History of Helping Hand
We often wonder how the founders of Helping Hand would see us now, more than 50 years on!
Would they marvel at the organisation and how it has grown? Or would they think that it is now too large? We will never know, but we are sure they would be proud of the way Helping Hand has developed its facilities and services to meet the needs of older South Australians over the past 50 years.
In 1945 the North Adelaide Methodist Church was recognised as a Mission under the guidance of Reverend Arthur Strange. The Mission developed a community welfare program including a foot clinic, youth work, migrant assistance, a hostel for men and material aid for those in need.
In 1953, Padre Arthur Strange founded the Helping Hand Centre and on May 4th, 1953, the Board of Archer Street Helping Hand Mission adopted a constitution for the North Adelaide Helping Hand Home for the Aged. Three houses in Molesworth Street, North Adelaide were purchased.
Photo of Westering (left), Seymour House, (centre) and Arthur Strange Wing in the 1950's.
A home for 16 elderly women was then developed and today Helping Hand has grown to provide a wide range of residential and community-based services in metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia. Current statistics on client, resident, staff and volunteer numbers can be found here.
From its inception, Helping Hand has had a culture of initiating new ideas and programs and striving to provide the highest quality care for all older South Australians.
In the early years, nurses wore pink uniforms, stockings, shoes and caps, worked a forty hour week and were paid between $25 - $45 per week! Matron was very 'hands on' and life in general very formal.
During the fifties and sixties, significant developments took place in the North Adelaide area with the first ‘girls’ hostel opening in Hill Street, the ‘Infirmary Building’ in Molesworth Street, the ‘mens’ wing in Buxton Street and the Roy Carter ‘single unit flats’.
By 1964, there were 150 people in resident at North Adelaide and Riverton, and 90 young people in residential hostels.
Gordon Brown Lodge opened and Howland Court independent living units were purchased in 1966.
The seventies saw the opening of Harrison Court and Rotary House Hostel in Buxton Street and the purchase of 165 Childers Street for more independent units. In the eighties, most developments took place away from North Adelaide with the opening of Ruth Eaton House, Jubilee House and the Elsie Quick Day Centre at Parafield Gardens. And a Day Centre opened as a joint program with Bowden and Brompton Mission at Ridley Grove, Woodville Gardens.
A significant change of direction took place in the nineties. The Board of Helping Hand resolved to concentrate its entire focus on the provision of aged care services, and significant developments took place, including the completion of the rebuilding of the North Adelaide Nursing Home and the building of a new 100-place high and low care facility (the first of its kind) at Ingle Farm.
Since 1995 Helping Hand has also assumed responsibility for Lealholme at Port Pirie, Carinya at Clare, Belalie Lodge at Jamestown and the Barryne Units at Belair. Community services include in home support, rehabilitation services, day respite programs and lifestyle learning programs.
A not-for-profit public benevolent organisation, Helping Hand has grown considerably, but has never lost its core motivation and philosophy, where the resident/client is always considered first.
Helping Hand Aged Care is a dynamic and innovative leader in the field of aged care where volunteers play an integral role in the functioning of the organisation, providing a range of support to residents and clients throughout the organisation.
The 'Magic Fire' rose was commissioned in 2003 to celebrate our 50th year in aged care services.
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