Aged care is so important. We don’t forget that. As a leading provider of aged care services in South Australia, we’re proud of our reputation for good. Across all our regional and metropolitan centres, every day, our people make a difference in their communities. We talked to Josh, Hariz and Donna to find out how they make a positive impact through their roles at Helping Hand.

A legacy of providing quality care

At Helping Hand, we’ve offered help and support to older people in South Australia since 1953. That’s 70 years of delivering quality care! Over that time, our services have grown, and today, we operate 11 aged care homes, support 7,000 clients and residents, and employ 2,000 staff across Adelaide and regional South Australia.

This impact is huge, and we wouldn’t be where we are without our people. They are straight talking, all caring and ever striving. And without their effort and compassion, none of this would be possible.

That’s why, even if our presence is spread across vast regional areas in South Australia, it’s important for us all to feel connected to our purpose: to create communities and experiences that enable older people to live their best lives. Donna, our Residential Services Group Manager, talks about how such a vast network of staff is able to stay connected and engaged.

“We have really robust organisational structures at Helping Hand,” she says. “For example, Whyalla is quite a distance from Adelaide, but we’ve established effective meeting structures and communication networks that ensure regular and productive connections among all our care homes. Despite being a large organisation, it’s a really supportive and family-like environment where there’s always someone available to help.”

A regional contribution

From small gestures of compassion to big teams working together, Helping Hand supports countless communities across South Australia. Every client and every resident in our care homes matters. In 2021, we set out to lend a helping hand by working with Kindred Living to ensure the continuity of aged care services in the Whyalla region.

The transition of Kindred Living to Helping Hand ensured that 340 older people in residential and home care could continue to receive the support they needed. Not only that, it also helped provide security and stability to over 200 staff in the region.

Donna and her team played an instrumental role in the transition which laid the foundation for a bright future in aged care services for the entire region. She reflects on her experience and the impact she was able to make.

“Looking back, I think, how lucky I was to be part of something that provides aged care services for an entire community. The small part I played within Helping Hand actually helped secure two aged care homes in the region, and meant staff living in Whyalla had jobs. That’s incredibly rewarding work.”

Our approach to creating a positive impact on regional communities isn’t about standardising our care homes so they all look and function in the same way. We recognise that each care home is unique, and that’s something we want to celebrate. While our values and common purpose connect us, our goal is to support our care homes and staff to help them achieve their specific goals.

Growing impact with a personal touch

Though the size and impact of our services are growing and adapting to meet the needs of ageing Australians, we can’t forget that every moment, no matter how small, matters and every interaction counts. Hariz, Clinical Nurse at our North Adelaide care home, talks about the difference a career at Helping Hand can make.

“Honestly, I work with such a good team. I would not trade that in to work anywhere else. The people at Helping Hand play such a huge role in making a big difference. I know who the executive team is here. I know who I’m working for. That kind of personal touch is crucial. And because of that, I’m happy in my role.”

Wherever our people are based and whatever their role is with Helping Hand, they contribute significantly to their communities. Josh, our Home Support Worker, understands the profound impact of his role and how it can create a ripple effect of positivity and care throughout his community in North East Adelaide.

“I believe I can have a direct impact on growing the organisation within my role. If I do my job well, it not only has a positive impact on my client’s life, but through word of mouth, it can bring in new clients as well. This has happened with five or six clients in the past. While they could’ve gone to numerous other aged care providers, they chose Helping Hand because of the quality care we provide.”

Be part of something bigger.

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