It’s all About the Care
BY DI SNEDDON
Eon McDonall and Jo Graham have been good friends, work colleagues and Board Directors of Ourcare Services Inc. for a very long time.
Friends they will remain and they finished their nursing careers years ago but this year they both decided to retire from the Ourcare Board, as Eon says, they have reached their ‘use by’ date in that role but not before they have given a combined 29 volunteer service.
They are truly great company, full of laughter and experiences and not shy of sharing an opinion.
Life at Singleton Hospital where they were both nurses was a different era than what it is now and they loved every minute.
Jo said when the roster came out it was always good to see.
“When you saw who you were working with you knew you were going to have a good day,” Jo said.
They had strong relationships with staff and doctors but there came a time to retire and that is when they joined the Ourcare Board.
Ourcare provides multiple services to older, frail, and disabled people to live independently in their homes and something they believe in now, more than ever.
Both were approached by Ourcare and Singleton stalwart Barry Bartrop and couldn’t say no.
Over the years they have seen the organisation grow. When Eon first joined it was a management committee with some 18 members. Now it is a board of seven.
There are more services offered under the one roof than most similar organisations all aimed at giving older and disabled people the opportunity of a life they choose to live.
Jo and Eon both reluctantly retire from the Board and say the challenges ahead are enormous.
“With the Aged Care Commission and regulations, I just know the paperwork is just going to grow but I am very confident our organisation will do what needs to be done because we care, we all do,” Jo said.
There is still so much these women contribute to the community, but for now we just say thank you.