It has been an incredible journey of honouring the lives of so many extraordinary individuals with advocacy, support, hands‐on help, and my heart. The stories of our residents here at Fleurenville Aged Care have become part of me...they have enriched my life and those of my staff.
Over these past years, I have seen sad lives transformed into lives of quality and dignity. I have seen those struggling to find solutions and find ways to cope with something that could have been life‐threatening. We have worked with families and resources, finding a path that gave the entire family peace of mind. These transformations are pure joy, and I feel honoured to have taken part in them.
Back when I began my career, we didn’t have mobile phones that you could fit in a pocket. The few aged care facilities in existence at that time would not accept individuals who used wheelchairs and/or sometimes even a walker. Look at where the Baby Boomers have taken us – we have indeed grown! Firmly passionate about making ageing a positive and dignified experience, despite the challenges we may face as we age, I will always be part of our community to serve, educate, and try to make a difference.
Sometimes, we are only needed as consultants to families, and that is rewarding as well. Seeing new and/or old conflicts between the adult children transforming into advocacy for their parents, leading to a high-quality life in their later years, is a win‐win for the entire family. I think of a family where the children had different opinions on what was best for their parents. With our help, they could see the strengths and weaknesses through the same lens and be guided by our experienced Care Manager, who offered options for now and the future to support their parents’ dignity.
A big part of Fleurenville Aged Care has been family education and also the best medicine for peace and harmony. Information is empowering, and at Fleurenville, our Professional Care Team is available to talk anytime.
It has been my mission to build and inspire others to take up this career as the need is so great and continues to expand. Make your passion, your profession, and people with like-minded values will join in pursuit to make this world a better place. If you lead for only self‐interest, the result might not make an impact, and you might feel empty or unfulfilled.
I’m proud to say that because of the dedication of our staff and the thousands of individuals who have supported Fleurenville Aged Care, we have only become brighter! It’s what we do!
I commit myself and my entire team to advocate for our residents at Fleurenville, and that joy and peace be part of each life!
Jan Heystek
CEO
Fleurenville Aged Care
