From the laundry to the front office
- 20 Jul 2023
Adam Jochim, Residential Care & Services Manager at Baptcare Peninsula View residential aged care community, is not usually short of words. However, when asked to describe the impact of office manager Suzanne Lewry, he takes a moment.
“Suzanne is just wonderful,” he says eventually. “She is open, understanding and a pillar of support.
“The other thing is that she is so incredibly fast to get her head around any changes to procedure, computer programs or staff. We are lucky to have her.”
Suzanne’s connection with Peninsula View goes back to a time before it was a Baptcare community. She started working at the facility in 2008, and stayed on when Baptcare took over in 2013.
“My background had been in admin but I was out of the workforce until the youngest of my three kids commenced school,” Suzanne remembers.
“I wanted a job, and a position was going here as a casual cleaner. I then became a laundry assistant for a couple of years, moved into lifestyle team then worked as Laundry Manager, and then when an opportunity came to return to administration, I jumped at that.
“As office manager I oversee all admin tasks including rostering, recruitment, looking after new starters and overseeing visiting.
“I think it’s important to know what everyone has to do in their role, and what the challenges are. Having worked in so many different roles I know what it’s like for my colleagues, and that understanding really helps.”
Suzanne was born and raised in the area and loves working with the older people of the Peninsula. When she is away from work she is relishing her new role as a grandmother to one grandchild (with another on the way soon).
“I feel a strong attachment to all of our residents. Their faces light up when they see you.
“I look around Peninsula View and see my colleagues making an important difference in people’s lives. It makes me proud to be working with Baptcare.”
Community news
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Personal Alert Victoria (PAV) offers eligible Victorians a free personal monitoring and emergency response service. This important service is funded by the Victorian Government and helps people continue to live independently at home, safe in the knowledge that help is only a button press away.If you or someone you know is frail, elderly and isolated or who is living with a disability, you may like to consider applying for the PAV program.What does the PAV service involve?The PAV service responds to calls for assistance 24 hours per day.Clients wear a pendant around their neck or wrist which is designed with a button that, when pressed, dials the PAV hotline connecting the caller with trained staff ready to provide assistance. For example, if you fall or suddenly feel unwell, you can press the button and be connected with someone who can speak with you through the pendant.PAV hotline staff will talk with you to determine whether a call should be placed with emergency services, one of your nominated contacts (usually family members, friends or neighbours) or whether you simply require some reassurance about your situation (in the event of a non-urgent issue).How does my pendant connect me to the PAV hotline?A receiver unit sits next to your telephone and is plugged into your telephone line. When it receives an alert from your pendant (after you have pressed the button), the receiver unit automatically dials the PAV hotline.Who is eligible for the PAV service?Eligibility is determined via an assessment conducted in your own home.There are two sets of eligibility criteria to meet – Part A and Part B:Part A:You must meet all three conditions set out below –Daily monitoring – you consent to daily monitoring.Wearable pendant - you are capable of using and willing to wear the PAV pendant at all times.Living situation – you live alone OR are alone for most of the day or evening OR live with a person who would be unable to get to the phone in an emergency (or is unable to use the phone).Part B:You must meet two of these criteria –You have had at least one fall that needed medical attention in the previous six months or be at risk of falls.You suffer from a major medical or chronic condition that puts you at risk of medical emergencies or has some ongoing effect on your health or wellbeing.You are taking six or more different medications on a permanent basis that are prescribed by your doctor / medical specialist.Who conducts my eligibility assessment for PAV?Eligibility assessments for the PAV service are usually conducted by your local council, community health service, aged care assessment service, district nursing service and some publicly funded community rehabilitation services.You can either contact your local service provider directly (for example, by enquiring with your local council’s aged care program) or be referred to an assessment service by your doctor or local community health service.It’s worth noting that there may be a waiting period involved until a PAV unit becomes available for installation at your home.For more detailed information on the PAV program, please refer to the PAV program and service guidelines provided by the Victorian Department of Health.
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