Churches of Christ Care (Care) is a not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1930 to provide food and clothing to the needy during the Great Depression.
Helen: "Country villages are different to the city. I work in aged care because I am able to make a difference to the quality of people's lives and it is immensely rewarding. It is a great lifestyle, our residents are wonderful and I'm supported by a dedicated team of individuals who go above and beyond, every day. Why would you be anywhere else?"
Churches of Christ Care (Care) is a not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1930 to provide food and clothing to the needy during the Great Depression. Care now provides aged care, early childhood services, affordable housing, emergency welfare services and child protection services across Queensland and employs 2,200 staff supported by 320 volunteers.
"Boonah is a true country town, about two hours west of the Gold Coast. Small towns don't often have stand-alone villages because people normally stay in their own homes with family giving them a hand. Many villages offer support onsite and also some confidence that residents will be in line for higher care if or when they need it. We are a Churches of Christ Care (Care) facility. Care has 38 aged care services and retirement villages across Queensland."
"We look after the residents of Boonah, but we also have a lot of people on our waiting lists from Ipswich thanks to a very good reputation that has grown over many years. It is part of my job to maintain that legacy.
"This is a beautiful location, on this hillside with wonderful country views to the hills. I love the gardens, the birds, the big open skies. Care has invested in the architecture, adding wide Queensland verandahs to give shade and character to our newer buildings. Our village residents achieve great things with the gardens, despite the water situation."
"We have 33 homes in our retirement village, 51 people in hostel or low care accommodation - which is like serviced accommodation - and 40 residents in high care. We also provide care and service to 20 people in the community. So we support 152 people directly and I know them all personally. I have a team of more than 110 people, all local, which is a lot for a small country town. They are the best, they are like family to me. Several have been with us for over 30 years; I have been here 12 years myself. We all do it because we love it. It's hard work but we get a lot out of caring for our residents. It's not all about the money."
"We are able to employ local people, never needing to use agency staff. We have flexible working arrangements to attract and retain the best people. It can be a difficult balancing act at times, but worth it. We have a maintenance team including a gardener who cares for our magnificent grounds. Our hospitality staff includes cooks and domestics who provide nutritious meals for our residents and clean and care for the living environment. Our highly qualified care and lifestyle staff provide care and support to individual residents based on their care needs."
"As the Director of Nursing, I enjoy working alongside the team in our Care facility. I love being involved but my main task is the overall management of the facility and services to our community. There's a lot of administration work and many meetings to attend with clients, residents and family in the interest of ensuring the best outcome for each individual. Being a country town, everybody knows everyone or they are related! We try to place together people who have been friends for many years. And we guide families through the transition of a resident from one level of care to another. There is always the unexpected to deal with."
"It is very important that we comply with all regulations. I am very proud that we have never had anything but flying colours for accreditation. We are due for a surprise audit and each day I expect the accreditation team to arrive. I work in aged care for the love of it. It is a great lifestyle, our residents are wonderful and I have a great team."
