four older ladies working on painting in a group

Celebrating Creativity at Capecare Dunsborough

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Creativity is thriving at Capecare Dunsborough, where a dedicated group of residents comes together each week to explore their artistic talents.

The weekly art group has become a much-loved activity, offering residents the opportunity to paint, draw, and express themselves in a relaxed and supportive environment. From vibrant abstract pieces to detailed sketches, each artwork reflects our artists’ individuality and creativity.

Beyond the canvas, these sessions play an important role in fostering connection, conversation, and a strong sense of community. Residents share ideas, encourage one another, and take pride in their progress and achievements.

A highlight of the year is the group’s annual art exhibition, where residents’ work is proudly displayed for the wider community to enjoy. The exhibition not only celebrates their creativity, but also helps raise funds for art supplies—ensuring the group can continue to flourish.

At Capecare, we are proud to support initiatives like this that promote wellbeing, self-expression, and meaningful engagement. The art group is a wonderful example of how creativity can bring people together and enrich everyday life.

Dunsborough piano and donor Jason Cavallaro

A gift of music that lives on at Capecare

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When Ishbel Casselton visited her husband Bob at Capecare Dunsborough, there came a time when his ability to communicate with her began to decline.

Determined to continue reaching him on an emotional level, Ishbel searched for another way to connect.

Bob had always loved music — especially listening to Ishbel play the piano. When Ishbel mentioned this to family friend Jason Cavallaro during a visit from Perth, the conversation took an unexpected and generous turn.

“I told Jason I would love to get a piano for Capecare so I could play for Bob,” Ishbel said. “Without missing a beat, Jason replied, ‘You can have mine.’ I almost dropped on the spot.”

Soon after, Jason’s piano was delivered and given pride of place in the dining room of the Bunker Bay wing at Capecare Dunsborough.

The impact was immediate. When Ishbel began to play, Bob’s face lit up.

“Through the piano, we were able to continue using music as a connector right up until Bob’s passing,” she said.

Bob sadly passed away in January, but the gift of music continues.

Jason’s generous donation has touched not only Ishbel and Bob, but also residents, staff, and visiting family and friends throughout the Dunsborough community.

Capecare volunteer Barton Hatherley now plays the piano during his Tuesday morning visits, and residents especially enjoy singing along to much-loved old-time favourites.

And this is no ordinary piano. Ishbel shared that the instrument originally came from the Japanese Embassy in Perth.

The Ambassador’s daughters learned to play alongside Jason’s daughters, and when the Ambassador’s family returned to Japan, the piano was gifted to Jason — who has now generously passed it on to Capecare.

“It is a beautiful piano,” Ishbel said. “We are so lucky to have it.”

eldac

Capecare strengthens palliative care through national initiative

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Capecare is proud to be participating in the End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) initiative – a nationally recognised program designed to support aged care providers to improve palliative care, strengthen advanced care planning, and build stronger connections across health and community services.

The ELDAC project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and delivered through a partnership of three universities and national organisations representing aged care, palliative care and primary care.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a compassionate and supportive approach that aims to enhance quality of life for individuals living with a life-limiting illness, and for the families and carers supporting them.

It focuses on preventing and relieving suffering through early identification of needs, careful assessment, and effective management of pain and other concerns. This includes physical, psychological, emotional, cultural and spiritual support, ensuring each person’s care is respectful, individualised, and aligned with their values.

What is ELDAC?

The ELDAC model provides a practical framework for improving how aged care services respond to changing health needs and end-of-life care. It supports providers to strengthen:

  • Advance Care Planning
  • Assessing palliative care needs
  • Responding to deterioration
  • Working collaboratively with families, GPs and allied health professionals
  • Connecting with wider palliative care services

This approach can contribute to reduced hospital admissions, shorter hospital stays, and improved quality of life outcomes for older Australians receiving care in residential aged care and in the community.

Capecare’s ELDAC journey

Capecare commenced the ELDAC journey at our Dunsborough facility in November 2025. We will commence at our Busselton facility and in our Community care services in May 2026.

As part of ELDAC, we are focusing on raising awareness and strengthening our approach to palliative and end-of-life care through:

  • targeted meetings and planning activities
  • increased collaboration with GPs and allied health professionals
  • improved access to trusted, evidence-based resources and tools
  • building staff capability through education and training
  • supporting stronger communication and care planning with residents, clients and families

Staff across our Busselton and Dunsborough residential care facilities and community care will have access to a collection of free, evidence-based information, tools and resources developed through ELDAC and supported by trusted programs including palliAGED and Advance Care Planning Australia.

A key part of Capecare’s participation includes support from the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA).

Benefits for Capecare and our community

Capecare’s involvement in ELDAC is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including:

  • stronger support to provide palliative care through structured frameworks and planning
  • access to trusted evidence-based resources and online tools
  • increased education and training to build confidence and expertise
  • greater confidence for staff, volunteers, residents and families
  • a valuable learning opportunity across our entire organisation
  • cost efficiency through grant-funded training opportunities
  • strengthened networks with local palliative care services, GPs and allied health professionals

Capecare is committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care that supports dignity, comfort and choice. The ELDAC initiative is an important step in strengthening our palliative approach and ensuring residents and clients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

We look forward to continuing this journey and sharing further updates as the program expands across our communities.

Capecare Time to Think lounge

Capecare is WA’s first regional Time to Think provider

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Capecare in Busselton will be the first regional location for the Western Australian Government’s Time to Think program.

Time to Think allows older people in the South West more time to plan their next steps following a hospital stay, and in turn, helps to free hospital beds and provide a dedicated support service.

In announcing Capecare’s involvement, WA’s Aged Care and Seniors Minister Simone McGurk said the introduction of the program’s first beds in the South West was a significant milestone in improving access for regional communities, meaning more older Western Australians can benefit from this valuable support.

18 beds at Capecare’s Busselton campus have been added to the program which now totals 87 short-term places across aged care homes in WA. The program launched in May this year.

Capecare CEO Tim Nayton said the organisation had already been successfully providing a hospital transition pilot program.

“We’re excited to expand our work in this important area and be part of the Time to Think program,” he said.

“We witnessed first-hand the importance and value of supporting local hospitals, and individuals while they plan longer-term care arrangements.

“Time to Think clients are supported by Capecare with reablement and placement coordination to ensure they can choose their appropriate future home which might be residential aged care or a return to their home in the community.

“It is an important program in the broader model of health management, helping to free up public hospital beds, particularly in the South West where they are at such a premium.

“As a regionally based aged care provider our philosophy is to support the community and we have been doing so for almost 65 years with aged care services, so this program is a natural extension of our work.”

“The priority for all of our aged care services is to ensure that older people, their carers and families, and our community continue to receive the support they need, when they need it,” he said.

Award for Clinical Coordinator Alvin Dube demonstrates Capecare values

Award for Clinical Coordinator Alvin Dube demonstrates Capecare values

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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

Letters Against Isolation - Busselton resident Edie Cowling Nov 2025

Combatting loneliness at Capecare

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Loneliness is an increasingly documented issue and can strike seniors particularly hard, impacting mental and sometimes physical health.

Capecare actively strives to combat loneliness with a variety of lifestyle activities for our residents in Busselton and Dunsborough.

We recently signed up 8 of our Busselton residents to the Letters Against Isolation Program.

Operating across Australia, the UK, the USA and Canada, Letters Against Isolation connects letter writers to older people via an anonymous online portal.

The handwritten letters and cards are sent to our Lifestyle Team and distributed to residents who are suited to each letter.

This week, the postman arrived! Edie, Greg, and Sally received our first letters from the program.

The letters talked about family holidays to go fishing, childhood memories, and many different hobbies and pastimes.

Thank you, Letters in Isolation and your volunteer writers, for making a normal day just a little bit more special for our residents.

Remembering our servicemen and women

Remembering our servicemen and women

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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.

Dee Naikidi, Capecare Carer

Capecare Carer Dee makes a huge impact

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Dee Naikidi joined Capecare as part of our first intake of Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme carers back in 2022.
She has made a huge impact in that time. Our residents and staff adore her, and she won a HealthX Carer of the Year award in 2023 for her reliability, work ethic, mentorship, and flexibility.
Most significantly, Dee has been able to build her family in Fiji a home.
When Tropical Cyclone Yasa struck Fiji in December 2020, Dee’s family lost everything — their home was destroyed, forcing them to relocate to a makeshift camp. Determined to give her family a better life, Dee joined the PALM scheme, securing a job with Capecare as a carer.
In just seven months, her earnings enabled her to build a four-bedroom house for her parents and daughter, replacing the emergency shelter her family had lived in since the cyclone.
Here’s her story, filmed recently in Busselton and Fiji by the PALM Scheme.
Smiling older lady in front of a display of paintings on easles and on the wall

Dunsborough Art Exhibition opens

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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.

Lady in a wheelchair being hugged by a friendly nurseCapecare

Celebrating Our Capecare Nurses | International Nurses Day

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At Capecare, we are proud to shine a light on the incredible work of our dedicated nursing team who care for clients and residents across Busselton, Dunsborough, and the wider South West community.

This International Nurses Day (12 May), we recognise and celebrate the compassion, expertise, and commitment our nurses bring to their roles every single day.

In the video linked below, we profile three of our amazing nurses, offering a glimpse into their day-to-day work and the meaningful relationships they build with those they support.

While we’re grateful for our nurses every day, 12 May — Florence Nightingale’s birthday — is a special reminder to honour the nurses in our lives.

Take a moment today to say thank you, check in, and show your appreciation.

With heartfelt thanks, From all of us at Capecare

Capecare International Nurses Day video

 

 

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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Registered Charity

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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