After nearly three decades of service to Boandik, case manager Helen Warhurst has retired after sharing some of her fondest memories of her time with the non-profit organisation. 

It’s a period that has seen countless changes occur at Boandik, with the building of the Crouch Street and St Mary’s homes, the creation of the state-of-the-art Community Wellbeing Centre, the redevelopment of independent living units and the expansion of community services.

Ms Warthurst has for the past 20 years worked to support clients to be in their own homes for as long as they are able. 

“My fondest memories are of the people, the true care that is given from the heart,” Ms Warhurst said.

“Coming to work daily and never knowing what to expect from the workplace and client visits has taught me some pearlers.”

In 1993, when Ms Warhurst started her time with Boandik, she was a personal care assistant on the Kessal wing of the Lake Terrace nursing home which at the time had 30 beds.

Eventually Ms Warhurst made the leap to Boandik Community Care as a case manager.

“The people who have had the most significant impact on me have been the first couple of directors of nursing and registered nurses that I worked with on the Kessal wing, along with my colleagues on the floor, particularly the staff that had the task of training me,” she said.

“I will never ever forget what I learned from those peers and residents in my time on Kessal.

“For my work life in community, everyone that I have had the pleasure of working alongside has had an enormous, positive impact.”   

Ms Warhurst said development at Boandik had been “unceasing” and that “to say the least, it has been an extraordinary journey”. 

“Boandik over my time has had a knack of attracting people at just the right time in their life,” Ms Warhurst said.

“I have loved the interactions, smiles, laughs, jokes, singalongs, the Christmas office and pod decorating.

“Boandik on the whole has been such an amazing environment to work in for the last 29 years.

“This week I have found it very hard to imagine not being here every working day, surrounded by my work mates

“I have not cried today but over the past week or two have shed a tear with lovely peers, care workers, client and families, who have shared their beautiful, best wishes.”

Ms Warhurst intends to spend more time with her family and to make the most of her retirement. 

“After all, the world is my oyster now,” she said. 

She said that some of the most significant changes she had witnessed were the introduction of high-level manual handling practices, early intervention and orientation programs, the creation of the dementia specialist roles at Boandik and increased funding for community care recipients and in addition, structural changes, sanctions and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic were significant.