Delivering aged care services with care, integrity and responsibility is a large part of what we do at Mercy Community. We have our Aged Care Residence at Nudgee, which is home to around 98 residents, we support people over the age of 65 who are living at home here in Brisbane through our Home Care community supports program, and we also provide aged care services in Rockhampton at Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland.
We couldn’t support so many elderly Australians without our wonderful, dedicated and experienced team of over 400.
While Aged Care Employee Day is one day, our team is caring for the aged 365 days a year. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the special work they do, and say thanks.
Here are just some of the reflections of team members across Mercy Community … #Thanks for caring.
I find it a privilege to care for our residents during the end stages of their lives. Being able to nourish and nurture them while they age is a wonderful experience and being a part of the family community here at Mercy is rewarding. Our team is incredible, and I am constantly inspired by care staff, management and nursing staff alike. We have so many staff that enjoy what they do and appreciate the support they are given which empowers me to continue to support our team.
I cannot wait to see what the rest of this year brings us here at Mercy!
Kate Timms Registered Nurse / Clinical Team Lead, Mercy Community Aged Care Services, Nudgee
I enjoy knowing that I make a difference to the elderly lives in our community.
Kirsty Couper Personal Care Assistant, Bethany Nursing Home and McAuley Place, Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland
There is no greater gift than to be invited into other people’s lives and to journey with them. In Aged Care we do that in a very specific season of a person’s life. It is a privilege to be invited to care for people in their later years, as they reflect on what has gone before, to celebrate milestones with them, and also as they discover what they can continue to offer their community and family.
As Pastoral Carers, we have the opportunity to meet people during some of the most sacred parts of this journey. It is an immense privilege to journey with people in prayer and ritual, or simply by holding space for them as they come to the end of their life.
Grace Harwood Pastoral Care Assistant, Mercy Community Aged Care Services, Nudgee
I have been in this industry for nearly 27 years. My role as Leisure & Lifestyle Officer is very meaningful to me. My primary goal is to empower residents—to enable them to make choices and decisions, help them feel a part of their community, and to have a good quality of life. I feel very privileged to spend my days with them. This is why I love my role. The residents at Leinster Place are the ones that inspire me every day.
Jeanette McMaster Leisure & Lifestyle Officer at Leinster Place nursing home, Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland
I’ve worked in aged care for many years. What I love about my job is the smiles, the laughter, the miracles and the challenges I see each day, with residents. I also love working as part of a team, to make a positive difference to each and every resident, more so now in these trying times.
Janet Groom Leisure and Lifestyle Facilitator, Mercy Community Aged Care Services, Nudgee
We celebrated Aged Care Employee Day early. We all spoke about why we loved to work in Home Care and it was unanimous… the smile we see when we leave the people we support means everything to us. We are very grateful for each and every member of our team. Happy Aged Care Employee Day!
The Mercy Community Home Care team, based in Brisbane, Christine Abson, Community Supports Manager
My role is to provide support to ageing Australians still living in the community and to help them interact with others as a way of addressing social isolation and loneliness. What inspires me every day is the reaction from our residents, when they have the opportunity to participate in new and exciting social events which we bring to the centre. I see the results in their faces when they mix with others similar to themselves …
I see the friendships they develop, the bonds that they create, and the way they look forward to seeing their friends when they visit.
Rosie McCullough Acting Manager for Mercy Social Support Group, Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland
I love being part of an organisation that is still centred around its mission and values—it’s such a rare thing today and is really special.
Our office sees people in some of the toughest moments of their lives—making hard, life-changing decisions with or on behalf of their loved ones, often while under extreme pressure.
We are able to help whole families in their time of need and you can see the difference it makes to residents, their carers and their whole network of friends and family. It’s wonderful to know that we’re having a positive impact on entire communities.
Emma McPherson Administration Executive, Mercy Health and Aged Care Services Central Queensland
I love what I do because I get to work with and care for some many amazing people. To make everyone smile and laugh—that’s what inspires me every day.
Alyssa Gray Assistant in Nursing (AIN), Mercy Community Aged Care Services, Nudgee
I have been a Care Worker with Mercy Community Services for almost 4 years. I support older people to live independently in their homes by providing services such as personal care, social support, shopping assistance, transport and domestic duties.
I love my role, because I’m able to help clients maintain their independence and dignity. I can show them how important and valued they are, by listening to their needs and treating them with respect and kindness.
Every day I enjoy knowing that in my role, I play such an important part in keeping older people happy, healthy and cared for. That they are getting their needs met, and I am honored to be part of providing the care and support they deserve to maintain their self-determination and contentment in life.
Carol Gardiner Care Worker, Mercy Community Home Care Services
Feature image: Mercy Community Residential Aged Care Facility Manager Annette Thurgood, Leisure and Lifestyle Facilitator Janet Groom, Assistant in Nursing Alyssa Gray, and Clinical Team Lead Kate Timms.
