HammondCare At Home has been recognised for delivering quality home care in the 2023 Reader’s Digest Quality Service Awards.
Providing personalised in-home support for almost 10,000 older Australians, HammondCare’s home care service was formally acknowledged with a Silver award win in the Home Care Services NSW/ACT category.
HammondCare At Home’s Head of Business Services Olivia Hughes, who is responsible for continual improvement in home care service delivery, accepted the award on behalf of the team at the ceremony in Sydney. Olivia remarked on the significance of being recognised for service quality during times of trial.
“Our team members have gone above and beyond to support clients and their families, and it is even more special to receive this award after the challenges we have faced in recent years,” Olivia said.
Upon receiving the award, Olivia expressed appreciation to voters while paying tribute to the home care team for their commitment to delivering quality care and services.
“A big heartfelt thank you to the clients and families of HammondCare for the honour of this award… We are exceptionally proud to be recognised for service quality, this being fundamental to our care approach.”
“It is a privilege to support older Australians and their loved ones, and this award recognises every HammondCare team member for their dedication to improving the lives of those who need it most.” Olivia said.
The award is especially fitting in this 90th year of HammondCare which has operated since the Great Depression when Rev. Bob Hammond responded to the eviction of inner-city families in Sydney. HammondCare continues to pursue the areas of greatest need in society and cares for people with complex needs including those with dementia or requiring palliative care.
To determine award winners, Readers Digest commissioned an independent market research agency to survey a representative sample of Australians. Consumers were asked to identify organisations with outstanding customer service based on key pillars of personalisation, understanding, simplicity, satisfaction, and consistency.
Reader’s Digest editor-in-chief Louise Waterson credited award-winning businesses for their increased focus and determination to serve customers’ needs, no matter how complex. “[They were] successfully delivering assistance in an innovative and savvy manner, while at the same time remaining approachable simply by upholding levels of kindness and understanding as central to assisting individual customers properly,” Louise said.
The enduring dedication of HammondCare’s home care team was spotlighted during the NSW floods earlier this year, when team members who had been made homeless by the disaster continued to support vulnerable clients in the community despite their own circumstances.
A team member who visited a client in rural NSW found the road on the property impassable because of the recent rains. So not to disappoint his client, he walked the two kilometres to the client’s home to provide the support he knew was needed.
Chief Executive Mike Baird described the past year as brutal and courageous. “We are humbled by this award and will always look to improve our service to older Australians so they can enjoy life for longer in their own home,” said Mr Baird.
Mr Baird said the award, that draws on feedback from clients and families, means a lot to the team and the whole of HammondCare.
HammondCare At Home supported 9,346 people to live at home last year in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, and Queensland. It employed 1,699 staff in the same period.
