Resthaven executive Tina Cooper celebrates her retirement

After 15 years of dedication and hard work during some of aged care’s most tumultuous periods, Resthaven Executive Manager Clinical Governance & Operational Excellence Tina Cooper is retiring in time for Christmas.

Resthaven applauded Ms Cooper for being a strong member of its senior team. The organisation said she leaves a legacy of clinical excellence and advocacy for older people.

Her influence on sector-wide policy and best practice was felt keenly during the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. 

A few years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Cooper’s expertise was called upon by South Australian leaders as they considered the impact of restrictions on older people within the local community.

“My heart has always been in nursing,” Ms Cooper shared. 

“I am still, today, a registered nurse. My standards are high (I don’t think anyone would say anything different), but the continued drive towards clinical excellence at Resthaven has meant that every person who receives services from Resthaven is treated with the highest level of care. It is something I will walk away feeling proud of.”

Ms Cooper’s nursing career began in Hobart where she trained as a registered nurse and then as a midwife. 

She gained her qualifications, married, and as a defence force wife, moved from Hobart to Melbourne and then to Woomera and Canberra over the next 17 years. 

While working in Canberra, she became involved in the commissioning of the National Capital Private Hospital. 

When the hospital opened, she moved into the role of Infection Control Officer and After-Hours Manager, dealing with emergency situations and troubleshooting problems that arose after hours.

Her hard work did not go unnoticed and at the age of just 35, she was appointed to the role of Director of Nursing at the hospital. She remained in the role for five years – which included a stint as Acting Chief Executive Officer – before a new opportunity arose in Adelaide with the Wakefield Hospital (now the Calvary Adelaide Hospital).

“I initially said no, because I wasn’t interested in leaving Canberra, but as time moved on it became more appealing,” Ms Cooper explained. 

Ms Cooper fulfilled similar roles in Adelaide, working as the Director of Nursing, Director of Clinical Care and once again as Acting CEO when required. Then, looking for a new challenge, after talking with colleagues Tina set her sights on aged care.

“Aged care was an industry that was growing, and I wanted to make a difference,” she said.

“My mother had recently been admitted to residential care (not with Resthaven), and I could see there were areas where clinical service and overall governance could be improved.”

Aged care proved difficult to break into. The feedback from organisations saw Ms Cooper labelled overqualified or not experienced enough in aged care to land the roles she was applying for – including one early application at Resthaven. 

As a stepping stone, she took on the role of Residential Manager at Helping Hand Aged Care for 12 months. She kept in touch with Resthaven and when the role of Senior Manager Residential Services came up in 2009, she applied and was successful.

Ms Cooper said it was a challenging time to adapt to aged care, although not as complex as it is today.

From there, Ms Cooper rose through the ranks. She was promoted to Executive Manager Residential Services in 2011, a position she held for 13 years. She even assumed responsibility for Resthaven’s retirement village portfolio in 2020 and led the integration of three retirement village acquisitions to Resthaven.

This was all while the Royal Commission and COVID-19 severely impacted aged care.

“They were really torrid times. But there was absolute dedication from the team – they were amazing,” she added. 

Ms Cooper identified that clinical governance was gaining importance, and together with Resthaven CEO, Darren Birbeck, they created a stand-alone role to give this area more attention. 

This culminated in her appointment as the Executive Manager Clinical Governance and Operational Excellence, bringing together Resthaven’s Clinical Services, Quality, Risk and Business Improvement portfolios.

While career growth has been important, so too have relationships with care recipients and colleagues. Ms Cooper said she has forged lifelong friendships through her work and it’s important for executives to remember why they work in aged care. 

“The culture at Resthaven is one of positivity, it’s one of the reasons I have stayed at Resthaven so long. The roots of the culture have remained stable for many years – we are all here for the older people we care for – whether in their homes or in ours. And I think that’s understood by everyone here – people across all positions. We are not here for any other purpose,” she said. 

“I remember speaking with one particular resident who told me how much he appreciated living at Resthaven Paradise and how his health had improved since he had moved in. He was eating better, and his medication was taken care of. 

“He said, ‘I’m like a silkworm, cocooned and wrapped in love and care.’ They’re the moments that I will always remember.”

With retirement just around the corner, Ms Cooper is ready to spend more time with family. Her eighth grandchild is due on December 20, with now the perfect time to plan the next phase.

“My husband, Ashley, has also just retired, so it will be nice to have the time to think about things for a while. We both have a great interest in wine, so we might head back to the wine regions in France, but we love Australia too and plan to do some fishing and visit family and friends on the east coast of our great country – and I love a road trip,” Ms Cooper shared.