Wesley Mission Annual Report 2020 - Flipbook - Page 40
Care and support bring improved
quality of life
Wesley Community
Visitors Scheme
Social isolation is a buzz-word of 2020, but
the problem of isolation is not new to many
and particularly not to Wesley Mission.
Since 1994, Wesley Community Visitors
Scheme has organised volunteers to
provide friendship and companionship for
older Australians who are isolated or at risk
of social isolation through face-to-face
visits.
Wesley Mission’s residential aged care facilities provide the highest
quality care for older people needing support with daily living. Our staff
support older people with achieving their health goals, maintaining their
independence and enhancing their wellbeing.
In 19/20,
In 19/20,
154
people
161
people
supported
supported
Wesley Rayward Carlingford
Wesley Taylor Narrabeen
Located in Sydney’s north-west, next door to
Alan Walker Village, Wesley Rayward is a stateof-the-art aged care home with a specialist
dementia care wing.
The ultimate sea-change experience located next
door to Wesley Taylor Village on Sydney’s Northern
Beaches, Wesley Taylor Narrabeen is only moments
away from Narrabeen beach lagoon.
In 19/20,
In 19/20,
124
people
146
people
supported
40
supported
Wesley Tebbutt Dundas
Wesley Vickery Sylvania
Authentic care tucked away from the hustle and
bustle, but with convenient access to local bus and
train services. Carlingford and Eastwood shopping
centres are just minutes away.
Set amongst leafy gardens in Sydney’s Sutherland
Shire and positioned next door to Frank Vickery
Village. A supportive community of friends helps
seniors feel at home.
Respite
Caring for a loved one can be tremendously
challenging, both physically and emotionally.
Our respite services are designed to give
carers a break, enabling them to sustain their
ongoing responsibilities and look after their
own emotional wellbeing. Services deliver
high-quality care and are available within the
person’s home or in one of our residential
aged care facilities.
In 19/20,
129
15
1,024
community care
training participants
people supported
in respite care
people helped in
mental health respite
The scheme now operates on the Central
Coast, in the Hunter and on the Mid North
Coast in Port Macquarie. And all of the
people receiving visits have expressed that
they want more social contact and
connection, and of these participants, 16 per
cent have identified as being financially or
socially disadvantaged. Volunteers and
participants have formed fantastic
friendships and the benefits are mutual.
A creative approach to wellbeing
Lesley overflows with creativity. She’s perfectly
positioned in her role as Recreation Activities Officer
at Wesley Vickery Sylvania residential aged care.
And throughout precautionary lockdown prompted
by COVID-19, her creativity reached new heights.
This year, with visits restricted by COVID-19,
volunteers found new ways to remain
connected to their friends.
“Staff get to go home each day and experience
other things, while our residents are only
experiencing life here. So, we’ve had to do a lot to
enhance things, to make sure there is a lot of
purpose in every day,” Lesley says.
start to see different behaviours. To help each
person, we’ve created a personal activity space.
One will love craft, another gardening and it gives
them the ability to express themselves,” she says.
“Many found new ways to offer friendship
and connection to those locked down or in
aged care by making more regular phone
calls,” said Rosetta, Service Team Leader for
Wesley Home Care in Port Macquarie.
The resident’s recreation spaces are alive with
colour and chatter. Stations are set up where
residents can make fabric masks and memory
books. There’s even a Parisian style café and
gardening activities outdoors.
“One of our most active residents, Brian, loves
gardening and he grew cabbages from seed. To
give him a smile, we added cabbage patch dolls
amongst his plants. The look on his face when he
first saw them, it was just priceless.”
“A few weeks in, a partnership was formed
with local teachers for students to write
letters and produce paintings. The impact
was immediate as people isolated at home
realised their surrounding community had
remembered them.”
Lesley has been working at Wesley Vickery Sylvania
for almost 15 years, so she knows each resident, what
is important to them and what will draw them out.
Along with additional health and safety protocols,
Lesley has added to each person’s overall wellbeing.
“For some of our people with dementia, they may
not be able to express themselves verbally, but you
“If we were to have a COVID outbreak, we have
memory book kits ready for people to add to in their
rooms,” she says.
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