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.

Engagement and meaningful connection
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 meaningful 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.

Fulfilment in living with purpose.
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.