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There was live music in the air, fairy floss in hand, and more than a few painted faces – but at the heart of it all was something much more meaningful.
Karingal Residential Aged Care in Dalby recently celebrated 20 years in its current home, and the community showed up the way it always does – warmly, wholeheartedly, and across generations.
Residents were joined by family members of all ages – great-grandchildren among the youngest faces in the crowd – for a morning of donuts, a bake sale, coffee and laughter. It didn't feel like a formal event. It felt like exactly what Karingal has always been: a community looking after its own.
Director of Nursing Simone McDonald has been part of that community for ten years.
"Twenty years is a significant milestone. The connection between our staff, our residents and their families is something really special – and days like this are a reminder of just how much Karingal means to the people of Dalby,"
- Director of Nursing, Simone McDonald
For Simone, the day was deeply personal. Her own grandmother is among Karingal's current residents.
"Having my grandmother here gives me a perspective that makes me a better Director of Nursing. I see firsthand every day the difference our team makes and celebrating twenty years together felt very personal for our whole family."
The celebration had a moment that stopped people in their tracks. Bill Ramsey, a retired staff member who gave more than 30 years to Darling Downs Health, wrote an original song for the occasion and it made it onto local radio the morning of the event.
Diversional Therapist Rachael Stone organised the day and rallied local staff to bring it all together.
"We wanted the day to feel like a celebration for everyone. Seeing so many generations come together – from residents in their nineties singing their favourite songs to great-grandchildren having their faces painted – really summed up what Karingal is all about,” she said.Karingal is home to 80 residents and is a place where the views stretch across rural paddocks and the sunsets are worth staying up for.
After twenty years, it's as much a part of this landscape as the community itself.
Here's to the next twenty!
