not going any further’ and we made a life here.

It was when he returned home that he met his sweetheart and future wife, Martha,

“It all happened quite quickly with us, but when you know, you know.

“It’s been wonderful and I consider myself a very fortunate man.”

LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVES Left and top, Leading Seaman and Underwater Weapons Officer Bartholomew served aboard the HMS Sikh. Left centre, Raymond was married to Martha for 72 years. 18

Raymond says Remembrance Day is a special day and he “takes his hat off to all of the soldiers who really did it tough”. “It certainly brings back a lot of memories, especially at my age,” Raymond says.“I’ll be 97 on December 22. It was a long time ago now, but I feel proud every day to have been a part of it.”

Fond memories

and mercy missions

Fairfield resident Allen Bradshaw served aboard HMAS Melbourne and saw half the world while serving in the Royal Australian Navy. By Gabi Mills

n 1965, Allen Bradshaw (pictured right) left school in Fairfield, NSW, and joined the Royal Australian Navy. Aged just 16 or 17, as he recalls, Allen was sent to HMAS Leeuwin, a naval base in Fremantle, WA, for 12 months, before being assigned to HMAS Melbourne for a further 12 months. It was the beginning of an exciting life on the waves for the young man, born in Fairfield hospital. “We went overseas, half way around the world,” he says. “We played war games with Japan and America, up around Shanghai.” HMAS Melbourne was an impressive vessel – an aircraft carrier which was the Flagship of the Royal Australian Navy. During her service, the carrier was deployed overseas on 35 occasions, and visited over 22 countries.

During Allen’s time aboard, the Melbourne went on several sorties into international waters, taking supplies over to south east Asia when the region was in turmoil thanks to the Vietnam War and other local disputes.

“We carried a whole stack of troops, army trucks and all their gear, rifles and bullets to where the war was,” says Allen. “We offloaded it all over there and then brought troops back who were crook, replacing them with other fellas. I did two more tours, taking troops over there and bringing them back.” Describing HMAS Melbourne as ‘a bloody big ship’, Allen recalls it was so large that it could carry tanks and planes as well as cannons and ammunition. Despite its impressive size, however, he also remembers some small local fishing boats attempting to engage with the Australian aircraft carrier. “Fishing boats from local harbours in China and Singapore would come out and try to throw little bombs on us,” he laughs. “They looked like matchboxes next to the Melbourne and we’d stand on deck above them, chucking down empty paper coffee cups on them, telling them to go away. “They must have thought we were there to hurt them

but we were only there to try and help, bringing back the injured and the fellas who’d been there for quite a while.” Allen would go on to train as a medical assistant in the Cerberus training facility in Victoria, serving over 12 years with the Royal Navy. His memories of shore leave remain strong, even to this day. “Even though it was a hectic job and we were often flat tack all the time, the only time you got to yourself to recuperate and enjoy yourself was when you were asked to knock off for the day,” he recalls. “If you were tied up alongside dock you could go ashore, providing the skipper let you. You had to stay within a certain area too because there were too many dubious people about, trying to get your dollars – even in peacetime. “Every part of me enjoyed it.” 19

REMEMBRANCE DAY SPECIAL

OPEN TO

ADVENTURE Seeing being conscripted as an “adventure” Corporal Robert Crawford tells Beverly Ligman his Vietnam story.

orporal Robert Crawford served in the Australian Army in the Vietnam War from February 1970 to April 1971. He was conscripted and saw it as a welcome change from the labouring life he was leading in Victoria at the time.

Now 72 years-old, Robert lives at Hall & Prior’s Mosman Park Aged Care Home and has been part of the family for the past three years. He said the sentiment around the Vietnam War was overtly political at the time and it’s only now that Vietnam Vets are receiving due recognition for their service. “I was a concreter by trade when I was conscripted to the Army,” Robert says, “I wasn’t too opposed to the idea, I thought it would be a bit of an adventure to be honest, a bit of a change to what I was used too.” He was stationed in Nui Dat, about 75 miles from Saigon and said he remembers his first day well.

“I was of course apprehensive when I got there. We’d all heard the stories of war from our grandfathers and growing up in Australia we hadn’t been surrounded by conflict like they were in Vietnam,” he says. “We made a base at Nui Dat and then we were out on active service in the jungle. It was lush bush and we literally had to cut our way through the jungle. We knew that the Vietnamese had the local advantage because they knew the areas much better than we did, but we did our best with the knowledge we had. “You had to protect your mates out there, they were like family, we all had each other’s back as anything could come from anywhere at any time in Vietnam. “You certainly had to keep your wits about you.” Robert believes that his time serving National Service has stood him in good steade for the rest of his life, and said the discipline and respect taught was important.

“I really enjoyed it, there was absolutely no chance of us getting in trouble and we had so much to do every day. “We worked seven days a week and we had fun whenever we could.

“

You had to protect your mates out there, they were like family, we all had each other’s back..

“

We always managed to squeeze some in!” he says.

Vietnam vets and it’s a shame that many of them didn’t live to see it. “It’s an important part of Australia’s history and it means a lot to the Vets to finally be getting that.” Robert said Remembrance Day was always a special day on his calendar and he had the utmost respect for those who fought in WWI and WWII before him. “It seems silly to say now, but war was our job while we were in it and I have a healthy respect for those veterans who fought in the other wars. I feel so much compassion for them. “I hope that wars like Vietnam never happen again, but I was glad to do my duty for Australia.”

VIETNAM VET Robert Crawford was stationed at Nui Dat, 75 miles from Saigon during the Vietnam War. Portraits by Fabrizio Lipari.

“I don’t know why they don’t still have National Service now,” he says. “I think kids today are too footloose and fancy free, they don’t have enough responsibilities.” The sombre toll of the Vietnam War is not lost on Robert who said he read recently that 200 Vietnam veterans had taken their own lives since the war. “Some guys didn’t do very well over there and it was really hard for them when they got home,” he says. “I was lucky, it only took me a few months to assimilate back into Australian life, but I think the fact that there was no welcome home was a real shame, and a real slap in the face for most of the blokes. I think that recognition is only coming through now for

DOFFING DONNING WORKSHOPS

OVID-19 preparation workshops took place at Mayfair Street recently to allow staff to walk through our Outbreak Prevention and Management Plan and get used to doffing and donning PPE gear.

The workshops also focused on audit review processes and ran through scenarios including surge workforces and how to manage COVID-19 first cases. Representatives from within the business spoke to infection prevention and control procedures and staff member Jade Murray, who recently returned from Melbourne where she was part of the NACER (National Aged Care Emergency Response) team spoke to participants about the vital importance of PPE in protecting our workforce from COVID-19. “Allowing our staff to have hands on experience with PPE is incredibly important

as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Manager of People and Risk Linda Jackson said. “This way they can work out how long it takes to get PPE on and off, understand if they’re using it correctly and ask any questions they might have. “Giving our staff the tools they need to be prepared and letting them walk through possible scenarios makes them feel safe, secure in their knowledge and ready for whatever challenges they might face.” Workshops are also taking place in NSW and will continue over the next few months in WA.

SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OUR STAFF have been working incredibly hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to support our residents and their families, so last month they all received thank you bags. The bags contained delicious bespoke chocolates from the Swan Valley along with toiletries sponsored by Bunzl and a note from CEO Graeme Prior. “My job as CEO has been to support our staff and make sure our residents are safe and well. Without your help, I could not have done this and I want

to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart,” Graeme said. Thank you bags were also put together recently for our four colleagues who went to Melbourne to be part of the National Aged Care Emergency Response team in Victoria that helped fight COVID-19 in the aged care sector. VALUED Right above, Fiona Prior and Caroline Cairns with Melbourne team thank you bags, and right, Rachel Dillon and Brook Matthews with their thank you gifts.

Day Therapy Program to launch at Tuohy A NEW day therapy program will be launched at Tuohy Aged Care Home in Midland early next year by Director of Nursing, Mina Pindolia.

might live nearby and want the interaction of a therapy program but not need or want to live in residential aged care yet.”

Mina said the idea behind the initiative was to open Tuohy up to people in the area who might not be ready for residential care, but wanted the company and the commitment of a therapy program in their day-to-day lives.

The Day Therapy program aims to enhance people’s quality of life by providing therapeutic and wellbeing sessions at Tuohy.

“This is all about helping older people stay active and connected in their community,” Mina said. “They might be residents who already live with us at Tuohy and want to take part, or they

There will be 10 therapy sessions offered over a 20-week period, held at Tuohy every alternate Friday. The program can be started at any point following a referral. “Day therapy is open to anyone who is willing to make a commitment to the program and to those people who have some mobility and access to their own transport,” Mina said. “You can be referred to the program by a health or social worker and after the referral is received we will meet with you for an individual based assessment. “We’re very excited about launching the program and we’re looking forward to connecting with our community.” The Day Therapy Program is due to start at Tuohy in early 2021. For more information please contact Mina at Tuohy on (08) 9274 1756.

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

ur residents at Mertome Aged Care & Retirement Village in Bayswater had great fun recently getting all dressed up with their dancing shoes on for their inaugural Rock-a-Billy Bash. Staff also got right into the swing of things dressing up and enjoying the cool and classic 50’s era. Hall & Prior’s Manager of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Madelyne Glover said the idea came about because of the younger demographic of Mertome’s residents.

“Our residents love music and the era they most relate to is Rock-a-Billy. Many of them met their partners at dances and having an event like this in the home helps them feel young again and brings back lots of great memories,” Madelyne said. “We love seeing our residents smile and we love getting them moving, so events like this are wonderful.”

Celebrating our special Dads Many of our homes in NSW were in lockdown when Father’s Day came around this year, but that didn’t stop devoted families coming to visit their dads and loved ones at our “Windows of Love” to connect. In WA our homes were open to visitors and many sons and daughters dropped in to spend time with their fathers and let them know how cherished they are.

DEMENTIA AND CARERS

in the spotlight at Tuohy In October, Tuohy Aged Care Home marked Dementia Action Week by holding health information sessions on the condition, as well as raising awareness for both staff and consumers. “As we know, dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide,” said Tuohy’s Director of Nursing, Mina Pindolia. “Dementia has a physical, psychological, social, and economic impact, not only on people with dementia, but also on their carers, families and society at large.” The Tuohy team incorporated the provision of accessible information about dementia to help raise awareness, help people to understand issues they or people they know may be experiencing and find out where and from whom to obtain further advice about possible diagnosis, available support, care and treatment. “Staff found the in-depth information and resources very helpful, informative and interesting,” said Mina. To round off a busy month, at the end of October Tuohy also held a morning tea to celebrate Carer’s Week 2020, with some delicious cupcakes designed to say ‘thank you’ to the home’s hardworking and dedicated staff.

MEN AT

WORK

Since September the men at McDougall Park have enjoyed tidying up the outdoor spaces, tinkering, painting, building and carrying out other ‘secret men’s business’. It’s lovely to see memories of skills learned during a lifetime being put to good use by the men of McDougall Park. 26

IN OUR HOMES

OKTOBERFEST

celebrated in

style Celebrating world festivals is an important activity to inspire and encourage fond travel memories, forming part of our lifestyle and wellbeing programs.

airfield’s Lifestyle Officer Vickey Abraham recently organised an Oktoberfest event that went down a treat with residents.

Traditionally, Oktoberfest is an annual festival that is held over a two-week period, ending on the first Sunday in October. The festival originated on October 12, 1810, in celebration of the marriage of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Both staff and residents spent the day dressed up in traditional Bavarian costumes, which were quite funny on some of the gents. It was a bright and sunny spring day, so everybody headed outdoors to enjoy a BBQ of special Bratwurst sausages with traditional German beers. The biggest hit of the day were the large pretzels, and many enjoyed this salty treat. Old German folk music played all day and everybody was swept up in an energetic polka dance which was popular in Eastern Europe in the first half of the 19th century. “It was wonderful to feel how happy everybody was,” said Vickey. “What a great welcome too for our new residents Milijenko and Mate who thoroughly enjoyed their first Fairfield themed day.” 27

Spring arrives at Belmont

he residents at Belmont Aged Care Home have been very busy gardening in the lovely spring sunshine, and are now harvesting delicious vegetables as a result of their hard work. As you can see from the photos, the fruits of their labour are now finding their way onto plates, as ingredients end up in the home’s kitchen. Gardening is an activity many of our residents really enjoy, and seeing the way they nurture plants is a really valuable exercise for all.

PICK UP A PAINTBRUSH

EXERCISE IN THE SUNSHINE

The staff at McDougall Park Aged Care Home set up a painting station outside and encouraged residents to unleash their artistic side. Using nature as their inspiration, the residents enjoyed recreating images of trees and flowers with their paints and paintbrushes. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours under the shade and the end results were very pleasing indeed.

Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, many of our residents are spending more time outdoors enjoying the spring sunshine. At Kensington Park Aged Care Home, staff set up some chairs for residents during their morning exercise routine. In all our homes, exercise plays an important role in being active and engaged – and it’s especially fun when it can take place in our homes’ gardens.

PUPPY

love

Our Grafton Aged Care residents have had a special visitor lately with staff member Susan bringing in her very cuddly Chihuahua Lucy for occasional doggy surprise visits. As you can see here, Lucy is very popular and loves to snuggle with our residents and make them smile. Pet therapy is an important part of life at our homes, our animal friends who visit receive tonnes of attention and the benefits to our residents include lifting their social, emotional and cognitive engagement.

R U OK? Day This year, R U OK? Day was especially pertinent as a day to check in with colleagues and loved ones as we continue to navigate COVID-19. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;new normalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in 2020 has challenged many friends and families, keeping them

apart and asking us to socially distance from our loved ones. Our homes in NSW and WA took a moment to stop and have morning or afternoon tea together and ask the allimportant question - R U OK? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a question that could save a life.

with Sujana Shrestha Pradhan, Registered Nurse at Bexley Aged Care Home

Sujana Shrestha Pradhan is a Registered Nurse at NSW’s Bexley Aged Care Home who in her spare time, loves watching colourful Hindi movies and listening to Celine Dion. L&L: What made you want to become a nurse? SSP: After I finished my school certificate my father told me I should become a nurse to help people in the community. He explained the importance of helping people so it made me want to become a nurse. L&L: What does the World Health Organisation's International Year of the Nurse & Midwife mean to you? SSP: It gives focus to what we do. We are always happy to have more education and information from the World Health Organisation. L&L: How long have you worked at Hall & Prior? SSP: Bexley was purchased by Hall & Prior in April 2020 but I started working at the home as an AIN in 2009. I took up my role as a registered nurse here in 2018. L&L: How long have you worked in aged care? SSP: I started in aged care in 2009 so I’ve worked in the industry for 11 years.

L&L: What does an average day look like for you? SSP: Our days are very busy so we need to work as a team to give good care to our residents. We need to use our time management skills, prioritise tasks and communicate with each other to get the most out of our work days. L&L: Tell us one part of your job that makes you feel really rewarded and connected to those you care for? SSP: I am particularly proud when residents give us positive feedback and when we work as a team achieving great results. A fond memory I have is when I was awarded the 2010 Employee Award for compassion in my work. L&L: What’s the best piece of advice you ever got about caring from others and from who? SSP: Always manage your time wisely, continue to learn and know your limitations. L&L: What do you think aged care will look like in the future? SSP: Technology will bring many changes in our systems. An increase in time management and evidence-based procedures.

MEET THE STAFF

FAST FACTS If I wasn't a nurse I would be . . . a housewife or I would run my own online business at home. My favourite song - My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. My favourite movie - I enjoy Hindi Bollywood movies. L&L: What’s the best thing about working at your aged care home? SSP: Working in our team at Bexley. I am also enjoying working with Hall & Prior procedures. L&L: What do you wish people understood more about aged care? SSP: I wish there was more understanding about the compassion and care we give to our residents every day. I would also like the general public to know more about the positive stories that come out of aged care homes.

When I’m not at work, you’ll often find me . . . at home cooking and decorating. I am looking forward to being able to entertain my friends again in the future.

2020

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE NURSE AND THE MIDWIFE

with Bianca Meek, Clinical Nurse Manager at Hamersley Aged Care Home Bianca Meek has worked in aged care from a young age - just 14 in fact - and working at Rockingham Aged Care Home and now in her new role as Clinical Nurse Manager at Hamersley Aged Care Home, she’s challenged every day. L&L: What made you want to become a nurse? BM: I followed in my mum’s footsteps. Growing up, I saw how much she loved her job and being able to take care of people who needed her, so I wanted to do the same. I love being able to make people feel better and ensure they are cared for as they age. L&L: What does the World Health Organisation's International Year of the Nurse and Midwife mean to you? BM: It celebrates the 200th year since the birth of Florence Nightingale. I feel that it’s important that WHO recognises the work and dedication that nurses and midwives around the world provide. I appreciate that there are people that recognise what we do. 32

MEET THE STAFF

L&L: How long have you worked at Hall & Prior? BM: I have worked at Hall & Prior since November 2019 as a Registered Nurse but also worked in the Group’s Agmaroy and McDougall Park homes as a carer from 2014 to 2015. L&L: How long have you worked in aged care and what drew you to it? BM: One of my first jobs was in aged care. I started working as a kitchen hand at Agmaroy Aged Care Home when I was 14 years old. My mum has always worked in aged care and I have been involved in many Christmas parties and special events in aged care homes as a child. I have always enjoyed the atmosphere and love being able to bring happiness to the elderly. L&L: What does an average day look like for you? BM: In a typical day as a nurse in aged care, I perform all of my regular nursing duties as well as also providing emotional and physical support for residents and staff in need of extra assistance. I am required to apply critical thinking in a variety of situations to ensure the best outcome for our residents. I am an advocate for our residents who may be unable to voice their needs, and I work within a multidisciplinary team to ensure their needs are met. L&L: Tell us one part of your job which makes you feel rewarded and connected to those who you care for. BM: We work with consumers who are often unable to voice their needs or communicate with you but after working with them over a period of time, they are able to recognise that you are the person who can help them and feel safe coming to you when they need assistance. After observing their behaviours and getting to know them, I’m able to understand their nonverbal and physical cues and provide them with the care that they require.

My mother told me this and I try to live up to it every day. L&L: What’s the best thing about working at your particular home? BM: The homely atmosphere. The staff are so friendly and we are all like one big family. The staff all show so much care for the residents and really enjoy what they do. L&L: What do you wish people understood more about aged care? BM: I wish they understood that each resident who comes into aged care is an individual and that it takes time to get to know them as they were before they came into aged care. The team of staff that provide them with care want to know about their history, likes, dislikes and hobbies to ensure they are happy and comfortable during this new stage of their life. L&L: What do you think aged care will look like in the future? BM: I believe that a lot more people will be staying at home longer so I think they will be coming into aged care much older. We currently have quite young residents.

FAST FACTS If I wasn't a nurse, I would be . . . a police officer. My favourite song - Choir by Guy Sebastian. My favourite movie - Happy Gilmore. When I’m not at work, you’ll often find me . . . with my husband and son, going to the park or on family outings.

L&L: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about caring and from whom? BM: To care for everyone the way that you would if it were your own family member. To treat them with the same love and respect that you would expect for your own family.

2020

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE NURSE AND THE MIDWIFE

End of life project launched Caroline Chisholm is one of five homes chosen to roll-out a prestigious End of Life project.

ontinuous improvement in the delivery of care services is a driving motivation for Caroline Chisholm’s Director of Nursing, Anne Curnow. “I was recently advised that Caroline Chisholm was one of only five residential aged care homes on Sydney’s North Shore to be chosen to participate in HammondCare’s ‘Quality End of Life in Residential Aged Care Project’,” said Anne. “I believe it’s a great acknowledgment of the reputation and status the home enjoys in the local health area.” The Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) is an Australian Government-funded outcome and benchmarking program. The primary objective is to systematically improve palliative and end of life care (EoLC) through routine assessment of patient needs and collection of data to evaluate access to care based on assessed needs. HammondCare has been commissioned by Sydney North Primary Health Network to deliver quality EoLC initiatives in residential aged care homes. This will result in the provision of expert advice, effective training and fostering partnerships between aged care and general practice to deliver better outcomes for patients through quality end of life care.

The project aims to upskill staff to ensure that the patient’s physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs are met, that pain is managed appropriately, and that dignity and privacy is respected. The project is based on Australian Palliative Care Standards, ELDAC Model of Care and Aged Care Quality Standards. “An active, engaged and happy life is the priority for our residents at Caroline Chisholm,” says Anne. “Having a kind, compassionate and educated EoLC program ensures that our residents are given choices and options that mean the most to them.”

The project has been rolling out as COVID-19 safe, via Zoom meetings and education sessions that bring impressive collaborators and educators directly into the home. “Our last Zoom session brought collaborators from all over the world, including Japan and London, as well as Queensland and New South Wales participants,” said Anne. “It’s great to be able to cast the communication net so wide to include these quality educators based around the globe.” To find out more about the project, contact Anne Curnow on (02) 9428 2466.

Students take the next step at Vaucluse Staff of Vaucluse Aged Care Home have been helping students put their newly acquired knowledge to good use, caring for Australia’s elderly and frail in real life situations. By Jacki Downs

tudents of Signature Training School based in Parramatta have been enjoying strategic work placements to complete their required 120 hours of practice in the workplace over the past six months, building on the relationship between this training school and the Hall & Prior NSW Organisation.

“The relationship and work experience has gone very well for both parties, but most importantly, our students feel they have gained immeasurable experience to help them transition smoothly into the workforce,” said Rajan Khatiwada from Signature Training. Deputy Director of Nursing, Manezheh Jafari implemented the program through Vaucluse. “Our staff have really enjoyed working with these very receptive and interested students,” said Manezheh. “The students have excelled in our home and we see real potential for their care careers. The program is set up to help students - but our staff also gain a lot from programs like these. It’s definitely mutually beneficial,” Manezheh said. The friendly and experienced team at Vaucluse Aged Care Home are looking forward to welcoming more students soon. For information on Signature Training visit signaturetraining.edu.au.

The students are rostered on with mentor staff at Vaucluse who guide them through regular activities learned about in the classroom in their transition to the workplace. Skills for aged care such as bed making, hygiene control and manual handling are specifically addressed in the mentoring program helping ensure students are proficient in these, and many more tasks, when they graduate and begin their caring careers. This program has been a particularly valuable experience for students with the COVID-19 restrictions that have affected all businesses, including all aged care homes. Throughout the training, students have been provided with extra lessons around the virus and the importance of following policies and protocols to ensure the safety of elderly and vulnerable residents. 35

Decade of Healthy Ageing begins In February 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Decade of Healthy Ageing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new way of looking at ageing that will help shape the future of aged care.

n August the Decade of Healthy Ageing initiative was endorsed by the 73rd World Health Assembly and the International Federation on Ageing (IFA).

Healthy Ageing is seen as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age. Functional ability is about having the capabilities that enable all people to be and do what they have reason to value. This international movement aims to bring together governments, professionals, academia, the media and society for 10 years of collaboration to improve the lives of older people. Led by WHO, the initiative will assist rapidly ageing populations around the world to live their lives with dignity and equality in a healthy environment. According to WHO there are already more than one billion people aged 60 or older in the world; with most living in low-to-middle income countries. Many older people don’t have access to the basic resources that allow them to live an engaged life in their older years and participate fully in society.

to formally recognise the need for such an initiative, allowing people to grow old in an inclusive and valued environment. “The four action areas in the Decade of Healthy Ageing proposal reflect the most challenging and urgent needs of not only our time but for future generations of older people,” Dr Barratt said. “The way we think, feel and act – prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination based on age is a lens through which we can all view how to develop communities that foster abilities; connect integrated care and health services; and provide systems of long-term care. “Connecting voices across sectors and disciplines at local, national, regional and global levels will lead to sustained and committed action to positively change social norms and attitudes that benefit all ages.” For more information on Decade of Healthy Ageing please visit who.int/ageing/decadeof-healthy-ageing

International Federation on Ageing (IFA) Secretary General Dr Jane Barratt said WHO should be congratulated for taking action 37

IN THE PIPELINE

Karingal Green

in line for architectural award Winning the UDIA WA Awards for Excellence would be a crowning achievement for Hall & Prior’s Karingal Green, a project a decade in the making. By Gabi Mills.

ack in 2014, looking at a dusty patch of land in the City of Kalamunda, David Stroud could be forgiven for thinking that creating a world-class aged care facility from scratch in three years might be an ambition too far, even for a company which did not shy away from such big challenges. As Hall & Prior’s Senior Manager for Corporate Development, David had been tasked with bringing the paper plans of Karingal Green to life. The idea was to create a residential care facility which would rival the world’s best, giving local residents the opportunity to live their later years in comfort with access to the very best care. An impressive stand of mature lemonscented gums to the north-east corner of the Greenfield lot seemed to represent more than just something naturally beautiful. Those trees also sat well with the future vision of the aged care home and its residents – hardy sentinels, standing the test of time and now eventually playing an important part as a focal point for the building’s final landscape and design.

All the hard work and long hours put in by David and the project team have been worth the effort, as Karingal Green was recently shortlisted for the prestigious UDIA WA Awards for Excellence in the Seniors Living category (aged care & retirement living). “It’s fair to say it’s been a long journey to get to this point from six years ago,” says David. “From those early design-focused days to raising finance and obtaining licenses, eventually choosing contractors, overseeing the build and fit-out phase, to finally opening the doors in May 2020.” With a background in accounting, financial auditing and corporate finance, David joined Hall & Prior’s Corporate Development team with David Holmes seven years ago. Despite being a numbers person by profession, there’s also something of the visionary about David’s current position. “We are trying to build an aged care model for the future and even during the genesis of Karingal Green, the industry has come a long way,” he says.

“Creating a long-term luxury amenity which also delivered operational efficiencies demanded by Commonwealth Governmentfunded aged programs is no small feat.” It’s a definite plus that the CEO of Hall & Prior demonstrates a strong desire to foster innovation,” says David. “Seeing that patch of dirt and being able to turn it into a premium, world-class building is something we are very proud to have achieved. I particularly enjoyed awarding the building contract to Broad Construction,” says David. “They are a top tier builder and resourced the construction project extremely well.” Now that residents are calling Karingal Green home, David has moved his attention to new Hall & Prior future projects – Georges Estate and Kelmscott. “We’ve learned some important lessons through the experience of building Karingal Green which we’re now able to apply to our new builds. It’s a process of continuous improvement.” If Karingal Green scoops the top prize in February 2021, David says he will feel ‘humbled’, but also proud that the building he helped create has been designed for the next 50 years. “We’ve created something for the future which hopefully will stand the test of time.”

FAST FACTS • 160-residential beds with specialty residences and care programs for secure dementia, young disabled and Parkinson’s consumers. • An onsite commercial kitchen and laundry. • A multifunction space for 300 people. • A village green and activity centre (planned for 2021). • An in-house cinema.

Did you know . . . Karingal Green had a development budget of over $85 million making it the largest (by value) singlestage residential care facility ever constructed in Western Australia. 39

HONOURED GUESTS Right, City of Kalamunda Deputy Mayor Dylan O’Connor with CEO Graeme Prior. Centre and right below, Councillors Lisa Cooper and Sue Bilich enjoy the tour.

City of Kalamunda visits

Karingal Green

The first of many stakeholder engagement events took place at Karingal Green Health & Aged Care Community on Friday, October 16 when City of Kalamunda councillors received a private tour of the facility. The tour highlighted to councillors the 160bed state-of-the-art home’s health and wellness focus and Hall & Prior’s vision for aged care of the future. CEO Graeme Prior said it was important to share the completed home with the City. “With its completion, we believe that Karingal Green fills an important gap in the market, providing world-class aged care to the people of Western Australia in the beautiful Perth Hills region,” Graeme said. “This project could not have been completed without the support of our community partners which includes the City of Kalamunda along with Activ Foundation Inc, the Western Australian State Government and the Commonwealth Government.

“Karingal Green is purpose-designed to be a place of nurturing and healing and as the home’s community grows, our residents are finding their place among the gumtrees to thrive.” Further stakeholder engagement events are planned for November and December to share the home with local and state government groups.

IN THE PIPELINE

GEORGES ESTATE PROJECT UPDATE

uilding works continue at Hall & Priorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest development, Georges Estate in the southern Sydney suburb of Penshurst.

The project aims to bring world-class aged care to Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s St George region, providing residents with a 111-bed facility that will have a strong focus on healing and wellness. Over the past two months, project works have included the installation of kitchen equipment, the completion of roofing, installation of toilets and tiling within the ensuites and carpets being laid throughout the home.

Additionally, pool fit-out works, footpath and dementia garden landscaping will continue throughout October and into November. Georges Estate will cater to all levels of care needs with a dedicated dementia wing. Site works aim to be complete by early 2021.

To find out more or to register your interest please visit: georgesestate.com.au

Finishing works to bedrooms, corridors, fencing and retaining walls will take place over the next month.

MEET OUR PEOPLE

Students hone their

skills

on our NSW menus

he New South Wales dietetics and speech pathology team hosted university students who are currently undertaking a Food Service Placement in the Hall & Prior kitchens.

Valentina Giannelli and Emma Christiansen worked with the University of Sydney students to meet the needs of Food Service Placement requirements within their studies. “It’s a great initiative which has brought new ideas and educational opportunities to both parties,” said Valentina. The ‘Nutritional Analysis of the Menu’ encouraged lots of fun from those who took part, as students explored potential areas for food fortification of items on the menu with Valentina, as well as looking to further enhance nutrition and IDDSI compliance of nutritional supplements with Emma. All in the name of improved taste.

Rising through the ranks Anybody who works in the caring profession knows that it takes compassion, commitment and a love of people to be able to succeed within the living space of the elderly and vulnerable. By Jacki Downs Sabina Parajuli always wanted to find herself in a career that made a difference in people’s lives and contributed to the community at the same time. “I love that working in aged care involves dealing with all aspects of resident care, there is so much variety in our daily roles,” says Sabina. “I get lots of personal enjoyment to know that I can serve these wonderful people and make their life better while growing professionally and personally.”

When Sabina began her career, she wanted to find herself in a space where she could continue to grow. She secured her first role with Hall & Prior at Glenwood Aged Care Home as an Assistant in Nursing in 2010, later becoming an AIN Team Leader, allowing her to take on higher nursing role responsibilities. “During my tenure at Glenwood, I also had the opportunity to work as a Lifestyle and Wellbeing Officer and Administration Assistant which really helped me understand the different roles within daily care and how they fit together to give residents the best outcomes for daily living. ’In addition to completing a Certificate IV in Leisure and Lifestyle, Sabina also completed a Certificate in Accounting in 2009. She then went on to study a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) through the Central Queensland University.

Sabina Parajuli - Clinical Nurse Manager at Clover Lea Aged Care Home

However her passion lay in the care industry and with that in mind, Sabina completed her Bachelor of Nursing in 2017. “My first role as a new graduate was in 2017 and I went on to join the Coronary Care Unit in 2018 and 2019, but my heart was still in aged care, so I was also working some casual shifts at Glenwood during this time.” When asked about her dedication to the Hall & Prior business, Sabina clearly admires her managers, and Irene Whippy, Director of Nursing at Clover Lea is a driving inspiration for her. “Irene is positive, hardworking, humble and always respectful to others,” she says. “She’s not just a great leader, but one of the kindest people I have ever met.” So what’s next for Sabina? “Since I was 10-years old, I’ve always wanted to work in the medical profession, so I would like to continue to grow my career within the aged care industry,” she says. “There are great opportunities and I feel I have found great fulfilment in caring for the elderly.” 43

M Y FAVOURITE THINGS

Caroline Cairns Caroline Cairns has been an integral part of the Hall & Prior Head Office for nearly 14 years. Starting off in reception, she’s now the Executive Secretary in the Office of the CEO and has some surprising passions - including ancient history, a cat called Rumples and a desire to see the pyramids when we can all travel again.

MY FAMILY I’ve got three children (Emma, Alison and Fraser) and three grandchildren - Thea (five and a half), Alexander (three) and Liam (two). We see each other regularly and although my son doesn’t have children yet, he does have Rupert, his fur baby, a King Charles spaniel. My mother, 91, is in a nursing home back in Ayrshire, Scotland as well as my two sisters and younger brother.

MY CAT We’ve had Rumples since she was a kitten - she’s now 17. She’s a beautiful Burmilla (Burmese/Chinchilla) and loves nothing more than sleeping on a purple cushion all day.

COOKING TRADITIONAL FOOD My daughter has said she wants to host Christmas lunch this year but said I still have to cook the turkey. I enjoy cooking for the family when I have the time to do it properly.

WORKING OUT A few years ago I experienced a health scare at work and my son-in-law John said I must start going to the gym. Three years later, I’m now lifting 85kg weights at The Hive in Wangara. I’m really thankful he suggested I start going.

A GOOD BOOK I’m not a fan of romances but I do love anything historical or about the war. I’ve read all the Twilight and Game of Thrones books and am currently completing my BA in Ancient History with Macquarie University.

I’D LOVE TO SEE THE PYRAMIDS I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt, and my husband, who helped repair the oil wells in Iraq used to go to Florence for meetings. I’d love to go there too, and see all the art and architecture.

KNITTING AND SEWING My daughters used to go to dance school from the age of three, and I used to make dance costumes for their concerts, right up until they were in their 20s. Now my granddaughter is attending the same dance school as her mum and I’m looking forward to making costumes again for her.

SKETCHING AND PAINTING I paint watercolours and would dearly love to enrol in an acrylics painting course at the Fremantle Arts Centre to learn more techniques. 45

FAR APART

s t r a e H but in our

s the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt normal ways of keeping in touch - particularly, in-person visits - the use of video call technology in our homes has become more and more important.

As you can see from these recent photos, our residents are still connecting regularly with their families and loved ones through the marvel of modern technology. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using FaceTime and Skype to connect, whatever the distance, when they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get together in person. These modes of communication help our residents stay engaged and gives them something to look forward to when our homes are in precautionary lockdowns.

PUZZLES CROSSWORD DOWN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 17 19 20

With excessive effort (11) Having many uses (9) Honey-making hub (7) Cheerfulness (10) Quacker (4) Put to death (7) Producer (5) Colour of strawberries (3) Harmful (11) Genius (10) Schooling (9) Little kid (7) Regular bus between two places (7) Kick out (5) Roughly 1.6km (4) Regret (3)

No. 006

Thin Rent Country Writing implements

QUICK QUIZ 1

Who said “The secret of being boring is to say everything”?

Where on the body would a scrumper piercing be found?

What is the name of the only military-sounding character in the board game Cluedo?

In what year was the European Union established?

What is the name of the actor mother of Gwyneth Paltrow?

WORDSTEP Complete the list by changing one letter at a time to create a new word at each step. There may be more than one possible answer.

SLIde

_ _ _ _

CrAMS

6 7

8 9

6 3 7

SOLUTIONS

8 9

CroSSword

DOWN

1 2 3 4

3 2

SUdoKU

Store Fruit Country Gents'

9-Letter word amen, enema, mane, manse, mass, masse, mast, mate, matt, matte, mean, meanest, meant, meat, meet, ment, mesa, mese, mesne, mess, mete, name, same, seam, seamen, seem, semen, sesame, stamen, StAtESMEN, steam, stem, tame, tameness, tamest, team, teem

AcROSS

1 5 6 7

No. 006

8 7 6 3 2 1 9 5 4

4x4

9 4 2 6 7 5 1 3 8

3 1 2 3 7 7 9

1 3 5 9 8 4 2 7 6

27 words: Very good

3 9 8 7 1 2 6 4 5

37 words: excellent

5 2 7 4 3 6 8 9 1

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

4 6 1 8 5 9 3 2 7

today’s Aim: 18 words: Good

No. 006

7 1 9 2 4 8 5 6 3

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and teach letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

SUDOKU

6 8 4 5 9 3 7 1 2

9-LETTER WORD

2 5 3 1 6 7 4 8 9

22 24 25

wordSteP SLIDE, SLIME, cLIME, cRIME, cRIMS, cRAMS

27 28

Adorable (7) Idealist (7) Explorer, partner of Wills (5) Not examined (9) Twigged (8) Rotten (6) Source of cooking oil (5) Contract (9) Unconvinced (9) – Arabia (5) Bears (6) Replicate; reproduce (8) Disgust (9) Unexpected narrative direction (5) Make bigger (7) Forever (7)

4x4 ACROSS: 1. Shop, 5. Lime, 6. Iran, 7. Mens. DOWN: 1. Slim, 2. Hire, 3. Oman, 4. Pens.

AcROSS

1 5 9 10 11 12 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26

No. 006

1. Voltaire 2. In the mouth 3. Colonel Mustard 4. 1993 5. Blythe Danner

QUICK QUIZ ANSwerS

OUR WA HOMES

LEIGHTON WEST PERTH

MERTOME BAYSWATER

ST LUKES & HAMERSLEY SUBIACO MOSMAN PARK & FRESHWATER BAY MOSMAN PARK

PERTH

TUOHY MIDLAND KARINGAL GREEN HIGH WYCOMBE

BELMONT RIVERVALE WINDSOR PARK CARLISLE KENSINGTON PARK KENSINGTON CONCORDE SOUTH PERTH

McDOUGALL PARK COMO

AGMAROY WILSON

ROCKINGHAM ROCKINGHAM

CLARENCE ESTATE ALBANY

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact the WA Hall & Prior Aged Care Home of your choice AGMAROY BELMONT CLARENCE ESTATE CONCORDE FRESHWATER BAY HAMERSLEY KARINGAL GREEN KENSINGTON PARK LEIGHTON MCDOUGALL PARK MERTOME MOSMAN PARK ROCKINGHAM ST LUKES TUOHY WINDSOR PARK HEAD OFFICE

info@hallprior.com.au

115 Leach Highway, Wilson 5 Kemp Place, Rivervale 55 Hardie Road, Albany 25 Anstey Street, South Perth 67 Palmerston Street, Mosman Park 441 Rokeby Road, Subiaco 53 Hawkevale Road, High Wycombe 62 Gwenyfred Road, Kensington 40 Florence Street, West Perth 18 Ley Street, Como 30 Winifred Road, Bayswater 57 Palmerston Street, Mosman Park 14 Langley Street, Rockingham 429 Rokeby Road, Subiaco 22 Morrison Road, Midland 110 Star Street, Carlisle 16-18 Mayfair Street, West Perth

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OUR NSW HOMES

GRAFTON SOUTH GRAFTON

NEW SOUTH WALES CAROLINE CHISHOLM LANE COVE SIRIUS COVE MOSMAN GLENWOOD GREENWICH

VAUCLUSE VAUCLUSE FAIRFIELD FAIRFIELD

CLOVER LEA BURWOOD HEIGHTS

AUBREY DOWNER POINT CLARE

SYDNEY MENAVILLE ROCKDALE

SHANGRI-LA HURSTVILLE

BEXLEY BEXLEY

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact the NSW Hall & Prior Aged Care Home of your choice AUBREY DOWNER BEXLEY CAROLINE CHISHOLM CLOVER LEA FAIRFIELD GLENWOOD GRAFTON MENAVILLE SHANGRI-LA SIRIUS COVE VAUCLUSE NSW STATE OFFICE

infoNSW@hallprior.com.au

23 Sunnyside Avenue, Point Clare 82-84 Connemarra Street, Bexley 274 Burns Bay Road, Lane Cove 14 Claremont Road, Burwood Heights 125 The Crescent, Fairfield 34 Greenwich Road, Greenwich 12 Bent Street, South Grafton 121 Frederick Street, Rockdale 107 Carrington Avenue, Hurstville 17 Clanalpine Street, Mosman 13 Young Street, Vaucluse 274 Burns Bay Road, Lane Cove

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Compassionate people, dedicated to care hallprior.com.au

info@hallprior.com.au

Life & Love Issue 26

Articles inside

Doffing & Donning Workshops

My Favourite Things: Caroline Cairns

Rising Through the Ranks

Meet The Staff

Corporate News

End of Life Project Launched

From the Chief Executive Officer

Decade of Healthy Ageing begins