Aged Care Employees Day 2023

 

“I’m so proud of how giving and kind our Twilight staff are. Their focus is always on ensuring our residents feel at home.” Neil Wendt, Twilight CEO.

 

On Monday August 7, 2023, Twilight Aged Care honoured and celebrated our staff teams. With a gift and a staff luncheon, we said #thanksforcaring to our fabulous staff members, from catering to care, from RN’s to FM’s, from cleaning and maintenance to recreational activity officers and gardeners. Without all of you, our frail aged and vulnerable residents would not receive the excellent care they deserve.

 

As well as celebrating our current staff, we said goodbye to John, from Hunters Hill Village, after eight years of wonderful service. Best wishes for the future, John!

“It is rare to be part of a team, who all radiate such a splendid commitment to care, compassion, integrity, and generosity of spirit.”

Leah Bisiani – MHlthSc/DipBus/RN1/Aged Care and Dementia Specialist.

4 Women, 61 Years of Service

We were very happy to see so many members of our Hunters Hill Village team be awarded their 10 years of service badge!

From left to right: Yvette Fonseca, Elizabeth Sikimeti, Gladys Maseko (the Facility Manager of Hunters Hill Village), Iwona Taborek and Chandrika Herath.

Combined, these amazing women have given a life-time of care- 61 years:

  • Yvette Fonseca (Cook, 12 years at Twilight)
  • Elizabeth Sikimeti (PCA, 11 years at Twilight)
  • Iwona Taborek (PCA, 20 years at Twilight)
  • Chandrika Herath (Cook/RAO, 18 years at Twilight)

The 10 year service badge is a new initiative of the Twilight Aged Care Board. They wanted to acknowledge the exceptional work of those who has been with Twilight for over a decade.

This is an incredible achievement, and we want to thank all of them for their decade(s!) of compassion!

Christmas at Hunters Hill

It was a jolly time for those at Hunter’s Hill Residential Aged Care Facility, as families, school kids and even Santa himself joined for the festivities!

Residents and families together enjoying the Christmas lunch

The community came together to create a merry experience for everyone with carols, presents and festive red and green food. Hunters Hill Public students made the Christmas cards for those staying at the home, and local groups donated raffle prizes and gifts for Santa and the children to give to the residents.

Heilala Galbraithe, a staff member at Hunters Hill said that the event meant that everyone could come together in a family Christmas that all their residents could enjoy. “They are our family too”, she said “like our own grandparents”.

Staff who had the day off, like Heilala herself, still made the trip to the home to join those setting up the lunch festivities. Facility manager, Gladys Maseko, thanked all the relatives and staff for coming and making the day more magical for the residents and their guests.

The Hunters Hill Congregational Community Church choir lead by pastor Julie Grancha, brought music and energy to the day. They had an early show that carried into lunch time, and brought a joyful spirit to the Christmas celebrations with classics like Jingle Bells and Holy Night.

However, the highlight of the day was when George Burns, one of the residents, performed the old Irish balled Danny Boy with Julie and the church choir. It was an emotionally charged moment for his family, as well as staff and residents like Helene Polhill, who recalled the moment, saying it “Brought me to tears”.

George Burns before his wonderful performance of ‘Danny Boy’

The food was catered for by Twilight’s passionate cooks, including Yvette Fonseca, who crafted a feast for those attending. Residents and families enjoyed food like vibrant Christmas coloured panna cotta and chicken puffs- the “all-time-favourite”.

The Christmas lunch has been a long-time tradition of Twilight aged care, to bring people together during the holiday. It is held annually in Hunters Hill Village Residential Aged Care Facility as well as throughout all of their four homes in the northern Sydney area.