CEO Report
Welcome to 2018 and our first edition of Twilight Connections for the year. Over the Christmas period I was fortunate enough to travel to Patagonia to climb mountains and experience life in one of the most remote areas in southern Chile. Following a three week disconnect from technology I have returned with a renewed energy and commitment to continue our journey to be the preferred provider of care services within our communities.
I had a wonderful time trekking Torres Del Paine and Grey Glacier, spending time travelling up through the fjords, driving around Lake Llanquihue (the second largest lake in Chile) surrounded by volcanoes and also enjoying some of the local Chilean hospitality and wines.
It’s Time to Rethink Retirement
“As a society, an economy, and in government, we must have a vision, adapt our thinking, and adjust our attitudes and our actions to reflect the opportunities that senior Australians have to offer.” – Ken Wyatt, Minister for Aged Care and Indigenous Health.
With many Australians working and living longer, we need to rethink the concept of retirement. Traditionally, a person would work until the age of 65 and spend their remaining 10-15 years in leisure. An ageing population today suggests that retiring at the age of 65 could mean a person’s retirement fund must cover a possible 30 years of living expenses.
The Importance of Palliative Care
Australia’s population is continuing to age and the demand for palliative care services is rapidly increasing. As a nation, we are struggling to meet the growing need for specialised resources in palliative medicine, a topic that has been highlighted in recent news media.
Palliative Care Australia has revealed that only one palliative medicine specialist is available for every 704 deaths each year. Concerningly, this means that people are not receiving the care that they desire and deserve at the end of their lives, and some are passing on in discomfort and fear instead of peace and dignity.
Stepping Into A Mindful New Year
The new year can be a busy time for all of us, especially when it comes to finding a healthy balance between time spent on family, friends, food, fitness and finances. It is also a time for reflection on the year that has been, to inspire a positive change in lifestyle and to set intentions for the year ahead.
Our minds are powerful, and our mental state can cause our bodies stress. However, recent studies have shown that focussing more on the present moment, a process known as ‘mindfulness’, can benefit our general well-being.
How Can We Combat Loneliness Amongst The Elderly?
Being alone describes a state of being, whilst being lonely is derived from an emotional response to a circumstance. While some people prefer being alone, it’s rare for anyone to welcome feelings of loneliness. Social isolation can negatively impact a person’s mood, outlook on life, sense of purpose and can lead to severe mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
At Twilight Aged Care, we value the importance of community and connectedness, and we understand that active social connections are imperative for our mental and physical well-being.
Recipes from the Twilight Kitchen
Keeping Active and Stepping Out at Horton House
Over the last few months our residents have been enjoying activities that are not only fun but also benefit their health such as Tai-chi and Zumba. Ensuring our residents are aware of the importance of keeping active has resulted in more residents attending our Zumba classes.
Art Therapy is a great addition to our activities and is greatly appreciated and very popular. The quality of our Art Therapy program resulted in us displaying many of our artworks at our recent Open Day at Hunters Hill, with many pieces being auctioned off.
Volunteers: The Heart of Twilight
The Twilight Volunteer program has been in full swing over the September/October school holidays. We were fortunate to have twenty students from St Ignatius College visit all four of our homes, sharing stories and assisting with many activities on the day.
Connecting young people (children and teenagers) and seniors is extremely rewarding and beneficial in bridging the gap between generations. The residents enjoy reminiscing with the students, as they laugh and played games and were genuinely interested in listening to them.