Juniper

31/08/2026

🏉 We’re heading to the WAFL Grand Final!

Juniper is proud to be partnering with the 2026 WAFL Grand Final at Optus Stadium, and for us, it’s about much more than footy.

It’s about helping older Western Australians stay connected to the people, passions and places they love.

That’s why we’re giving away 25 double passes to the WAFL Grand Final, each with a $50 food and beverage voucher, through our competition with Seven West Media.

We’ll also be inviting some of our own Juniper customers to attend with a loved one and enjoy a very special Grand Final experience.

The nominations coming through already include lifelong footy fans, former players and coaches, families with generations of football memories and people who have never had the chance to visit Optus Stadium before.

Exactly what Keep being you is all about. 💜

Read more: https://www.juniper.org.au/news/juniper-partners-with-the-wafl-grand-final

Competition opens Monday 31 August and closes Saturday 12 September.

👉 Enter here: https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/competitions/win-tickets-to-the-wafl-grand-final--c-22785303?utm_source=Acquisition&utm_medium=Redirect&utm_campaign=WAFL

The West Australian 7NEWS Perth PerthNow

29/08/2026

Our residents have been enjoying making and showing off the arts and crafts they've been creating at Juniper Sarah Hardey! 🎨

Personal Care and Activities Assistant Nancy Soriano says the activities offer residents plenty more than just something to make.

"It gives residents a sense of pride in something useful they've made, offers a welcome release from stress, and brings people together, all while keeping hands and minds active."

28/08/2026

Today marks the opening of Volunteers Who Shaped Your Life, a new display at WA Museum Boola Bardip, and Juniper is proud to be part of it.

Put together by Volunteering WA alongside a number of volunteer-involving organisations from across the state, the display draws together stories, photos and treasured objects celebrating the people who give their time to others.

Volunteers are woven into the fabric of Juniper's story. Before Juniper became the aged care provider it is today, its beginnings lay with Uniting Church Western Australia members and community volunteers who saw a need and responded. In the post-war years, they helped establish some of WA's earliest faith-based aged care homes, raising funds and giving their time so older people could live with dignity and belonging.

That same spirit remains at the heart of Juniper today, with volunteers continuing to enrich the lives of our customers.

Head along between now and 5 October to see it for yourself. There's also a card-writing activity happening this Sunday 30 August, come along and take part.

📅28th August - 5th October
📍 WA Museum Boola Bardip, Woodside Learning Studios
🎟️ Museum entry fees apply

Who are the volunteers behind your memories?

Who protected you in times of emergency, helped bring the Perth Royal Show to life, taught you road safety and showed you around the zoo?

This August-October, we invite you to take a trip down memory lane in a new volunteering display at WA Museum Boola Bardip!

We’ve collected stories, photos and treasured objects from Western Australian volunteer-involving organisations, and we can’t wait for you to see it.

📅 28 August – 5 October
📍 WA Museum Boola Bardip, Woodside Learning Studios
🎟️ Museum entry fees apply
💌 Card-writing activity on Sunday 30 August

See you there!

27/08/2026

Today Juniper CEO Russell Bricknell appeared before the Senate inquiry into the Support at Home program to share what providers have been experiencing since it was implemented in November last year.

Mr Bricknell told the inquiry that while Juniper supports the intent of Support at Home, the program is not yet delivering on its promise. Too many older Australians are waiting for care, receiving only part of the support they have been assessed as needing, or struggling to navigate a system that has become more complex.

Mr Bricknell provided evidence that some older Australians are receiving less support under Support at Home than they did under the previous Home Care Packages program.

In our submission to the inquiry, we provide a comparison between a customer on the previous Home Care Packages program and the equivalent level of package under Support at Home which shows they are receiving 12 hours less care under the new system.

Mr Bricknell highlighted the real-world consequences of failings with the system: older people’s health and independence deteriorating, families filling the gaps at considerable financial and emotional cost, and growing pressure on hospitals and the wider health system.

He also raised concerns about the impact of the current funding model, particularly in regional and remote WA, and the need for a fairer, more flexible assessment process that allows qualified assessors to use their professional judgement.

When asked by the Committee whether the extension of the Commonwealth Home Support Program to 30 June 2029 provided an opportunity to explore care models that work for all older Australians, Mr Bricknell highlighted the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFAC).

Under NATSIFAC, organisations receive block funding that enables them to deliver a flexible, culturally safe mix of services tailored to the needs of their communities.

The key strength of the model is that funding is centered on community need and cultural context, rather than being tied to a prescribed list of individual service items. This allows providers to adapt services to local circumstances and respond more effectively to the direct needs of customers.

Juniper argues that the success of Support at Home should be measured by whether older Australians can get the care they need, when they need it, at a cost they can afford. Right now, for too many people, the answer is no.

We will continue to advocate for a system that helps older Australians live safely, independently and with dignity in their own homes.

Read Juniper’s submission to the Support at Home inquiry online at juniper.org.au/advocacy

27/08/2026

Almost seven in ten people don't feel confident navigating the Government’s aged care system, according to the results of a pulse check Juniper ran at this year's Ageing Well Expo.

Almost 5000 people attended over the two days, and 155 of them took part in our emoji sticker poll asking how they feel about finding their way through the system, with most describing themselves as somewhat unsure, confused or completely overwhelmed.

Juniper Care Partner Yvonne Venner said many of the people she spoke with at the expo were unsure about where to start. "They don't know where to get the help, how to get the help, and what the steps are," she said.

The results echo what we found in our Voice of Older Western Australians independent research, and they're part of why Juniper creates resources like our Navigating Aged Care guides and runs community sessions such as Support at Home Unpacked, so people can feel more confident about the choices they face and what support they have access to.

Read the full story here: https://www.juniper.org.au/news/measuring-confidence-in-the-aged-care-system

25/08/2026

International Cat Day came with a twist at Juniper Sarah Hardey this month, when Personal Care and Activities Assistants surprised the home's many cat lovers with pretend cats to pet and cuddle. 😻

Pet therapy has therapeutic benefits for residents, offering a comforting presence that's known to reduce anxiety, lift mood and support social connection, in keeping with Juniper's commitment to activities that nurture resident's emotional and social wellbeing.

It was a lovely afternoon, with several residents reminiscing about cats they'd owned over the years. With plenty of smiles shared after some quality time with their new furry friends.

24/08/2026

Support at Home was meant to help older Australians to live safely and independently in their own home. But for too many people, that’s not the reality.

Our submission to the Senate inquiry into the Support at Home program shows older Australians are waiting months for essential care, receiving only part of the support they’ve been assessed as needing or are having to decline services because they simply can’t afford them.

With more than 200,000 older Australians waiting to be assessed or receive support, delaying care isn’t saving money, it’s shifting the cost to families and carers, hospitals and residential aged care, while older people go without the care they need.

The Royal Commission made it clear that older Australians should receive timely, appropriate care based on their needs. We simply cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

That’s why Juniper has made 11 practical recommendations to strengthen Support at Home, improve access to care and ensure the system delivers on its promise for older Australians.

Juniper CEO Russell Bricknell will appear at the Support at Home inquiry Perth hearing this Thursday, 27 August, presenting evidence from Juniper’s submission along with key recommendations.

Read the full story and our submission here https://shorturl.at/BJrHy and share your thoughts below.

21/08/2026

🎉 Happy 100th birthday, Dawn!

This week, the Juniper St David's team celebrated resident Dawn Pilgrim's milestone birthday with a morning tea that brought together everyone close to her, family, staff, fellow residents and friends.

Dawn has called St Davids home for the past 15 years, cared for by a team who has become like family to her. Her daughter Marlene was very happy with the celebration and took the time to thank the St Davids team, grateful to have been invited into a day her family will remember for years to come.

Marlene said, "We think that the preparation and management of Mum's 100th Birthday celebration Morning Tea was superb. Juniper St David's reached out to include all of our family in the event, which made Mum's day even more special and comfortable for her."

Wishing Dawn a very happy 100th, from all of us at Juniper 💖

Read the full story: https://www.juniper.org.au/news/a-milestone-shared-with-family

20/08/2026

Juniper welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to extend the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) until 30 June 2029, giving older Australians and the organisations that support them some much-needed certainty.

We recommended delaying the move to Support at Home because the system wasn’t yet ready to take on the hundreds of thousands of older Australians who rely on CHSP, which provides low-level support to help people stay independent and connected.

Juniper CEO Russell Bricknell said the decision recognised the important role CHSP plays in the lives of older Australians.

“This is a sensible decision and one that will provide much-needed certainty for older Australians and the organisations delivering these essential services,” Mr Bricknell said.

"It’s a complex area, but today’s announcement is a positive step for older Australians and the providers who support them."

Read our full statement here https://shorturl.at/H6pt3

19/08/2026

More than 40 volunteers from Juniper Esperance Aged Care Facility were celebrated earlier this month, joining a morning tea in their honour to thank them for their continued dedication they bring to residents every day. 💖

It has been a rewarding couple of months in Esperance since the home officially joined Juniper on 1 July, with our team on the ground getting to know staff, residents and the wider community.

The Esperance Advisory Body also held its first meeting earlier this month, bringing together local voices to guide service delivery and help preserve the knowledge and history that make this community what it is, with Jo Wilkinson and Acting Director of Care Tendai Zinduru joining the discussion.

We've loved getting to know the Esperance community over the past couple of months, and we're excited for the road ahead.

Read more here: https://www.juniper.org.au/news/a-warm-welcome-for-juniper-esperance-aged-care-facility