News and views from our community
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Faces of Baptcare | Meet Marion Cummins from Baptcare’s The Orchards community
Marion is a much-loved member of The Orchards Retirement Living community, both by staff and fellow residents. “Marion is a gentle soul who always asks how we are and is genuinely interested in the answer,” comments Hannah Horsley, Retirement Living Manager at The Orchards.
- 29 Aug 2023
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Baptcare’s Houses of Hope | providing people seeking asylum a safe place to live
Many of the estimated 38,000 people seeking asylum living in our communities in Australia are not legally able to work, or access Medicare or government financial support such as Centrelink payments. Those who can access Centrelink support are still on very low incomes that place them in financial hardship.People on lower incomes right across our community are facing a growing shortage of affordable housing.People seeking asylum who have suffered trauma or have very limited resources face additional challenges. Barriers such as lack of rental history, language differences and racism mean that they are extremely vulnerable to homelessness.A response to homelessness Houses of Hope is an exciting community-based response to the critical shortage of housing for people seeking asylum living in our community. In partnership with churches and volunteers, Baptcare’s Houses of Hope offer safe, suitable and secure housing to very vulnerable individuals and families who otherwise face homelessness.These houses provide a stable foundation of affordable accommodation and support so that people seeking asylum – often with no government or financial support – can access basic services as well as pathways to education, employment and independence. Houses of Hope give churches and people who want to help a way to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.Houses of Hope is an extension of Baptcare’s Sanctuary program, which provides transitional accommodation and support to people seeking asylum while they wait for the outcome of their protection visa applications.How does Houses of Hope work? Churches and members of the community offer properties at no rent or at a reduced rate. This includes houses, unit and flats, ideally located close to public transport.Each tenant is carefully chosen and matched to accommodation to ensure their suitability. This includes men, women, couples and families of all ages. Tenants are expected to contribute a discounted rent if they have an income.Volunteers from local churches and the wider community are linked to households to provide practical and social support.Baptcare Sanctuary manages the tenancy arrangements, including furnishing the house and minor maintenance repairs.Houses of Hope residents access Baptcare Sanctuary services including casework, social and spiritual support and through referral, to therapeutic counselling, education and employment services.How can you support Houses of Hope?There are many ways to support the important work being done at our Houses of Hope initiative.You can:Donate money, household items, food vouchers, or consider making your property available at no or low-cost rent.Employ Sanctuary residents who are allowed to work are keen to find opportunities.Educate by inviting us to speak to your community group, show a film, talk to friends.Volunteer your time, skills and energy – it can really make a difference.To get involved please contact us: sanctuary@baptcare.org.au or telephone 13 22 78 to help us provide hope to people seeking asylum today.
- 28 Aug 2023
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Faces of Baptcare #52 | Meet Aisha Wilton
What is your current role and what does it involve day to day?I’m a Personal Care worker and have been working within the Home Care team at Baptcare for eight months now. This involves going to clients’ houses and providing them with a service they have requested. This may be shopping or escorting them to places of their choice.I work from 9am to 5pm and have three to four clients a day which gives me good variety. Why Home Care?I was looking for a job to learn more skills to help with my Monash nursing studies. My cousin recommended Baptcare (she previously worked there) and thought I’d be suited as a carer because I love helping and talking to people.I loved the idea of being a carer and gaining more experience and confidence in speaking to clients.What do you like about working with Baptcare and the Home Care space? I love the job so much! I enjoy working with a range of different clients with different needs on a day- to-day basis. I love working on my communication and problem-solving skills and enjoy the challenge of working out the different ways that I can best help them.I also love working with Baptcare as it gives me a bit more insight into how people live with different health-related conditions and how they manage their conditions (which helps with my nursing studies at university).Did you encounter any surprises in starting work in the Home Care space?I’ve never had a job where I needed to work independently and I wasn’t expecting it! But I’ve adjusted well now and think it has given me a good opportunity to figure out my own skills. I was also pleasantly surprised with how much of an impact I was able to make on clients even by doing simple things like doing their shopping or cleaning their homes. My clients are always so grateful and appreciative of the work we do and it makes me so happy!What about working with our clients? Is working with people in their homes what you expected? The clients I work with are all very nice and super grateful for all the help I give them. It is so nice to leave a shift and see a smile on their face. Working with people in their homes is great because the clients are comfortable in their own environment. I feel like there is a lot of trust between us as they are letting me into their home. Can you share a particularly special workday or customer interaction you’ve had recently? There is always something great every day! Whenever I leave the client’s house, it’s always positive. Did you always want to work within the caring space and what are some other jobs you’ve performed in your career? Before I became a personal care worker, I had only done study placements. For example, I worked at a hospital as a Personal Care Worker for university giving the patients showers, feeding them and other general personal care they needed. I’m looking forward to doing medications and to getting more involved in further nursing when I’m a qualified nurse. What did you want to be when you grew up? I have always wanted to be a nurse – specifically a travel nurse. When I was a kid, I had a lot of hospital visits because of scars from injuries from crazy risk-taking kids’ stuff such as breaking my arms, tree climbing and cheer accidents. I looked up to the nurses who I met in the hospitals and thought - I want to be like that one day. I loved watching them work under pressure and have always viewed nurses and other people who work in healthcare as superheroes! Can you tell us two surprising things about yourself? Apart from my love of cheerleading (Editor- Aisha is a Victorian state cheerleader for Monash University but more on this later!), I’ve done lots of travel, including living in Singapore for a year and can speak quite fluent mandarin.What are your favourite countries and what’s on your travel ‘wish list’?I love Asia so much as I have done lots of travelling around South-East Asia, but Japan and Greece are the top of my bucket list at the moment because I have never been to either of these countries. Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life? I like the quote ‘every lesson is a blessing’ because it is so true!You really can learn from everything, including mistakes and challenges. If you can look at mistakes and challenges positively in some way it can help you to learn, grow and it can teach you important things in life! How would your friends describe you? Energetic and passionate. When I care about something I set my mind on doing it. Do you have a mentor or idol? Or if you could sit next to someone at a dinner party, who would it be and why? I don’t have a celebrity idol but I do look up to my family members who work in inspiring jobs. My cousin is a nurse who worked in Africa for a few years helping out in hospitals. I find this very inspiring - the fact that she helped so many people. It’s definitely something I’d like to do one day. Favourite movie? Stranger Things on NetflixAnd now to some questions about cheerleading! How did you get into cheerleading? I joined the Monash University Cheer team when I started doing my nursing degree at Monash a few years ago. I’m in their top all girl team and have been cheering for three years. I’ve worked my way up versing every other university and I just love it! In September we’re competing in the UniSport Nationals in Queensland which is really exciting. (Editor: The UniSport Nationals provide an opportunity for students at 43 member universities from across Australia to compete head-to-head in a number of national standard sporting competitions, including Cheer and Dance). What’s your position in the cheer team and what drew you to cheerleading? I’m a flyer – doing tricks and poses in the air! The way it works is that there are four girls per group with one flyer and three other girls holding the flyer in the air. I did cheerleading in high school as a hobby. When I started cheer after school, it was because I wanted to work on my fitness and I knew that I loved the sport from doing it during high school. I also joined university cheer hoping to make new friends and travel a bit. It has been fantastic!So, you weren’t inspired by Zac Efron and the High School Musical franchise?Haha – no! But they are great movies!However, the TV series Bring It On was an inspiration. I would watch that and think it looked fun to be thrown around and hope that people could catch me!Have you ever been hurt? No, I’m under a really good team at Monash so they never drop me. I do make the odd mistake and fall but they always catch me. I’ve never had any injuries during my university cheerleading time.What do you like about cheerleading? I like that cheer is a huge team activity and not just about focusing on myself.Everyone in a cheerleading team has to be doing their job and giving 110% for cheerleading to work. Everyone needs to put trust in each other.I also love meeting new people and new teams during cheer competitions. What about the movie depictions of cheer as a bit cutthroat and competitive?This hasn’t been my experience. Everyone is super nice and all my teammates are super supportive. The only thing is that coaches are pretty strict – if you make a mistake you have to do laps around the gym/extra fitness/conditioning!Do you have a favourite chant or cheer? (Apart from the one we created for you earlier …here’s a quick refresher): Cheer for AishaShe can’t be beatBright, fun and lovelyShe’ll care for you a treat! We’re in the university division and have a Monash chant. We shout out things like:M O N A S H Monash … let’s … go … Monash!!It’s a compulsory part of the cheer competition that teams do a 30 second chant. Whether you’re in the air or on the floor, we scream the chant at the top of our lungs!Does your hobby of cheerleading help with your daily job as a carer? Yes, it definitely helps with the communication side of my job.Everything in cheer is about communicating. You have to be direct and honest about things – and a bit vulnerable.For example, say a stunt goes wrong – I have to express clearly why it has happened and need to be direct and honest with explaining why the mistake happened.Teamwork is essential and you need to be a bit assertive. You also need to make quick decisions - if you feel like something is going wrong - you need to make decisions/think of other options.In this way, it’s a bit similar to my job at Baptcare. I need to make decisions quickly and be flexible. If a client doesn’t like something one way - you need to try other ways.[Editor’s note: It’s no surprise that Aisha stars as a personal care worker. There is a clear correlation between characteristics for great cheerleaders and care workers: positive attitude/teamwork/dedication and physical strength – all qualities that Aisha has in spades.]Thank-you Aisha for all that you do. Baptcare are definitely your personal cheerleaders! Best of luck in the upcoming UniSport Nationals in Queensland next month. We won’t say break a leg but we’re happy to repeat your special cheer if you’d like? Interested in working at Baptcare with great people like Aisha? Check out our Careers page here.
- 22 Aug 2023
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Faces of Baptcare #51 | Meet Anna Coultas
From Customer Service to CEO’s Executive Assistant, Anna Coultas’ career path is a story of success.We sat down with Anna to find out more about her journey, her passion for history and her motto in life.When did you start working at Baptcare?I joined Baptcare in October 2017 as a Customer Enquiry Consultant. It was my first job in the not-for-profit sector and I was excited to learn more about the organisation and its clients. I really enjoyed helping people with their enquiries, navigating the aged care system and connecting them with the right services.In September 2019, I received an opportunity to move into an acting Executive Assistant (EA) role. It was a big change, but I was eager to take on the challenge and expand my skills.In March 2020, I became the EA for the General Manager of Service Operations. It was a busy and rewarding role that involved working with different teams and projects across the organisation. I learned a lot from this experience and was able to build upon my experience and skills as an EA.Then, in November 2022, I received the chance to become the EA to our CEO, Geraldine Lannon. It was a wonderful opportunity! I feel honoured and privileged to work with Geraldine and assist her with her goals for Baptcare.You have a Master of Public History from Monash University. What sparked your interest in history and how does it relate to your work at Baptcare?I have always enjoyed and appreciated history. Everything has a history and I love learning about how things came to be and how they are part of the world today.I did my Master of Public History at Monash University because I wanted to explore how history can be communicated and shared with different audiences. I thought I might work in a museum or a heritage site one day.History is not directly related to my work at Baptcare, but it does help in some ways. For example, history teaches me to be curious, critical and creative. It also helps me appreciate the diversity and complexity of human experiences and perspectives.[Editor’s note: You can read Anna’s article ‘Cabinets of curiosities, mystery specimens and a giant bird - A history of the Tiegs Museum, 1887–1959’ in the University of Melbourne Collections here].What does a typical day at work look like for you?There is no typical day at work for me! Every day is different and full of surprises. I have to be flexible and adaptable to whatever comes my way.My main responsibility is to manage Geraldine’s diary and ensure that she has enough time for her meetings, events, and priorities. I also help preparing documents, reports, presentations, correspondence and more. (I live in Outlook!).I really enjoy my job. It is challenging, dynamic, and rewarding.What are some of the skills that you need to succeed in your role?It’s vital to be organised, have good time management and prioritisation skills. Strong interpersonal skills are essential to form and build good working relationships with colleagues across the organisation and externally.Discretion is really important in my role along with remaining calm no matter what is going on. Sometimes I just tell myself “Just breathe! And everything will work out.”How do you relax and unwind?I enjoy walking, reading, flamenco dancing and hanging out with friends. I’ve done dancing my whole life – it’s great exercise. I started ballet when I was young and did tap and jazz. Ballroom dancing is great, too!I love reading books, especially historical fiction. A couple authors I really like are Geraldine Brooks and Pat Barker. I really enjoyed reading ‘The Nightingale’ by Kristin Hannah. It’s a story about two sisters, set in France during World War II.What’s your motto in life?“Be kind.” I think people need it, especially at the moment, but also everyone deserves it.If you could sit down to dinner with anyone – living or dead – who would it be and why?Jeff Buckley, the musician. I never saw him perform live and that’s something I would have really liked to have seen.Interested in working at Baptcare with great people like Anna? Check out our Careers page here.
- 14 Aug 2023
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We are the Champions
Before they started working at Baptcare, Subi and Sabina had never met.They have the same last name, Gurung. They were born in the same country, Nepal. They have entered the same profession, nursing.Now they are not only friends, but the first two Baptcare Living Well Together Champions.Subi started at Baptcare in March 2021, and works at our Brookview Aged Care community. “Living Well Together Project is a holistic approach, working alongside residents to support them to live meaningful lives,” she says.“I am grateful to Baptcare for providing me with an opportunity to be one of the Champions of Living Well Together.“Being a Champion comes with responsibilities of coaching and mentoring staff members about Living Well Together. My role is also to support staff to provide quality person-centred care that supports each resident's choice, identity, independence, lifestyle and abilities. We attend training and spread that education to other staff members to implement this new project.”Sabina joined Baptcare two years ago and is our Living Well Together Champion at Baptcare Strathalan Aged Care community.“I am keen to know new things, and that’s why I agreed to be a Champion,” Sabina says. “The thing that fascinates me about Living Well Together is the approach it takes to providing person-centred care.“To make it successful we will need support from the multi-disciplinary teams. This is evidence-based practice that we need to implement in the best way possible.”The Living Well Together approach will help Baptcare meet the needs of all residents we care for, including those living with cognitive impairment or dementia. The project is being delivered in partnership with a team from Monash University’s Health and Social Care Unit, and is co-designed with our residents and staff.Subi on Sabina: “Sabina is friendly and easy to approach. I was glad to meet Sabina since we have the same kind of passion towards our work. We are both passionate to learn about Living Well Together.”Sabina on Subi: “It was a pleasure meeting Subi. She has helped me with lots of information regarding the Living Well Together project. She is very friendly and very comfortable to work with.”
- 11 Aug 2023
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Faces Of Baptcare #50 | Meet Nilu Morawaka
It’s lucky for Baptcare that the world of high finance was not Nilu’s real calling. A much respected and loved member of the Baptcare community, Nilu makes a positive impact in all that she does, and it seems this has always been the case. “I have been fortunate to work with Nilu twice in my career now. Both times I have worked alongside Nilu when we were involved in some high stakes/crisis situations and she is always a measured and calm leader! I also admire her genuine drive to support her staff, our residents and their families. We are very fortunate that Nilu is part of the Baptcare team,” said Jacinta Duffy, Executive General Manager, Communications and Customer Experience.Angela Tupaz, Operations Manager, Residential Aged Care supports this view. “Nilu is a gentle yet effective leader. She has a positive outlook and it reflects on how she leads her team. Nilu empowers her team which makes it a pleasure to work with her.”And the praise just keeps coming, with Belinda Wood, Quality Manager at Baptcare commenting that Nilu is “thoughtful and collaborative in her approach, with a quiet sense of humour and a wonderful smile.”You can read more about the incredible Nilu below.In light of our recent celebrations of Aged Care Employee Day, can we start by asking what it means to you?Aged care employees are very special. They work tirelessly to provide essential care to support our older citizens. This is a good opportunity to acknowledge their hard work, boost their morale and strengthen relationships. What is your current role and what does it involve day to day?I am on secondment as the Divisional Manager for Residential Services and Operations until December 23, 2023. My day-to-day involvements are to support our leaders to ensure we deliver the best care and services to our residents, provide coaching and mentoring to Residential Aged Care (RAC) leadership teams, lots of meetings, planning and reporting, and overall, assist our teams in achieving our organisational strategic goals.How long have you been working within your current team at Baptcare?I joined Baptcare on the 17th of February 2022. The best decision that I ever made.What do you like about working at Baptcare/in your area?I feel psychologically safe at Baptcare. I feel comfortable, supported and confident in expressing myself without fear of negative impact. Baptcare is like my second family. Everyone is so kind, caring and supportive. We spend most of our time at work, and it is essential to be happy at work.If you had a magic wand and could change one thing within the aged care space, what would it be?Create a more compassionate and equitable society where our seniors can age with dignity and peace of mind. Then we can remove the red tape and have more fun in aged care.Did you always want to work within the caring space, and what are some other jobs you’ve performed in your career?I worked in one of the top banks in Sri Lanka but when I migrated to Australia in 2002, I wanted to pursue nursing. So, I did my Bachelor of Nursing and then a Master of Health Administration. What did you want to be when you grew up?In Sri Lanka, it is not about what you want to be. It is what your parents want you to be. It usually is a doctor or an engineer. I did science subjects but couldn’t get into medical college. Banking is also a reputed job there, and then I became a banker.Your career change from banking to nursing is very interesting. What made you/inspired you to pursue a nursing career? (ed. I’m thinking that nursing and finance are polar opposites in life!) When I came to Australia, it was a good opportunity to rethink what I wanted to do and what career would give me the most job satisfaction. After careful consideration, I decided to join the health sector and loved every bit of it and learned so much. I worked at the Austin Hospital, The Northpark Private Hospital and some afterhours supervisor roles in aged care. When I decided to work full-time in aged care, my theatre nurse friends said I was wasting my knowledge. They didn’t understand that aged care is a specialty and you need to be more skilled to be in aged care. How many years did you practice as a nurse before going into the nursing administration side of things?I was in clinical roles for seven years before I became a Residential Care and Services Manager. How has your previous banking career helped you in your current job?Having a financial background when you work in leadership is beneficial. Most nurse managers tend to focus on clinical outcomes and not financial sustainability. It is so important to have that balance. Can you tell us 2 surprising things about yourself? I have a 23-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter.What is the last book or TV series you watched? I am currently reading a book gifted to me called ‘Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond’ by Ajahn Brahm. I don’t watch TV series because I can’t keep up with the episodes. My favourite channel is the Food Channel, but my cooking skills are limited.What does an ideal weekend involve for you? Or What do you do to relax/unwind?I love to spend my weekend hiking, bike riding or gardening. When the weather is not ideal for these things, I like shopping.What are some of the best hikes you’ve done?I am not a professional hiker, but I love it! I have done a few hikes, including Yellow Gum Circuit, Blue Lake Circuit, Plenty River Loop, and others in Plenty George, Belmore Falls and Grampians National Park. What hikes are on your ‘bucket- list’? (ed: I did the Three Capes hike in Tasmania a few years ago – just heavenly!)I googled Three Capes hike, and it looks stunning. It is now definitely on my bucket list!Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life?The only way to do great work is to love what you do – Steve Jobs.How would your friends describe you?Funny, caring and easy-going.Do you have a mentor or idol? OR if you could sit next to someone at a dinner party, who would it be and why?I admire Michelle Obama for her inspiring leadership, resilience and determination. She is also known for her passionate advocacy, particularly in youth empowerment, healthy living and education. She is also a skilled communicator with high emotional intelligence to connect with her audience.Do you want to be part of Baptcare’s outstanding workforce? Read more here!
- 10 Aug 2023
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Meet Carol Gardner
We say it often and we mean it always: our Baptcare community – staff and customers – is endlessly dynamic and fascinating. Our Faces of Baptcare series enjoys showcasing these vibrant individuals, such as Home Care client: Carol Gardner.
- 03 Aug 2023
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A life in full bloom: gardening with Ailsa at Peninsula View
Ailsa Fraser has only been part of the Baptcare Peninsula View aged care community for eight months, but her impact is obvious. Despite the winter weather, Peninsula View’s beautiful central garden is flourishing, thanks to her hard work (and very green thumbs!)
- 01 Aug 2023
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Living Well Together launched at Baptcare Brookview
Living Well Together, our new model of care for Baptcare’s Residential Aged Care homes, was officially launched this week.It will help us meet the needs of all residents we care for, including those living with cognitive impairment or dementia.The launch was held at Baptcare’s Brookview Residential Aged Care community, the pilot site for Living Well Together.Baptcare is partnering with a team from Monash University’s Health and Social Care Unit to implement Living Well Together, co-designed with our residents and staff.“Brookview staff have embraced this model of care,” said Susan Lyon, Living Well Together Program Manager. “Our frontline staff are the best resource we have. This project is about promoting identity, independence and working alongside – doing with our residents, not for them.”Living Well Together focuses on what matters to residents, what is important to them, and what gives them meaning and purpose. The model of care will support staff to work alongside residents and to support them to live their fullest lives.Associate Professor Darshini Ayton from Monash University said, “What we are building is based on the best practice evidence available, but we had to make it applicable to residents, staff and families.“This is a whole-of-home project. It is not for a specific wing, or for people with specific characteristics. It is for all residents and all staff: one consistent way of working, caring, being.“The model isn’t static. We are continuing to grow and develop it. But it is based around a Montessori approach, focusing on person-centred care, environment, integration and coordination, clinical care, and workforce and training.”The project commenced in 2021 when Monash University researchers conducted a review of the literature on person-centred interventions, what best practice looks like in a residential aged care setting, and the training needs of staff.It is exciting to have the project underway at Brookview. Baptcare’s Strathalan Residential Aged Care community will be the next trial site.
- 27 Jul 2023
