Why Local Matters More In Cronulla
The Shire is not an ordinary place to grow old, and the elements that make it a great place to live also make home care logistics unique. This is what we plan around.
The peninsula problem
Cronulla has limited road access in and out and is close to the water on three sides. The flow of traffic at Taren Point and over the Captain Cook Bridge is slow during peak periods, and a worker from elsewhere in Sydney can take an hour each way for a one-hour visit.
This has predictable consequences. The worker is late. Travel gets charged. Then they refuse to take the shift and you begin again with a different person. It is the most prevalent reason Shire families go through the support worker cycle.
We're different in that way; we're looking for workers who are already in the Shire, they live in Cronulla, Caringbah, Miranda, Sylvania, Gymea or in the surrounding suburbs. The distinction is between those workers who will service the area and those who live in it. This makes it more dependable and it tends to last years, not months.
Units, buildings and access
Many of our Cronulla clients reside in units. A large number had moved away from their family homes and settled in the Shire, close to the train, the shops and the beach, sensible, but with one practical wrinkle.
If it's not sorted right, building access is a friction point for every visit, not just the fobs, intercoms and lift keys, but the rules of visitor parking too, and the permissions of building managers. If not, each new worker will need to solve the building once more before beginning work.
We do it once at the beginning. A spare fob, the intercom code written down, the building manager informed and any strata requirements understood. It sounds small. It eliminates one weekly irritation and it is another reason continuity of the worker matters here.
Parking, honestly
Parking near the beach, The Kingsway and the Esplanade is challenging, especially during the summer and on weekends. This is not a trivial issue for home care, a worker who circles for fifteen minutes is fifteen minutes not spent with you, and there's an extra cost that someone has to absorb.
If you have a visitor bay, driveway, garage space or resident permit, advise us at the initial call. It really helps with rostering and reduces lateness. If parking is necessary, we discuss it with you in advance, not on a bill.
Bundeena and Maianbar
It is worth mentioning on its own, since it's a true edge case. Bundeena and Maianbar are reached by the ferry from Cronulla wharf, or a long drive through the Royal National Park. Regular rostering is not applicable there.
It is not impossible, support must be organised around ferry timetables or a longer window for journeys, and is likely to involve locating one worker who lives in the village. It requires greater lead time. If you are out this way, please give us a call and we will tell you what is realistic rather than promising you what we can't do.
A settled community
A large number of those we support in the Shire have been living here for 40 years and more. They know the pharmacist, the club, the neighbours, and the walk they have done every morning since they retired. Staying at home, rather than moving into an aged care home or residential aged care services, isn't simply about the house, it's about staying in a life they created.
That's how we think about social support here. Community access in Cronulla is rarely a program or a centre. It's the Esplanade walk, the coffee at the same place, the bowls club on a Thursday, church on Sunday, or a drive down to Bass and Flinders Point when the weather is nice. Support which keeps those things going does more for a person than a planned outing ever will.
