Award for Clinical Coordinator Alvin Dube demonstrates Capecare values

/in , , ,

At Capecare, we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. By actively supporting nursing and care trainees through clinical placements with educational institutions across Australia, we’re investing in a future where dedicated, skilled staff provide exceptional care to our residents and strengthen our team.

We were delighted to learn last week that Capecare Clinical Coordinator Alvin Dube has been recognised with the Outstanding Preceptor Award through the Clinical Placements with Older People Program (CPOP). The award honours his excellence in mentorship and the positive impact he’s made on student nurses during their placements.

A mentor who makes a difference

The recognition came through a heartfelt nomination from a student nurse who experienced first-hand Alvin’s exceptional approach to teaching and care:

“Alvin brought a wealth of knowledge to every buddy shift I had with him and approached teaching with so much patience, clarity, and genuine care. He consistently emphasised that caring for the elderly involves not only the individual, but also their entire family – a perspective that has shaped my understanding of compassionate, person-centred care.

“From the very beginning, Alvin made me feel valued as a student. He took the time to ask, ‘What can I teach you?’ A simple question that had a lasting impact on me. It demonstrated his genuine commitment to my learning and made me feel safe asking questions while growing in confidence. Thanks to his support, my confidence has soared throughout this placement.

Alvin also made the effort to walk me through procedures step by step, never rushing, and always ensuring I understood the ‘why’ behind the ‘how.’ His dedication to both patient care and teaching is truly inspiring, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from such an amazing nurse.”

Building a legacy of care

CEO Tim Nayton said Alvin’s award reflected the values at the heart of Capecare – compassion, respect, partnership, and a commitment to person-centred care.

“His ability to inspire confidence in emerging nurses while maintaining the highest standards of resident care exemplifies the quality of our team,” Tim said.

“We are so lucky to have Alvin caring for our residents and being part of the Capecare family. Thank you, Alvin, for everything you do.”

The Clinical Placements with Older People Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and led by the University of Canberra in partnership with Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, the University of the Sunshine Coast, Central Queensland University, Southern Cross University, and the University of Tasmania.

Two men smiling with a certificate.

Clinical Coordinator Alvin Dube with Capecare CEO Tim Nayton and Alvin’s award , demonstrating Capecare values in action

Remembering our servicemen and women

/in , ,

Remembrance Day is an important occasion at Capecare when we stop to honour the courageous men and women who have served and died for our country.

Individual ceremonial events were held at each of our facilities and were well attended by residents and staff.

Special thanks to Volunteer Barton Hatherly for providing musical accompaniment, resident Bob Muirson for his recital of In Flanders Field, and resident Nikolaus Selheim for laying a wreath at the Dunsborough service.

Thanks also to Rev Graham Lawn for officiating in Busselton. He is a regular visitor to Capecare, providing our monthly Christian church service, and thanks also to resident Glenys Reynolds.

And special thanks also to our Lifestyle Coordinator Megan Snitch for organising these moving and important events and to our hospitality team for providing morning and afternoon tea.

Lest We Forget.

Smiling older lady in front of a display of paintings on easles and on the wall

Dunsborough Art Exhibition opens

/in , ,

Our Dunsborough Artists in Residence opened their third annual art exhibition earlier this week.

This talented group paints together every Wednesday morning, transforming the Capecare Dunsborough café into a creative workspace with extra tables, easels, palettes, paints, brushes and jars of water.

It is a hive of activity and positivity, sharing in each other’s creativity. Everyone works on their own project, drawing inspiration from life experiences and the things we see around us.

The group is united by a love of art, no matter the skills or abilities.

Volunteers, family and friends assist our Lifestyle Coordinator Kuvita Kumar and our artists almost every week.

Featured in this year’s exhibition is an intergenerational artwork made with the help of our little friends from GEMS Prep School Dunsborough and assistance of Debbie from Bunnings Warehouse Australia in Busselton.

“The Tree of Life” is a collaborative collage made of individually hand painted pebbles and is inspired by Gustav Klimt’s painting of the same name.

The exhibition is open until Monday 7 July, paintings are for sale and all funds raised are used to buy art materials and artist quality resources.

Capecare CEO Tim Nayton

Capecare thanks local emergency services

/in , , , , ,

Capecare Dunsborough’s management fired up the BBQs at their Naturaliste Terrace facility last Thursday to thank local fire brigades and emergency services personnel.

Capecare CEO Tim Nayton acknowledged both the emergency services personnel for protecting residents and facilities during the recent Dunsborough fires, and also his staff who were working on the day.

Tim was at Capecare Dunsborough at the time of the fires and said, while obviously concerned about what was happening on the reserve across the road from the facility, it was reassuring to see the services in action.

“To watch the emergency services teams and know that there was that level of support was amazing to experience, and to witness the confident way, what became quite a threatening fire, was managed,” Tim said.

The BBQ was attended by DFES Area Officer Andy Thompson, Mayor Phill Cronin, Ben Small, Liberal representative for Forrest and a number of professional and volunteer firefighters, Capecare staff who worked on the day of the fire, and Armstrong Village residents and their families.

Andy Thompson also thanked volunteers and said the incident response ran like clockwork thanks to practical exercises carried out with Capecare.

“To our volunteers, thank you. They’ve had a busy past couple of months, including turning out to Windy Harbour and various other fires.

“The accolades also go out to Capecare staff and management. Thanks to pre-planning and on-site training and evacuation drills carried out last year, it went like clockwork.

“Staff knew we were going to ‘protect in place’, which we had planned. We had the resources here, which the volunteers are trained for, and working with Capecare staff and management was faultless. It couldn’t have gone any better.

“It goes to show the strength of all of us working together in the community and the number of volunteers that we have… Fire, Search and Rescue, SES, St John Ambulance… it was a fantastic response and hats off to everybody.”

Mayor Phill Cronin, who was a volunteer firefighter on the day, reiterated the community response.

“As I’m driving down the road, I see a big billow of smoke in the distance. The radio’s chattering. The sirens are going off. The Dunsborough guys were having a bit of trouble at their own fire station. Then I’m hearing: ‘Capecare, get down there’. We get down to Cape Nat, and there’s smoke everywhere.

“We had 125 firefighters. We had 50 units down there. We had two helicopters. The whole point was how we all came together. The DFES guys, they were protecting the structures, we were doing the bush. There were queues of St John Ambulance people down there. DFES were setting up an incident support group. It was all done professionally. We also had a lot of the City (of Busselton) involved.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t lose any properties. There were no injuries. there was no loss of life.

“Everybody here, you all played a part, you made people feel safe. The Capecare guys were out there as well, getting wet and smoky. but we all did a great job and look, I really want to say thank you. Thank you for this event to recognise this and bring us all together.

“The next thing that we are doing is getting the reserve back to how it was. We instantly go into recovery mode.  One thing we’ve learned is recovery is the quickest thing that we can get on top of rather than leaving it weeks down the line,” Mayor Cronin said.

Tim concluded by praising the amazing community spirit, also demonstrated by the generosity of wineries and breweries approached for the event. Special thanks to Shelter Brewing, Eagle Bay Brewing, Baileys Brewing, Skigh Wines, the  Highbury Project and Cape Cellars.

Capecare CEO Tim Nayton with residents

Capecare Dunsborough invites new residential care residents

/in , , ,

Expressions of interest are now open for the 41 remaining beds at Capecare Dunsborough’s deluxe residential care facility, located just a short stroll to the beach and town centre.

Capecare Dunsborough is the town’s first and only residential aged care facility, opened in late 2021. Its residents enjoy premium accommodation, state-of-the-art facilities and high quality, personalised care.

Capecare CEO Tim Nayton said the rooms being released have not previously been used. “Capecare delayed opening the whole facility until we were confident it could be consistently, fully staffed with an exceptional care team.

“When Capecare Dunsborough opened two and a half years ago, we only released rooms in the two ground floor wings in a staged process,” he said.

“A stabilisation of staffing across both our Dunsborough and Busselton facilities has allowed us to move forward to release the remaining 40 rooms, which were designed with residents in mind.

“Much care was taken in the planning of bedrooms, bathrooms, living, dining and outdoor facilities to ensure the best quality of life for our Dunsborough residents.

“We hope to welcome new first-floor residents to this beautiful facility from November 2024 to early 2025 and look forward to operating at our full capacity.”

Capecare Dunsborough’s residential facility features plenty of natural light, fresh air and stimulating outlooks. Rooms are positioned around central courtyards, and many have bay windows.

Jon Farr, whose father was a resident of Capecare Dunsborough and Aunt Janet is a current resident, said he and his family’s experience with the facility had been nothing but positive.

“My Aunt moved into Capecare in June 2022 to be closer to Dad who lived in Busselton. After getting to know the facility my dad said he thought he might need to go into residential care, and when a room came up he also moved into Capecare in Dunsborough. About a year later another of my aunties moved in, so it was a family affair!”

“From the time we first connected with Capecare through to ongoing relationships with the whole team, the main thing is that they really make you feel welcome. And nothing ever seems to be too difficult,” he said.

“When my father passed away, we witnessed a very caring team of people who had cared for my dad, were caring for my aunties, and cared for us as a family as well.”

Capecare Dunsborough comprises a premium 82-bed residential care facility for people with high physical needs in a dementia-enabling environment, respite care, lifestyle and allied health services (occupational therapy, podiatry and physiotherapy), a cinema room, hairdresser, café and landscaped gardens with BBQ area.

The complex also features 21 independent living apartments and the new HQ for the Dunsborough Country Women’s Association (CWA).

To find out more about Capecare Dunsborough visit our Dunsborough residential page . To enquire about the rooms release and receive an information kit, contact the Capecare admissions team on 08 9750 2000 or email dunsadmissions@capecare.com.au.

 

Capecare welcomes new intake of Pacific Island carers thanks to success with PALM Scheme

/in , , , ,

Capecare welcomed four new Pacific Island carers to its team last month, thanks to its partnership with HealthX and the Federal Government’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

Tabeta Itioa (Beta), Akineti Tiotaake (Aggie), Kaekotaake Natibu (Kaeko) and Tuane Neemia (Tuane) have joined Capecare from Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas), a group of 33 small coral islands in the central Pacific.

For the first 10 weeks at Capecare they will continue to complete their Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) and then join the team as fully fledged carers.

This is Capecare’s second intake of carers under the PALM scheme. An initial group of carers from Fiji arrived in 2022, and with the latest additions brings the total to 13 carers. The initial intake were the first Pacific Island healthcare workers HealthX helped move to WA post-COVID.

Capecare Acting CEO Philippa Ayre said the program had been extremely successful and made a significant difference to Capecare’s ability to source a sustainable workforce.

“We have been so fortunate to have Beta, Aggie, Kaeko and Tuane join Capecare, they have seamlessly become part of the team and our residents already love them.”

The Pacific Island carers are placed with Capecare for four years (with annual visits home) which means the program provides a reliable and consistent workforce to supplement local workers.

“Having the Pacific Island team with us for four years means our residents interact with familiar faces each day, which allows us to provide consistent and quality care,”Philippa continued.

“We recognise that our Pacific Island staff are a long way from home, and we have worked hard to ensure that as much as possible they feel they have found a second home with us here.”

For the Pacific Island workers, benefits lie in being able to further develop their skills and knowledge in aged care and will be able to utilise and transfer these skills when they return home, providing a benefit to their communities.

HealthX is an approved employer of the PALM scheme for aged care and sources, interviews, sponsors and employs suitable Pacific Island workers to support aged care facilities across Australia.

HealthX Director of People and Welfare Naomi Dunne said the organisation was excited to be part of this wonderful initiative.

“As a people, Pacific islanders exude warmth and compassion, making them the ideal candidates for roles in aged care,” Naomi said.

“HealthX recognises that this is a life changing move, and we spend significant time preparing our employees for the change of culture and life in Australia.

Capecare staff welcomed the new team members on the first day at their Busselton aged care facility with a traditional Aussie BBQ lunch.

Capecare is the largest regional based independent aged care provider in Western Australia, existing to serve the needs of our older people in the Capes Region.

For more than 60 years Capecare has served the needs of our older people in the Capes Region and is the largest regional based independent aged care provider in Western Australia.

For more information on Capecare’s independent living, community and home care, respite, and residential care services visit www.capecare.com.au

Smiling lady in hat watering a raised garden bed in a courtyardCapecare

Blooming beds for Capecare Dunsborough residents

/in , ,

Capecare Dunsborough residents have blooming vegetable and flower beds to enjoy thanks to generous support from Dunsborough Lions Club and Bunnings Busselton.

Eight raised garden beds were designed, constructed, and delivered to the facility to enable residents to participate in the planting and growing of decorative and edible plants kindly donated by Bunnings.

Dunsborough Lions members donated $25,000 to Capecare for this project plus Dementia-enabling equipment in December 2021.

Capecare Dunsborough Facility Manager Tammy Goddard said the completed garden beds would provide enrichment to their residents ‘lives.

“The garden beds were designed so that residents of all mobility levels could get involved in the project and see the fruits of their work grow,” she said.

“The conversations and reminiscence, together with digging in the soil and tending the plants is very uplifting to hear around the facility.

“To date it has been received very well with our residents and visitors. We definitely have some keen gardeners in our plot.”

The next step in the project is to paint the beds and Capecare is grateful to Dulux for donating this product.

 

Smiling lady in hat watering a raised garden bed in a courtyard

Capecare Dunsborough resident Nola Teakle taking care of a new garden bed.

Carer with an aged care resident looking at an art class paintingCapecare

Capecare Dunsborough welcomes new residents

/in , ,

Capecare Dunsborough has recently welcomed in an additional 20 residents to its aged care facility, reaching 50% capacity.

Dunsborough’s first aged care facility officially opened in October 2021 with a plan to settle in staff and residents in a staged basis.

Capecare CEO Joanne Penman said it was wonderful to reach full occupancy on the ground floor and she was confident Capecare could commence offering places on the upper level as soon as additional staff were available.

“We have residents ready to move in but need to increase our staffing numbers before this is possible,” she said.

“We are currently recruiting across both clinical care and support services roles including registered and enrolled nurses, carers, hospitality and a lifestyle coordinator.

“Flexible hours are possible for all positions, and we welcome anyone looking to return to the workforce, whether they be mums and dads of school aged kids or retirees looking to fill a few hours a week and give back to the community,” she said.

“As a new facility, Capecare Dunsborough provides staff with the latest in technology and appealing design, and residents appreciate the beautifully appointed home-like environment with large light-filled bedrooms, lounges, dining rooms and courtyards,” she said.

Most roles have shifts available in both Dunsborough and Busselton, or staff can select their preferred location.

Capecare offers many employment benefits including ongoing paid training and development, an employee assistance program, salary packaging, a respectful and positive working environment, career path opportunities and making a real difference in older people’s lives in a not-for-profit environment.

Jo said all ages were welcome to apply, with or without training, as traineeships and paid work experience available for Carer and hospitality roles.

“Volunteers also play an important role at Capecare and we are always looking for volunteers to join our care community. We are currently seeking volunteers to greet visitors and support residents with a range of activities from a shared interest to assisting with group activities. Hours and days are flexible, if you have a few hours to spare we would love to hear from you.”

To find out about how you can work or volunteer at Capecare email recruitment@capecare.com.au or visit this page.

Carer with an aged care resident looking at an art class painting

Capecare carer Lily Meyer with Dunsborough resident Elizabeth Rapsey

A groupd of people around a table playing a gameCapecare & photographer Chad Jackson

Lions Club donations enhance the lives of Dunsborough residents

/in , ,

A generous donation of $25,000 worth of equipment by the Dunsborough Lions Club to Capecare Dunsborough is set to enhance the lives of its aged care residents.

The funds have allowed the purchase of a Tovertafel, which provides interactive play opportunities particularly for people living with dementia, along with new wheelchair-friendly raised garden beds for residents and their families to enjoy.

The Tovertafel comprises a box hung from the ceiling containing a high quality projector, infrared sensors, loudspeaker and processor that work together to project interactive games onto a table. It creates moments of happiness for people living with dementia with social, physical and cognitive benefits. It is used at Capecare Dunsborough by residents and carers to allow joyful moments of play with beautiful interactive light projections.

Construction of the garden beds will start shortly in the residential care facility’s two courtyards and will have rounded corners and easy access for up to eight wheelchairs. Residents and carers will be able to plant a garden, care for it and watch it grow.

Dunsborough Lions Club has been a long-time supporter of Capecare, committing to financially supporting the facility when it was still in the early planning stages. President Malcolm Van Rensburg said it was important to the Club to give back to the community.

“When I heard about the Tovertafel through another Lions group, I did some research and got on to Tovertafel distributor out of Melbourne.

“As part of my research I spoke to people who are using it and thought it was really good. It’s been a project close to my heart and when I presented it to the club, they voted to make the purchase for Capecare Dunsborough.
“We donated $155,000 back to the community last year from the money we had raised from selling donated goods at the Lions Shed in Dunsborough Lakes Drive, plus the Lions markets in Dunsborough town. We do monthly sausage sizzles during summer, and the Easter Fair. We’re currently selling Lions Christmas cakes and puddings outside Coles.

Capecare CEO Joanne Penman said the Lions Club donations would have a significant positive impact.

“Generous donations like this really make a difference to the quality of life for our residents,” she said. “Watching them use the Tovertafel is a joy.

“It is interactive, which is really important in terms of socialisation. It’s stimulating – residents don’t get bored with it because the games are changing. It helps with hand-eye coordination and is a really wonderful group activity that won’t get tired.

“And the garden beds will be a real favourite in the facility because we’ll be able to grow some of our own herbs and vegetables, thanks to the Lions Club.

“The beds will be available not only to our residents who are mobile and independent, but also to people in wheelchairs who can wheel right up and also get involved in growing produce.

Jo said there was a real opportunity for Capecare and the community to identify, in partnership with residents, what would be useful for future donation opportunities.

“We’ll target specific needs within the organisation, things that will make a difference to the quality of residents lives that are over and above the things that, as a provider of aged care, we’re funded to provide.

“It would be really fantastic to engage the community’s thinking around ideas for things that we could do together and involve local people,” she said.

people cutting ribbonCapecare

Capecare Dunsborough officially opens!

/in , , ,

Dunsborough’s first fully integrated aged care facility has been officially opened by Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories and Federal Member for Forrest Nola Marino MP.

The $37.5 million facility, comprising an 80-bed residential care facility and 21 two-bedroom, two-bathroom independent living apartments, was driven by community demand and its central location and appealing design have helped create an extremely successful and in-demand development.

Capecare Dunsborough also features dementia-enabling design, a new headquarters for the Dunsborough branch of the CWA, allied health facilities, landscaped gardens, BBQ and café area, and cinema room.

In her speech at the official opening, Mrs Marino said the Federal Government’s $7.1million contribution to the project was part of the Building Better Regions Fund.

“This Federal Government investment in Dunsborough is about delivering locally to improve the lives of residents aging in their community while creating local jobs and contributing to the local South West economy.”

Mrs Marino officially cut a ribbon to open the premises along with South West Development Commission Chair Nick Belyea representing the State Government Regional Aged Accommodation Program, CWA Dunsborough President Leslie Sproule, outgoing Chair Nadine Carter and Capecare Senior Carer Jess Lehane.

Board Member for 39 years and long-time project advocate John Reid cut a cake to mark Capecare’s 60th year, with Capecare Dunsborough’s Residential Care Facility resident John Bresland and Acting CEO Philippa Ayre.

Capecare outgoing Chair Nadine Carter said the official opening was a hugely significant milestone for the regional not for profit organisation.

“It has been a long-held vision to be able to deliver this much needed aged care infrastructure and services, to the Dunsborough community and the wider South West.

“The development of this magnificent facility sets a new benchmark for residential care and retirement living in the region and state. This integrated complex enables people to live connected and enriched lives as they age as valued members of the Cape’s community. It has also brought significant social and economic benefits to the City of Busselton and the South West.

“This would have not been possible without the initial vision of Naturaliste Care Services who tirelessly communicated the need for such a facility in this growing community, the CWA who donated a portion of land to allow this development to happen to its existing scale, the State Government that contributed $2.5 million through its Regional Aged Accommodation Program and the Federal Government through its Building Better Regions Fund.

“We have now welcomed in our first wing of clients to the Residential Care Facility, and have leased 20 of 21 apartments. All new clients to the complex have a strong connection to Dunsborough and Yallingup, either as residents themselves or with family members who live here.

“Capecare is fortunate to have such a dedicated team of local personnel now managing the facility and enjoying the flexibility of working across both our Busselton and Dunsborough sites.

“Our vision for Capecare Dunsborough was ‘living well through excellent design’ – to construct a superbly designed building based on clearly defined dementia enabling principles.

“There has been much time taken in best practice research, planning and development of the project to make Capecare Dunsborough extraordinary.

“Along with the seamless blend of the complex into the natural bushland and surrounding residences, Capecare Dunsborough has been designed on a small home model to be welcoming and extremely comfortable for all residents. With intuitive technology, dementia enabling design features and décor, including memory boxes, use of colour, tailored furnishings and fittings, wayfinding with rest stops – this truly is best practice. Nursing and care staff have all been involved in the design process. The use of natural light throughout the complex is a standout feature,” Ms Carter said.

The facility will employ approximately 60 people full time once all four residential wings are fully operational, and employed approximately 530 people during construction.

Capecare Dunsborough was designed by Gary Batt & Associates Architects in consultation with dementia design specialists de Fiddes Design and was built by Perkins Builders.

Art is a prominent feature of Capecare Dunsborough with huge exterior murals by renowned Perth mural artist Kyle Hughes-Odgers, stunning stained-glass windows by Perth Art Glass featuring local flora and fauna, and a local art acquisition project with Arts Margaret River which has seen 24 works by local artists purchased and displayed around the facility.

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

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback

Submit Your Feedback

DONATIONS

If you’d like to make a difference to people’s lives, you can by making a donation to Capecare.

Make a Donation

ABN 77 630 179 279

Accessibility Toolbar