Retirement Communities

Residents exhibit their creative side

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

Less institutional, more homely

“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

Heritage set in stone for all to see

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,

A time to remember

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.

Enriching lives, one song at a time

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.

three elderly sisters sitting on a couch together in an aged care home
The Three Sisters of Calvary

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

Acknowledging the importance of Anzac Day

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.

Thank you for the music

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.

Thanks for caring

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 enters due diligence with Japara

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

New starters find joy in career switch

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

Pen Pals wins hearts and minds

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 Two of Us

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.

Celebrating Aged Care Employee Day 7 August 2020

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.

Year of the Midwife and Nurse 2020

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

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 builds on Spiritual Care

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

Report calls for more home-based palliative care

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

Breaking Ground at Calvary Ryde

Today marks the official commencement of the $60m redevelopment of Calvary Ryde Retirement Community. The redevelopment is on track for completion in early 2020. Plans commenced back in 2007 and after much discussion and lots of commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm the DA approval was granted in July 2017, works are now set

Winners are certainly grinners

Over the last month, Calvary Mt Carmel residents have let their creativity soar, building their own town for the Woodlands ‘Build a Town’ competition. Calvary Mt Carmel were invited to participate in a regional inter facility aged care competition to Build a Town – 30 August 2018. Guidelines included involving