Mark Tolley

I came to the Illawarra 31 years ago. I had a job as a general assistant doing maintenance in schools. I changed jobs to work permanent nights on the door of Corrimal Leagues Club for three years and at four years I became supervisor. I did this so I could mind my children during the day to enable my wife to go back to work as a teacher. When the children were old enough to go to school I left the club. I started a lawn mowing business which I had for 12 years. I had 60% elderly customer base which provided me satisfaction compared to no job satisfaction other than money in the steelworks!...

I chose Warrigal because I wanted to go back to having that feeling of satisfaction I had when I had my lawn mowing business.

There is a culture at Warrigal and a feeling of being a part of a team. Everybody is equal with one goal and that’s to make the residents happy and feel wanted. I received a fruit tray from Jo the Residential Services Manager at Albion Park Rail with a card that said “From your friends in the Nursing Home”.

At first I was worried that working in an area where a large percentage of residents had some stage of dementia, it would not bring me the same rewards as the elderly customers that I had whilst mowing lawns, as they still had full facilities and still at home. I was worried I wouldn’t feel that same satisfaction but I soon realised I was wrong. It was still the same and at times greater. I found dementia residents to be special people. Each resident is sometimes in their own world but all they need is to be wanted, to feel part of a family of worth. While their own way of acknowledging gratitude was not as structured and deep as my lawn mowing customers – it was done with that same honesty and sincerity. Sometimes it is not a thank you, it is just a simple smile or laugh or eye contact. But that feeling of satisfaction you get from that contact is amazing.

There is a resident who’s only form of communication is to say to me “Hello old mate”. So when I see her in her chair, I always smile and say “Hello old mate” and she smiles back and says “Hello old mate” back to me and that feeling of making contact with her is very rewarding.