Community is truly special

At the heart of it, everything at Yukana flows from creating a sense of community. Whether families, residents, staff or management realise it or not, the sense of community and having a common purpose is what draws them to Yukana. As the philosopher and humanitarian Jean Vanier said “One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals.”

Staff ensure residents feel at home and a part of the community

So what is it that makes residents and their families say there is something special about Yukana?

“People matter”. Managing director Brett Mullen strives to do things differently at Yukana. “At the end of the day, we have a people-centric model which is very different to a customer-centric model.”

Residents never feel like they are just another number. Staff listen to each resident, they share in their joy and sadness. Staff are always looking to bring a solution to residents concerns or frustrations.

In addition to the nurses, carers and the maintenance team, the lifestyle and relationship teams play a significant role in facilitating a sense of community.

The lifestyle team organises daily in-house activities and occasional offsite outings. These are great opportunities for residents to get to know each other and build new friendships with those of similar interests.

The relationship team visit each resident, enjoying a cuppa and having a chat about the things of life. Our team is made up of staff and volunteers. They genuinely care about each person living at Yukana building connections that provide a genuine sense of support and love for each resident.

Our relationship team love to have a cuppa and chat with residents

Our staff create community every day with our residents. They enjoy helping and caring for our residents.  Care isn’t just about physical care, it’s also about their emotional and social care. Brett says “We have happy staff, so we have happy residents.”

In keeping and building the sense of community, all staff are interviewed and employed directly through Yukana management. We do not use contract staff through agencies where staff may be in on a once-off or ad-hoc basis. This allows staff to make genuine long-term relationships with the residents knowing what each resident likes and dislikes. This means our residents feel comfortable and at home with their carer and support teams. This has created a home like environment for everyone at Yukana.

Brett has had many residents over the years say that they wished they had moved sooner. There are many reasons for this but most commonly is because of the community they are now a part of.