Carinity's story started 75 years ago, when a group of concerned Christians drew together with a shared mission to care for vulnerable seniors in the community.
From those humble beginnings, Carinity now cares for nearly 800 seniors in our residential aged care communities throughout Queensland.
Our original service, Clifford House, was immediately popular and soon found itself in need of more beds. After eight years, it relocated from Alderley to Ascot, before the current community at Wooloowin welcomed its first residents in 1991.
Given Clifford House is where Carinity began, it is fitting that the organisation will soon commence a renovation and refurbishment of that aged care community. The work will create a refreshed space that will meet the expectations of the community - both now and into the future.
Clifford House's longest-serving staff member, Activities Officer Leti Asi, has been with Carinity for 38 years. She's had the opportunity to observe how Carinity's approach to care has evolved over time, and how residents have benefited.
"The understanding of holistic care for our residents has really improved," she said, noting that modern care spans well beyond just the physical health of residents.
"Residents' preferences, tastes and lifestyles are accommodated as much as possible."
The individual approach to care is an ongoing shift within the sector.
"Modern approaches to aged care are focused on maintaining each resident's right to live their life the way they choose," explained Regional Residential Manager Larissa Gear - also a longstanding Carinity employee.
This is a welcome evolution from the 'nursing home' approach of decades past, where residents were expected to fit into the schedules and services that suited providers. Now, residents have the dignity of choice and control over almost every aspect of their day-to-day life.
Technology is also contributing to significant improvements in the experiences of our residents - far beyond the benefits of video-calling during mandated COVID lockdowns.
From a medical perspective, breath and pressure-sensitive mats allow care staff to remotely monitor the wellbeing and movement of residents unobtrusively.
The rapid implementation of telemedicine and virtual wards also enables residents to receive hospital care and monitoring without the need for a disruptive and often distressing transfer to hospital.
Technology also plays a pivotal role in improving the experiences of residents who are unable to communicate. The AI-powered PainChek app monitors minute facial movements to determine when a resident may be in pain but unable to tell care staff.
"The personal relationships and connections are such an essential part of the type of care we deliver," Larissa notes.
"Improvements in wearable technology has the potential to free up time for our nursing staff to spend on meaningful personal conversations with residents, checking in on their wellbeing and mental health."
But while many things change in the sector, the incredible dedication shown by the people delivering care stays the same. Working in aged care is often spoken about as being more of a calling than a job, with a special drive and devotion shown by the people drawn to caring for seniors.
That's how Leti views her 38-year career at Clifford House.
"We've really embraced our Christian values with the people we care for and support," she said.
The result is an outstanding level of care that Carinity intends to provide for many years to come as we continue to welcome new faces and new technologies into our communities.
