Janteena Gillam from Mt St Vincent Nursing Home in Ulverstone, was recognised for her tireless
work, taking home the Aged Care Professional Award at the 2011 Tasmanian Aged Care Awards
presented last week at a gala function in Hobart.

Implemented by Aged and Community Services Tasmania (ACST), the Tasmanian Aged Care
Awards aim to recognise and reward Tasmanian aged care providers, individuals, and communities in
caring for older Tasmanians.

ACST CEO Darren Mathewson said Ms Gillam, dubbed the ‘Night duty angel’ by her colleagues,
received the honour for her work over the past 18 years.

“Janteena has shown incredible compassion towards those in her care, and often goes above and
beyond what is expected of her in her role,” Mr Matthewson said.

“This award also highlights that the sacrifices and hard work that night duty staff undertake, does not
go unnoticed, and without the fantastic support of the individuals working this difficult shift we
couldn’t provide such high quality care to older Tasmanians.”

Mr Mathewson said other Tasmanian Aged Care Award recipients included Emmerton Park (The
Aged Care Organisation Award and the Media Award) , Barbara Newman from OneCare (Volunteer
Contribution Award), Amelia Watkins from Vaucluse Gardens (Education and Training Award) and
Ron Dell, who was awarded a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to the industry.
“Emmerton Park, based in Smithton, was awarded the Aged Care Organisation Award for their
commitment to innovation and leadership within the industry,” he said.

“Embodying a culture of learning, and implementing a nursing scholarship in 2009, Emmerton Park
work by the mantra that remoteness should not be a barrier to learning.

“Emmerton Park was one of the first organisations to connect to the NBN, implementing ‘tablet’
technology for staff. Even the residents now have an internet café.”

Mr Mathewson said the Tasmanian Aged Care Awards were initially introduced to highlight the
importance of recognising organisations and individuals who devote their time to the care of older
Tasmanians.
“Tasmania has the second oldest population of any state in Australia, with nearly one fifth of our
population aged over 60,” he said.

“Aged care is now more important than ever, so we created this awards program to recognise, reward,
and encourage excellence in the Tasmanian aged care industry.”

ACST would like to thank HESTA Super Fund, Millington’s Funeral Directors, Tasmanian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, Prime Times Tasmania, Wicking Dementia Research and Education
Centre, Australian Employment and Training Solutions and The Senior Tasmania for their support of
this year’s Tasmanian Aged Care Awards.
Aged and Community Services Tasmania