Charlene Dallimore’s passion for quality aged care and community nursing has been the driving force behind her 17-year career in the sector, most of which has been spent in the local Eurobodalla region. Banksia Villages is now fortunate to have Charlene heading up its help at home care service, Banksia Community Care.
Many locals will already know Charlene from her previous roles, including as a community nurse with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Her long term involvement with community nursing in the Eurobodalla has enabled Charlene to establish strong relationships with local medical, clinical and allied health networks.
A Registered Nurse, Charlene completed her qualifications at St George Hospital in Sydney, and specialised in dementia and aged care nursing. She sees the recent changes to Home Care Packages and the move to Consumer Directed Care (CDC) – part of the Government’s aged care reforms – as an important step in providing more flexibility for older people in accessing the care they need. Under CDC, Home Care Package clients can choose what services are delivered to them, who delivers them, and when and where they are delivered.
Charlene with the Banksia Community Care team and outgoing manager Bernie Brandes (bottom left)
“For me, the most important thing is to help older people stay comfortably and safely in their own homes as long as they can,” says Charlene. “With a Community Care package, we have the flexibility, skills and services to ensure our clients get the clinical, medical or practical care they need, including help around the home – things like cleaning, gardening, help with the shopping or preparing meals”.
Charlene joined Banksia Community Care in May this year and has hit the ground running, spending her first few weeks getting to know her team and meet with Banksia’s existing Community Care clients.
“I’m fortunate to have inherited such a stable, professional and compassionate team, and I’m really looking forward to working with them”, says Charlene. “We’re keen to build our service even further so that more older people in our community can receive quality care and support in their own homes.”
Charlene is married with three grown up daughters, and has lived in the Broulee area for over 27 years. “We moved to Broulee after living in Sydney, and it was the best thing we ever did. It’s a great place to bring up a family, and the community is so warm and supportive.”
Information about Consumer Directed Care, aged care funding or other services for older people, is available on the Government’s website at www.myagedcare.gov.au.
To find out more about Banksia Community Care, our help at home service for older people, click here.
People can also come along to Banksia Villages’ free community aged care and retirement living information day on Friday 23 June (9:30 am -12 noon). Find out more here.
