Before the interview began, Leisure and Lifestyle Coordinator Carol Fletcher stood quietly in the corridor at Avondale Heights, speaking with the son of a resident in palliative care.
Together, they navigated a difficult moment, with Carol offering gentle reassurance as they both focused on supporting his mother with compassion and calm. The exchange, though emotional, was unhurried and sincere, a reminder that aged care often unfolds in quiet acts that often go unseen.
Carol describes herself as “a behind the scenes person.”
After nearly three decades across aged care and disability services, including seven and a half years working full time at the home, she has become a familiar and trusted presence for residents, families and colleagues.
Her pathway into the sector was led more by circumstance than design. Planning to return to the workforce after raising her children, she accepted a casual role at a specialist school that quickly expanded into full time work. Experience in disability services gradually intersected with aged care, leading her to complete a Diploma of Leisure and Health and step into a coordinator position. “I decided that doing activities with people was what I wanted,” she says.
She speaks plainly about what motivates her: working with older people and “just putting a smile on their face.” The work centres on conversation, music, short walks and time in the vegetable garden, where residents take pride in seeing fresh produce carried through to the kitchen.
Carol has witnessed significant change in aged care. Residents are now arriving “a lot older and frailer,” sometimes entering care already requiring palliative support.
The home continues to evolve, supported by renewed leadership, a refreshed clinical team and a strong service culture. Fletcher highlights the quality of food and the effort made to accommodate individual preferences, noting the kitchen’s willingness to tailor meals wherever possible.
Word of mouth remains one of the strongest endorsements. The home regularly receives recommendations from families, with multiple members of the same family sometimes choosing to reside there because of previous positive experiences.
“We’re not perfect, but we try,” she says.
The quiet exchange in the corridor earlier serves as a reminder that beyond structured activities and formal responsibilities, aged care depends on steady professionals who notice, who make time and who remain present in life’s most difficult moments.
Carol may think of herself as someone who works quietly in the background, but her presence is part of the everyday support that residents and families rely on. In a sector often shaped by policy and change, it’s her calm consistency that truly influences the experience of care.