Many of us would have watched news of the flooding in Townsville this week after a record 1012mm fell in the region.
What most of us would not have seen is the impact on aged care staff during these difficult times. Workers often face a tough choice: stay and support residents or leave to protect their own homes and families.
There are 16 aged care facilities in the Townsville region and we talked to a number of operators to see how they were coping in the crisis.
Bolton Clarke CEO Stephen Muggleton told us they have 360 residents across their two facilities, plus over 300 At Home Support clients and more than 300 employees who call Townsville home.
Their Support Centre team has been working with local managers to co-ordinate ongoing efforts, while their Contact Centre team has been regularly calling clients, relatives and friends to keep them updated.
“Our staff have worked tirelessly to continue to provide care and we are working with local emergency services to monitor the situation, but there has been no inundation and the communities are well prepared for the next few days with operating generators and supplies. All residents are safe and well,” he said.
We have all of the residents, staff and families in our thoughts.
