We are delighted to introduce Irene Panagopoulos, from Fronditha Care Thornbury and recipient of The OSCARS Recognition of Excellence program.
With a love of caring for the elderly, Irene has been proudly working at Fronditha Thornbury as a laundry officer. Providing quality laundry service, building trusting relationships with the residents, and working alongside a wonderful team is why Irene has been there for 16 wonderful years.
“By choice my career is in aged care because of the love I had for the elderly, being able to come in and contribute to their wellbeing. They are an integral part of our society. It is important that they are given their best care. I am proud to be working in an aged care facility such as Fronditha.”
“In seeing the joys and the care I can bring to our cherished residents through interaction and services we provide. I'm also proud of my hard work and commitment to the organization over these remarkable years.”
Many friendships over the years
Irene says, she has had many very friends over the years. The people that work alongside her are great support and pleasure to work with.
Irene met her best friend, Sofia at Fronditha within the Laundry department. Sofia was there when Irene began, and even though they initially worked alternate days, the respect and support they had for each other, sparked a beautiful friendship that has continued to this day.
Sofia is a previous winner of The OSCARS Recognition of Excellence award and is enjoying retirement after working for Fronditha since 2001.
In the hearts of the residents
What keeps Irene motivated is knowing that her presence is bringing joy to the residents.
“Seeing the residents happy every single day, knowing that my presence the home brings them joy and pleasure daily”
The residents at Fronditha Thornbury look forward to having a chat with Irene while putting the clothes away. They express their love for her which fills her heart.
“They make you cry when they say things like this, how much they love you. You have a little chat with them while you’re putting the clothes away, and they look forward to it. And so do I”
A long career at Fronditha
Over the 16 years, Irene has seen many changes. From going to a 30-bed facility to now 120 beds. There is no surprise that the challenge of working within an aged care facility during the covid years has also changed a great deal.
“The COVID-19 epidemic has been very difficult on all of us. Precautionary measures were put in place with daily screening of staff and staggered breaks and by wearing PPE to protect one another and work and keeping our residents safe. It created a new environment. I also followed all strict measures to ensure the safety of our residents and myself.”
A hard-working team member
Irene provides practical contribution to the life of the residents to ensure they have what they need. The insight that she provides is very valuable for the care staff within the home.
“I have a wonderful and trusting relationship with our residents and always staying calm and assisting in resolving a problematic situation. We are able to overcome the situation by being honest from the onset of the problem; we solve it and find a solution.”
“My definition of hard work is consciously working and not being unnecessarily distracted. Focusing on achieving all that is required on the daily basis.”
It is this attention to detail and care for the elderly that makes Irene a worthy winner of The OSCARs.
“Irene takes initiative and keeps things moving. She plays and integral role for Fronditha. She’s a leader and great inspiration.” Tess, Asimakis Business Support Administrator at Fronditha Thornbury
Congratulations Irene! Your hard work and years of service to the community is greatly appreciated and deserving of an OSCAR Recognition of Excellence Award.
If you know of someone who’s doing amazing work in the Aged Care and Childcare industry, we would love to know about it.