Whiddon

We’re proud to share that our Executive General Manager, Consumer & Positive Ageing, Karn Nelson, and General Manager, Clinical Research & Reablement, Jennie Hewitt, have both been selected to present at this year’s AAG Rural Research and Innovations Forum on the 8th of October. Karn will be presenting on Reablement in regional and rural aged care services, and Jennie will be sharing insights on Live it UP - scaling evidence-based falls prevention across regional, rural, and remote care homes. We’re proud to be at the forefront of innovation in aged care, driving meaningful change for residents across NSW and South East Queensland.

Aged Care🤝Volunteers Recently, one of our extraordinary volunteers Jan McClean was accompanied to the NSW Volunteers Awards Ceremony in Orange by Sharni Latham, the Residential Services Manager at Whiddon Kelso. She was nominated for "Outstanding Service to the Community" in the Senior's category - a great feat! Jan has been a volunteer for over an incredible 10 years! Since 2013, she has dedicated her valuable time and provided a 'service over self' approach, being recognised and celebrated by Whiddon staff and the residents.🥰 Thank you for your immense contribution to the community and your continued efforts to enrich the lives of residents and families at Whiddon, Kelso!

✨25 Years of Abigail. We recently celebrated this incredible milestone with one of our wonderful Assistants in Nursing, Abigail, at Whiddon Easton Park. We're truly proud to have such a large cohort of our employees who have clocked years of service with us across a vast range of roles and locations.

Community Care Coordinators, Kayla and Chloe representing Whiddon Community Care at the Tamworth Aged Care Expo. Events such as this help communities in spreading information about the different types of care options available to them in their area. An aged care journey can come with plenty of questions, and this is a great way to help ease minds and build confidence.

At Whiddon, we’re proud to have had the privilege of caring for our residents over many years across our care homes. To celebrate this special bond, we've introduced a recognition program that honours the incredible milestones of those who have been with us for 1, 5, 10, and even 15 years. It’s our way of acknowledging their trust in us and celebrating the meaningful connections we’ve built along the way.

⭐Earlier today, our wonderful volunteer at our Men's Shed in Easton Park, Nic Starrenburg attended the 2024 Western Sydney Senior Volunteer of the Year as a nominee. We're absolutely thrilled to share that out of 139,000 applicants (across four categories), Nic WON the Senior Volunteer of the Year Award and is now a finalist for the NSW Volunteer of the Year. Nic, who was nominated by Easton Park's Leisure and Wellbeing Manager, Tess (pictured), is such an enthusiastic and patient individual, who creates a safe and inclusive environment for our residents. He was also key in helping set up our Men's Shed at Easton Park and since then, has helped our male residents stay active, build friendships and learn new skills. Congratulations, Nic. We'll be cheering you on! 🎉

💛Our teams and residents, most living with Dementia, at Whiddon Jessie Hunt and Robert Young have been working with the local Dementia Friendly Community committee for many months, knitting and crocheting dementia squares. Residents and staff members have contributed to this fun and exciting community event. A handful of residents from Jessie Hunt attended a morning tea to celebrate and present the yarn bombing project to the local community, which was created to raise awareness for dementia in the local community.💭 The yarn bombing project is a collaboration of many hands and community groups, knitting and crocheting a colourful tapestry of wool squares lovingly adorned with the names of those who have lived or are currently living with dementia. 🌳The tree can be seen near the local information and theatre site on the highway. We are so pleased to have been an active part of this wonderful and meaningful community project, while raising much needed awareness for Dementia.

✨Whiddon Beaudesert Star has been working on a wonderful Reminiscing Project over the last few months. You may have even seen a little sneak peek of this project in its infancy a couple of months ago! When a life-sized fibreglass horse arrived as part of our leisure activities, everyone within the care home was buzzing about the best way to decorate this beauty. The theme of the horse was decided at a resident’s meeting, assisted by ideas from staff, volunteers and our Whiddon Community Care Coordinator. The idea of sharing historic photos, news articles and advertisements was exciting and the favourite choice. The History Horse was born, favourably named 'Beau Star'.🐴 This project was truly a collaborative approach, with many residents, including those living in our Memory Support Unit, coming together to create this masterpiece. Over the last few months, residents living with Dementia hand-painted the horse’s face, mane and tail, and worked with other residents and employees to work on adding memories to the horse. Looking through the items brought up so many memories, lots of reminiscing and story-telling - but also a few tears. There was so much learnt during this process; love crushes, family heritages, local businesses handed down through the generations, and the fires that occurred throughout town which destroyed major landmarks and businesses. What a wonderful project this has come to be!

Art is more than just a creative outlet—it's a powerful tool for connecting with those living with dementia. At Whiddon, we’ve seen firsthand how engaging in artistic activities can bring joy, spark memories, and foster meaningful connections among our residents. Residents in our Memory Support Unit at Whiddon Easton Park shared their own creativity in a recent Art Therapy class. Filled with plenty of laughs, everyone had a wonderful time during the session. This is one of many programs and initiatives Whiddon provides for our residents with cognitive impairments, dementia and memory loss. #dementiaactionweek Dementia Australia

Today marks the first day of Dementia Action Week where we at Whiddon are reminded of the vital role aged care providers play in supporting those living with dementia. We not only want to raise awareness, but also advocate for a dementia-friendly society where understanding, respect, and care are at the forefront. Over the course of the week, you'll see some fantastic initiatives and activities that our teams are doing to create meaningful connections with our residents living within our Memory Support Units as well as raise awareness within their communities about this important message. Dementia Australia