Our staff are trained to help patients and family find meaning and value in the face of human suffering
SD Care Agency is committed to providing the highest quality of nursing care while making every effort to meet the spiritual, emotional and psychological needs of each person served. Our inspiration comes from the life and teachings of St Francis of Assisi.
Caring for the sick and suffering has been an integral part of Franciscan tradition and culture. In a defining act of love and compassion, the youthful St Francis gave alms and bowed low to kiss a leper. This marked the beginning of St Francis’s conversion from sinner to Saint. Franciscan spirituality fundamentally recognises that illness is a spiritual as well as physical event. At its heart lies the firm belief that all human beings are created and endowed with the dignity that comes from being created in the image and likeness of God.
We endeavour to give our clients and their families not just physical but emotional support in their journey to health and well-being. Our staff are trained and exhorted to help patients and family find meaning and value in the face of human suffering.
Our mission
is the promotion of the dignity and self-worth of every client and employee who is part of our business.
Our choice of the San Damiano name and business philosophy was inspired by the passion and dedication of St Francis of Assisi in caring for the poor and sick in his time. He experienced a remarkable conversion in the ruined chapel outside Assisi in Italy, after which he founded the Franciscan community, whose vocation to this day remains to serve the most vulnerable members of society with love, dignity and compassion.
“Like St Francis, the company’s mission is to create a sustainable community of vocation seekers who will be motivated to serve others in the Franciscan tradition.”
By involving clients and staff in all critical areas of decision-making and giving them freedom of choice and self-determination in planning and organising care services, SD is succeeding in its mission to provide an excellent quality of life to all who use our services or work for us.
Staff are valued for their time, skills and opinions. Their jobs will be designed not only to provide sustenance for their families but also to enable them to make a difference to the world around them by caring for one of the most deprived, susceptible and vulnerable segments of our society – the elderly. To achieve this, staff are given fair and competitive rewards, both financial and non-financial and fairly and flexibly structured work schedules with a clear demarcation of rights, roles, duties and responsibilities.
The vision is to continue to develop and promote an ethical business model of serving others according to St Francis’s exhortation:
“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission to be of service to them whenever they require it.”
At the heart of the business philosophy is St Francis’s call to treat others with dignity and compassion. This encompasses all facets of corporate and individual responsibility.
SD has created an ethical business model built on a conscious effort to consider human dignity, the common good, solidarity, fraternity, reciprocity and sustainability as the preferred way to make sound business decisions. By showing authentic respect for the whole person, the company hopes to create a committed workforce and loyal customer base. All employees, especially nursing staff, are therefore carefully selected and trained in the Franciscan tradition of holistic care, based on a successful healthcare model that has inspired leading organisations such as the Mayo Clinic and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare.
After a 30-year career spanning roles as a civil servant, corporate executive and entrepreneur, Francis took a 5-year break to spend time with his young family. In 2013, when he decided to resume his career, he created the San Damiano Corporation. An ardent admirer of St Francis of Assisi, he was inspired to create an ethical business model of healthcare provision which adhered to the Franciscan principle of caring with dignity and compassion.
As CEO, Francis is responsible for the overall management and financial health of the company. He sets the strategic direction for the company’s growth and development and holds functional responsibility for risk management, marketing, corporate communications and business development.
Olive brings more than 10 years of nursing experience to the company, having worked in health care settings in Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom. She has cared for patients with a host of long term medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease and other age-related ailments. She has also worked in palliative care and with individuals with special needs including mental health. Olive holds several qualifications in health and social care including a BSc in Social Sciences and a Masters in Health Care Management specialising in elderly care.
