Scam prevention and RediPlan forums in July

Jubilee Community Care has a couple of informative and educational forums coming up in mid-July. The forums, which aim to make life easier and safer for our clients and members of the public, are free so invite your neighbours and friends along.

The first, in partnership with the Australian Red Cross, will give people the chance to learn about preparing for emergency weather events. The second, featuring Acting Senior Sergeant Jose Sarmiento, will focus on common scams and how to protect yourself against them. Both come after a very successful forum in April hosted by Jubilee on home safety and security.

EmergencyRedi forum – Thursday, July 11 at 10.30am to 11.15am at Toowong Library, Toowong Village, Toowong. RSVP by July 4:
Participants learn about the practical, psychological and social steps they can take to prepare for emergencies and minimise the impacts of a natural disaster. The workshops are interactive and include real examples and anecdotes, and activities focused on practical ways you can prepare for emergencies.
Topics covered include what emergency preparedness is and why it is important; preparing mentally for emergencies; how to assess your own risks and capacities; how to prepare your household for an emergency; guidance on completing your own emergency RediPlan; and other ways you can take action to prepare yourself, your household and your community.
Participants receive a RediPlan booklet which provides an easy-to-follow set of actions to help you plan for emergencies. Refreshments will be supplied.

Scams forum – Monday, July 15 at 11.30am to 1pm at St Andrew’s Anglican Church, 89 Fairley St, Indooroopilly. RSVP by July 8:
Acting Senior Sergeant Jose Sarmiento, guest speaker at our previous home security forum, will talk about the clever tricks scammers use to try and get your personal details and passwords in a bid to access your money. The different scams people might come across, how to identify them and what to do if you get caught out by scammers will also be covered. Includes tea, coffee and biscuits.

RSVPs to both forums are essential so register your place today. Phone Jubilee on 3871 3220 or email activities@jccagedcare.org.au as soon as possible.

I am delighted to inform our service was successful in a recent assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The Commission conducts regular assessments of the care and services provided by an aged care service provider and assesses their performance of services against the Aged Care Quality Standards. The successful assessment is of great comfort and confidence for clients receiving care from our wonderful support workers and volunteers, and supervision and management provided by our coordinators, finance and administration employees, and Board members. Well done and thank you to all.

The Jubilee Community Care Board is seeking expressions of interest from skilled and experienced people to join the Board, in particular to fill the roles of Treasurer and Secretary. The Board would also welcome contact from people with human resource, marketing or IT experience. Expressions of interest can be forwarded in confidence to myself care of the Jubilee Community Care office, via telephone to the office or email sriley@jccagedcare.org.au

Jubilee welcomes Sarah Edwards, our new Manager of Care Services, after the recent resignation of former manager Sharon Forbes. Sharon made the decision to resign and seek new challenges and opportunities in a role aligned to her personal needs. She was farewelled at a morning tea in the office. We wish Sharon well personally and professionally. I am delighted to welcome Sarah who started with us in early June. Sarah is an experienced nurse with diverse management skills in leading teams, hands-on experience in client case management, care planning, quality and governance and compliance in line with the Aged Care Quality Standards. We look forward to Sarah bringing her skills and experience to Jubilee Community Care.

Jubilee, like other community aged care service providers, is facing the continual challenge of recruitment and staff availability. While we provide services seven days a week our support workers have set days/times applicable to their personal needs, sometimes they are unwell and not able to attend work or have annual leave. If your usual support worker is not available we will roster another to your service. We encourage you to continue with your service to ensure care and support services are provided applicable to your needs.
Lastly, thank you to our clients, their families, our employees and volunteers for your ongoing messages of support for the services provided by Jubilee.

Kind regards,
Shaun Riley, Executive Director

Jubilee Community Care’s new Quality Care Advisory Body has had its first meeting. The Body, now mandatory for all aged care service providers under recent changes to The Aged Care Act 1997, aims to provide the Jubilee Community Care Board with feedback for improvements to our services.

Jubilee’s Body is led by client coordinator Jean Yan and includes Jubilee clients, or their family members, Lorna, Miriam, Graham and Michelle. Jubilee is still seeking more members willing to share their experiences and offer feedback.

Mrs Yan said the aim of the Body was to increase the transparency and accountability of what Jubilee does and to improve the leadership and culture of the organisation. “The Body will provide the Jubilee Board with a report about the quality of care and services every six months, assisting the Board to consider that feedback when making decisions about the quality of aged care provided through our services,” Ms Yan said.

“I think this opens up another channel to empower our clients to make choices and live the life they want with assistance from Jubilee. In our first meeting we touched on the changes in Aged Care Quality Standards, and increased surveillance on the trends of incidents, infection, risk management and feedback.”

Each of the clients or their family members have their own reasons for being part of the Quality Care Advisory Body. Jubilee is delighted to have them all.

Lorna and her late husband Brian started with Jubilee in 2017 and were attracted to the organisation because it was local and offered both continuity of carers and times of care. “I accepted the invitation to join the advisory body as one who has experienced, and has a better understanding of, the highs and lows of (Jubilee’s) past,” Lorna said. “Like any organisation, to grow and function to its highest level Jubilee needs feedback from those on the receiving end to keep on giving the best care.”

Miriam, who began services with Jubilee in 2018 after attending one of our community forums, was formerly the president of the Independent Education Union and a teacher for many years. “I am used to thinking about things in a corporate way,” she said. “I also don’t have anything like that in my life anymore and this gives me a little bit more of an academic interest. I think a group like this is critical to the effective running of an organisation.”

Michelle is keen to participate in the Body as a way of giving back to the wonderful team at Jubilee. “It’s not only about the amazing care for my parents since 2016,” she said. “I really couldn’t have navigated through the complexity of My Aged Care and other government processes without Jubilee’s guidance and support.
“My father no longer receives home care as he’s recently moved into residential care. He’s still being well supported by Jubilee in outings and external activities, which is why I’m particularly interested in aspects of ongoing quality care for private clients. It’s also a great opportunity to be part of lovely group, learning about each other and what goes on behind the scenes as well. It continues to be an interesting journey, and I’m once again really thankful for how approachable and inclusive everyone is at Jubilee, including the other Body members.”

Newest member Graham has been with Jubilee since 2021. He has a long and acclaimed career in health including many years on the Board of the Australasian College of Health Service Management. His work in the corporate and community sectors saw him awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia. “Part of my career was managing a significant aged care service and I was a district manager with Queensland Health,” Graham said. “My career in health for a 30-year period covered community care, disability, aged care and acute care. With that sort of background I thought I may be able to assist with the advisory body.”

Jubilee is still seeking expressions of interest from clients and/or their families to join our Quality Care Advisory Body. The meetings will be held bi-monthly online on the Microsoft Teams platform. If you would like to be part of the Body but do not have Microsoft Teams or experience with it support can be provided.

If you would like to join the Quality Care Advisory Body or find out more information email admin@jccagedcare.org.au or phone Jubilee on 3871 3220.