MECWA

mecwacare is a leading not-for-profit organisation with a reputation for excellence. Founded in 1959 by a small group of concerned citizens to address the lack of services for the aged in their local community.
mecwacare has provided care to the community for nearly 50 years, offering residential aged care, respite care, in-home support, disability and nursing services, providing optimal choice for people of all ages, irrespective of financial, religious, cultural or lifestyle background.
Residential Services is provided across three aged care centres to over 300 people ranging from independent living, low care and high care. Their residential aged care centres are all fully accredited by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.
The Noel Miller Centre in Glen Iris opened in July 2003 and provides accommodation for 138 people. Modern design features, elegant furnishings have been incorporated into the 138 single occupancy rooms with ensuites and communal living areas. The Centre is surrounded by beautifully landscaped courtyards. Respite Care is available to older people and their families.
The Sir Donald and Lady Trescowthick Centre opened in 1998 and is designed around four separate houses with their own dining room, living room and external courtyards linked by an internal ‘streetscape’ with a central mall and cathedral glass ceilings. The centre includes 60 single occupancy rooms with ensuites. Situated in bustling Prahran, residents enjoy regular visits to the local shopping precinct.
mecwacare Malvern Centre opened in February 2010. One of the key features of mecwacare Malvern for low-care residents is the opportunity to live in one of thirty multi-room Suites, either with a partner or friend (depending on care assessment eligibility) or simply to have some extra space. Respite Care is available to older people and their families.
mecwacare provides home support and nursing care services for people in their own homes, across four geographic regions: South East Metro (Malvern), Northern Metro (Northcote), Western Metro (Sunshine) and South East Regional (Pakenham). mecwacare offers flexible and responsible in-home care from experienced nurses with a strong commitment to personalised care. Services are provided seven days per week, and are tailored to meet the needs of each client.
Vison
Maximise the quality of life of the Victorian Community
Mission
To support the community, with a focus on seniors, by providing care and services of the highest quality
Values
We value interactions and relationships that are:
Caring
Accountable
Respectful
Ethical
We demonstrate these values through:
*Supportive and compassionate care and services
*Responsible and professional behaviours
*Tolerant and thoughtful communications
*Honest and fair partnerships.
History
1959-1969 - The Founding Years
Jack Jenkins, a Malvern City Councillor, and Dudley Lucas, the Town Clerk of Malvern, recognized that there was a lack of facilities for the elderly in the local community to meet. Seniors’ Centres were being built in other municipalities, but Malvern lagged in this
respect.
Through holding charity dances from 1954 until 1956, Jenkins and Lucas raised sufficient funds to build clubrooms for senior citizens in the south east corner of the Malvern Cricket Ground on High Street. Construction started in mid-1958.
A constitution was drawn up for a Malvern Elderly Citizens’ Association in 1954, and the inaugural meeting of the Malvern Elderly Citizen’s Welfare Association (MECWA) finally took place on the 5th of November 1959, attended by 62 people.
Through the dedication of the Committee, and strong links with Council, local and State politicians and Church groups, the activities of MECWA over the next decade expanded to:
*providing Meals on Wheels (which grew to 41,309 meals per year in 1971)
*founding an Opportunity Shop at 136 Wattletree Road, Malvern (14 May 1964)
*leasing premises at 299 Waverley Road, East Malvern for a second Op Shop (31 October 1969)
*lobbying for a survey of assisted accommodation needs in Malvern (1966)
The strength of the early volunteers who gave so freely of their time and energy was critical to the financial success of the organisation - as the op shops’ funds contributed to a sound footing for the 1970s. Some volunteers are still with mecwacare
today - Margaret Watson, Joy Waller-Ogden and Max Shaw.
From humble beginnings, the founders of the organization maintained a driving passion to provide better services for the elderly. Their vision to build a sustainable, caring and modern organisation has stood firm for 50 years now, and we are grateful for their boundless energy, compassion and focus.
1970 - 1979 - Building for the Future
The MECWA appeal of 1970 forever changed the scope and character of the organization, as
construction of an accommodation facility in Malvern for the elderly became a reality. The Appeal was held from September 1970 to June 1971, to raise $200,000. By June 1971 $100,000 was raised, including a generous donation of $20,000 from Mr. Noel Miller.
MECWA House in Warner St, Malvern, was home to 48 single units and 15 independent living flats for the elderly. People over retirement age were invited to apply for accommodation if they were able to make an in-going contribution of $3,500. The opening of the hostel on 6 October, 1973, significantly changed the Board’s responsibilities. mecwacare had now entered into providing aged care. By 1975 the waiting list for MECWA House had risen to over 100.
The continuing funds from the op shops, the ingoings to MECWA House and the work of Noel Miller with Melbourne’s Charitable Trusts and Foundations ensured that the organisation built a healthy bank balance to plan further facilities.
On Sunday, 29 July 1973, the premises at Fisher Street, East Malvern were opened as an Elderly Citizen’s Club, and the meals-on-wheels service was transferred to the newer, larger and more modern kitchens there in 1974.
In 1978, MECWA House was extended in Warner Street with a 28 bed hostel and 18 self-contained flats on the land across Warner’s Lane and four independent living units in an adjoining property in Elizabeth Street. The total cost of the project was nearly $1,000,000, but provided much needed housing for the elderly in their local community.
Construction also commenced on the Chadstone Elderly Citizens’ Club and was completed in December 1977. The Meals-On-Wheels service continued to expand; by 1979 the total number of meals preparedhad reached 50,524.
By December 1978, mecwacare had consolidated its financial footprint, built MECWA House and two new Community Centres, and become an integral element of Malvern society.
1980 - 1989 - Preparing for extended excellence in Aged Care
As residents in MECWA House aged by the end of the 80’s there was great concern in the organisation about their increasing physical and mental frailty. Residents now required overnight supervision and personal care - which differed from their ability on entering MECWA House several years earlier.
The Board decided in 1979 to investigate how the organisation could build a nursing home for the frail and infirm elderly. Applications were declined by the Health Commission, which deemed that existing arrangements in Malvern were adequate. Despite this setback, four properties in Warner Street were purchased over time.
In May 1988, federal government funding was finally secured for construction of The Olive Miller Nursing home. The wait over 9 years for a licence and funding was difficult, but a testament to the vision of the Board to care for the older citizens of their community.
During this time, there was strong support for mecwacare to provide a Day Care Centre Service.
Current arrangements could not fully meet the requirements for special needs clients, or the needs of older residents living at home.
mecwacare secured the lease of a property at Burke Road in 1983, and appointed a full time supervisor - Mrs Anita Mummé. Mrs Mummé became the organisation’s first Executive Officer in 1985.
In 1987, the Day Centre started a respite program for people who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. A “Home Sitters” service provided respite care at people’s home for periods during the day, and was subsidised by HACC funding, as the Government initiated programs to care for people at home in suitable circumstances.
In this decade the organisation continued to grow, adding services and facilities to assist those in need, while retaining a clear goal of building a world-class nursing home.
1990 - 1999 - Great steps forward
In 1990, a significant milestone was reached when construction of The Olive Miller Nursing Home started on the land purchased in Warner Street in 1979. The Home offered assisted living care and planned activities for residents.
Purchase of property at 9-11 Elm Road, Glen Iris, was originally intended to accommodate residents with dementia, but plans changed as long term funding could not be secured. The Elm Road site now has 31 independent living units for financially disadvantaged seniors.
In 1993 at a strategic planning workshop, the Board agreed to:
a) expand outside traditional municipal boundaries
b) become more independent of government funding
c) provide a fee-for-service operation for appropriate clients.
Private Care was an immediate win, meeting demand in the community for a fee-paying service, and providing an alternate income stream.
In 1995, Redicare Attendant Services were acquired from The Red Cross, which tripled the existing client base and expanded the geographical operating area to include the City of Whitehorse and Shires of Cardinia and Whittlesea. mecwacare extended home care services to families of younger people with a disability, and the City of Whitehorse program continues today.
The Sir Donald and Lady Trescowthick Centre was developed in the early 1990’s to provide accommodation for 60 people in Prahran. The Centre opened in 1998 and has recently celebrated its’ 10 year anniversary. It offers a vibrant, caring and welcoming home for residents, their families, volunteers and staff. Services were further expanded into Prahran through meals-on-wheels and the opening of an Op Shop at 52 Chapel Street in 1996.
mecwacare was successful in tendering to provide home and community care services in the Shire of Cardinia, which included home help, maintenance, meals delivery, community centre activities and social support for the aged and people with disabilities. The services started in May 1997, and a strong bond exists today between mecwacare and the Shire Council.
2000 - 2009 - Caring for wider metropolitan Melbourne
As part of the strategic plan, the ex-Gardiner Primary School site in Kent Street, Glen Iris, was purchased in 1994. The Noel Miller Centre, providing excellent aged care for 138 residents, was opened in July 2003. The Centre provides separate care for people with Alzheimers’ Disease as well as assisted care for the aged.
During this period, the Redicare Home Nursing services were greatly expanded as a result of increased demand. Nursing services such as wound and medication management, intravenous, stomal and enteral therapy and continence management provided options for seniors to continue living at home. To service a growing clientele in the Northern and Western areas of Melbourne, mecwacare established offices in Preston and Sunshine in 2007 and 2006 respectively.
mecwacare purchased Rivendell House in Pakenham to support Community Services in The Shire of Cardinia, and run a Men’s Woodworking Shed within many day programs. The team also runs planned activities in Garfield, Koo Wee Rup and Emerald each week, and also continue providing a delivered meals service with the help of volunteers.
Significant transformation in mecwacare’s Community Centres at the Bowen Street and Fisher Street Centres resulted in expanded services for people with special needs, as well as fully interactive programs for seniors, including dance and music programs, arts and craft activities and walking and strength training. The Living Skills Program established at Fisher Street in 1999 assists clients to develop living skills in areas such as budgeting, healthy shopping, preparation of food, cooking and cleaning to increase their independence at home.
To underpin the quality of care provided, management undertook an extensive program of upgrading professional qualifications of all carers, and supporting that with improved communication, IT and administration systems.
Looking to the immediate and long term future, mecwacare has invested in building a state-of-the-art aged care facility in Malvern Road, which will support 120 residents.
mecwacare is proud to have provided care into the community for 50 years and the Board values the tremendous contribution of past members and volunteers.
The future awaits - with many exciting developments planned.
Services
mecawacare provides services and support to the elderly, people with dementia or disabilities and the wider general community through:
*Residential Services
*Home Nursing and Care Services
*Community Services
*Disability Services
*Op Shops
Volunteers
mecwacare has more than 300 volunteers who unstintingly give their time to compassionately care for our aged residents. We are assured that the Malvern Aged Care and Wellness Centre will attract our current volunteers as well as many others who will welcome the opportunity to be involved.
In relation to our residential facilities volunteers are involved in many ways which make a tremendous difference to our residents. Some of the volunteer activities are detailed below.
Craft Groups
Volunteers run our craft groups, which are open to all residents, but particularly focused towards men. Participants make greeting cards, gift boxes, stationery and cushions for sofas, and often write to their relatives and friends on the cards and stationery that they create.
The group attracts a large percentage of men, which is unusual, but this focus provides an opportunity for men to remain connected and involved, as their natural tendencies are to pursue more solitary hobbies.
Gardening
Volunteers also run our gardening group at the Noel Miller Aged Care Centre, where they tidy the garden beds with light pruning, planting and weeding, which enhances the areas for all residents to relax in. Volunteers also assist residents with individual gardening activities, such as maintaining a small gardening plot to help keen gardeners keep their “green thumbs!”
Staffing Centre Kiosks and Libraries and Reading to residents
Volunteers also help with important regular services that keep the centres vibrant and engaging, such as staffing the kiosk which sell newspapers, magazines, sweets and coffee. We also have a library at each centre which is run by volunteers who catalogue the books, sort donated and returned books onto shelves and keep the reading area clear and pleasant. For those residents who cannot visit the library area, volunteers will read to them in a more comfortable environment.
Pet Therapy
mecwacare volunteers also run a “pet therapy” program, where trained dogs are brought to the centres to visit the residents. This program is especially liked by residents who may have given away their own pets when they’ve moved.
Music Therapy
Volunteers participate in our music therapy program through performing individually, or as part of local school choirs and music groups who visit and entertain the residents. Music is a vital component of engaging residents, who may find other activities taxing on their physical and mental abilities. This is particularly important to residents in our dementia units, as hearing is often the last sense to fail.
Awards
2009
* 2009 Victorian Finalist: Telstra Business Women's Awards - White Pages Community and Government Award
* Winner: The 2009 Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) National Awards for Excellence - Trainee Award
* Winner: Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV) Excellence Awards - Trainee Category

2007
* Winner: Charity / Not for Profit Organisation - Leader Business Achiever Awards Stonnington
* Finalist: Excellence Training Innovation Award - Aged and Community Services Australia
* Finalist: Employer of the Year - WPC Group Victorian Training Awards
2006
* Winner: Employer Achievement in Creating a Learning Culture Open Category - Community Services and Health Industry Training Awards
2005
* Finalist: Employer Achievement in Creating a Learning Culture Open Category - Community Services and Health Industry Training Awards
2004
* Winner: Tim Beare - Victorian Department of Human Services Annual Direct Support Worker Award

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