Resthaven Northern Community Services

Resthaven benefitted from the newly introduced Community Aged Care Package program, directing focus to the northeastern metropolitan suburbs. The first referral was received on 1 February 1994, with Resthaven planning and coordinating services to assist older people living in their own home. This new program ensured the expansion of community services at a rate far exceeding expectation.

With further development in the home care space, the government’s Northern Community Aged Care Packages and Southern Community Aged Care Packages officially started in July 1995. These programs provide individualised, coordinated personal care services for frail aged people in the community. At this time, Resthaven also participated in a new pilot program, in which volunteers provided social support to these clients.

Resthaven considered opportunities to grow in the community services sector, specifically exploring the northern metropolitan region as this area had the greatest forecast growth in the aged population in the state.

Resthaven actively participated in the Northern Healthy Ageing Project, collaborating with Helping Hand, Anglicare and the Royal District Nursing Service. Through a collaborative multi-agency approach, this venture provided ‘information, education, early intervention and rehabilitation services’ to maximise healthy ageing for older people in the northern suburbs. A significant achievement was the creation of a resource directory, which outlined all services provided by the participating agencies and streamlined interagency referral processes.

In April 2000, Resthaven accepted an invitation from the Aboriginal Elders and Community Care Services (AECCS) Board and Department of Health and Aged Care to consider a short-term role in managing the Aboriginal Elders Village at Davoren Park. Also involved was a formal review of the service provision at the village. The contract commenced 1 June 2000 and expired nine months later, after which the management contract transferred to the Italian Benevolent Foundation.

Plans were underway to relocate Resthaven Leabrook Therapy Services to Elizabeth. A result of the upcoming redevelopment at Resthaven Leabrook, the move also reflected a deliberate, strategic decision of the Resthaven Board to support older people in areas of high need. So it was that Resthaven Northern Therapy Services was born. Due to difficulties securing land to build a new service outlet, interim arrangements were made in December 2000, with several buildings leased at Elizabeth TAFE, Woodford Road, Elizabeth.

The first positive move to establishing a formal presence in the northern suburbs was underway when Resthaven Northern Therapy Services was officially opened in March 2001 at Elizabeth. Moving Therapy Services off-site was considered desirable to create a higher community profile. Community and service provider response was strong, with the program almost fully subscribed straight away.

After a long search for new, permanent premises for Resthaven Northern Therapy Services, land was purchased adjacent to the Elizabeth Shopping Centre at 16 Gillingham Road, Elizabeth. The Playford Council approved plans for a purpose-built standalone therapy centre, set to offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry and expert continence management advice. Resthaven provided the capital to fund the new $1 million building.

On 30 May 2003, the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Kevin Andrews, officially opened the new office for Resthaven Northern Therapy Services. In addition to Resthaven staff and clients, the event was attended by State Minister for Health, Hon Lea Stevens, Federal Member for Bonython, Hon Martyn Evans and Mayor of Playford, Ms Marilyn Baker. Designed by Brown Falconer Architects and completed in January 2003, the centre was praised for its high-quality facilities for one-on-one treatment and group interventions, as well as the outside rehabilitation area designed to improve clients’ mobility outside the home.

In October 2004, Resthaven Northern Therapy Services became the office base for the ‘Playford Home Support Service’—a new community program that offered older people extra assistance to cope with day-to-day activities at home. Funded through Home and Community Care grants, the program provided flexible, basic home support to assist people with chronic conditions to remain living independently in the community.

Hon Julie Bishop, Minister for Ageing, visited Resthaven Northern Community Services’ Elizabeth office in October 2004, accompanied by Senator Jeannie Ferris. On another occasion, Mr David Fawcett MP, Member for Wakefield, spent time visiting Resthaven Craigmore and Resthaven Northern Community Services.

In collaboration with Playford Council, Resthaven Northern Therapy Services established new local programs at Virginia and planned to offer services at Davoren Park; in both cases, using accommodation provided by the council. Around this same time, a new naming convention was established across Resthaven’s home care services, and the service was renamed to ‘Resthaven Northern Community Services’.

Resthaven Northern Community Services received funding to participate in the Northern Independent Living Unit project, which assisted socially isolated people living in retirement villages in northern metropolitan Adelaide.

The range of services expanded in response to consumer demand, extending from the Elizabeth office to outreach programs in Virginia and Davoren Park, as well as an occupational therapy clinic at The Palms Residential Village. This resulted in an increase in client numbers for the financial year of 15%.

A successful partnership with Aboriginal Home Care led to Resthaven Northern Community Services delivering a ‘chronic conditions’ wellness program specifically tailored to meet individual needs.

In May 2009, Resthaven Northern Community Services participated in a pilot of a proposed new, simplified model of Quality Reporting for government-funded aged care programs, which achieved a satisfactory outcome. The pilot provided an opportunity to contribute to the national policy agenda for Community Aged Care.

On 9 November 2010, Resthaven Northern Community Services celebrated Resthaven’s 75th anniversary with a morning tea and musical entertainment by the local community group. Attended by 180 clients, staff and volunteers, Playford City Council Mayor, Martin Lindsall, officiated the morning and cut the anniversary cake.

Resthaven Northern Community Services was awarded a ‘Positive Ageing’ grant to increase social connectedness for older people living in retirement villages in the northern metropolitan region.

The annual Christmas luncheon for Resthaven Northern Community Services was extra special on 3 December 2012, when the Paralowie Lions Club and the Elizabeth Lions Club donated $1,000 and $500, respectively, towards the event. Held at the Central Districts Football Club, the donations allowed to send attendees home with individual Christmas hampers, as an unexpected Christmas gift.

Additional government funding of home care packages led to a required expansion of Resthaven Northern Community Services, with extra staff needed to meet demand and new offices required to coordinate services from. The City of Playford approved development plans for a building extension, with construction commencing on 23 May 2016. The $400,000 upgrade included constructing a two-office extension, refurbishing the existing office, and laying new carpets throughout. In a bid to liven up the cinderblock walls facing Gillingham Road, an exciting mural project was also being planned.

In July 2016, the creation of an ‘intergenerational mural’ was underway at Resthaven Northern Community Services. Designed by local artist, John Whitney, the mural was created with help from Resthaven clients and staff, and local young adults in the community. The Davoren Park VTECH generously provided a workspace for the project, which artistically depicted the Resthaven’s variety of home care services. Adding vibrancy and interest to the site, the large, six-panel mural was affixed to the external wall facing Gillingham Road in August 2016.

The redevelopment and extension of Resthaven Northern Community Services, including the ‘intergenerational mural’ feature, was officially opened on 4 November 2016.

In August 2018, the gym at Resthaven Northern Community Services underwent a significant expansion and refurbishment. Clients enjoyed the new range of equipment and the larger, modern space.

In the early months of 2020, Resthaven Northern Community Services staff and clients learned to adapt to restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, with services rearranged and programs adjusted to ensure service delivery. A flagship idea stemming from the circumstances was ‘Keeping Active with Parkinson’s at Home’, an exercise program for existing clients that assisted them to stay physically active with specialised exercises.

In response to increased demand for services, a new outreach office for Resthaven Northern Community Services at 5 King Street, Gawler, was purchased in July 2020. After undergoing a renovation, the office was officially opened in October 2020 and began welcoming clients for onsite health and wellness support, servicing those in the Gawler and lower Barossa areas. Social group programs were introduced six months later.

Producers of the ABC segment, Australia Talks, approached Resthaven to identify older people who might want to talk about discrimination in Australia. With approximately a dozen members of the public from diverse backgrounds and ages involved, two Resthaven Northern Community Services clients participated, with the pair excited to make their television debut. Filming was held on 21 May 2021 at the at Para Hills Football and Sports Club, with the program televised the following month.

In December 2021, Resthaven Northern Community Services began a long-anticipated garden upgrade. With the previous garden requiring a lot of maintenance work, the client gardening group opted for a solution to make the communal garden more self-sustainable.

On 3 May 2022, Resthaven Northern Community Services welcomed a special visit from staff at the local Bunnings. Delivered as part of Bunnings’ Community Program, the garden club were led through a planting workshop and received donations for the onsite garden, including vegetable seedlings, hanging pots and flowers, and new gloves.