Meet Rozina, our dedicated Manager at Yaralla Place

Rozina is Residential Service Manager at Yaralla Place. Qualifying as a Registered Nurse in Fiji, she moved to Hervey Bay in 2004. She’s worked in the aged care sector for almost two decades, and previously lead PresCare Maryborough’s Clinical Care Team.

Why did you choose aged care as your career path?
When I lived in Fiji, there was no aged care, so when I moved here, I was attracted to this type of Nursing because it was new and different. I’ve always loved how interesting and varied aged care is compared to Nursing in the hospital setting.

How do you support your team to provide the best possible care to residents?
I take a very hands-on approach to make sure each member of our team feels closely supported in their role. I believe in consistent and open communication, and in empowering my team to make the right decisions that enhance the emotional and clinical well-being of residents.

How would you describe the culture of care here?
People come together to help each other every day. Every member of our team is respectful, puts residents first, and goes above and beyond to make sure residents are supported to live their best lives.

What would you say to others considering a career in aged care?
It’s very rewarding getting to know these amazing residents and their families. It means a lot to know you’re making a difference in their lives. It’s also rewarding to be able to develop skills across such a wide spectrum of care provision, and to have the support to continue upskilling and growing through mentorship and training.

At PresCare Maryborough, team members like Rozina are passionate about making a positive difference to residents.To find out more about our two welcoming communities, please contact our friendly team by calling (07) 4120 5800 or emailing infoMB@prescare.com.au

We love helping residents to stay connected with their loved ones.

Candice visits her Mum, Barbara, five days a week at Yaralla Place. She loves that there are no set visiting hours, so she feels welcome at any time.

What do you like to do on your visits?

Mum likes spending time outdoors and we’ve planted a little garden full of bright flowers just outside her window. We spend a lot of time here looking at the garden and we sing our favourite songs together. Sometimes, my sister and I take her to the markets near Town Hall, or to her favourite coffee shop near Queens Park. We’ll often take her back to our homes for the day, too.

Does your Mum feel at home at Yaralla Place?

She’s very settled here and very happy. The smaller house design really suits her as she’s quite a private person. She’s more comfortable being in this environment with familiar faces she knows, and her private suite is her sanctuary. When we take her out for a day trip, she always tells us when she’s ready to come ‘home’ – back to Yaralla.

What else do you like about PresCare Maryborough?

Mum has lived here for two years now, and as a Registered Nurse myself, I have great confidence that she is receiving the best care. The staff are lovely and really take the time to get to know Mum’s routine. They support her to remain as independent as possible, and they’re very respectful.

To find out more about our two Maryborough communities, please contact our friendly team by calling (07) 4120 5800 or emailing infoMB@prescare.org.au

When she was just 15 years old, Angela decided she wanted to pursue a career where she could make a difference to older Australians. After her studies, she moved from Brisbane to Maryborough and joined the Yaralla Place team. She’s been a highly valued member of our community for more than two decades.

What do you love about your role?

It’s so uplifting to be able to care for these amazing residents. I try to bring laughter and energy to my role and to just make them happy. It really makes me feel good knowing I can make a positive impact every day.

How well do you get to know residents?

I absolutely love getting to know the residents because they’ve got such interesting stories and they’re all so different. I like asking about their special belongings, like photos or ornaments, in their suites. These spark so many conversations and memories and I can tell how much they love talking about them.

Why do you think Yaralla Place feels like home?

Yaralla is a friendly, warm community where residents feel comfortable and relaxed. It’s a happy place and I’m delighted to use my experience to care for these special people. Our team works together to make the residents happy, and it’s rewarding for all of us to be making this environment as home-like as possible.

To find out more about our two Maryborough communities, please contact our friendly team by calling (07) 4120 5800 or emailing infoMB@prescare.org.au

2023: PresCare Maryborough’s Year in Review

Our care:

• The latest Resident Experience survey results reported an increase in the number of residents rating their quality of life as ‘Excellent’ (Yaralla Place: 81%, Groundwater Lodge: 100%)
• Both communities awarded highest possible accreditation by the Australian Government’s Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
• Staff rosters optimised to ensure every resident receives more time with Nurses and Carers

Our team:

• Work Rite culture program reported an increase in staff wellbeing, achievement, connection and performance (Yaralla Place: 56%, Groundwater Lodge: 30%)
• Permanent staff numbers have increased, reducing our need for temporary staff

Our community:

• Groundwater Lodge’s 20-room specialist dementia support household, with generous outdoor areas, is now fully operational
• A new, cook-fresh kitchen that services both communities has been installed at Groundwater Lodge
• The refurbishment of the 15-room Bottlebrush Household at Groundwater Lodge is nearing completion, with nine suites already occupied

All of these achievements mean we have been able to welcome more locals, and our communities have become even better places to live and work.

We’ve been busy making our outdoor spaces at both communities even better over the last few months, and we have more additions planned as we look forward to Spring.

At Groundwater Lodge, residents have been potting seedlings in their own colourful planter boxes that sit outside their private suites, and the main garden beds are full of potted colour, like pansies and petunias.

Our orange, lime, apple and nectarine trees are fruiting, and so is our mini mulberry bush, providing residents with delicious tastes as they spend time enjoying the gardens.

We’re also growing lots of herbs, including chillies, parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme, and we’re looking forward to using these in our cook-fresh kitchen soon. We also use the herbs in garden-related activities, like making ANZAC Day wreaths or potpourri bowls.

The sensory garden in our Dementia Support Household will soon have a new retaining wall with in-built seating and some interesting garden art. With new seasonal planting designed to maximise sensory stimulation, residents will be able to engage with nature through touch, smell, taste and sight.

At Yaralla Lodge, residents have been painting pots and planting them with flowers. The garden beds have been freshly mulched ready for new Spring planting, and we’re also planning some new garden beds for the residents to grow veggies.

To find out more about our two welcoming communities, please contact our friendly team by calling (07) 4120 5800 or emailing infoMB@prescare.org.au

PresCare Maryborough and Rockhampton are proud to be part of the Apollo Care Alliance that beat a field of over 200 submissions from 15 countries to win two major awards at the prestigious 11th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards 2023 in Singapore.

Distinguished judges from the UK, Finland, Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand awarded Apollo Care Innovation of the Year (Productivity) for organisational efficiencies and delivery of quality care. Apollo Care was also a finalist in two other categories – Operator of the Year (Residential Aged Care) and Innovation of the Year (Caregiver Model).

Accepting the award, Apollo Care’s CEO Stephen Becsi OAM said, “We took our new aged care industry model to an international stage and showed that it works for everyone – residents, their families, care workers, vendors and investors.”

“Apollo Care invests in innovation to make aged care better for residents and staff. 

“We strengthen each of our community’s care and operations through enhanced productivity, efficiency, compliance and, most importantly, resident experience,” Mr Becsi explained.

“At our three PresCare communities, for example, residents and staff are enjoying the benefits of a range of improvements and upgrades, including a cutting-edge cloud-based IT system, new hand-held mobile devices for every care worker, and a progressive clinical governance system that has seen the communities achieve the maximum three-year accreditation by the Australian Government’s Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Resident suites, common spaces and gardens are also being upgraded.

“It’s important to us that aged care services are sustained in regional areas, so locals needing residential care can stay connected to their community where they feel they belong,” said Mr Becsi.

Since commencing in 2020, Apollo Care has acquired seven communities and is in advanced negotiations to acquire a further six. This makes Apollo Care one of Australia’s fastest growing aged care providers.

Apollo Care was built from the ground up by a team of four industry veterans with a cumulative 85 years’ experience. In addition to Stephen Becsi, formerly CEO of Bethanie, WA’s largest NFP provider, Apollo Care’s leadership team comprises Barry Ashcroft, former CEO of Domain Aged Care, now Opal; Kylie Radburn, former National Care Governance Manager at Aveo; and John Young, a leading equity capital specialist.

“Our collective experience and ability to innovate are also crucial to addressing the tight labour market in Australia,” says Mr Becsi. “Attracting and retaining staff is a significant challenge and we’re constantly investing in our workforce. This includes measuring job satisfaction and productivity across the organisation via our proprietary dashboard,” said Mr Becsi.

To find out more about PresCare in Maryborough call (07) 4120 5800, or Rockhampton, call (07) 4999 0000.