Jill Taylor (Nikitakis), Fronditha Care President and Board Chair, was pleased to inform Fronditha Care members that the organisational performance, since February 2021, had far exceeded expectations and Fronditha Care had reset its course for significant longer-term future growth.
Addressing close to 50 members, who joined the virtual Member Information Session II for the year, Ms Taylor (Nikitakis) said: “The important and necessary measures the Board and CEO, Faye Spiteri Tsolakis and her team implemented, to recalibrate the financial viability of the organisation, have proved to be very effective. We made the difficult decisions swiftly and so far managed to strike the right balance, keeping the care of our residents at the highest quality.”
“We have seen better than anticipated financial performance following a very disappointing year in 2020. Positive sentiment towards our organisation from the community has seen increased demand for Fronditha Care services. We continue to grow with uncompromised service as evidenced by the accreditation of all our facilities,” Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) told members.
Members were advised that the pandemic and compliance requirements have presented significant challenges in the aged care sector. Yet Fronditha Care has continued to lift occupancy rates in all its facilities, sitting at an average of 99%, compared with the industry average of around 88%.
Since April 2021, with the release of additional Government packages, there has also been an 80% volume growth of Fronditha Care’s Community Services with more elderly community members requiring assistance at home and choosing Fronditha Care due to its credibility, culturally specific care model and the quality care of its service delivery.
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) added: “Our strategy is definitely working, and we have made great gains in just four months. While we still have a way to go, we are moving forward with confidence towards a surplus result sooner than expected.”
Members also heard that Fronditha Care’s procedures and protocols have been exceptionally effective in keeping its residents and staff safe, healthy and COVID-19 free.
Fronditha Care has facilitated COVID-19 vaccination rollout for all those in its care, staff, volunteers, contractors and the extended Fronditha Care community through numerous vaccination rounds across all its facilities and the Mulgrave Support Hub. The vaccination rate is among the highest of an organisation of its size, with an average of 83% of residents and 82% of staff vaccinated.
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) informed members that alongside efficiency measures put in place to lift operational performance there was a focus on completion of capital works with the new St Albans facility opening imminent.
“We have made a significant investment of $21.9M, to build a state-of-the-art facility in St Albans to fully cater to all our elderly residents’ needs. Ninety members of our community, many of them with advanced care needs, will be the first to occupy the new and much anticipated St Albans residence from September 2021. We expect the facility to be fully occupied within three months of opening, COVID restrictions permitting. We have also commenced small capital works at our Templestowe and Thornbury facilities, with a total investment of over $2.1 million, as part of our continuous improvement projects.”
“We are looking at the future with extreme optimism. We are working on a 10-year strategy and developing a strategic framework to future proof the organisation and provide more choice in our service delivery across the continuum of care for our community. I look forward to sharing more about this in November at our Annual General Meeting. In the meantime, I want to acknowledge and sincerely thank my fellow Directors and our CEO Faye Spiteri (Tsolakis) and her team for their commitment to the work and especially for achieving so much in such a short space of time,” Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) said.
The President was delighted to introduce two newly co-opted Directors, Mr Nicholas Giassoumi and Mr Alex Krassas. She also took the opportunity to thank the previous Treasurer, Mr Kostas Kyrifidis, who recently resigned from the Board, noting he played an instrumental role in the organisation’s financial turnaround.
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) thanked the members for their continued support.
In response, the attendees congratulated the Board, CEO and Executive team for their hard work and the significantly improved results.
The information session is part of the ongoing commitment of the Fronditha Care Board to continue deeper communication with its members and the broader community.
, Fronditha Care President and Board Chair, was pleased to inform Fronditha Care members of their organisational performance.){kind=link}