Respect and community are two of Evon's favourite words

Evon Ingleby’s years of work in ‘home relocation’ and bereavement have given her an unexpected advantage in her role as Resident’s Coordinator at OCAV’s Rushall and Braeside Park villages.

“I have a real understanding of the difficulties a lot of our residents experience when they are leaving their homes to come and live with us. A lot of people who have never done it, think it is simple to downsize, leave your family home, your garden and neighbourhood to move into a retirement village and begin a new phase in your life. It isn’t always easy,” Evon said.

Evon makes it a priority to help people make the move as easy as possible. She also works to ensure the new residents feel a strong sense of welcome and belonging.

Evon joined OCAV last June after years working in senior management and is relishing her new job, working each day with residents and looking at ways their lives can be improved through the culture and services provided by OCAV.

“We have to respect what our residents want and look deeper at issues they might have. For many people it could be problems adjusting to their new life, even after a year or two,” she said.

For many years Evon worked for Classic Moves, a removalist firm that specialises in helping older people move homes or into aged care. So she was no stranger to Rushall Park when she wandered around the village last year.

”I had helped a few people move into Rushall Park so I understand the issues,” she said.

Her expertise and experience have been important when advising residents about the new development or moving into a Braeside Park cottage.

“People think they are moving into a retirement village and they are, but OCAV is not your traditional retirement village provider. There are strong connections amongst the staff and residents in our villages and there’s a sense of things happening and a culture of care,” she said.

Evon spent 10 years caring for her mother who had dementia so she is very familiar with the work OCAV is doing to ensure people can stay in their own homes as long as possible. She also understands the pressure families face when a parent has a diagnosis of dementia and she would like to involve families more in the life of the OCAV villages. She believes the best outcomes for residents can be achieved when families work closely with staff.

“It doesn’t matter if you have lived here for years or if you are moving into one of the new units, my job is to ensure that a resident’s needs are met and respected and that we have an environment where residents feel supported and acknowledged.”