HammondCare welcomes new exec

Jenny Summerton has been appointed executive general manager of residential care at HammondCare after acting in the role for the last three months, chief executive officer Andrew Thorburn has announced this week.

Ms Summerton – who is a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Applied Science – has held previous leadership roles with Dementia Support Australia, including national program manager.

She said growing HammondCare’s national footprint and driving innovation in person-centred dementia and palliative are objectives for her in the new role.

“I’m honoured to lead residential at HammondCare, building on our strong foundation of relationship-focused care,” she said.

“It’s a privilege to work with a team so dedicated to improving the lives of residents, especially those with complex dementia needs,” Ms Summerton said.

Ms Summerton replaces Angela Raguz, who left late last year after working at HammondCare for three decades, starting as a registered nurse.

Ms Raguz has since started a new role as head of aged care at fellow provider Salvation Army Australia.

The executive general manager residential care role at HammondaCare oversees 18 dementia care villages and homes across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and employs 2,712 staff.

Mr Thorburn said Ms Summerton had already proven herself as a leader with deep understanding of dementia care and relationship-focused clinical care in the past three months acting in the role.

“Her passion for our mission, extensive knowledge and experience in dementia care, along with leadership experience in frontline clinical residential care, truly set her apart,” Mr Thorburn said.

“Jenny will bring practical and clinical expertise to the role after a diverse career spanning residential aged care, and scientific diagnostics and research.”

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