Heritage Epping is fortunate to have Julio Castillo at the helm bringing extensive health, nursing and management experience. Julio has transformed the culture of the home and the residents and his team are loving his energy and leadership qualities.
Julio Castillo has been in the aged care industry for almost 16 years working across aged care, palliative care, dementia care and healthcare leadership.
“I have a lot of empathy with people in need. I came from a very family orientated Latin American upbringing, my sister always wanted to become a nurse but she died and we always had a strong bond since we were little,” says Julio.
“I think that’s why I became a nurse. When I got involved in nursing, I say my passions go to those people in need, especially older people as well.”
Every day is about caring
“Aged care is one of the beautiful places to start your career as a nurse because you learn a lot of things from clinical to dealing with people and family. The basics of nursing is to start with a good rapport with humans and how to treat everyone individually,” says Julio.
“Empathy should be the starting point. Under the government guidelines for nursing students the first placement that they do is aged care and I was so happy when I saw that because that’s the real nursing—the caring, the tenderness, how to deal with the residents and how to have the patience to deal with the elderly.”
Julio is an early riser so he can enjoy a strong, black Italian coffee before heading into work. He starts each shift with a whole team meeting to ensure each department has clear direction and understanding of the day ahead. Next, he does a walk through to say hello to all the residents and any visiting family members.
“After that I begin the operational and governance side of the home. It could be a clinical meeting, staff meeting, family meeting or residence meeting—to keep the home humming smoothly,” says Julio.
After initially working for St Vincent’s Private in the Cardio Ward, Epworth and Mercy Hospital, Julio worked for BlueCross Aged Care before joining the Heritage Care team.
“Heritage Care is a great organisation for supporting teams, especially their management teams to be able to participate and support the staff on the floor and empower the staff on a daily basis. It’s a beautiful environment to be a part of,” says Julio.
Self-care makes for better carers
Outside of work Julio is a passionate wellness advocate regularly hitting the gym, meditating and spending his weekends in the countryside for the fresh air.
“I just go there to recharge and then when I come back I’m as fresh as I am on a Monday with a smile on my face and treating people with kindness. That’s what I do—gym and wellness is simply number one.”
As a self-professed people person, Julio says people are the most rewarding part of the job, which is fortunate as he currently manages 110 staff at Heritage Epping.
“The most rewarding thing for me is empowering my staff and making them grow, especially when you see the potential there. For me, communication is the most important sign of being a good leader,” says Julio.
The real secret to aged care
“The ‘secret’ is to have the appropriately skilled staff to treat the residents like your own family, that is to get to know them really well and to understand the residents care needs,” says Julio.
“The thing that people don’t know about aged care is that aged care is one of the best places that you can live when you get to certain age. It’s such a beautiful place. It’s just like your family, a wonderful multicultural environment where you can be friends with everyone. That’s amazing to be honest with you.”
If you’d like to meet Julio and the rest of our friendly Heritage Epping team, book a tour by calling Rita on 1300 564 611.
Why work at Heritage Care?
Do you like making a real difference to people’s lives? Our team does just that, every single day! It is hard to beat the satisfaction gained from knowing you have helped someone and how grateful that person and their families are to you for the care or support provided.
If you are the type of person who loves being helpful and putting a smile on the face of an elderly person, then a career with us in aged care is a fantastic and rewarding choice.
A brighter place to work
Heritage Care is a place where you’ll work with others who share your passions. Contribute to delivering quality, person centred care and be an integral member of exciting projects.
Experience a deep appreciation for your abilities that inspires you to bring your best. Here, your work is as meaningful to us as it is to you, and we are committed to providing you with the right benefits and flexibility to help you shine.
A brighter place to grow
To us, learning and development is a welcome part of the job. We provide opportunities for you to learn on the job through a range of internal opportunities and new project purposes. Not just a few times a year. But every day. You won’t go it alone, though. Your manager will be there to support you on your growth journey, and you will have access to the right tools and trainings you need to shine brightly and reach your full potential.
A brighter place to lead
Everyone at Heritage Care is a leader. We depend not only on brilliant, individual leaders, but also on a community of leaders, each focused on what they can do to contribute to creating a bright environment for our residents and work colleagues. We foster this culture of leadership by creating an inclusive workplace where everyone looks out for one another and helps each other radiate.
Our philosophy and work environment
At Heritage Care, we are committed to promoting quality of life in residential aged care. Every elderly Australian is entitled to receive safe, high-quality care in a stimulating environment.
We aspire to be the best at what we do, to the benefit of our residents and representatives where quality care is paramount.
Working as part of a team of empathetic and caring professionals, you will aid in making a positive impact on the life of our residents with your compassionate, supportive approach that empowers our residents’ choices and independence
Established in 2002, we now employ up to 1,000 people across Victoria and New South Wales.