Maddington and Kelmscott based aged care workers ineligible for government funding will be recognised and rewarded for their continued commitment to caring for the elderly in the community.
In light of COVID-19, the not-for-profit is stepping up to ensure all of the organisation’s aged care staff receive a financial bonus of $1600 to some aged care employees.
Unfortunately, the eligibility criteria for the bonus payment meant a number of MercyCare’s frontline aged care workers were not eligible for the payment.
In light of this, MercyCare’s Board and executive leadership team decided to fund two maximum payments of up to $800 for residential aged care workers and two maximum payments of $600 for home care workers who were ineligible.
Ava Middleton works in maintenance across both MercyCare’s Maddington and Kelmscott residential aged care homes, and she wasn’t eligible for the government funding.
“Initially when I heard the government would be releasing a retention bonus to eligible staff, of which I wouldn’t be eligible for, for me personally I accepted it and thought that’s the way it is,” she said.
“Then MercyCare said they would pay everyone, and I immediately thought of their logo on the side of the bus I drive that says ‘Every Person Matters.
“I thought, every person really does matter here, it was a great gesture of appreciation and fairness.”
