13 Nov 2018 HLAC Facility Cleaner Award National Winner – Dee Richardson, BlueCross Baradine
Heart and soul of a great care home.
At Baradine’s last accreditation, one assessor remarked after reviewing cleaning and laundry: ‘You could eat off the floors – they are immaculate.’ The floors were not immaculate because it was accreditation, that is the state of the floors every day. Dee motivates her staff to conduct cleaning at the highest level to present an attractive and inviting environment for all residents living in the home and for their families who visit.
Dee willingly alters duty times to suit a resident’s needs, which is especially important for those living with dementia. If a resident enjoys cleaning and wants to help, Dee will patiently let them. She believes by allowing people to help it lifts their self-esteem and gives purpose to their day, making it a worthwhile exercise and never a waste of time.
She genuinely cares about people and after many years of dedicated service in what is not a glamorous role, Dee always comes to work with a smile on her face and has never let the standard of cleaning drop. Dee epitomises BlueCross principles to make a difference to the lives of residents every day and ‘she is (simply) the heart and soul of Baradine’.
