Please say hello to Coreene our Lifestyle Coordinator at Sylvan Woods. Coreene has been with Vacenti for 2 years and started her career in the aged care industry as an AIN and a diversional therapist. From when she was young Coreene has been passionate about aged care, however, it wasn’t until she was dragged to Tafe on an open day that she decided to give it a go. Proving anything is possible when you are brave enough to try. Coreene has her Certificate 4 in leisure and lifestyle and Certificate 3 in aged care.
She has always been able to get on better with older people and has plenty of time, respect and energy to give to our community. Older generations have so much wisdom to share and understand life which is one of the reasons Coreene loves coming to work. Our residents are open to talking about things, have a deep perspective on life and have shown great resilience which Coreene is inspired by. She loves that they all have experiences to share and are understanding and open to sharing their wisdom with others, making them feel important, needed, and have a purpose in life.
Coreene has a heart for this industry and absolutely loves her job. To be a lifestyle officer you must be able to read people, know a resident’s needs, and have compassion and patience. The main thing Coreene wants to ensure is that residents at Sylvan Woods experience a quality of life and she strives to make their time at Sylvan special and enjoyable.
The other point brought out of our conversations is that it is not just about residents, it is about staff as well and getting them involved as a team because the residents care for the staff as much as careers do about residents. So, for Coreene it is about connecting the team and organising lots of special events.
Coreene favourite moments involve residents who have had a good laugh at themselves, keep a positive outlook on life and the way they are able to handle events through humour. The one event that comes to mind was this year when a resident celebrated her 101st birthday. It was a surprise party, and she just couldn’t believe it was all for her, she had never had a birthday party! It was an honour to be able to organise the party and Coreene was able to make sure she had a great day.
Always striving to do things better, keep improving and listen to feedback to do what is best for the resident. Coreene wants to do a manager’s course or a course on technology so she can then better assist residents in navigating the digital age. She appreciates education and the knowledge gained through study and is looking forward to expanding her skill sets.
