The recently launched Tall Trees at Redland Bay is searching for endorsed enrolled nurses to fill their ranks, with apartments being snatched up at a rapid rate by seniors from around south-east Queensland.

Tall Trees recently undertook a major expansion of its operations, with three new care neighbourhoods in Redland Bay, Caboolture and Tweed Heads joining existing facilities in Brisbane’s Tanah Merah and Rochedale.

Part of the new guard of accommodation for seniors, Tall Trees provides customised care services for their residents whilst offering an environment that’s more like a resort than an aged care facility.

Tall Trees director of care Gae Munsie says the company is now looking to quickly fill nursing positions at the new Redland Bay facility in order to keep up with demand.

“We always knew that the apartments at Redland were going to sell quite quickly given the proximity to the bay, the quiet location and the quality and size of the rooms. However, the sales rate has truly exceeded our expectations,” Ms Munsie says.

“Unlike the newly acquired locations in Caboolture and Tweed Heads, Redland Bay did not have pre-existing care infrastructure, as the building itself was intended to be an over-50s resort.

“This, coupled with a rapid sales rate and an already heavy demand on nurses in the local area means we are about to start a major recruitment drive for the new neighbourhood.”

Because Tall Trees’ supported living model is different to most other aged care facilities, Ms Munsie says that prospective employees need to have a number of qualities that will make them suitable for a role with the company.

“At Tall Trees, we don’t try to divide our residents up according to their care requirements or state of health—we help them to live happily and comfortably in their own homes, and that takes much more work than some of the more traditional styles of aged care,” Ms Munsie says.

“We achieve incredible results for our residents because we work in with their lives, and allow them to be independent as possible while still receiving the necessary medical and personal care that they require.

“However, because we’re essentially providing in-home care, it’s takes a good deal of pragmatism, excellent personal skills and a real passion for helping people in order to be successful as one of our nurses.

“Tall Trees is an extremely rewarding company to work with, and I invite all nurses from the Redland Bay area to come and see our take on aged care.

“I believe those who are unfamiliar with supported living will be very pleasantly surprised by our approach.”

Would you like to work at Tall Trees Redland Bay? If you have experience as an endorsed enrolled nurse and have a passion for working with seniors, give the Tall Trees HR department a call on (07) 5562 6199.

Tweed senior Bev Hogg from Tall Trees Ocean View at Banora Point has single-handedly knitted over a thousand trauma teddies to donate to charity.

Ms Hogg is part of a neighbourhood group made up of 12 Ocean View residents and two ladies from the wider community who are prolific knitters of clothing, rugs and toys to donate to less fortunate children worldwide.

The group of ladies meets every week and tirelessly offers their time and skills for those in need by knitting and crocheting garments for babies and children. 

Tall Trees Ocean View community networker Shirley Pickering says the items they contribute to Brisbane-based charity The Dorcas Group are sent all over the world as well as within Australia.

“Items are sent to orphanages and missions in Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, outback Australia as well as to flood victims in Queensland,” Ms Pickering says. 

“In their work with the Dorcas Group, our ladies have helped to produce 600kg of rugs that have been sent to China and four hundred dresses and tops to children in the Philippines.

“Tall Trees Ocean View residents love being involved, as it gives them a great sense of contribution while letting them participate in a wider network of people who give tirelessly to assist those less fortunate.

“We believe very strongly in supporting the local and broader community, and our ladies’ work with the Dorcas Group embodies that perfectly.”

Star-knitter Ms Hogg says she places great value on the work her and her group has carried out.

“Knitting has always been a favourite pastime of mine, but to be able to use my handiwork to help out those in need makes it an even more worthwhile activity for me,” Ms Hogg says.

“I’m very proud of what we have achieved in our work with the Dorcas Group—their focus and logistical capabilities have really helped us to do some great things with what is essentially a hobby for all of us.”

Ms Pickering says that knitted beanies, toys, dolls, teddy bears, ponchos, children’s clothes, quilts and rugs are sent overseas to children enduring hardship.

“Our ladies have contributed a huge amount of clothes and toys for Destiny Rescue Homes in Cambodia, Thailand and Mozambique,” Ms Pickering says.

“These are areas where children as young as six years old are taken from their families and sold into prostitution.

“The children are saved by Destiny Rescue and set up in orphanages—our knitted items assist to clothe them and keep them warm.”

Ms Pickering says the group has also contributed to the Dorcas Group’s Lil’ Angels project over the last couple of years.

“The Lil’ Angels project was created to help meet the needs of mothers in hospital that are experiencing loss of their babies or general hardship,” Ms Pickering says.

“Our group of ladies has knitted four thousand items including plain gowns and dresses for stillborns and miscarried babies, as well as bootees and hats. 

“The dresses are made to assist with the grieving process for mothers, and these garments have been distributed to major hospitals in the Brisbane area.

“Pamper packs are also given out by social workers at each hospital for those mothers who have lost their baby or a single mum who is struggling.”

The Dorcas Group operates under the Worship Centre Women’s Ministry based in Brisbane, and is supported by the Brisbane City Council.

www.mydailynews.com.au/story/2011/09/28/bevy-of-teddies/

According to research published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, seniors living in neighbourhoods where they interact more often with their neighbours and count on them for help have much better odds when it comes to surviving strokes.

One of the main objectives for Tall Trees has always been to promote better health and wellbeing for all of our residents through creating a friendly neighbourhood environment and encouraging interaction with each other.

Tall Trees offers aged care in five different neighbourhoods between Brisbane and Tweed Heads and we understand that a positive social setting is very important to the health of seniors.

Seniors in our neighbourhoods are not only supported by our staff and carers, but also by the network of friends they develop when living in a Tall Trees neighbourhood.

Tall Trees aged care encourage a wide range of social activities on a weekly basis, because we know the effect that stress has on happiness and health.

www.seniorsnewspaper.com.au/?p=1326

This year, the Heart Foundation is investing $13.63 million towards cardiovascular research. 

Cardiovascular disease affects two out of three families and Tall Trees hopes that a large proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths are prevented in the future as a result of this investment.

Tall Trees are leaders in aged care in Brisbane and on the southern end of the Gold Coast, and have carers who aid residents who undergo symptoms of cardiovascular disease and other associated diseases.

Our nursing staff and carers understand how many families are directly affected by heart-related diseases and recognise how important funding into the research really will be when it may lead to preventing more people from suffering.

Tall Trees wants the best for not just their age care residents, but also the families who love and care about them too.

The funding will be going towards research into the causes, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and related disorders in order to fight the disease head on.

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Pages/default.aspx

Researchers at the University of South Australia and Flinders University say older Australians are increasingly falling victim to financial abuse from their adult children.

Providing aged care to Brisbane and the southern end of the Gold Coast, Tall Trees are concerned about the issue for seniors.

Financial abuse and family conflicts over money can cause a great deal of distress to older people, which is the last thing Tall Trees would like to see in the aged care community.

Financial abuse is the most common type of abuse against older people, and often accompanied by emotional exploitation.

At Tall Trees we do not just offer nursing care but also ensure that all our staff are friendly and approachable so residents can feel safe in speaking up about any issues they may have in their lives.

By ensuring residents feel comfortable expressing their concerns with our staff, we are able to help them if they are experiencing any form of abuse or emotional distress.

http://www.agedcareguide.com.au/news.asp?newsid=6288