THE residents and staff at Baptcare Northaven Community hosted a special guest last Monday in Baptcare chief executive officer Geraldine Lannon.

Ms Lannon made the trip across the country from Perth to personally thank the staff of the aged care facility for their tremendous efforts during the flooding emergency.

Staff went above and beyond when Kerang was cut off to look after the residents, with some even staying on-site 24/7.

Ms Lannon handed out certificates to the staff in recognition of their work and held a question time before enjoying stories of days gone by from the residents at morning tea.

Ms Lannon said she had complete faith in the team’s ability to keep residents safe and happy during the natural disaster.

“Our team had planned for this emergency,” Ms Lannon said. “Regardless of what was going on with floodwaters, we knew that maintaining our regular high level of care for everyone who calls Northaven home was our priority.

“Even when Kerang was cut off, life continued as usual within the home.

“We had staff members who live out of town and couldn’t attend their shift, so other staff members stepped forward, which ensured everything went smoothly thanks to the resilience and good humour of our Northaven residents and care team.”

It wasn’t just staff stepping up, – community volunteers and family members of residents dedicated their time to the facility.

Northaven Kerang manager Ray Deependra spoke to The Guardian and said he was astonished by the help they received.

“The public was very supportive, and we are extremely grateful to them,” he said.

“If there’s one thing that’s really impressed me coming out of this emergency, it is how much community spirit there is in Kerang.”

Ms Lannon agreed.

“Some residents could not have their usual visits from family members who lived out of town, so volunteers increased their time in the home to ensure everyone had visitors,” she said.

“After hearing about this, I knew I wanted to visit Kerang myself to meet and thank the people who helped us through a potential crisis with flying colours.”

Lessons had been learnt from the 2011 flood where the facility was underprepared – this time, staff shortages were minimal even during the isolation period, according to Mr Deependra.

“We managed within our team because we had a lot of staff here in town, which was a huge help,” he said.

“We were aware of the 2011 flood and were much better prepared this time round.

“Some staff had to stay on-site, so we provided accommodation for them, which we were more than happy to do.

“They look after the residents, so it was good to ensure we were looking after them as well.”