Ocean Mist residents come for the lifestyle and stay for the care

For residents at Torquay’s Ocean Mist, life is for living, and owner Elaine O’Connor said after 33 years in the business, that was the reason her facilities were so successful.

The Surf Coast’s newest aged care provider situated off Grossmans Road offers care for residents requiring a variety of needs including, respite, palliative and dementia specific care, but most importantly provides them a home away from home.

“They feel like they’re part of a community where they feel wanted, like it’s their own home,” Ms O’Connor said. “They can get up and cook their own breakfast if they’re capable, and do their own gardening.

“We’ve got lots of open spaces if they’ve got grandchildren they can play in the garden on playground equipment or do the gardening together, if they want to do baking they can, we have a separate little kitchen where they can cook and make their own meals, cakes and scones.

“We have barbecue area where they can bring their family, a chapel for a quiet place to pray, a movie cinema room where they can watch movies in private we’ve got a separate activity room and a billiard room.”

Residents at Ocean Mist having a full-time chef ensured they are served home-style cooked meals and were able to request whatever they felt like.

“We’re so close to fresh seafood, if that’s what they want they let us know. It’s very a la carte in terms of being able to cater to what the residents want,” Ms O’Connor said.

“The same goes with outings, we have a bus that takes them out to different activities. If they want to go to the movies or shopping they can. We have one gentleman who wants to go to every library within Geelong so one of our staff drives him. For residents unable to leave the home we bring the outside world to them, whether it be hosting a family event or a wedding anniversary.”

She said she’s always been accredited and affiliated with all the peak bodies, while providing opportunities for staff to undertake extra training.

“I’m a nurse and I have a passion for caring. That passion has led me into aged care. The most common fears residents have is being isolated and being left alone on their own especially if their spouse has died.

“Those fears are alleviated here. They come here for the lifestyle and stay for the care a few staff have come across with me and they’re used to the standard I expect.”

Ms O’Connor said she likes her staff to treat residents how they’d like to be treated or how they’d treat their own parents.

“Knowing families can walk away and not have to worry about them, that they’re happy and want to be here is what I’m aiming for.

“I feel proud to think I’ve got a service that I can offer within the community for all types of people whether their rich or poor whatever that they can come here and feel safe and comfortable. I get a lot of pleasure out of that.”