Retirement Communities

It’s the race that stops a nation, and the chance to see and hold the iconic Melbourne Cup likewise stopped residents of Calvary St Joseph’s in their tracks when it paid a visit this week. “Not too many people can say they’ve held the Melbourne Cup,” said a delighted resident

If you tuned into the ABC’s groundbreaking series Old People’s Home for Teenagers last year, you would have been hard pressed not to be moved by the participants as they shared their experiences, thoughts and vulnerabilities. While that intergenerational experiment was airing, a more low-key program pairing young and old

Calvary Mirridong, in Bendigo, Victoria, was once named “Bendigo Blind Home”. In 1960, a local radio station ran a “Give it a Name” competition to rename the home. There were 490 entries submitted and the winning entry “Mirridong”, meaning happy home, came from Nancy Winzar. Nancy, who is now 94

“Where words fail, music speaks.” – Hans Christian Andersen Residents from our Memory Support Unit at Calvary Flora McDonald, Cowandilla, are enjoying weekly music therapy sessions as part of a 10-week trial program run by a registered music therapist from Creative Therapy Adelaide. The program and an instrument kit has

At Calvary, everyone is welcome Harmony Day on 21 March, and Harmony Week from 20 – 26 March 2023 is a time to celebrate the diverse cultures and customs of people from around the world, who may now call Australia home. The message of Harmony Week is everyone belongs. This

Alan and Jackie are celebrating their 40th Valentine’s Day together in a “month of love” with their 39th wedding anniversary in the coming weeks. The couple met through mutual friends at a celebration, with Jackie saying her now husband was “eyeing” her. “I fell in love with her immediately,” Alan

When 84-year-old Stan Shaw decided he would like to go up in a Tiger Moth, staff at his home at Calvary Mt Carmel set about making it happen.

Age has proved no barrier for residents at Calvary Haydon aged care home who are showing their artworks in their first public art exhibition. Creatively Ageing is a collection of 23 colourful abstract artworks created with curiosity and joy by 17 of the residents at the aged care home in

Having something to hold onto makes life, and death, easier to bear.

“Come in, have a biscuit.” Without context, these five words may not seem particularly special, but for Sandeep Kandel, General Manager of Calvary’s aged care homes in the Hunter region, hearing these words at work was a profound moment. On a quest to make aged care less institutional, Kandel and

A stroll around the gardens near the new Calvary Ryde residential care home now doubles as a walk through history with the installation of foundation stones that once adorned buildings long gone. A heritage site for Calvary Health Care and its founders, the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary,

The table was set, the crystal glasses polished, fresh flowers bloomed and love was all around when Alan and Elaine Ernst celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at a special lunch at Calvary Cessnock recently. The couple met at their local Baptist church at Dungog, also in the NSW Hunter Valley.

A special choir in suburban Melbourne is helping people living with Huntington’s Disease find their voice and enrich their lives, one song at a time. Run by Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, the Enrich choir brings joy, provides therapeutic and social benefits, and helps enable participants to live their best lives.

While most consider the Three Sisters to be a famous landmark and tourist destination in the Blue Mountains, at Calvary, we also have our very own ‘three sisters’ who are not only an attraction but also the heart and soul of Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views. Situated in Melbourne’s leafy

Anzac Day falls on 25 April each year, commemorating the lives of all Australians who have served their country in times of war, including our own Leslie Hughes, a resident at Calvary Rye Sands on the Mornington Peninsula.

Information for patients, aged care residents and visitors.

Last Thursday was Allied Health Professionals Day and John Wsol, the Lead Pharmacist for Education at Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, was awarded the ACT 2021 Allied Health Professional of the Year for his work achieving high-quality learning environments and patient outcomes.

Marlene strolls around the new garden at her home at Calvary Cessnock Retirement Community. Her younger sister Margaret is visiting and arm in arm they meander along the paths, around the recently planted lemon and lime trees, under an arbor, past raised garden beds ready for planting and succulents already

Residents of Calvary St Catherine’s Retirement Community in Berri are scheduled to move into their new $19 million home on Tuesday, 21 September 2021. The Riverland’s newest residential care home is located on McGilton Road, next door to the new Berri Medical Centre (currently under construction). Purpose built to assist

Sounds of the 70s spill from the recreation hall as residents and staff clap and tap and sing along. It’s December 2020 and the annual Christmas concert at Calvary St Joseph’s Retirement Community in Newcastle is in full swing. But it isn’t professional entertainers out front belting out the tunes.

Residents, their families and the Berri and Riverland community have the opportunity for a sneak peek at the new Calvary St Catherine’s Retirement Community on Sunday, 12 September. Calvary staff will be on hand to show people through the Riverland’s newest residential care home, with resident and family tours during

Aged Care Employee Day is being held this Saturday to celebrate more than 360,000 aged care employees around Australia. This year’s theme is ‘Thanks For Caring’ to recognise each team member involved in caring for the 1.3 million older Australians receiving home care or residential care services. At Calvary we

Calvary has entered confirmatory due diligence with Japara Healthcare Ltd following a decision by Japara’s Board to allow access for Calvary to develop a binding proposal the board can recommend to its shareholders. The Revised Indicative Proposal proposes the acquisition of 100% of the shares by Calvary in Japara by

Calvary Cessnock Retirement Community residents and family members have had a sneak peek of life in the new-look Hebburn Lodge, which has undergone a $2.4 million redevelopment – including creation of a large sensory garden. It was thumbs up all round for the new residential care accommodation at a recent

Editorial by Jim Birch, AM – Chair, Calvary Health Care Published 4 May 2021 in The Adelaide Advertiser Support for Voluntary Assisted Dying is strong. Plenty of polls will testify to this. Ask most people if they should have control of their lives and deaths and they will say of

Many Australians know someone who has been diagnosed with, or has cared for, someone with dementia. We want to help, but how? Calvary is supporting the Step Up for Dementia Research program. StepUp is a research participation and engagement service, a “one-stop shop” that connects individuals – both with and

On 2 March 2021, the Australian National University (ANU) and Calvary Health Care formalised their partnership in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that extends their joint activities, beyond the ACT to Calvary Health Care nationally.

At Calvary we pride ourselves on the provision of high quality care delivered by dedicated Calvary staff across Australia.

This time last year, Aaron Reynolds was working in a construction job. Now he has found his calling, caring for older men living with dementia. The 22-year-old from Kitchener is one of nine local people who are part of the latest intake of trainee care workers at Calvary Cessnock Retirement

My recipe has always been that if you care about someone else more than you care about yourself … well, it comes back a hundred fold.

Katherine Ryan has been the welcoming face and voice behind the reception desk at Calvary Cessnock Retirement Community for the past 20 years.

An official Site Blessing of the new Calvary St Catherine’s Retirement Community occurred on Thursday 15th October. Located in Berri, South Australia, the development will deliver a new aged care residence on a greenfield site to replace the existing facility. The design will allow for future expansion, and has been

An initiative to connect some of Calvary’s Newcastle aged care residents to pen pals at a local primary school during the Covid-19 lockdown won hearts and minds when it featured on The Sunday Project television program. The targeted letter writing program prompted the residents, many of whom have dementia, to

The surroundings might have changed at the new-look Ryde Residential Aged Care home, but the connections and bonds between residents and staff have not. Like the one between retired sea captain Stephen Alphonso and Pastoral Care Coordinator Glen Renton, who sat down recently to share some laughs, and their story.

Eighty residents recently made the move ‘next door’ to their new, purpose-built aged care home in the 8-hectare grounds of Calvary Ryde Retirement Community. General Manager Joseph Massih said the move marked the completion of the first stage of the $60 million major redevelopment, which will also include an additional

Aged Care Day recognises each and every Calvary team member that is involved in caring for older Australians, receiving home care or residential care services. Aged Care Employees Day puts these everyday heroes in the spotlight, celebrates them, and highlights the many different roles of those involved in the aged care journey.

More than 80 residential aged care residents at Calvary Ryde Retirement Community will move into the new Ryde Residential Aged Care facility in the first week of August. Their new home will have the best of both worlds – a brand new facility with single rooms, all with ensuites; and

The World Health Organisation has declared 2020 is the International Year of Nurses and Midwives, with International Midwives Day celebrations on Tuesday, May 5th and International Nurses Day celebration on Tuesday, May 12th.

Congratulations to Eileen McDonell (nee Greene), born in Coonamble, New South Wales, who turned 100 years old on Monday 2 March 2020. In 1942 Eileen joined the war effort, signing up with the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in Sydney. Posted to Richmond Air Force base she worked first

Calvary Bruce Public Hospital Bruce in partnership with Capital Health Network, were yesterday evening awarded an Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety Award for their “Trialling a Geriatric Rapid Acute Care Service in the ACT”. ACHS CEO, Dr Karen Luxford presented the award, saying the

It is a great pleasure to facilitate the Health 2040 Taskforce Report released today.

Over the past three days, 15 Pastoral Care and Mission personnel from Calvary’s hospitals, aged and community care streams have been in Melbourne, attending the annual National Conference of Spiritual Care Australia (SCA). Calvary is a proud supporter of the conference which this year attracted 250 attendees from across Australia

Calvary Ryde Retirement Community, in Sydney NSW, has a special place in the history of Calvary and the Little Company of Mary, as it was the second formal facility the LCM Sisters established following their arrival in Australia in 1885.

On 23rd of March Sister Eymard McNamara LCM celebrated her 105th birthday at a celebration with family, friends and her LCM community at Calvary Ryde Retirement Community.

On 19 June the ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (‘VAD’) comes into effect in Victoria. Since the Act’s passing in 2017, Catholic Health and Aged Care services in Victoria have been working together to ensure that we have a clear and consistent response to the Act. Our services are committed

Professor Nicholas Glasgow has been appointed as Chair of the Calvary Palliative and End of Life Care Research Institute. Professor Glasgow takes over from the Inaugural Chair, Professor Liz Lobb. Professor knowledge, expertise and outstanding leadership have been invaluable in establishing the Institute as a leader in palliative and end

A new report commissioned by Catholic Health Australia (CHA) calls for the provision of more home-based palliative care services to relieve pressure on hospitals and save valuable health system dollars. CHA, the peak body for Catholic health and aged care service providers in Australia, launched the report today at Calvary