17 September 2022
To acknowledge Dementia Action Week, we chat with Gary Mina, winner of the Dementia Care Award at our 2021 National Care Awards.
For his exceptional contribution to the care of residents living with dementia, Gary Mina who works with the Lifestyle team at our Regis East Malvern Home was presented with the Outstanding Dementia Care Award at the 2021 Regis National Care Awards. Gary has built relationships with every resident and their families through kindness, patience, and understanding.
Growing up with the loving support of his grandmother, Gary knew from a young age that he wanted to work in aged care. When speaking of her, Gary affectionately proclaims that “she looked after me well. It will make her happy if I can return the favour by looking after residents in aged care.” This care and affection carry over into every interaction Gary has with our residents, who are always pleased to be in his presence.
Today, Gary is one of our most passionate employees and loves supporting our older generation. For Gary, putting a smile on our residents’ faces is an effortless daily highlight, as is working in a supportive and tight-knit team. Spreading joy, laughter, and delight is never a problem for Gary, and our residents love seeing him pop up around the Home to spread cheer and happiness.
A typical day for Gary involves providing support to our residents by keeping them active through fun exercises and exciting games. Additionally, Gary loves showing off his musical talents by hosting live performances and jamming out on his guitar to our residents’ favourite tunes. Our residents join in by singing and clapping along to Gary’s singing, dancing, and guitar playing. He brings people across the Home together through the engaging and cognitively challenging programs that the Lifestyle team creates which ensure that everyone is cared for.
To Gary, winning the Outstanding Dementia Care Award in 2021 shows that he has the support of a great manager and an excellent rapport with colleagues across all departments at Regis.
Gary is the embodiment of the Regis values. He is there to provide support when his team need it with generosity, enthusiasm, and care.
The advice Gary offers to anyone pursuing a career in aged care? “You have to be genuinely caring and patient.”
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