As I sit in front of my warm fireplace typing this, I can’t help but reflect on how long and cold this winter has been. This is mimicked by us soldiering through the broader social winter that is COVID-19 and its related lockdowns. It is with a shock that I realised that it is already September and Spring. In the promise of new life that Spring brings I hope we can all find some inspiration and new energy.
The promise of sunny days and pending holiday spirit seems both close and too far off currently. We in the retirement sector are struggling with staff that have been putting in all their heart and soul into their work with the fear of burnout being very real. This was also recently exacerbated by the taxi violence making it impossible for some staff to get to work safely resulting in us having to call in extra support on very short notice. At the same time we are struggling to attract health workers as the national vaccination rollout seems to be absorbing all available capacity in temporary positions.
We really wished we could show our appreciation for our teams continued hard work through a team building initiative. However, this also had to be put on hold so that we don’t unnecessarily increase the already high COVID-19 risks these everyday heroes face. I would like to challenge all our residents to help inspire and lift the spirit of the essential workers that have been giving their all through this difficult time to help start and spread the Spring energy. Perhaps it could be something as simple as smiling when you greet them. I would really like to challenge us all to be kind and gentle to each other. We are all going through a lot. I would also like to challenge us to listen to each other more. While we are all in the same storm we are not all in the same boat and reaching out to those around us we can all be better, safer and more connected.
