Meet some of the Cambridge Resthaven Team

Hear from some of our team about why they like working at Resthaven.

Carol Hawker

Camp Mother

"A big part of my role is contact with residents and their families. I meet new residents and families and help make them comfortable with the move into Resthaven."

I joined Resthaven seventeen years ago as a senior Health Care Assistant (HCA) and worked in the role for five years. I moved to the position of Team Leader and held this position for around ten years before being appointed to my current role of 'Camp Mother' about two years ago.

I started working in age care when I was twenty and have loved every minute of it. It has been my main job all my working life, apart from short breaks when my children were born.

A big part of my role is contact with residents and their families. I meet new residents and families and help make them comfortable with the move into Resthaven. I love to be busy and this role certainly does that - with my Camp Mother and my Health and Safety responsibilities there is never a dull moment. I have lots of special and fond memories of past and present residents and staff, being able to sit down and chat to residents about their past experiences is something that Resthaven promotes and encourages the staff to do.

The team here at Resthaven are a great bunch of people who care and show compassion for the residents. Everyone at Resthaven from the top down through the ranks are all neat people and this makes going to work every day a joy.

Tracy Cauldwell

Nursing Director

"I love working in age care. It has a different pace to it and you get to know the residents very well. You have time to talk to them and listen to them, and they become part of who you are. They matter to you."

I am the Director of Nursing for Resthaven on Vogel and Resthaven on Burns. I started in March 2012 as a New Graduate Registered Nurse at Resthaven on Vogel working in the resthome, hospital and dementia wing. After three years I became the Nurse in Charge of the Dementia Unit (Tui) for two & half years. In August 2017, I moved to Waikato DHB working as a senior nurse in OPR5 (Neurology & Acute Geriatrics). In March 2018 I came back to Resthaven in the role of Clinical Nurse Leader at Resthaven on Vogel, and after two years I became the Director of Nursing for both the Vogel and Burns Street care centres.

I am originally from Kiribati (born and raised), moved to New Zealand with my family in December 2008, and studied the three-year Bachelor of Nursing at Wintec from January 2009. Prior to moving to New Zealand, I was a junior secondary school teacher teaching Maths and Science.

I love working in age care. It has a different pace to it and you get to know the residents very well. You have time to talk to them and listen to them, and they become part of who you are. They matter to you.

In my ten years at Resthaven, it has grown in so many ways - from buying Resthaven on Burns, to building a community centre, and adding more villas and appartments to accommodate the wider community of Cambridge.

Tracy Fairhall

Registered Diversional Therapist

"I enjoy making a resident's life still meaningful even after coming into care. I learn who they were before they became unwell and who they are now then piece together this amazing personal puzzle to see the whole picture."

I first worked in age care as a Nurse Aide in Hamilton at the age of nineteen. This is where my passion started for looking after the elderly and residents who need quality time and understanding.

I started in 2013 at Raeburn (which became Resthaven on Burns in 2020) as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) and completed all my training, then was offered the Activities Coordinator role in 2018. I did a diversional therapy apprenticeship and qualified as a Diversional Therapist in May 2021. The role of Diversional Therapists has changed over the last five years and there is an increased focus on how we can holistically help residents through difficult or changing times as their illness progresses.

I enjoy making a resident's life still meaningful even after coming into care. I learn who they were before they became unwell and who they are now then piece together this amazing personal puzzle to see the whole picture. Residents are my number one priority and I am very enthusiastic about protecting and advocating for them to get the best care. I like the knowledge my job gives me about dementia care and keeping us up to date with new teachings on dementia is something I thoroughly enjoy. Some of my highlights over the years would have to be the special events I organise for residents and their families, seeing them together and the joy it brings on that one day will be a day their families will remember.

Krizia Visda & Lloyd Bunag

Health Care Assistants (HCA's)

Krizia and Lloyd are Health Care Assistants at Cambridge Resthaven

"Being able to improve older people’s wellbeing, and be their family in their ‘home’ is so fulfilling. Plus there’s the bonus of free hugs from residents every day!"

Spending eight years of our life in the fast-growing city of Riyadh, the country of Saudi Arabia had been our second home. However, last year we made an enormous decision to move to another country, get to know another town, meet new friends, and explore the world.

Cambridge Resthaven offered us an opportunity to join their team, and who doesn’t want to move to a country with postcard-perfect scenic views, picturesque landscapes and friendly people?

We can vividly remember the feeling we had when we were offered jobs and about to start the visa application. It felt surreal! The Resthaven team is well-prepared and organised and it took us only three weeks to get our visas.

We had been excited about exploring New Zealand but we also felt worried about the daunting task of moving to another country. Fortunately, from day 1 of visa processing until onboarding, Resthaven made it easy for us. The team has been very supportive, going above and beyond what is expected, and their simple gestures created a positive impact.

Working in an aged care facility is very new to us as we used to work in hospitals with different specialities. As we spend our time working with the team and getting to know the residents, it makes us feel how rewarding this role is. Being able to improve older people’s wellbeing, and be their family in their ‘home’ is so fulfilling, plus there’s the bonus of free hugs from residents every day!

Working in a resthome is not an easy job but it gives a different perspective about nursing by providing a meaningful difference in the lives of the people who are in the later stages of life.