Meet Kelly Reading, a member of DCM Institute’s 1,000 Club
The Village Manager at RetireAustralia’s Tea Tree Gardens Retirement Village in Hope Valley, in the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide, moved to the state capital city from the UK in 2006. She has become a member of DCM Insitute’s Professional Development Program 1,000 club.
Did you have other jobs before becoming a Village Manager?
“I had been a hairdresser since leaving school and was working as one when she saw a job ad for the hair dressing salon at Tea Tree Gardens Retirement Village.
“The hairdresser had been there for 15 years and had decided to retire, so luckily I got it.
“I think, as a hairdresser, I’ve always been a people person and I never really knew how much I loved older people until I started working at the salon at Tea Tree Gardens.
After many years as the hairdresser at Tea Tree Gardens, Kelly was ready for a change. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kelly started working casually in the office.
“That was really cool because I just tried to keep everyone’s spirits up. I used to drive around in the buggy and play music, get the residents all dancing on the croquet lawn and all that kind of stuff.
“I’d always known that I couldn’t do hairdressing until I retired and as I was getting older, my body was starting to hurt that bit more. I never really knew what I wanted to do, until I went into the office and thought ‘Oh this is quite fun!’ After that I decided whatever I did, it was going to have to be within retirement living.
“I then studied for my Certificate III in Business in my spare time.
“Just as I became qualified with that, the position for Admin between Tea Tree Gardens and Magill Retirement Village came up. As I had been at Tea Tree for so long, I didn’t want to just leave it all behind. So, I got that role but then the next minute I was at Magill full-time as the Village Manager. I feel like all the cards fell at the right time and place.”
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“I gave up hairdressing and I haven’t missed it for one minute. I don’t like routine, as such, so I like the fact that every day is different. I like being around the older people and I like the fact I’m surrounded by beautiful people all the time.”
Kelly’s enthusiasm and energy shines through when you listen to her talk about helping the village become an even more vibrant place filled with happy residents.
Can you remember your first day? Tell us all about it.
“My first day back at Tea Tree Gardens was super exciting and daunting all rolled into one. I was excited to start my next chapter back where my RA journey began. Managing a bigger village was a challenge that I was looking forward to and it was so lovely to see so many of the residents again albeit in a different role.”
What topics have you studied with DCM Institute Professional Development Program?
“I have studied as many of the professional development topics I can as they all benefit me in my day-to-day tasks. From Ageing 101 to Resident Committees to Critical Thinking. “The subjects are so varied, there are loads of choices about all different aspects of the sector. I am in my element when I can start a new topic.”
What have you gained from the DCM Institute’s Professional Development Program?
“As a relative newbie in the retirement living sector I have found the DCMI Professional Development program invaluable. The platform has helped me improve on my professional skills as well as the quality of care I can provide. With the content being so current and evidence based I feel that I am always up to date. It has given me so much more confidence and belief in myself which is a good feeling.
How do you manage your time to ensure you can balance responsibilities to residents and your operator, with your own learning and development?
“I am really lucky that I enjoy studying and learning so much that it doesn’t impact on my work at all. I tend to jump on the knowledge centre on a Sunday morning whilst enjoying my coffee. Spending a couple of hours here and there in my own time is my idea of fun!
“RA are also very supportive of our learning and development. They are aware that we are always juggling so many balls that sometimes it is hard to find time to focus on the knowledge centre but they are extremely encouraging and are happy for us to block out some time when we can to develop our knowledge or refresh ourselves on areas that we are not addressing all the time.”
What are the skills needed to be a Village Manager?
“Patience, empathy and a sense of humour are key. We have to wear many hats and juggle quite a few balls all whilst putting out a few fires. You have to learn that your to do list will hardly ever get ticked off but that is okay because the reality is we are in a privileged position to be able to look after our residents during their twilight years. If I can make at least one of them feel safe, secure and included then I have achieved something.”
What is the one thing you would tell anyone thinking of being a Village Manager?
“Give it a go! If you love people and are up for a challenge go for it. I would never in my wildest dreams have ever thought I would be where I am today. However, with the support of RetireAustralia and an amazing admin assistant anything is possible.”
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