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Catholic Homes News and Updates

News

There is always lots happening at Catholic Homes. Our news shares our stories of joy, love and hospitality from across our residential care, independent living and home care services.

Catholic Homes Chief Executive Darren Cutri

Welcome our new Chief Executive

Please welcome Darren Cutri to Catholic Homes! Darren commenced with us in January and he’s excited to take on his new role in leading and serving Catholic Homes as our Chief Executive. “It’s an honour and a privilege to help deliver our mission and vision,” he said. “We have great foundations and together we can

Pastoral Care Practitioner Philip Carrier assisted Fr Arulraj from St Mary’s Guildford with a special Mass.

Blessing and birthday at St Vincent’s

Joyous living was evident as we gathered in Guildford to mark a milestone and bring some special attention to the residence recently. A new Catholic Homes crucifix was blessed and presented to St Vincent’s for its 60th anniversary. The celebration was attended by staff and residents and Pastoral Care Practitioner Philip Carrier assisted Fr Arulraj

New Consumer and Quality Advisory Groups for our aged care services

Expressions of Interest are now open for Catholic Homes’ consultation bodies for our aged care residences and home care services. Residential Advisory Bodies We are seeking interested residents and representatives to join two new consumer advisory groups from March 2024: • A Consumer Advisory Group focused on care services, your needs, concerns and improvements, which

Catholic Homes team of Zoe, Karen, Denise and Janine

Welcome new faces to Home Care

We’re excited to announce the appointment of key staff as the division gears up for growth and later, the government’s changes to Home Care. Zoe Heron has taken on the newly-created role of Head of Operations, overseeing both the operational and clinical divisions of Home Care, reporting to Executive Manager Kylie Steele. “There is even

New Chief Executive appointed to Catholic Homes

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Darren Cutri as the next Chief Executive of Catholic Homes. After extensive consultation with our executive management team, staff and key stakeholders, Darren was selected from a strong national field of applicants as the best person to lead Catholic Homes as

A special message from Board Chairman John Ogilvie

I write on behalf of the Catholic Homes Board to share with you that Chief Executive Paul Andrew has resigned from the organisation, effective Thursday 31 August 2023. During his four-and-a-half-year tenure, Paul has played a crucial role in advancing Catholic Homes in the provision the best possible care and services. The Board expresses their

New managers return to Catholic Homes

Home run for quality pair

As we create a new modern residence on the site, former Marist Lodge staffers share a common call in returning to Catholic Homes. Manager Quality and Compliance Mark Backhouse was the Facility Manager at Marist several years ago and returned to us in 2022 because of shared values. A Marist multiskilled care partner from 2014

Facility Manager Wade with his staff

We welcome new staff to Sister Mary’s

As we gear up for the opening of our newest aged care service, we are super excited to welcome our new staff, who will soon join Sister Mary Glowrey residential aged care. More than two dozen new employees participated in a lively induction session led by our vivacious Mission leader, Rose Santoro with Facility Manager

Chef Paolo at Trinity Village

Star chef Paolo wins top services award

Please join Catholic Homes in congratulating Trinity’s chef Paolo Bravi for his achievement in winning the 2023 Brightest Star Award at the IHHC Excellence Award ceremony hosted recently at The Raffles Hotel. Manager Hotel Services Damiano Montagnese said as a State winner, Paolo has now earned the opportunity to compete for the highly coveted national

Portrait shot of Rosanna

King’s honour for Rosanna

Catholic Homes Board member Associate Professor Rosanna Capolingua has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours. The medal was announced today by the Governor-General of Australia the Hon David Hurley in recognition of Prof Capolingua’s significant service to patient care, to medicine, and as a role

Chef Chris with Resident Bernard at Archbishop Goody residential aged care

Congratulations Chef Christine

At Archbishop Goody in East Perth, our chef works behind the scenes and does not make a fuss. Celebrating 10 years with Catholic Homes this year was awesome and now we reveal that Christine Savage has received food quality accreditation from local government — for ten years straight! “I enjoy my work and have a

Aged care resident in her room at Castledare residential aged care

McLeod Wing opens at Castledare

Our residential care staff have been outstanding in repurposing amenities to further deliver our mission so we may provide quality and compassionate care to older people. Six comfy bedrooms have been created around an attractive lounge and dining area in the new McLeod Wing at Castledare in Wilson. Castledare is our very popular aged care

A century of smiles for Hilda

Our home care client Hilda was born in the northern European country of Estonia on May 11, 1923. Arriving in Australia, she settled in Perth with her husband their suburban home in 1950. More than a homemaker of her time, Hilda worked for many years with photography company Kodak in Kewdale. Commencing there in the early

Home care client Russell is an avid collector

Egyptian obsession a labour of love

Our home care client has big dreams despite rheumatoid arthritis taking its toll. While we help at home, he can focus on his goals. Former senior hotel manager Russell Decke’s (JP) passion for ancient Egypt has not abated for nearly 70 years, ever since he discovered this rich and mysterious world in the library at age

Aged care friends share international ties

A new partnership between migrant TAFE students and Catholic Homes aged care residents is forging new bonds and benefits for all involved. In a program inspired by the ABC TV special Old People’s Home for Four-Year-Olds, adult migrant English students joined residents from Catholic Homes’ Archbishop Goody residence to share language, culture and friendships. TAFE

A Christmas message

Christmas is a special time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus and share His message of love, hope and peace with the world. Being connected to each other in this way brings meaning to everyone and is expressed at Catholic Homes through our values of joy, love and hospitality. The year 2022 has been

Tony and Doreen at Cicerello's

Freo hosts big day out

Clients at our Wellness Centre at St Vincent’s enjoyed some fish and chips at Cicerello’s and a tour of Fremantle’s historical sights during a recent bus trip to the port city. We spent time enjoying each others’ company, eating fresh seafood and taking in an exciting change of scenery as part of the journey from

Celebrating Bid's 108 birthday at Catholic Homes

Happy 108th Birthday, Bid!

Good health and a can of beer a day have helped Mrs Bridget Grocke achieve her 108th birthday, making her a top Australian supercentenarian. Known affectionately as Bid to her family and friends, Mrs Grocke was born 18 November 1914 to a family of seven children. Bid and her siblings were raised mostly around Kalgoorlie

Have a Go Day Action!

Perth’s premier event for over 50s burst into action today and we went all-out retro to celebrate. To help promote our services, Case Manager Kim Procter (pictured left) joined Executive Manager Mission Rose Santoro (centre) and Marketing Manager Roley Myers (right), together with Care with Purpose Advisor Judith Smith. Guests enjoyed decades of hits from

Bundles of Joy

Our home care client Maureen is giving back through her dedication to crocheting colourful blankets for aged care residents and premature babies. Staff members Tiffany and Kerry delivered a bunch of blankets to our residents at Castledare and they were “warmly received”! Maureen taught herself and created her first blanket when she was only eight

Celebrating aged care employees

Aged Care Employee Day

This weekend marks Aged Care Employee Day, a time of giving thanks and recognition for your ongoing commitment and passion for our residents and clients. Aged Care Employee Day on Sunday August 7 is an initiative of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association and acknowledges the 360,000 aged care staff around Australia. Its theme

Top award for Bunbury carer

Top award for Bunbury’s carer

Catholic Homes has received national recognition for its hospitality and care services. Chief Executive of Catholic Homes, Paul Andrew, said the State branch of the Institute of Hospitality in HeathCare (IHHC) presented its National Brightest Star Award to Robyn Gibbons, our highly regarded Domestic Worker at Ocean Star in Bunbury. “Please join me in warmly

Bear and his guitar

Our client has reignited his passion for playing blues music thanks to our home care team and a local music store. Bernard, or Bear to his friends, received his first guitar for Christmas as a 12-year-old and has been playing ever since. “I’ve always been into the blues, players like Buddy Guy – I’ve seen

Accreditation success in Guildford

Please join us in celebrating with our colleagues after the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission recently re-accredited St Vincent’s residential aged care in Guildford. Facility Manager Joseph Bender, pictured here with Clinical Nurse Mandy Lee, was very happy with the outcome. “It’s been a challenging time for everyone. As the proverb says: it takes

Meet Yvonne

“I like to see the funny side of things!” Yvonne was born in Upington, Northern Cape province in South Africa.

Rose

Music is life itself

I love music! Music taps into my memories and feelings. One week, I’ll have a favourite song that I’ll listen to ‘over and over’ again.

Quality care at life’s end praised

Ever since we extended our services into the Mid West, the State Government’s palliative care service has relied on us so their patients can safely remain in their own homes. Quality of life for many equates to remaining at home with loved ones, with the support from our home and community care services, which has

Grain harvester

Wheatbelt chooses us for home care

Catholic Homes has joined an alliance of local governments to deliver better in-home and community services to older people in the central and eastern Wheatbelt. The Central East Accommodation and Care Alliance (CEACA) comprises 11 member shires which delivered 71 two-bedroom units in the region and it has asked two providers to supply home care

Meet Peter

Peter was born in Bunbury in 1926. He went to school in South Bunbury, and left at age 14 to work at various jobs around Capel, Picton and Bunbury. Joining the RAAF in 1944, he trained in Busselton, and then South Australia. Subsequently a posting took him to the then-named Dutch New Guinea until the

Meet our Pastoral Care team

Our Mission and Pastoral Care Team provides holistic and person-centred care to our clients, residents, staff and volunteers. The team support our vision, identity, values and mission in collaboration with the Executive Manager Mission who develops organisational culture and spirituality in keeping with the Christian and Catholic traditions in Jesus’ healing Ministry. Our Pastoral Care

A new visitor management system for Catholic Homes

Catholic Homes is pleased to announce that it will be introducing a new visitor management system for our aged care residences in the coming weeks. The new system called Zipline is an electronic way to check-in at Catholic Homes that will ultimately provide a quicker, easier and more secure process for all visitors and staff.

Meet Vern

Born at Kadina, 144km Northwest of Adelaide, South Australia, Vern left school at age 14 and came to WA to work on his uncle’s farm at Nungarin, a rural area with one of the nation’s smallest populations, located about 40 km from Merredin, and 300km Northeast of Perth. Apart from living in Darwin for one

Meet Sheng

Chuang Sheng Yuan was born in Canton, Guangdong Province in 1921 and turns 101 in April ! He farmed with his family (he had two sisters and three brothers) every day until he retired at age 65. Travelling to Australia with his wife in 1985, he returned to China for a short time, and then

Carey Bray at new Aged Care facility in Belmont

New manager makes an impact

Carey Bray, who has been Acting Executive Manager Property Services at Catholic Homes for the past period, has been appointed to the top job on a permanent basis. Chief Executive Paul Andrew said Carey has had an immediate and positive impact, bringing to the role a wealth of experience with Catholic Homes. “Carey has implemented

COVID-19 Latest News

1 March 2022 COVID-19 Update I write to you regarding the additional actions Catholic Homes is taking to protect your loved one and residents as reported COVID-19 cases in Western Australia continue to increase. You may be aware that the State Government is stepping up its response and with this, increased measures are being introduced

Introducing Nurse Practitioner Lorraine

To mark Nurse Practitioner Week, we introduce our very own NP Lorraine Martin. Nurse practitioners are highly trained professionals who are endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia to practice at an advanced nursing level. Lorraine commenced with Catholic Homes in November and is supporting our residential teams, visiting general practitioners and health

Care with Purpose ‘roles’ celebrated

People in our community of care support each other in numerous ways that make our residences wonderful places to live. To show our appreciation we organised a special afternoon tea to thank everyone who has taken up job roles to support community life at their residence. More than half of our residents here at Castledare

STRC is the free seniors in-home care service

More help for seniors to avoid or delay the need for residential care is now available in regional Western Australia. The Catholic Homes service has been extended to seniors in Perth’s south west and eastern suburbs and the Wheatbelt, Great Southern. Goldfields and South West regions, following a recent Australian Government funding allocation. Catholic Homes’

More Perth aged care beds as Belmont project construction starts

Values-based aged care provider Catholic Homes has teamed with award-winning local commercial architecture and building companies to deliver a new 96-bed aged care residence for Perth. Breaking ground on the project today to mark the start of construction in Belmont, Catholic Homes Chief Executive Paul Andrew said the vision for the service was to bring

Tricia charity supporter

Helping those in need

Australia’s Share the Dignity charity is going strong with support from Catholic Homes. For more than five years Property Services Administration Assistant Tricia Hill has supported the charity, collecting items and personal products kindly donated by residents, clients, family, friends and staff. Share the Dignity works to make a real difference in the lives of

Creative Val shares her talent

Time has not slowed down multi-award-winning poet Val Laughton who finds time every day to reflect and keep a diary of her thoughts and ideas. She is proud that she does not need eyeglasses or hearing aids to keep up with her hobbies at St Vincent’s residential care which include knitting, stitching and of course,

Welcome to a new season

Well, at last, spring has sprung! After a wet winter, the sun is emerging, and we are reminded the seasons change, time moves on, and we are part of a changing environment. Often, we forget how our relationship with the land and environment is directly connected to our survival and well-being. In Perth, the local

Mermaid Robyn is Ocean Star’s award winner

The peak healthcare hospitality body in Western Australia has acknowledged the outstanding dedication of an aged care worker who has gone above and beyond in improving the lives of residents and staff. Hotel Services Worker Robyn Gibbons of Catholic Homes’ Ocean Star residence was bestowed the Institute of Hospitality In HeathCare’s (IHHC) Brightest Star Award

Care with Purpose

We enjoy building a community of care

Here at Castledare we have more than half of our residents regularly engaging in activities that they undertake to support and add value to our community. Some have been sharing their efforts of a long time: Roland has been delivering mail and Alice has been folding laundry for over a year! Ken has been a

OT students at St Vincent's

Care with Purpose in action

We are said to have a tendency towards work and activity, Care with Purpose provides a way to feel useful and allow people to feel they contribute to their community. At St Vincent’s we have had the pleasure of hosting third year Curtin University occupational therapy students over the past three weeks. One of their

Catholic Homes provides an inclusive experience online

Catholic Homes now provides an inclusive online experience to enable website visitors to access online content and services barrier-free. Communications and Marketing Manager Roley Myers said as part of the organisation’s inclusive approach, website visitors are now able to access a wide range of accessibility and language support tools to customise their digital experience through

Meet Ted

Ted is West Australian, born in Collie, and lived at Bakers Hill and Northam. At one stage Ted worked at the Wundowie charcoal iron and wood distillation plant that manufactured pig iron, and while there he was involved with industrial safety on site. Ted now lives in Bunbury at Ocean Star, and we caught up

Quality hospitality recognised

Please wish the best of luck to our two nominees in this year’s IHHC awards. Each year the Institute of Hospitality in Healthcare presents excellence awards to outstanding efforts in the aged care sector. Trinity Chef Mollie Tiakia has been nominated for a Leadership award for her inspirational efforts running an organised careering team who

Catholic Homes Home Care Assistance

Your team for Mid West and Wheatbelt home care

Established aged care provider Catholic Homes delivers quality in-home and community services to seniors so you can stay in your home longer, connected to the people and things you love. Mid West local of more than 30 years, Executive Manager Home and Community Care Kylie Steele, says Catholic Homes’ nurses and carers understand your needs

Aged Care Employee Day 2021

This weekend marks Aged Care Employee Day, a time of giving thanks and recognition for your ongoing commitment and passion for our residents and clients. Everyone in aged care has a challenging but rewarding role in enabling the best life for the people we serve. On behalf of the Board, Executive and Management of Catholic

Out and About

Care with Purpose in Action

In these newsletters, you’ll get to see a snapshot of what we are achieving at each of our residences with our Care with Purpose care model in partnership with our residents, staff, volunteers and families.

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