Southern Cross Care: Highlights of 2024

December 20, 2024

Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) reflects on an impactful and meaningful year, with our dedicated staff and volunteers pouring their heart into supporting residents and clients to live life to the full across our Home Care services, Retirement Villages and Residential Aged Care homes. 

Creating connections that matter

Our commitment to purposeful living and vitality has inspired meaningful connections and enriched the lives of those we supported throughout 2024. Our residents and clients participated in 26 minutes of engagement activities per day—246% more than the sector average.

Residents participated in over 72,000 social activities, 40,000 exercise sessions, and 39,000 games. Our partnerships with Western Sydney University and Cycling Without Age helped to enrich these experiences, providing even more ways for residents to stay active and connected. Overall, 90% of residents said the social and other activities brought meaning to their lives.

As part of the Ending Loneliness Together National Initiative, we implemented a program to address isolation and help residents form deeper connections. The results were heartwarming: 97.4% of participants said they felt more connected and supported, showing how small actions can improve emotional wellbeing.

Top honours for dedicated staff 

This year, we have been honoured with multiple awards, a testament to our unwavering commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients, residents, and community.

Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) had a successful year at the 2024 Future of Ageing Awards, taking our top honour in the People & Culture category for our team’s innovative approach to tackling sector-wide workforce shortages. Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) ’s Engagement and Purposeful Living Manager, Jacqueline Quirke, was also Highly Commended in the Leader of the Year category at the awards, while the Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) Deniliquin Residential Care Intergenerational Program was a finalist.

In August, we were thrilled to announce that Peter Stevenson, the renowned Leisure and Lifestyle Coordinator and choirmaster at Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT)’s Ozanam Residential Aged Care home in Garran, ACT, had been honoured with the prestigious Catholic Health Australia Excellence in Pastoral Care Award for his innovative and outstanding efforts in enhancing the pastoral care of older people.

And in July, Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT)’s newly redeveloped St Catherine's Residential Aged Care home at Grafton received the highly regarded UDIA NSW Award for Excellence in Regional Development. These awards recognise innovation, sustainability, industry leadership, and excellence in urban development.

In November, we were thrilled to win the Silver Medal in the ‘Aged Care and Retirement Villages’ category at the Reader’s Digest Australia Quality Service Awards. These awards celebrate organisations that go “above and beyond” in customer service, and we’re so proud to be recognised for our commitment to helping older Australians live life to the full.

We were also recognised as an Inclusive Employer for 2024-2025 by the Diversity Council Australia, highlighting our unwavering commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Strengthening care together 

Following collaboration with researchers from the University of Sydney in 2023, in October, we led the delivery of HIRAID Aged Care education to registered nurses across 11 homes in Sydney. HIRAID will empower nurses by providing them with an evidence-based tool to better recognise and respond to changes in residents' conditions and improve the quality of care.

We have continued to pioneer the use of virtual reality, with residents at three homes enjoying virtual experiences, from revisiting childhood memories to taking virtual tours around the world.

This year, all of our residential care homes have received full accreditation, and our home care services have met all of the standards.

Empowering and celebrating community

The July launch of our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was a milestone in our Reconciliation journey, symbolising our long-term commitment to fostering a culture of learning, respect, and inclusivity.

Community was also a focus of our new Living Care Action Plan 2024-2027, which commits us to transparent Greenhouse Gas Emissions reporting, fostering environmental accountability, local actions, and diversity. Since FY2021 we have seen a 31% reduction in emissions, and this year we saved 673,530kWh of electricity and 2.171kl of water.

Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) also participated in events and throughout the communities in which we service, including the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival in Auburn, Grafton Jacaranda Festival, NSW Seniors Festival Expo, and a Volunteer Day with Commonwealth Bank’s Sydney CBD office.

Building strong, supportive communities is at the heart of Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT)’s mission and we will continue to build strong connections and foster sustainable initiatives to protect people and planet.

Making a difference

Our workforce is the heart of our organisation, and we've implemented career programs and wellbeing initiatives to uplift and care for our staff. This year, 11 of our staff graduated from the Elevate professional development program, which supports new Registered Nurses transitioning into aged care. Elevate aims to create a clearer clinical and leadership career pathway for Registered Nurses, supporting their academic growth by allowing graduates to earn credit points towards a postgraduate qualification. Due to the success, the second cohort has already commenced.

Many of our staff have stepped into leadership roles through the Buddy Program — a three-month initiative designed to equip them with the tools and skills to guide new employees as they transition into their roles. Buddies serve as the first point of contact for new team members, providing support and fostering confidence.

Throughout 2024, we recognised our outstanding and dedicated staff and teams with Gold and Silver Heart awards and Team Innovation Awards, showcasing their commitment and excellence.

In 2025, we will continue to invest in our staff to build a skilled and engaged workforce that enables residents and client’s to live life to the full.

Let’s power up for 2025!

Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) has had an exceptional year thanks to the hard work and commitment of our dedicated staff and volunteers, and the generosity of our donors, sponsors, residents, clients, families and the community. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to a successful 2024, and special thanks to our residents and clients, who inspire us to raise the bar every day. We look forward to another fantastic year ahead.