Mural makes residents feel ‘known, loved, connected’
Warrigal celebrates community spirit with opening of refreshed courtyard in Shell Cove memory unit.
New South Wales south-coast mid-size aged care provider Warrigal is opening a revitilised courtyard space for the Shell Cove memory unit.
The Shell Cove residential home has around 110 apartments, and the memory unit has 32 beds with a private courtyard.
Warrigal chief executive officer Jenni Hutchins said the courtyard had been under-utilised and the idea of revamping it came from a volunteer and a staff member discussing options on how to improve the area.
“Then, coincidentally, one of the local schools, Corpus Christi High School, the outreach officer contacted us and said there were a group of teachers that wanted to volunteer,” Ms Hutchins told Australian Ageing Agenda.
“Teachers are already incredibly hardworking and serving the community, but they wanted to offer community service to us. So, our community facilitator Scott Rayner worked with them, worked with our property and maintenance team, worked with our staff and our memory support unit and our volunteer coordinator Michelle Chate to develop some ideas.”
The Warrigal board had also recently completed cultural immersion training and Ms Hutchins explained that through it, Ms Chate proposed having the mural be done by an Aboriginal artist.
The mural, which will be officially presented on 19 February, was designed and painted by celebrated muralist Michael Fardon.
The creation of the mural was a community affair, Ms Hutchins told AAA, with Bunnings providing materials and plants for the revitalised courtyard and many volunteers assisting.
“In November we put to the board that we wanted to create a vision for Warrigal, and we’ve had a deep and rich purpose in Warrigal that older people live their best lives on their terms, but what was missing for me was how our strategic plan linked to a vision,” she said.
“What’s our vision here? What do we hope and dream for, for all older people? And our vision that we worked with our staff was a world where older people feel known, loved and connected. And the board approved that vision in November last year.
“When I think about the mural and the work that the teachers, our teams, our volunteers, staff, the residents of the memory support unit did, I do feel like it brings life to our vision – the older people feel known, they feel loved and feel connected.”
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