12 January 2022
With a career that has spanned over fifty years, our team wanted to honour the extraordinary work of Robyn Walton from Regis Hurstville before her retirement. Having worked for a variety of organisations, and in different roles, Regis is proud to have had Robyn finish off her career with us.
It was 1973 when Robyn first entered the aged care space as a Registered Nurse. Her full-time role was in the orthopedic unit of a major hospital, where many of her clients were older Australians with fractured hips. After this, Robyn’s career took her to many new places; Public Health in Queensland as a Remote Health Worker, volunteering with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and then in Occupational Health and Safety. It was then in the year 2000 that she started taking on shifts in the residential aged care space and found a new passion!
With decades of experience and a plethora of anecdotes, we asked Robyn what her most memorable experience was from her career.
“We looked after a homeless gentleman who presented a variety of challenges, including not wanting to be in aged care at all. At one stage during his stay he was hospitalized and had to have some major surgery. Four days post-op, he discharged himself from the hospital because he wanted to go ‘home’. I was speaking with the hospital about him when I saw the taxi pull up and he strode out demanding that I pay the taxi. I cried after this moment – after twenty years of sleeping on the streets of Sydney, our team had created an environment for him to call home, a place where he felt safe.”
Robyn shared with us that she loves working with Older Australian’s because it provides her with a sense of purpose; where she feels she can make a positive impact on someone’s life. “Many of our clients have contributed so much to our society and I feel that in some small way I can improve their quality of life,” expressed Robyn.
Outside of work, she loves catching up with friends and her children, attending the theatre, art galleries, and traveling to new places. Not only this, but Robyn also volunteers at a women’s refuge in her spare time. With retirement about to commence, Robyn is looking forward to taking a deep breath and relaxing – then it’s time to get a campervan, stock it with books and wine, and hit the road to visit new places and reminisce with old friends.
From everyone here at Regis, we’d like to thank you for your service and wish you a joyous and memorable next chapter in your life.
