For Helen Pullen, retiring from her long-term role with Anglican Care felt like she was “leaving behind 84 parents”. The popular Residential Liaison Officer (RLO) recently celebrated her retirement after 33 years of service.

Helen started her career at Booragul and then worked at Toronto before arriving at Jesmond Grove in 2004.

The residential aged care facility caters for 84 residents, and Helen knows them all well.

“There’s not one resident in the facility who I haven’t brought here in one way or another, through a tour and their first admission,” Helen says.

“It’s going to be hard to leave them all behind.”

Helen’s journey to a career in aged care began when she was almost 40 years old.

As a single mum with a young family at home, she started studying and received a placement in aged care.

It didn’t take long for her to realise that working with the elderly was something she really wanted to do.

“My role as RLO was mostly to do with admissions, ensuring people have everything they need while they are here at the facility and communicating with the families, so they know what’s happening with their loved ones,” she says.

“It’s been a very rewarding career. We might not be able to make the residents better, or solve all their problems, but we want to make the last little bit of their lives happier and better than if they were anywhere else.”

At her retirement service, Helen was joined by colleagues, residents, families, and friends.

She was treated to afternoon tea, cake and heartwarming speeches, led by Residential Care Manager Nicole Jarmain.

Thank you, Helen, for 33 years of caring.