Townsville Aged Care Home Celebrates Ten Years, Thanks to the Staff Who Stayed the Distance

A Townsville aged care home is marking a decade of caring for the community this month, with some of its longest-serving staff reflecting on what’s kept them there since the very beginning.

Carinity Fairfield Grange welcomed its first residents on 1 August 2016, and has since been home to hundreds of seniors. Personal Carer Tanya Willshire, one of the home’s two longest-serving employees, says a genuine sense of community has defined the home since day one.

“I enjoy being able to care for and meet so many wonderful and interesting personalities, listening to their life stories and helping them feel safe and comfortable when they are at their journey’s end,” Tanya said. “Past residents and staff’s lasting friendships made a real feeling of family, especially through the big floods and the Covid years.”

Fellow original staff member Analie Coleridge began at Fairfield Grange supporting just two residents in the home’s specialist Memory Support Unit. One memory that has stayed with her came during the devastating Townsville floods of 2019, when she was one of only five staff members who managed to reach the home that day, travelling by boat before wading through hip-deep floodwater on foot.

“Despite the challenging conditions, we arrived safely at the home and were able to support our residents,” Analie said. “That experience reinforced my commitment to ensuring residents received the care they needed, even during difficult circumstances.”

Junna Gowley joined Fairfield Grange as a kitchen hand in September 2016, progressing to a personal care role two years later. She says the relationships she’s built with residents are what make the job meaningful.

“I am very grateful to the residents, as they have been kind and supportive towards me, which makes my work environment more enjoyable,” Junna said. “It is a great honour to meet these individuals and to be part of the final stage of their lives, supporting them in maintaining dignity and quality of life.”

Among the current residents, Raymond Riley has called Fairfield Grange home the longest, having moved in back in October 2017. Long-time resident Dulcie Blacker recently cut the cake to mark the milestone anniversary.

Carinity has been supporting Queenslanders since 1949, providing aged care, disability support and community services across the state.