Since January 2021, Rutherford Park Care Community has been home to Maureen. As she settled in, our Care Community team worked with Maureen and her family to understand her social and emotional care needs to create a personalised care plan and enable meaningful connection.
During her career, Maureen worked in aged care as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) supporting residents living with dementia. As an AIN, Maureen’s duties included caring for residents, assisting with meals and taking residents on bus outings. She frequently met with residents and their families to conduct care reviews and to support their transition into care.
With this important insight into Maureen’s past employment and understanding her social and emotional needs, our team have been able to create a care plan that enables Maureen to maintain some independence and live with meaning and joy in her life.
Our team have worked closely with Maureen and her son to find out what makes her feel safe and happy.
Maureen believes she lives in our Memory Care Neighbourhood (MCN) due to her son’s work commitments. The MCN is a dedicated environment filled with cues and memory supports that help Maureen to live with meaning and purpose in our Care Community.
With the assistance of our Resident Activity Officer, Karen, Maureen has planted a combination garden of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Each day Maureen waters the raised garden beds, sweeps and wipes down the outdoor tables and chairs, feeds the chickens with scraps from the kitchen and helps residents on garden walks (with the team nearby).
The connection that Maureen and Karen share has been very important in building Maureen’s sense of security and they have bonded over the gardens in the Memory Care Neighbourhood.
Maureen is involved in other meaningful interactions in our Care Community, including encouraging residents to participate in group activities (bingo, quizzes, reminiscing, and singing), holding residents hands when guiding them to the bus for group outings and helping to guide residents to tables for their meals.
Maureen also supports residents who are non-verbal. They enjoy Maureen’s company and nurturing personality. Her career as a carer has really come full circle.
Through her interactions with others, Maureen has demonstrated that she is happy, safe and feels valued at Rutherford Park Care Community.
Through understanding Maureen’s interests we have been able to create a environment where she can participate in activities and relationships that are meaningful to her.
Maureen’s years of experience as an AIN have helped her settle in and find a sense of belonging in our Care Community. Maureen helps with daily activities which gives her a sense of purpose and meaning. It also gives her a level of responsibility that our team can count on, which puts a smile on Maureen’s face.
Every individual living with dementia will have different needs and preferences. Our carers endeavour to build connected relationships with each resident so that we can deliver the right care for your clinical, social and spiritual needs.
Return to Dementia Care
Dementia describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. In other words, dementia isn't one specific disease.
Learn more about dementia
There are many types of dementia but the most common causes include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
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Person-centred care is at the heart of our approach to care. It means supporting our residents to live a meaningful life every day in a personalised and considered way.
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In some of our Care Communities we have areas known as Memory care neighbourhoods (MCN). They are a safe designated area or cluster of rooms where residents living with dementia reside.
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Make sure the person requiring care has had an ACAT assessment.
Search for a residential aged care home suitability located.
Understand the costs associated with aged care.
Ensure you have all the relevant paperwork.
Check out our moving checklist to ensure the smoothest move possible.
Once you have received your ACAT assessment, you can begin applying to as many care homes as you wish, but once you accept a place, it’s important that you let the other homes know that you no longer require their services.
Visiting a range of homes is often one of the best ways to decide which home suits your needs. To help you assess the suitability of the homes you visit, we have attached a short checklist at the end of this section. This will help you assess each home and ask some important questions to the providers you meet with.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is the body that determines your financial situation. To do this, DHS conducts a Combined Income and Assets Assessment, which is a form that you need to complete and submit to the government.
Respite care is short-term care, including day respite, to provide your caregivers a break from caring when they need it. It can be planned or on an emergency basis and can be used for up to 63 days in a financial year. Many care homes offer day respite, which offers caregivers some flexibility to attend to personal needs and obligations as they arise.
The Combined Income and Assets Assessment form (SA457) is an extensive questionnaire with over 140 questions about what you and your partner/spouse own and earn. It’s important to understand that you are considered to own half your assets with your partner/spouse regardless of who holds the title to the assets. As part of your assessment, you will be asked to provide details of all assets owned by both of you.
Accommodation Charge (the cost of your room) - These are set by individual homes and varies from home to home
