Residents and Staff Show Love and Loyalty for Oz at Mercy Place Mont Clare

One of Mercy Place Mont Clare’s most respected and appreciated members of staff will celebrate her love and loyalty for her adopted country on Australia Day, as the not-for-profit aged care home reflects on the nation’s 60,000 years of history.

Care Assistant Rekha Renukappa, who originally hails from India, arrived in Western Australia in 2010 having completed a Bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering in her home city of Bangalore in south India. However, she then changed course and chose to work with ageing Australians in a caring role at Mercy Health, where she has worked for the past eight years.

The mother-of-one says she has firmly made the world’s most remote city ‘home’, admitting that she and her husband love living in Perth, although they have also fallen in love with the south-west, having travelled to Margaret River more than 100 times over the past 10 years. The couple also has an affinity for “stunning” Albany, Esperance and Busselton, where they have visited dozens of times to visit the attractions and beaches.

“Although I miss my family back home, I’m just so happy to live in Perth with my husband, daughter and our beloved dog, and I also feel very lucky to work at Mercy Place Mont Clare, where we are like a big family,” says Ms Renukappa, who also says that spending time at Kings Park and soaking up the stunning view is another of her favourite pastimes.

“Over the last decade I’ve made many friends here and have learnt to love Australian food, particularly pavlova for dessert, so I’m thinking that really makes me a true Aussie,” she laughs.

Ms Renukappa will join in the celebrations for Australia Day with a traditional Aussie barbecue as the not-for-profit home celebrates Australian culture.

Mercy Place Mont Clare Service Manager, Simone Baxter, said the Mercy Health team was made up of many staff members who were born overseas, and as such the aged care home had a rich culture of diversity and comradeship.

“Everyone is looking forward to Australia Day celebrations at Mercy Place Mont Clare as our lifestyle staff have plans to really engage residents with the spirit of our great nation,” she says.

“We are all keen to celebrate our identity and culture as Australians.”

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