This week our virtual coffee takes us across to country to Perth, where we chat with Gareth Mahon, CEO of The CareSide about his company, his role and what it’s like to have five teenagers at home.
Name: Gareth Mahon
What organisation/company do you work for? The CareSide
What is your position? Chief Executive Officer
What role does your organisation play within the aged care industry? We are a Home Care Provider that provides Carers and Nurses to people who need support to continue living at home as they age.
We pride ourselves on giving our clients the best value for money of any provider in WA. This means that they get a lot more hours of care from us compared to other providers, and that the Carer they choose will be the Carer that comes every time to visit them every time.
What was your career background before this role? I have spent many years in management consulting roles, working across the banking, insurance and health sectors. I focussed on process and systems improvements to make operations more efficient and effective.
What made you choose a career in aged care? When the Australian market opened up to new providers in 2016 with the change to Consumer Directed Care, we thought that there was a lot of opportunity to give people more care by creating a new kind of care organisation.
What does a “normal” day look like? I think that one of the most important things you can do as a business is listen closely to your customers. So each day I spend the bulk of my time researching client feedback and trying to design how we can improve our policies, procedures and IT systems to address their feedback, improve client satisfaction and make our operations smoother.
Because people love our service so much, we also spend a lot of time planning how to offer our services to more regions such as the remote NW of WA and also how to expand our services into other states.
What is your favourite part of the job? Our mission is to give more, so each time we are able to give someone 30%-50% more care than than have been receiving with another provider, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and achievement.
What opportunities do you see in the aged care industry? I think the big issue is how to combine CHSP and Home Care Packages into one system. The efficiency gains would be extraordinary.
Do you have a pet project, or a goal you are working towards? Yes, we are opening our first office in Adelaide. We are very excited!
What advice would you give to others considering a job in aged care? You have to want to take care of people and make a difference in their lives. The rewards in this industry are knowing how much of a difference you are making.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Invest in Apple!
Favorite movie, book or band (or all three)? Any movie with Matthew McConaughey in it. The man is a genius.
What do you like to do when you are not working? With five teenagers at home, I spend most of my time driving them around. One day I hope to get back to the gym…
And finally, what’s your coffee order? Long black, no sugar. Preferably in a giant cup to keep me going!
If you, or someone you know would like to join us for a “virtual coffee”, please drop us a line at hello@hellocaremail.com.au
