Catholic Healthcare Celebrates Silver Jubilee

This week, Catholic Healthcare is celebrating 25 years of health and aged care service right across the organisation. 

Catholic Healthcare held events across its aged care homes, community wellness centres, and retirement villages, where more than 300 employees also celebrated their service awards. Special celebrations will also be held over the coming weeks across many regions in which employees, residents, clients, families, media, and members of the community will attend.

Catholic Healthcare’s Managing Director, David Maher said, “Today marks a significant milestone for Catholic Healthcare as we celebrate our 25th birthday, our silver jubilee. We have much to be proud of and much to look forward to.”

"Today, we celebrate the care and support we have provided over the past 25 years, and we celebrate our colleagues who are passionate about the wellbeing of our clients. It is also an opportunity to reflect on our achievements and challenges over the past 12 months," he added.

Some of the highlights include: 

• The Haven Aged Care in Wagga Wagga transfers to Catholic Healthcare
• Commenced work on the new Retirement Living development at McQuoin Park, Wahroonga
• Fifty residents of Villa Maria Centre, Fortitude Valley in Queensland, moved into their newly refurbished home
• Celebrated uniting The Mater with Jemalong Residential Village and announced the construction of a Retirement Living Village in Forbes, where Catholic Healthcare are building 19 freestanding villas
• Commenced construction on a new Residential Aged Care home at Casula
• Settlement of three new aged care development sites, the first tranche in collaboration with Lendlease, including the first in Victoria
• Winner of the Meaningful Ageing Australia 2018 Pastoral & Spiritual Care Practice Award
• Doubled funding for the annual Employee Scholarship Program, a program that provides financial assistance for employees pursuing learning in aged care
• Celebrated the success and milestones of employees at the prestigious annual 2018 Gold Dove Awards
• Rolled out new learning initiatives across the organisation covering a variety of areas including leadership development, customer service skills, and consultative discussions
• Launched publications, including Dove Tales and PULSE to help share communication across the organisation
• Rolled out a new Ready Steady Move training program across Home and Community Services focused on improving employee safety. 

Several 25th-anniversary events were held this year to ensure everyone had an opportunity to be involved. These included:

• A special mass at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney followed by a Gala dinner
• 25 years of personal stories
• 25-year commemorative celebration book
• A Win A Wish Competition where 25 residents and clients had their wishes granted ranging from balloon rides to camel rides, an art gallery experience and lunch with friends. Here are some of their stories: 

Six residents from St Joseph Aged Care in Hunters Hill (pictured) had their wish come true with a dining experience at the famous Doyle’s seafood restaurant at Watsons Bay. They arrived at Doyle’s chauffeur driven in a white stretch Hummer, and then enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch whilst overlooking the magnificent panorama of Sydney Harbour.

It was a truly memorable day for the residents. “I would like to express, on behalf of our group from St Joseph’s, our appreciation for the gift of ‘Dine at Doyle’s Experience’ in the ‘Win a Wish Competition’. It certainly surpassed all we could have dreamed of. We are grateful to you for this ‘once in a lifetime experience’”, said Sister Margaret.

Resident, Betty from Emmaus Village in Kemps Creek chose a camel ride for her Win A Wish. Betty, turning 90 years old in September has always been up for an adventure. For her special day, a hire car picked Betty and her carer Debbie up from the home and brought them to Birubi Beach at Anna Bay, near Port Stephens. The weather was perfect and the day was fabulous.

The camel driver walked them through the sand dunes, down to the beach; and even walked them through the water so they could go swimming without getting wet.

Resident at Villa Maria Centre, Unanderra, Keith’s Art Gallery of NSW Experience, included a private guided tour of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes. Being an accomplished artist in his own right and a regular visitor of art galleries throughout much of his life, Keith said, “It felt like being home again.”

Keith thoroughly enjoyed his day and beaming from ear to ear said, “It was the best day of his life.”

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