Life is a journeyLife is a journey

”Everyone benefits in societies where older people thrive” World Health Organisation

Whiddon has been caring for older Australians in NSW for

more than 60 years. We have grown from philanthropic origins

to a large not for profit organisation with over 1700 staff and

2000 clients. We offer residential, community care and independent

living services.

Our focus is on people, community and wellbeing in ageing:

Caring, compassionate and skilled people, who partner with

our clients and their families to support their wishes and choices

and physical, social and emotional needs, is at the heart of what

we do best. We know from years of experience and our constant

participation in the latest research-based programs that there

is always an opportunity for improved wellbeing, regardless

of age and frailty.

As an organisation that operates in regional, rural and remote

NSW, we are often at the heart of our local communities both

as an employer and important provider of aged care services.

We actively promote and maintain this sense of community

where everyone matters.

Ageing should be a rich and rewarding journey for everyone

“There is a Whiddon experience, and it comes from going above

and beyond to do what’s right for the client”

Dr Andrew McDonald MP

above: An early community fete at Glenfield

Like many philanthropic organisations,

our origins lie in Freemasonry and we have

been caring for the poor and elderly in small

communities since the 1920s. Our founding

site at Easton Park was donated by Mrs Ethel

Easton Symonds in 1947.

The Whiddon Community

Our clients’ day to day relationships in the Whiddon community with

friends and carers creates a sense of family. We offer regular Ladies’

High Teas, Men’s Groups, interest and hobby groups, special dining

experiences, parties, festivals, regular social outings and much more.

Strong connections to our local communities benefit our clients and

help overcome loneliness and isolation. We support our clients to stay

in touch with local community groups and contribute to fundraising

and volunteer activities. Our services encourage volunteer engagement

and visits from school children, local performers and artists, creating

a vibrant family atmosphere.

Research has shown that

loneliness and isolation

bears a high risk to health and

has strong links to depression

and dementia.

Creative ageing is integral to our wellbeing approach

Magda’s story

Following a stroke, Magda lost the use

of the right side of her body. She had always

loved art as a child but had not taken the

interest into adulthood. After the stroke,

through the art classes at Whiddon,

she was encouraged to use her left hand.

Her new skills have helped her rehabilitation

and general confidence in her abilities.

Creative expression has long been proven to have lasting beneficial

effects on older people. It provides a sense of purpose and

accomplishment, builds self-esteem and confidence and reduces

anxiety, stress and depression. It can also improve physical capability

and cognition. Almost more importantly, it can be made available

to everyone in some form, regardless of age, disability or frailty.

We use humour, art, music, song and dance and storytelling in many

aspects of our care and leisure activities to bring enjoyment and

improve the health and wellbeing of our clients.

Play Up, Arts Health Institute (AHI)

Whiddon was the first provider

to trial and roll out this innovative

humour therapy based program.

Play Up performers connect with

and engage people with dementia

through song, laughter, evoking

memories and enjoyment.

Sing Out Loud, AHI We were the first

provider to trial this intergenerational

choir program involving local

primary schools, clients and staff.

It brings great pleasure to all who

participate and many lasting friendships

between young and old.

Whiddon arts and crafts

Social arts and crafts groups are run

at Whiddon services for all clients.

Whiddon Pen Pal program Best Practice

Award winner 2011. Created at Whiddon

Kelso, this long running pen pal

program connects residents with

older people living in residential care

in Australia and other countries.

below: Sing Out Loud program

Brain science tells us that our

capacity for creative expression

does not diminish with age,

in fact it can grow.

At the forefront of new ways of thinking

The developed world is ageing fast and much is being researched

and learnt about our needs for wellbeing and quality of life,

in particular for people with dementia and chronic disease.

We partner with the academics and universities that are

developing the latest thinking, training and programs to fulfil

our mission to enrich lives through innovative care services.

Trials at Whiddon

Leap for Life A three year trial and

program created by the Dementia

Collaborative Research Centre (DCRC)

at UNSW for in-home care services.

Its objective is to achieve more

meaningful and beneficial interaction

between carer and client.

We Think You Can Dance , DCRC UNSW

A one year trial exploring the benefits

of dance and music for people with

dementia.

HALT A three year trial led by the

DCRC at UNSW around reducing

reliance on antipsychotic medication.

University of Tasmania paramedics

program Whiddon and UTas have

partnered to create Australia’s first

compulsory aged care component for

students completing their placements.

The aim is to create a more progressive

healthcare system that delivers the

best care to older Australian.

It’s often the little things

that matter most

Through our Leap for Life program we

discovered that Maureen loves to pick

fresh flowers from her garden every day.

Helping her find ways to do this safely

has made a surprising difference to her

quality of life.

below: Intergenerational

programs at Whiddon

Our people – making a difference

It’s a special person who can really listen and provide care and

support that will truly make a difference to older people’s lives.

We invest a great deal in finding and developing carers, nurses,

cooks, cleaners and many others who have the values and skills

to provide the right experience for our clients.

We have developed our own award-winning training programs,

such as our graduate nursing program that provides graduate

nurses with specific skills around caring for older people.

Having the right cultural mix for our clients and staff in all

our communities is also important. Whiddon was the first

aged care provider, for example, to collaborate with Replay,

an organisation that supports Indigenous people to undertake

training in aged care.

Tess’s story

Leisure officers are the wonderful people

who work with clients to provide activities

at a group and individual level – bus trips,

movies, sing-alongs, games and the like.

Tess joined Whiddon 20 years ago as a leisure

officer. Whiddon granted her a scholarship

to complete her Bachelor of Health Science

degree in Leisure and Health. Tess has

recently completed a TAE Certificate 4.

She is now a qualified Diversional Therapist

and has recently been promoted to Leisure

Manager at our Easton Park facility with

a team of over 15 people. Her dream job.

“This is a workplace that

truly thrives on staff

education and encourages

us to continue learning”

“Meaningful personal relationships are of the

utmost importance to older people and those

with high support needs.”

Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2009

Caring for people in their own homes

Our philosophy has always been to support our clients’

choices and wishes and to enable them to stay

as independent as possible. We work closely with clients

and their families to create a plan of care that addresses

the things that matter most to them. This can include

regular social outings, activities and assistance with

pursuing interests. Many older people live on their

own and small positive changes to their lives can have

a profound effect on feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Our community care services are often

co-located with residential homes.

This gives us the added advantage

of being able to invite our clients

to participate in and use the many

facilities and social events that

we offer in the homes.

Sidney’s story

Sidney is a widower and 80 years young.

He came to Australia as a ‘ten pound pom’

in 1952. When his wife died, our Community

Care Coordinator, worked with Sidney and

his daughter to create a care plan. Sidney

is very sociable and likes to meet people but

is unable to get out on his own. Whiddon put

them in touch with a volunteer group that

offer weekly bus trips.

Sidney loves these weekly outings and has

made friends with the regulars. He enjoys the

picnic lunch, games and puzzles that come

out at the end of the meal. John, Sidney’s

Whiddon carer, who takes him shopping,

discovered that Sidney used to love pool

swimming. He has back pain and together

they decided that it would be a good idea

to get him back to the pool. John now takes

him to aqua aerobics every week and the

improvement in his mobility and spirit

is remarkable.

Sidney’s care includes some form

of outing, visit or activity every week day

and he is experiencing a new lease of life.

He acknowledges that otherwise he

“would probably just sit around and mope

all day in front of the telly”.

Glenda’s story

Glenda is living at home on her own and

has dementia. She is withdrawn and does not

engage with others easily. Since her Whiddon

carer started bringing her in to the weekly

social craft group at our residential services

in Glenfield, her daughter has noticed a big

difference in Glenda’s mood. The craft groups

remind her of her years as a primary school

teacher and she looks forward to them with

great anticipation.

Community care

We know from research that

when people believe they have

some control over their lives,

their quality of life improves.

Life at Whiddon

We have 19 residential homes across NSW for elderly people

who can no longer live independently at home. Our homes

vary in size depending on the needs of the local communities.

Our largest home is our founding site in Glenfield with

capacity for 440 residents and our smallest is in Walgett

in northern New South Wales with capacity for eight.

We provide vibrant and caring environments that can meet

our residents’ social, emotional and clinical needs with a focus

on enjoyment, personal connection and community.

Excellence in clinical care –

meeting the needs of the future

The increasing demand for ageing

in one’s own home coupled with

an ageing society is changing

the nature of residential care services.

Our residents have more complex

health needs and are generally

older and frailer when they enter

residential care.

We ensure that our staff are able to

meet the increasingly complex health

needs of our clients with ongoing

training. We maintain leadership

in clinical practice through constant

participation in trials and new

programs and evaluating our services

through quality benchmarking.

Dining with dignity

Our dining with dignity program recognises

the importance of food and rituals around

meal times. Tables are laid with linen and

proper cutlery. Meals are served with care

and respect. Many of our services offer regular

award winning special dining events.

We aim to be at the heart

of our local communities.

Residential care

A home in a retirement community

We offer safe and affordable retirement villages where

our clients can enjoy maintenance free living, stay

independent and be part of a small community of other

older people. Our villages are located in the heart of the

local community with shopping centres, health services,

public transport and social clubs nearby.

Our community and residential care services are often right

next door to our independent living communities and can

provide care and support as our clients’ needs change.

Our independent living

communities are friendly and

social, with regular activities

and events.

Independent living

Frank’s story

During the war I was selected to go into the

air force. I went all around the world to San

Francisco, Canada, Scotland, North Africa and

Italy, where I did my operational training.

In training they only gave you one chance

to crew up, one week to learn. One bloke crashed

an aircraft. We really appreciated showering

in fresh water because most of the time we had

to shower in sea water.

I had a baby boy before I went to war and two

more daughters after the war. I don’t remember

exactly how many grand children and great

grandchildren I have, I’m ninety-six now.

I’ve been very well looked after at Whiddon. I first

came here with my wife into the independent

living part. After she died, I moved into residential

care. I’ve got great mates that I’ve had right

from the start. We often sit together at breakfast

and have a good chat. I make sure I read the

paper every day, all the way through.

Continuity of care

Older people can find change particularly

stressful when they are frail and ill.

The breadth of our services means that

we aim to offer our clients and their families

a high level of continuity of care as their

needs change. Making use of our range

of respite care or transitioning across the

different types of care services can be

a simple and stress-free process.

Clients are always welcome in our

residential care services. There are

opportunities to volunteer and

participate in festivals, open days,

dining and other community events.

Accreditations

Our awards are testament

to the effort that we put

into constantly improving

and developing new ideas

that contribute to greater

wellbeing for our clients.

Residential

Government quality accreditation

– all our services have achieved

accreditation in the last 3 year cycle

Community Care

Approved providers of home care

packages, including:

Consumer Directed Care

(CDC) packages

Home and Community Care

(HACC) packages

ACIMMS Certification –

an independent certification

of excellence for all our community

care services.

2014 Oscar Hospitality Aged Care

State Winners for 4 services – Largs,

Kyogle, Narrabri and Walgett.

2014 Aged Care Standards and

Accreditation Agency – Better Practice

Award for death screening.

2013 Oscar Hospitality Aged Care

Award State Winner. The Whiddon

Group Easton Park – Alicia Hardy,

Chef Manager

2013 Oscar Hospitality Aged Care

Award National Winner. The Whiddon

Group Redhead – Catering Innovation.

2013 Creative Partnerships Australia

Good Practice Recognition.

2013 Hesta Aged Care Award Finalist.

Outstanding Organisation.

2013 Linden Award – Honorary Award

for Innovation. The Whiddon Group

Glenfield.

2010 Aged Care Association Australia

– Employer of Choice Award Winner.

2009 Diversity at Work Award for

Employment and Inclusion of Mature

Age Workers.

2009 Aged Care Standards and

Accreditation Agency – Better Practice

Award for Palliative Care at our

Redhead home.

2006 Aged Care Standards and

Accreditation Agency – Better Practice

Award for the Literary Group Program.

2013 Linden Award for Play Up

Partner. Chris Pile – The Whiddon

Group Hornsby.

2012 Equal Opportunity for Women

in the Workplace Agency – Employer

of Choice for Women.

2012 Aged Care Standards and

Accreditation Agency – Better

Practice Award for Environmental

Management – emergency

preparedness, response and recovery

strategy.

2012 Runner up in the 2012 Narrabri

Business Awards for the health and

medical sector.

2011 Aged Care Standards and

Accreditation Agency – Better Practice

Award for infection control in our

Largs home.

2011 Aged Care Standards and

Accreditation Agency – Better Practice

Award for our Penpals program in the

Kelso facility.

Awards

Donating can make a real difference to people’s lives and local communities

Whiddon is a not for profit organisation.

We are constantly participating in research

programs, trials and developing new programs,

facilities and approaches to fulfil our mission

to enrich lives through innovative care services.

Many of our services are in rural and remote

locations and experience particular challenges

around distance and lack of infrastructure.

They are often one of the main employers

in town and are major supporters of the local

community. If you would like to learn more and

donate towards any of our services or programs

please contact us.

Connect with us

Learn more about The Whiddon Group, including our locations and services.

Find out more about us at whiddon.com.au

Join us on Facebook @ The Whiddon Group

Follow us on Twitter @ The Whiddon Group

Reaching regional, rural and remote NSW

The Whiddon Group

T 1300 738 388

whiddon.com.au

Volunteer with us

Every year, wonderful people from

our local communities volunteer

with us to help in our residential and

in home care services. They are all ages,

come from all walks of life and share

our passion for improving wellbeing

for our clients, their carers and families.

If you would like to learn more

about volunteering please call

Amiria Mackinnon on 02 9827 6631 or

email a.mackinnon@whiddon.com.au.