Following her dreams

It takes courage to follow your dream. Especially when you’re raising two children on your own and looking for a change from your current job, which you don’t particularly enjoy.

That’s exactly what 36-year-old Meaghan Perris did and today she’s the Senior Care Manager at Uniting AgeWell’s Strath-Haven Community.

Growing up, Meaghan would tag along with her Mum who nursed in aged care facilities. “I would chat to the residents, hear their life stories and feel so privileged to be on the receiving end of all their wisdom,” Meaghan explains. “I knew I wanted to follow in Mum’s footsteps.”

So, she took the plunge, quit her job and, while working as a Personal Care Worker, completed a Bachelor of Nursing at Latrobe University. She then nursed in aged care and acute, while welcoming another two children into the world.

Meaghan joined Uniting AgeWell’s Strath-Haven Community in 2020 and has never looked back. Her compassion and hard work were quickly recognised and she was promoted from lead in managing infection control during COVID, to Care Coordinator and then Senior Care Manager, even standing in as Residential Service Manager when needed. Recently she graduated from the inaugural Operational and Emerging Leadership Program, offered to only a handful of staff across Uniting AgeWell.

“It is wonderful to work with an organisation that sees people’s strengths and gives them the opportunity to grow into the best version of themselves,” says Meaghan. “I feel valued and supported.”

International Women’s Day is an important opportunity for Uniting AgeWell to recognise the impact of our valued members of staff, like Meaghan, and to reaffirm our commitment to providing truly inclusive career pathways.

Meaghan is also proud that Strath-Haven is part of the pilot program in Uniting AgeWell’s partnership with WomenCAN, a charity dedicated to linking women to a peer-supported model of education and employment. A number of women from the program have already completed traineeships at Strath-Haven and are now employed there.

Uniting AgeWell is further showing its commitment to the Bendigo community with its new 30-bedroom wing slated to open mid-year to cater for the growing demand for quality residential aged care. The massive development, with garden and reservoir views, is modelled along the lines of family homes.

Strath-Haven is recruiting staff across all areas to work in the new wing, including direct care workers, nurses, lifestyle coordinators and assistants, and kitchen staff.