meet yulunda matau

Yulunda is our Individual Distinction winner in the 2018 HESTA Aged Care Awards.

This award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to aged care in Australia over time, through development or provision of high quality care to ageing Australians.

Yulunda’s passion and leadership have driven the cultural and business transformation of Amana Living residential aged care home, James Brown Care Centre.

Appointed as Service Manager, Yulunda faced the enormous task of facilitating change at James Brown, which had a long history of high staff turnover. Since stepping into the leadership role, Yulunda has proactively identified gaps in performance and service delivery, implementing programs focused on improving resident care outcomes and employee engagement.

Yulunda’s initiatives include the introduction of a system that rosters staff members to consistently care for the same residents, employing palliative specialists, and a  review of clinical reporting and processes to ensure resident medical data is accurately captured and used to inform improvements.

Yulunda says she feels lucky to work in aged care.

"I am one of the luckiest people on earth as I get to do something that I love every day. Being a finalist in the HESTA Aged Care Awards is a huge surprise and I am so grateful to be given the opportunity to highlight the plight of our elderly and the less fortunate residents that I share my day with."

Yulunda plans on using the $10,000 prize money - provided by ME- the bank for you - to attend a conference and education sessions on mental health in aged care. 

She says a positive approach to palliative care is essential, especially for people who have no other support.

"The international Conference on Geriatrics Gerontology and palliative Nursing is my chosen conference. This conference has speakers from the UK, USA, Russia, India, Portugal, Hungary and Taiwan. I am excited to have the opportunity to bring back innovations and ideas and deliver them to not only James Brown Care Centre and Amana Living, but the wider aged care networks in Australia."

Yulunda's professionalism and perseverance have brought about the continued success of the James Brown Care Centre and turned it into one of Amana Living's best performing residential care centres.