Tag: Ageing and Community

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News & Announcements

Juniper reveals latest in apartment living

Juniper, Uniting Church WA agency providing residential and community aged care, has opened its newest retirement apartments to provide greater accommodation options for people seeking quality lifestyle choices.

Chief Executive, Vaughan Harding, said understanding people’s changing needs and their desire to live a full life are at the heart of Juniper Orana in Menora.

“This initiative represents the best in retirement accommodation where residents can enjoy security, independence and the benefits of community living,” he said.

“Juniper Orana successfully promotes apartments for life and ‘ageing in place’ – a concept where housing and community design enable residents to live and enjoy their home for as long as possible.”

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Stories & Feature Articles

Vulnerability and ageing: recognising elder abuse

The Australian Government recently announced a national plan would be developed to address elder abuse in Australia. Many organisations in the sector have welcomed the announcement, which was one of the key recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s 2017 report on the issue, Elder Abuse: a national legal response.

Elder abuse is widely seen, rightly so, as an abhorrent crime. But sadly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) report that 15.7% of people aged over 60 have reported abuse, which means that
75 000 people in Western Australia are potentially affected. It is estimated that many cases go unreported. Most cases are forms of financial abuse; however, there are many different types of abuse. WHO defines elder abuse as “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.”

As well as financial, reported types of abuse also include psychological, social, physical, neglect and sexual.

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News & Announcements

Juniper appoints new Chief Executive

Juniper, a Uniting Church WA agency and one of WA’s largest providers of aged care and community support services, has named Chris Hall AM as its new Chief Executive.

Juniper Board Chair, Fred Boshart, welcomed Chris’ appointment and paid tribute to retiring Chief Executive, Vaughan Harding, for his service to the organisation which has spanned almost three decades.

“Under Vaughan’s leadership, Juniper has prospered and stands as a 21st Century organisation serving more than 4 000 older people from Wyndham to Albany, one of the largest care footprints in the nation. More importantly, Juniper now provides some of the most forward-thinking services available,” Fred said.

“Since joining Juniper in 1989 Mr Harding oversaw decades of change. More change and a higher pace of change seem inevitable, as ageing ‘Baby Boomers’ change the population profile, funding levels are reduced, red tape and regulatory burdens increase and an increase in ‘user pays’ creates a more competitive marketplace.”

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News & Announcements

Door opens on major new service hub

Leading aged care provider, Juniper, has opened the Beryl Grant Community Centre, an exciting new multi-purpose building in Lockyer, Albany, which is catering to the needs of a growing population and diversity of community organisations.

Vaughan Harding, Juniper’s Chief Executive, launched the centre and said the project acknowledges the great contribution of Beryl Grant, a female pioneer of community service in WA, and that the facility is part of Juniper’s broader plans in the Great Southern that will see the creation of a major new service hub for the community and older residents.

“With this new centre we aim to provide a high quality, thriving and welcoming community space, providing the local area with access to a vast range of activities, services and programs,” he said.

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News & Announcements

New care facility eases pressure on Perth’s hospitals

Juniper Rowethorpe residents Mavis Daubney (left) Minister Cook and Shona Macfarlane, at Juniper Charles Jenkins, Transition Care.

In opening the Juniper Charles Jenkins Transition Care service in Bentley, Chief Executive Vaughan Harding said the 60 bed facility will deliver a first class service helping older Western Australians through a vital phase in their recovery from illness.

“This highly significant service will help relieve pressure on the public hospital system and most importantly will support older people with the best possible nursing and allied healthcare,” he said.

“We will help people to return to health and an independent life wherever possible, and otherwise help them transition into the most appropriate form of care and support for their individual needs, be that in their own home or in residential care.”

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Social Impact

New aged care facility

Construction of a new 100-bed residential aged care facility in Perth’s southern suburb of Martin has commenced. This latest project for Juniper, a Uniting Church WA agency providing aged care, is one of many around the state including in Kununurra, Albany, Rowethorpe, Menora and Karrinyup.

Announcing the start of onsite work in May, Vaughan Harding, Chief Executive at Juniper,  said the project was a significant investment by the organisation as it works to double its capacity to respond to growing community need for aged care services.

“This exciting development will bring high quality residential accommodation, designed to provide a full continuum of care to frail, older Western Australians,” he said. “In addition to creating  more opportunities for employment in the aged care sector the new facility will provide cutting edge amenities with focus on quality design and construction.”

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Stories & Feature Articles

Amanda Hunt: Connecting passions and building potential

Amanda Hunt has always been passionate about community services. As a 16-year-old, she volunteered with a Catholic agency providing care for people living with an intellectual disability. From there began a lifelong passion for creating difference in people’s lives; a passion which has led her to become the new CEO of UnitingCare West, the Uniting Church WA’s community services provider.

Following a career in arts management, Amanda has 20 years of experience working in the community sector, having come to UnitingCare West from the role of State Director at Mission Australia  for WA and SA. She has also been CEO of Gowrie WA, an early childhood organisation, and the Recreation and Sport Network, now known as Inclusion WA.

Amanda’s passion became cemented further when family illness showed her the importance of community care. While working with Recreation Network, Amanda’s dad became unwell with Parkinson’s disease, a battle which lasted 12 years. After an accident resulting in a head injury, he became frail and the family rallied around to support him.

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News & Announcements

Budget 2017: The Good the Bad and the Unfair

UnitingCare Australia’s National Director Claerwen Little says despite some constructive measures the 2017 Federal Budget needed to do more for the most vulnerable Australians.

“The commitment to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by an increase in the Medicare levy is a significant measure and a landmark worthy of celebrating,” said Claerwen.

“The full funding of the NDIS from 2020 will afford greater dignity and independence to Australians with permanent and significant disability.”

But Ms Little lamented punitive measures targeting the unemployed and welfare recipients.

“The very worst elements of this Budget impose harsh compliance measures on jobseekers for no apparent benefit to their employment prospects.

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News & Announcements

Volunteers span the state for our seniors

As the demand for aged care services continues to grow, Juniper is working to double its capacity to respond to help meet the needs of older Western Australians.

Juniper, a Uniting Church WA agency, has one of the largest aged care footprints in the country with much-needed services delivered as far north as the Kimberley, as well as the Mid-West throughout metropolitan Perth, the Wheatbelt and right through to Albany in the Great Southern.

More than 450 dedicated volunteers span this vast area, brightening the lives of Juniper’s residents, home care clients and their families in many different ways.

Volunteer co-ordinator, Tim Law, said volunteers make a big difference to the lives of people in Juniper’s care undertaking a diversity of interesting roles and tasks.

“Our volunteers help with all sorts of things from companionship, activity groups, bus and buggy driving, administration, pastoral care and even a bit of acting!” he said.

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Stories & Feature Articles

Intergenerational bonding in Busselton

Finding common ground and activities for people of different ages is not always easy, but when you do, it can be a beautiful thing. The ‘blokes’ of Busselton Uniting Church semi-regularly get together for a meal at a local pub, but their February gathering was different. They were looking for something they could invite younger people to that would help foster relationships and  connection across the generations, so decided on lawn bowling.

On a balmy summer’s evening, 29 of us gathered to compete and eat pizza. Players ranged in age from 7 to 89 with everyone placed in an intergenerational team. There was plenty of banter and no hamstring tears to report.

The best part of the gathering was seeing the interaction between the different ages; common ground was found and relationships formed that will no doubt cross over to Sunday morning and  beyond.

Andy Broadbent