AQ Garden City Aged Care Services - Alzheimer's Qld

I would like to express my appreciation for the wonderful care and support my father, Reg Palmer, has received at Garden City Age Care. From the time I first visited this Centre, in April 2016, I have been consistently impressed by the staff and their caring, supportive attitude toward residents and their families. I believe this is the best aged care facility in Brisbane, and I viewed and inspected many facilities prior to my father’s placement. Garden City is outstanding in many regards, including the size and fittings of the residents’ rooms, the comfortable well-appointed communal areas, on-site kitchen, open gardens and most importantly a genuine sense of home that is apparent when you enter the centre. I am impressed at the many and varied activities organised for the residents and the care and attention that sees activities tailored to meet the individual needs of the residents. My father has Alzheimer’s disease and had spent many months in a dementia ward in Tamworth Hospital NSW. Dad’s quality of life prior to admission was dismal, living alone in squalid conditions, vulnerable, resistant to any support and deteriorating in physical health and cognitive capacity. I was struggling to support him, as we live in Brisbane; I was travelling frequently to Tamworth and finding it impossible to provide adequate care, while working as a hospital specialist and managing my own family. I had little family support in Tamworth with hostility and opposition from some of his siblings to his being placed in aged care. To have been able to bring my father to this facility has been miraculous and life changing for us both. Elaine Bray, the Director of Care, spoke to me soon after I visited the centre and was immediately supportive and understanding of our difficult situation and so helpful in securing the placement for dad. Her kindness and support at such a difficult time was much appreciated and she has continued to offer every support to us both and clearly does an exceptional job of managing this facility. On each occasion that I see her, she checks I am happy with dad’s care and always tell me to approach her if I have any needs or concerns. Since dad arrived, so many staff at Garden City have made considerable efforts to help him settle in and adapt to his new life. My father believed he was working at the hospital in Tamworth and when he arrived at Garden City the staff took special care to help support him in his new “work” environment; his whole life has been about working hard and this is integral to his sense of worth. At Garden City, he has been given his own little tool shed with all the trappings he needs to do his “work” and he receives constant positive feedback and praise for the “work” he does. Dad now feels he is a useful and valued worker, which is so important to him and has made his transition to aged care much less difficult than expected. Karin Bongers, the Lifestyle Coordinator, is exceptional person, who is warm, compassionate and highly skilled in her ability to work with the residents and their families. I am so grateful for the time and care she has devoted to assist dad to settle in and the insight she has in supporting him and helping him to adapt. The activities she coordinates are interesting, stimulating and varied and have brought dad so much happiness and enjoyment. Karin takes time to send me emails and photos of dad enjoying his life and spends time with me each visit, discussing dad and ensuring I am satisfied with his care. I see her offering personal support to all the residents, as do the other lifestyle officers, Nick and Carmelita, who clearly genuinely care about the residents and their enjoyment of life. Dad loves going out with Nick for any small errands and continually tells me about the wonderful “bosses” at his workplace; even Kyle who is responsible for maintenance and not patient care, takes time and effort to be supportive toward dad and help him feel included and valued. On each occasion that I visit dad, every staff member I see smiles and greets me and has a kind or encouraging word for my dad and this includes all staff, from the lovely staff in the front office, the nurses and care assistants, kitchen and laundry staff. I can confidently say that my father is now enjoying the best quality of life he has had for many decades and this is due entirely to this wonderful facility and the exceptional staff that work there. Every aspect of his life is now fulfilling with meaningful work and great “bosses”, a comfortable and luxurious home, fabulous meals, onsite medical and health care, company and friendship and more activities and outings than he has ever experienced in his life of constant hard work. I had no idea that aged care could be so encompassing and fulfilling. Recently while dad was at home with us, he said that he wanted to “get back home now”; I was a bit taken aback at first but then felt happy to know he considers Garden City to be his home. That I am also the recipient of so much kindness, consideration and support is a wonderful and unexpected bonus and has significantly reduced the stress of managing my father’s later years and cognitive decline. As a medical professional and a daughter/carer I would not hesitate to recommend this exceptional facility to anyone in need of aged care. Please let me know if there is any external body concerned with aged care standards to which I can convey my appreciation and ensure they are aware of the excellent standard of care provided.