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The Whiddon Group is a well-known organization operating in New South Wales, Australia. It offers a wide range of elderly care. This paper will review The Whiddon Group in terms of how it assists clients to participate in their community.
The Whiddon Group is a non-profit organization that has been operating for over sixty years in New South Wales, Australia. It is a leader in offering elderly care and assisting with autonomous living. This essay will look at the history, mission statement and various locations of the Whiddon Group, as well as their Home Independence Program and the wide variety of ways they assist their clients to participate in their communities.
The Whiddon Group began in the early twentieth century. A small group of Freemasons came together in 1923 to visit both the ill and aged Freemasons and their wives. They called themselves The Aged and Distressed Brethren’s Comfort Fund Committee. Bro Herbert Cracknell, W. Bro Fred Greening and W. Bro Harold Wilkens founded the committee and gave financial assistance to their needy Brethren. Over the years more Brethren united with the Committee and eventually, they decided to build housing facilities for the elderly Masons. (Dolan & Vuilleumier, 2003.)
M.W. Bro. Frank Whiddon became Grand Master in 1945. The Frank Whiddon Masonic Homes of New South Wales was officially formed in 1947 and named a Masonic charity. The charity became a company in 1998 and in 2007 became known as The Whiddon Group. (TWG website.)
The Whiddon Group has a very clear mission statement that highlights its aim to assist clients with participating in their respective communities. They are committed to providing a range of options that help their clients to lead enriched lives. The Whiddon Group believes in continual self-development which means that they view their clients as valued members of society who are still growing and learning, regardless of what stage of life they are at. This is the reason why they feel so strongly about ensuring that their clients still are engaged members of society. (Eastwood , Smilek & Merikle, 2001.)
It is extremely important for the elderly to feel that they are still worthwhile members of their community. Old age can be a trying time as people might experience physical deterioration, mental degeneration, loss of independence and the death of loved ones. It is, therefore, imperative that they be treated with respect and encouraged to take part in various activities and social events in order to avoid isolation as a result of shame or depression. (Kennedy , Mather and Carstensen, 2004.)
Being an active member of society does not mean that one has to necessarily provide a service, but rather that one is able to engage with what the community has to offer. The Whiddon Group is spread over 26 locations around New South Wales, and every facility has a wide range of services and entertainment options available to aid clients with engaging in the modern world. Examples of some of these services include each facility having a bank, a coffee shop, plasma televisions in every lounge, a library, a barbeque area, a hair salon, two buses for outings, an on-site art teacher, a functions center and a varied leisure program. (TWG website.)
The 26 locations of the Whiddon Group centers include Easton Park, Belmont, Casino, Condobolin, Grafton, Hornsby, Kelso, Kyogle, Largs, Laurieton, Maclean, Narrabi, Redhead, River Gum Lodge, Temora, Wingham, Wee Waa, Walgett, Adamstown, Yamba, Glenfield, Harris Park, Hamilton, Guilford, Dee Why and Croydon Park. Regardless of where in New South Wales an elderly person may be, a Whiddon Group facility will be nearby.
Each of the Whiddon Groups’ locations has beautiful views and landscaped gardens. Clients can appreciate the scenery from any spot on a Whiddon Group property. Also, each residence has an average of 400 clients, which means there will be ample socializing opportunities. (Hedden, 2004.) Appreciating nature and socializing with others of a similar age and circumstance are significant elements of engaging in one’s community.
Moving to a care facility such as The Whiddon Group can be a very intimidating experience for a new client. (Fleischman, Wilson, Gabrieli, Bienias & Bennett, 2004.) It is extremely important that the staff and surroundings be welcoming and respectful, and that all the services on offer be made available to the client so he or she will immediately feel comfortable and at home. (Raz, 2000.) Creating this positive, caring and relaxed atmosphere is a top priority for all Whiddon Group staff members.
Another feature of The Whiddon Group is its Home Independence Program which is specifically designed to assist the aged, ill or those in recovery while they remain living in their homes. This program is an excellent example of how The Whiddon Group helps clients to participate in their communities as it allows them to stay in their homes while receiving treatment and care.
The Home Independence Program includes a wide variety of services that range from case management (e.g. care planning, assessment and evaluation) to personal care (e.g. mobility support, personal grooming, dressing), from housekeeping tasks (e.g. preparing meals, cleaning dishes, ironing) to home maintenance (e.g. repair jobs, gardening and taking out the rubbish), from home modifications (e.g. installing various equipment to assist with mobility) to nursing care (e.g. dressing wounds, managing incontinence), from specialist help (e.g. physiotherapy) to home-delivered meals, activity groups (e.g. organized outings) and a companion service (e.g. community activities). (TWG website.)
The Whiddon Group is committed to the health and happiness of its clients by providing for them a range of stimulating activities and services. The reason behind this is because The Whiddon Group staff appreciate how important it is for clients to interact with and enjoy what their community has to offer. This organization believes in life-long learning and so provides educational lessons and outings in order for their clients to remain involved in their communities. The Whiddon Group is an excellent example of an organization that gives its clients exactly what they need: assistance to remain engaged members of society.
References
Dolan, R. J., & Vuilleumier, P. (2003). Amygdala automaticity in emotional processing. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 985, 348–355.
Eastwood, J. D., Smilek, D., & Merikle, P. M. (2001). A negative facial expression captures attention and disrupts performance. Perceptual Physiology, 65, 352–358.
Fleischman, D. A., Wilson, R. S., Gabrieli, J. D. E., Bienias, J. L., & Bennett, D. A. (2004). A longitudinal study of implicit and explicit memory in old persons.
Psychology and Aging,19, 617–625. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.19.4.617
Hedden, T., & Gabrieli, J. D. E. (2004). Insights into the aging mind: A view from cognitive neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5, 87–96.
Kennedy, Q., Mather, M., & Carstensen, L. L. (2004). The role of motivation in the age-related positive bias in autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 15, 208–214.
Raz, N. (2000). Aging of the brain and its impact on cognitive performance: Integration of Structural and functional findings. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), Handbook of aging and cognition (2nd ed., pp. 1–90). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Whiddon Group, The. (n.d.). Web.
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