Mercy Health’s dedicated staff are ‘unsung heroes’
Lee-Anne Broadbent (right) is just one of the dedicated care staff who will forfeit Christmas day to help care for the dozens of residents at local aged care home Mercy in Edgewater. Photo: Supplied
Carramar resident and enrolled nurse Lee-Anne Broadbent is just one of the dedicated care staff who will forfeit Christmas day with her four daughters and extended family to help care for the dozens of residents at local aged care home Mercy in Edgewater.
“I love my job and so spending Christmas day with residents isn’t really like working, it’s an honour to be here to care for those seniors who are unable to be with their families,” Ms Broadbent says.
“Although some of our residents celebrate Christmas with their own families, there are many who don’t have anyone to go home to and it’s just wonderful to be there for them, particularly as I think of them in many ways as part of my own family; they are beautiful people.”
Ms Broadbent will be one of a handful of staff members who will be work on Christmas day, including nurses, carers, cooks and kitchen helpers, all of whom will be focused on ensuring that residents enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch as well as tending to their daily care needs on 25 December.
Mercy Health WA State Manager, Ms Anita Ghose, said that, in many ways, the local care staff were the unsung heroes of the community during the festive season.
“When most people are opening presents on Christmas day, tucking into Christmas lunch, pouring a celebratory drink or enjoying family company, Mercy Health staff will be caring for others in their usual dedicated way,” she said.
“We are extremely fortunate to have many committed and dedicated staff who are only too happy to go the extra mile to care for our residents and also help inject a little Christmas spirit into their day.”
Mercy Health is a Catholic community not-for-profit provider of care founded by the Sisters of Mercy and grounded in a 2,000-year history of caring for those in need. The organisation is a national service provider of health and aged care throughout Victoria, Southern New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. In Western Australia, the organisation cares for over 300 people across six residential homes, with 78 independent living units.