Committed to building a community of care promoting Joy, Love and Hospitality, Catholic Homes has been caring for ageing Western Australians for more than 50 years. Photos: iStock.
Committed to building a community of care promoting Joy, Love and Hospitality, Catholic Homes has been caring for ageing Western Australians for more than 50 years.
Based on Montessori principles, Catholic Homes’ model of care – Care with Purpose, promotes independent living. “The aim is to encourage people to remain active and engaged for as long as possible while continuing to do the things that bring them joy,” Catholic Homes CEO John Fitzgerald said.
Catholic Homes’ services range from Residential Care and Retirement Living to Home Care, Comfort Care, Short-term Restorative Care, Day Therapy Services, Pastoral Care, as well as respite and private services.
The launch of the Short-term Restorative Care service is an early intervention programme designed to help prevent, delay or reverse the need to enter long-term care. Catholic Homes’ Manager of Home Care Kylie Steele said, “This care service provides a range of services for up to eight weeks, depending on the needs of the person.”
With happiness and wellbeing at the forefront, wishing to remain in the comfort of our own homes as we age while surrounded by the people, pets and things we love can improve health. Some of the Home Care services Catholic Homes provide includes personal care, connecting to your community, nursing care, Allied Health Services such as Podiatry and Physiotherapy, household duties, gardening and maintenance, meals, cooking, aids and equipment, transport and technology support.
Catholic Homes’ seven Residential Care and four Retirement Living villages offer medical facilities, pastoral care and lifestyle programs. “Environments are designed for engagement while empowering its residents to become involved in the day-to-day activities as well as plenty of opportunities for relaxation,” Mr Fitzgerald said. Lifestyle Facilitators across each of the facilities regularly create programs designed to engage the residents ranging from sporting to specialty events.
Priding themselves on creating communal dining experiences and easy-access buffets, as well as employing in-house chefs to cook fresh food onsite, Catholic Homes’ Manager of Hotel Services Carey Bray says, “We have a good catering team at each facility who have the flexibility, resources and support to provide good food and our buffet model is second to none, providing independence and choice at the time of the meal service.”
Catholic Homes won the 2017 Catering Innovation of the Year Award at the OSCAR Aged Care Hospitality Awards and has been nominated in the 2018 OSCAR Aged Care Hospitality Awards for Chef/Cook of the Year and Facility Catering Service.
Catholic Homes’ innovative and proactive approach to aged care has won them numerous awards, including two Better Practice Awards for its Circle of Men project, a facilitated meeting of men encouraging conversation and friendship.
Constantly striving within the aged care sector, in 2017 Catholic Homes’ opened a Comfort Care Centre at its Castledare Village facility. The first of its kind in Western Australia, the centre offers a tailor-made end-of-life service to residents.
All Catholic Homes’ facilities receive ongoing maintenance and upgrades. Located in Bunbury, Ocean Star Village has recently undergone a refurbishment to its outdoor facilities, carpark and communal lounge offering views over the newly landscaped gardens towards the ocean.
A Ground Breaking Ceremony on 27 June at St Vincent’s in Guildford celebrated the commencement of the redevelopment of the facility. The state-of-the-art project includes a new wing with 75 single rooms and six suites, communal living spaces, serving kitchen, GP centre, pastoral care offices, gymnasium, physiotherapy and podiatry rooms, a large underground carpark, commissioned public art displays and upgrades to the grounds. The original Bebo Moro homestead will also be rejuvenated to its former glory.
Catholic Homes is an inclusive organisation welcoming all faiths and backgrounds.
Enhancing the spiritual, physical and emotional journey of all, “We’re committed to creating an environment of Joy, Love and Hospitality where our priority is happiness and wellbeing,” added Mr Fitzgerald.
From pages 14 and 15 of Issue 14: ‘Culture of Life: Love does not come at the price of another person or their dignity’ of The Record Magazine