Beyond clinical care: The aged care workers supporting communities in crisis

In February, record-breaking monsoonal flooding left much of northern Queensland reeling. Communities were cut off as floodwaters not only isolated towns, they destroyed roads, ruined homes and businesses, and even resulted in at least two fatalities.

It was a traumatic experience for a region that has been hit by devastating weather conditions time and time again. 

Three aged care homes across Ingham and Trebonne were not immune to the disaster, with Ozcare Magdalene Villa, Churches of Christ’s Palms Aged Care and BlueCare Ingham Bluehaven Aged Care Facility facing dire circumstances while still needing to support residents, staff and even families. 

Tracy Huegill, Aspen Medical’s Clinical Governance Manager – Service Delivery, was part of the 24-person surge workforce team contracted by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to provide support to the residential care homes. Aspen Medical was also there during COVID-19 when the sector needed more support than ever. 

“When we come in, the emotions are very high. People are very distressed, they’re fatigued, and often leadership on the ground has run out of ideas. Staff, because they don’t have that direction, they get stuck in the weeds,” Ms Huegill told Hello Leaders. 

“The aged care sector has seen a lot of attrition over the last five years as people say aged care is too hard. That is so sad because they are the people that care the most and can make a difference.

“We must look after them, from our nurses and support workers to our catering staff and cleaners. We must be that silent warrior that comes in and just lifts them up during hardships.”

One of the silent warriors deployed to northern Queensland was Registered Nurse Arun Thomas. Having worked with Aspen Medical since 2022, the team leader and clinical responder has seen it all.

Yet he still said this was a surreal experience, particularly as the team had to be picked up by helicopter from Townsville just to access Trebonne and Ingham. The 35-minute flight was like entering another world. 

“As we lifted off, the scale of the flooding became clearer — roads submerged, sections of roads and bridges had been washed away, properties isolated, entire paddocks turned into temporary lakes,” he shared. 

“In Trebonne, there was no airstrip, just a paddock near the facility where the helicopter could land. It was raining, humid, and eerily quiet. We could already sense that the community had been through something immense.

“What really hit me was the visible exhaustion on the faces of the aged care staff. You could see they had been holding everything together, waiting for someone to arrive. And yet, the moment we walked in, the staff smiled and said ‘Thank God you are all here.’ That moment never leaves you.”

Confronting unusual challenges

The scenes across Ingham and Trebonne — like so many other communities affected by floods — were confronting. From the very beginning, they posed a logistical nightmare which forced the Aspen Medical team to wait an additional 24 hours in Townsville because the helicopters they needed to catch a ride on were delivering supplies elsewhere. 

“There’s no waiting in this game. The reason why we must move quickly is because when you’re a resident in an aged care facility, there’s a reason you’re there. You have specific needs, you may be very vulnerable,” Ms Huegill said.

Once the three teams arrived at their separate sites, the challenges continued. Not only were they relying on generators, internet reception was iffy at best, and food supplies and fresh water were limited.

Staff were heavily fatigued, and in some cases, either living on-site because they couldn’t return home, or were unable to work because they had to remain at their property to care for their own family, livestock and pets. 

One home was also contending with a COVID-19 outbreak, while another had a resident who required chemotherapy management. Palliative and end-of-life care was also provided to residents. 

“Everybody deserves a good death, but it’s hard to walk in and you have someone who probably has 24 hours left and you can’t access a care plan, you don’t know who their next of kin is, and you can’t ensure they have the death they absolutely deserve. That’s almost your priority because that’s one experience you can’t redo once it’s done,” Ms Huegill added. 

Mr Thomas said the COVID-19 outbreak was a ‘double blow’ for the home and staff who were exhausted and anxious for both residents and their own families at home. 

“What’s more heartbreaking is that some of the aged care staff had lost everything — their homes, their farms. They couldn’t return to assess the damage because of road closures, so they stayed in the facility, working through their own grief and uncertainty,” he shared.

“One nurse told me she didn’t even know if her house was still standing but she still showed up to every shift with grace. That kind of quiet strength leaves a mark. 

“Despite it all, our team pulled together. We leaned on each other, improvised where we had to, provided compassionate care, and just kept showing up for our residents.”

Jumping headfirst into scenarios like this is never easy. There is a mutual dependence as the locals urgently need the support from fresh, experienced clinical staff, while the Aspen Medical team also relies on locals to provide things like accommodation and transport.

In one case, Nick Dametto, a local member of parliament, picked up the new arrivals from their helicopter drop-off point. Another team had to sleep on couches and the floor, all while using curtains as blankets because supplies were so short. 

Mr Thomas praised Aspen Medical for its strong and structured deployment process that sets staff up for success, and acknowledged that a shared purpose and team experience makes a big difference. 

“It’s hard to put into words, but the privilege of caring for older people, especially in moments like this is profound. These are people who’ve lived long, complex lives. Many have faced wars, lost loved ones, rebuilt after loss,” he said.

“So when disaster or emergency strikes, residents don’t just need clinical care. They need someone who looks them in the eye and reassures them they’re not alone. For me personally, and for many in our team, this wasn’t just a professional duty, it was a deeply human one.”

Gratitude, teamwork and a herd of cows

It is hard to capture just how difficult delivering aged care services is all while contending with the effects of a natural disaster. One way is to highlight how these staff offer more than just clinical support despite that being their primary goal.

At one point, a herd of cows caused a major headache as they flocked to an aged care home because their paddock had flooded. Pressed up to the doors, they caused plenty of damage and ate all the greenery. They also sadly attracted wild dogs to the site, a harsh reminder that animals suffered as much as humans.

With all those animals on the property, another unfortunate outcome was the fact their manure blocked stormwater drains. Therefore, to prevent any additional flooding, one of the clinical first responders spent the best part of two days unclogging the drains.

Meanwhile, Ms Huegill shared the story of Deepak, who jumped into the kitchen to ensure everyone had a warm meal. When he discovered an older man living next door to the residential care home was struggling without power and hadn’t eaten a hot meal in three days, he made sure to cook something for him as well. 

“It’s incredibly heartwarming to make positive differences in their lives during such a difficult time, and it’s the community we’re here to try and support, not just the aged care home,” Ms Huegill said. 

“When we go in, we see relief. We’re an unfamiliar face, but staff and residents are so thankful for the community support.”

Relationships forged by gratitude and mutual hardships undeniably leaves a lasting impression.

One afternoon, Mr Thomas went past a 92-year-old resident, Margaret, who was sitting alone in her wheelchair by the window, seemingly lost in thought as she gently traced the edges of a photo frame. 

“Something about her presence made me slow down. I decided to pull up a chair beside her. ‘Your husband?’ I asked softly, nodding toward the photo of a handsome man in military uniform,” Mr Thomas explained. 

“Her face lit up as she spoke of John, her pilot husband. ‘We survived a war, lost a home to floods, started over more times than I can count,’ she said. And then came the words that will stay with me forever: ‘It’s not the flood you remember, it’s the people who never let you face it alone.’ 

“Her weathered hand reached out and gripped mine with surprising strength. The calm certainty in her voice grounded me. That experience reminded me that true compassion isn’t just about helping, it’s about seeing. It’s about choosing to stay, to listen, and to quietly say, ‘You matter,’ even in the middle of all the chaos. 

While these quiet moments may be few and far between when homes are under the pump, every interaction creates better outcomes for the staff, residents and communities involved. 

“When you do this kind of work, you grow in ways you never expected. It’s not just about nursing. It’s also about community, courage, and the ability to walk into challenging situations and bring stillness and calm with you. These moments remind me why I became a nurse in the first place-to show up when it matters most,” he added.

“If you ever get the chance, take it. You’ll come back changed. You’ll come back with stories that shape your practice, and with a deeper sense of what it means to serve. For me this isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. And in the middle of disaster or emergency responses, when everything is stripped away, you discover that the smallest acts of care can carry the most weight.”