Author: Hansel Almeida

Dear Residents and Families,

I am pleased to announce that following a recent recruitment process involving both internal and external applicants, Karuna Banakar has been appointed as the Leisure and Wellbeing Coordinator for Taylor House, effective 27 July 2026.

She will receive handover from outgoing Leisure and Well Being Co-ordinator, Kim Ryan who will then be in well-earned long service leave and heading to happy retirement.

Karuna has demonstrated a strong commitment to our resident’s engagement and team, and I am confident she will make a valuable contribution in her new role.

I am also delighted to share that Lavani Lee will be stepping into the role of Relationship-Based Care (RBC) Coordinator for Taylor House, taking over from Karuna. Lavani brings valuable experience and dedication to the position, and we look forward to her continued success in this important role.

Kind Regards,
Nish Gautam
Residential Services Manager

Dear Team,

This is the week we’ve been working towards! From Tuesday, 21st July, we will officially be going live with Telstra Health – Clinical Manager.

Whiddon team members and Telstra Health representatives will be available all week to provide assistance as you begin using the new system in daily practice.

Thank you for your dedication, training, and teamwork in preparing for this moment. We’re confident this change will support even better care for our residents.

Dear Residents, Families, and Carers,

Next week, Whiddon Easton Park Units will officially begin using the new Clinical Manager system. This is an exciting milestone that will help us deliver care in a more consistent and efficient way.

You may see staff using the system on mobile phones, tablets or computers, but please be assured that your care will continue as usual. The new system is designed to help our team look after you even better.

Thank you for your patience and support as we move to this new way of working. If you have any questions, please contact your local team.

Note – Please do not reply to this message, as the inbox is not monitored. If you have any questions, please contact your RSM.

Whiddon – Easton Park – EPU

Dear Team,

We’re now moving into the hands-on stage of our transition. Next week:

• Care Plan Activity: Selected RNs will begin entering Care Plans into Clinical Manager.
• Systems in Parallel: Both AutumnCare and Clinical Manager will run side-by-side to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Onsite Support: Robynne from the quality team will be on hand to provide guidance and answer questions.

This is a crucial phase, and your dedication will help us stay on track. Thank you to everyone for your focus and teamwork.

Dear Residents, Families, Friends & Representatives,

Please be advised that we are currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak.

We have 11 confirmed cases across Hostel, Bedwell and Kingston wings. All residents have been tested. We are working with the Public Health Unit to manage the situation appropriately.

Please be assured that we have implemented our outbreak management plan, including enhanced infection control measures, monitoring, and support for affected residents.

All visitors are encouraged to consider postponing any visits if they are unwell or experiencing any flu-like symptoms. The safety of our residents and team members is our number one priority.

We thank everyone for their support and understanding while our team manage this outbreak.

The Whiddon Team

Dear Residents, Families, and Carers,

We are pleased to inform you that we are transitioning to a new clinical documentation system called Clinical Manager.

This change will bring several important benefits, including:

• Simpler and clearer clinical documentation, which will help our staff spend more time focusing on care.
• Improved communication within our team, ensuring care is informed, consistent, and responsive.
• Mobile point-of-care documentation, allowing our staff to record care in real time using a secure mobile app.
• Updates sent to the person responsible (via email or SMS), including non-urgent information, where appropriate. Please note – the updates are sent from a system. If you have any enquiries, please contact your RSM.

Please be assured that in the case of any emergency, we will always call you directly.

We are committed to delivering the highest standard of care, and this new system is an important step in continuing to improve how we support you and your loved ones.

If you have any questions about this change, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Dear Team,

Next week marks the first big step in our transition to Clinical Manager. Here’s what you can expect:

• Training: Selected RNs will complete a 3-hour online CarePlan training session to prepare for CarePlan updates.
• Data Migration: Resident Demographic data will be migrated into Telstra Health. Selected RNs will be spending the next 2 weeks to get all information in the Clinical Manager system.

Your cooperation and focus are key to getting us off to a strong start. Thank you for your continued support as we move forward.

Hi team,

I wanted to provide an update regarding travel allowances for our Home Care teams.

As you know, we temporarily increased the kilometre reimbursement rate in response to significant rises in fuel prices. We implemented this change for a period of three month which concludes on the 30^th June. We have continued to monitor fuel trends, which indicates that fuel prices have now stabilised compared to the elevated levels we saw previously.

Based on this, we will be reverting to the original vehicle allowance of $1.00 per kilometre, effective from the first pay period in July.

It’s important to note that even at this rate, Whiddon continues to reimburse travel at approximately 12 cents above the ATO cents-per-kilometre rate. This rate is intended to cover not only fuel, but also vehicle wear and tear, servicing, and maintenance. Our assessment is that the $1.00 per kilometre allowance continues to adequately support these costs.

We recognise that fuel pricing can change, and we want to reassure you that we will continue to monitor this closely.

We appreciate the important work you do every day supporting our clients in their homes and communities and thank you for your continued flexibility.

If you have any questions, please speak with your manager.

Regards,
Alyson

Dear Residents, Families, and Carers,

Next week, Whiddon Easton Park – Taylor House will officially begin using the new Clinical Manager system. This is an exciting milestone that will help us deliver care in a more consistent and efficient way.

You may see staff using the system on mobile phones, tablets or computers, but please be assured that your care will continue as usual. The new system is designed to help our team look after you even better.

Thank you for your patience and support as we move to this new way of working. If you have any questions, please contact your local team.

Dear Residents, Families, and Carers,

Next week, Whiddon Easton Park – Sir David Martin will officially begin using the new Clinical Manager system. This is an exciting milestone that will help us deliver care in a more consistent and efficient way.

You may see staff using the system on mobile phones, tablets or computers, but please be assured that your care will continue as usual. The new system is designed to help our team look after you even better.

Thank you for your patience and support as we move to this new way of working. If you have any questions, please contact your local team.