CRAIG WEARNE
GARDEN VILLAGE
FOCUS SPEAKS WITH CEO CRAIG WEARNE ABOUT GARDEN VILLAGE’S UPCOMING VISION FOR THE YEAR AND NEW SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
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ell us a little about yourself and your role as CEO at Garden Village?
This is my sixth year working alongside the Garden Village team. The organisation’s continued growth is thanks to our 270 valued employees. Together, our people create a positive culture and caring community. As a local not-for-profit organisation everything we do is underpinned by our values to support the needs of our community and help them live their best life. In recent times our hardworking team has gone above and beyond and we are looking forward to a brighter COVID ‘normal’ future. What guides the Garden Village vision? Giving people opportunities to age positively is a shared responsibility. At Garden Village, we support a whole-of-community, whole-oflife, multiple activity approach to ageing. Our team is passionate about creating connected and inclusive services where everyone can take part in meaningful activities. Garden Village demonstrates progressive leadership to continually adapt to the needs of the region. I work with an experienced Board of Directors to support strategic growth while maintaining operational excellence. In 2022 we welcomed Gary Humphreys as the new
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Chairperson and two new Board Directors, Victoria Oakden and Shannon Dawson. We’ve accomplished some incredible milestones with two new Retirement Living residences, a new Wellbeing Centre and the launch of Home Care and Disability Support. Tell us more about the Disability Support and NDIS Services? We have over 40 years of experience providing care within the Hastings. People may not necessarily recognise Garden Village as a Disability Service provider, but it made sense to provide services and supports to NDIS participants given our experience and presence in the local community. It is also important to remember that people who already have an NDIS Plan in place and turn 65 can continue to access NDIS services. We also offer Disability Support to people over the age of 18 in the Port Macquarie Hastings region. Again, we are not known for providing services to younger people and we look forward to providing this additional support to the community. What Home Packages do you offer for older Australians? More people are choosing to live in their own homes as they age. People frequently leave it too late to consider Home Care arrangements so we suggest exploring Home Care possibilities
early. People who are 65+ can check their eligibility for in-home support through the My Aged Care assessment process or contact Garden Village Home Care for assistance navigating this process. Our growing team of Support Workers travel to provide nursing care and individualised support across the Hastings. We service clients from Port Macquarie to Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills, Laurieton, Kew and Wauchope. Garden Village Home Care offers a range of services including nursing care, medication assistance and personal care. Congratulations on receiving five stars for the new Residential Aged Care Star Ratings. Thanks! Garden Village received five stars for compliance which is a fantastic achievement. Overall Garden Village received a four star rating which is in the top 30 percent of residential aged care providers nationally. We’re pleased the new Star Ratings system offers transparency and accountability. It is another way for residents and families to find information about quality, compliance, residents’ experiences and staffing levels. We always recommend the personal approach book a tour with our Transition Nurse, Katie or Eilleen, talk to staff and residents and find out what makes Garden Village Residential Aged Care a good fit for you or a loved one.