Community Archives

two older people holding hands

Strengthening palliative and end-of-life care at Capecare

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Capecare is making significant progress on a project to strengthen the palliative and end-of-life care we provide to older people and their families across our residential and Community home care services.

In November 2025, Capecare received funding through the End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) Linkages Program for our Busselton and Dunsborough residential care facilities and Community home care services.

The project is helping us review how palliative and end-of-life care is provided across Capecare, build the knowledge and confidence of our teams and identify practical improvements that can be embedded into everyday care.

Palliative care supports people living with a life-limiting illness to live as fully and comfortably as possible. It can begin well before the final days of life and includes managing physical symptoms such as pain as well as addressing emotional, social and spiritual needs and supporting families and carers.

A Capecare Palliative Care Working Party has now been established to help guide this work across the organisation, with palliative care and advance care planning champions also being developed.

Education has been an important part of the project. In May, four days of specialised palliative care education through the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) were arranged for staff from our Dunsborough, Busselton and Community services. Trainees included registered nurses, carers and lifestyle team members, with participants reporting that the training was practical, relevant to different roles and encouraged further learning.

We are also strengthening the way we review and learn from end-of-life care. After Death Audits are now being completed following deaths, providing teams with an opportunity to consider what went well, identify any gaps in care or communication, support staff to debrief and identify opportunities for further improvement.

Supporting families is another important focus. Capecare teams have been reviewing and introducing trusted information about advance care planning, palliative care, grief and bereavement. Resources from ELDAC, palliAGED and Palliative Care Australia are now being made available to staff, residents and families, and we are developing a new online palliative care resource through the Capecare website to make this information easier to find.

Practical improvements are also being trialled. At Dunsborough, a dedicated palliative care trolley was established in June to make important comfort-care resources readily available when they are needed. Early feedback has been positive, with the pilot due to be reviewed in September.

The project is also helping strengthen connections beyond Capecare. Our team has met with South West Regional Palliative Care to improve understanding of specialist support, referral processes and communication when residents move between hospital and Capecare.

Together, these initiatives are helping us build a more consistent and informed approach to palliative and end-of-life care – supporting older people to be comfortable, respected and involved in decisions about their care, while ensuring families and the people important to them are informed and supported.

ELDAC is a national specialist palliative care and advance care planning advisory service. The ELDAC project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and managed by a consortium of three Australian universities and four national aged care, palliative care and health organisations.

Capecare celebrates its home care clients each aged 100+

Capecare celebrates its home care clients each aged 100+

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Capecare celebrated the lives of four cherished home care clients last month with a combined 100th birthday party.

Coined as the inaugural ‘100 Club’, each of the four residents are still living in their own homes in Busselton with Capecare’s help.

CEO Tim Nayton said it was a huge achievement to reach the age of 100 and still be living independently.

“Our Community team recently noted we had four clients who had reached 100 years of age, and we couldn’t let it pass without celebrating and acknowledging these extraordinary people,” he said.

“We’ve created a ‘100 Club’ and plan to hold an annual celebration, bringing together our centenarian clients, their family members and our staff.

“Capecare is a genuine community-based organisation and an important part of our mission is to support the community in which we operate,” he said.

Capecare’s 2025 ‘100 Club’ members who attending the party at Capecare’s new Community Centre were:

  • Joan Harlow – 106
  • Hubert Davies – 104
  • George Ferris – 102
  • Violet Hayter – 100

A joy to celebrate lives well lived

Capecare Community Manager Lesley Cunningham said George, Joan, Hubert and Violet were remarkable people.

“They remind us that life is about resilience, family, friendship and the simple joys of everyday living.

“It is a joy to celebrate lives well lived, their wisdom and presence. Our community staff love spending time with each of these cherished clients and learn so much from them. In turn, our staff feel privileged to assist them to live well at home for as long as possible.”

Capecare provides a range of in-home care for older people in the south west including personal care, domestic assistance, gardening, home maintenance, nursing care and medication support, shopping and community transport. It also provides allied health services, a Community Centre in Busselton for day visits, and overnight respite care when carers need time for themselves.  A new Cottage Respite centre provides private suites, each with a bedroom, ensuite and living room, delicious meals and 24-hour nursing care. For  more information visit our Community Services page.

 

Pictured: Mayor Phill Cronin, Capecare Community Manager Lesley Cunningham, Libby Mettam MP and Hubert’s daughter Jennifer Anderson with Hubert, George, Joan and Violet

Support at Home program is Coming

Support at Home program is Coming

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The Australian Government’s new Support at Home program will launch on 1 November 2025, bringing important changes to the way older Australians access and receive in home aged care services.

This new program is designed to simplify the current system, improve access to services, and provide more flexibility and choice for people who want to continue living independently at home. As a result, existing Home Care Packages and related services will transition into the new Support at Home model.

If you are currently receiving Capecare’s in home aged care services, or if you are exploring your care options for the future, it’s completely natural to have questions about what these changes mean for you, your services, and your ongoing support. You may be wondering how funding will work, whether your current care can continue, or what steps—if any—you need to take.

To help make this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible, we have created a practical and easy-to-understand guide. This guide explains what the Support at Home program is, what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and how you can continue to access the care and services you need to live safely, comfortably, and confidently at home.

View and download our Support at Home guide HERE.

You can also explore our Support at Home Packages, which outline the types of care, services, and support Capecare can provide under the new program.

View our Support at Home Packages HERE.

 

Smiling older woman with her care worker in the kitchenCapecare

Free information sessions on aged care Support at Home changes

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The Federal Government is introducing changes to the way home care services are charged from 1 July 2025.

A new Support at Home program will replace Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.

Capecare is presenting two free information sessions in June to help people understand these Support at Home changes, plus they will share information on respite care and aged care services available in the community.

Capecare’s Community Manager Lesley Cunningham said the Government’s changes would help older people stay in their homes for longer and hopefully make the system more equitable.

“We’ve been planning for these changes being implemented and are keen to share information with our community members so they can find out how they can access our services,” she said.

“The new process will improve access to services and our goal at Capecare is to keep our community clients at home for as long as possible, connecting them to our services and dedicated support workers to allow them to age in place with dignity.

“Capecare provides a community social centre, respite stays, in-home respite care, allied health and in-home care so we are able to provide our clients with consistent care, tailored to their needs.

Find out about how you or a loved one can access federal funding and Capecare’s services in Busselton on Thursday 12 June at 10.30am at Capecare’s Community Centre at 20 Ray Avenue Busselton, or in Dunsborough on Wednesday 11 June at the CWA Rooms at Capecare Dunsborough at 171 Naturaliste Terrace from 9am to 11am.

Morning tea will be provided and Capecare’s Community team will be on hand to answer all of your questions.

RSVP to community@capecare.com.au or call 9750 2097.

Young woman helping an older woman into a minibus marked CapecareCapecare

Capecare can help you stay living at home longer

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Getting the right help at home is crucial for older people to be able to stay living at home independently for as long as they can.

No two people have the same needs. Some may need help with transport to medical appointments or to the supermarket, others might need home maintenance, gardening, or cleaning assistance, or help with showering, dressing and getting ready for the day.

Capecare Home Care Manager Rachel Meares said trust and continuity between the client and service provider was important in giving older people confidence to stay in their home with external support.

“Recognising that you need help and then navigating home care and aged care services can be tricky,” she said.

“Once Government Home Care Package funding is approved, you want to get straight onto obtaining the help you need and not have to wait any longer than necessary.

“We can help clients through the process of applying for eligibility testing, and can then help them make a plan to suit their individual needs,” she said.

“Our home and community services provide a range of personalised support to people living at home, as well as respite for carers.

“We can provide half day, day or overnight respite at our Busselton Wellness Centre and Cottage Respite.

“Should the client’s needs increase over time, we can then provide continuity of care through our Busselton and Dunsborough residential care facilities.

“This offers great comfort to our clients, knowing they will receive the same high level of care across Capecare’s services provided by a team they have grown to know and trust,” Rachel said.Capecare is a local, independent not-for-profit service provider, supporting the community both at home and in their Busselton and Dunsborough aged care facilities, providing a continuum of care.

To find out more call our Home care team on 9750 2097 or email hscadmin@capecare.com.au.

 

CAPECARE
BUSSELTON

20 Ray Ave
Busselton WA 6280
Ph: 08 9750 2000
Fax: 08 9755 4696

Community Care: 08 9750 2097

CAPECARE
DUNSBOROUGH

171 Naturaliste Tce
Dunsborough WA 6281
Ph: 08 9786 5555
Fax: 08 9786 5508

Community Care: 08 9750 2097

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ABN 77 630 179 279

Capecare acknowledges the Wadandi people as the Traditional Custodians of Noongar Boodja and honour Elders past and present. We recognise their enduring connection to this land and our shared commitment to care for our community.

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