Milpara’s blog

Cycling challenge at Milpara Residential Care Home, with residents engaging in exercise in the gym

Welcome to Milpara’s blog!

Here you will find the selection of updates from Milpara Residential Care Home at Rostrevor. The social and wellbeing program provides residents with opportunities to meet new people in a fun and welcoming environment, learn new skills or revitalise old ones, and live full and active lives.

See the latest Social and Wellbeing Guide – Residential Care.

As seen on our socials

A focus at Milpara has been to improve the mealtime experience. We partner with residents to understand their mealtime preferences, so they can be reflected in their experience.


Follow ACH Group on Facebook and Instagram to see more updates.

News articles – Milpara Residential Care Home

John, residenta at Healthia, reads the new winter menu.

New Winter Menu is now available at ACH Group Residential Care Homes

May 14, 2025
ACH Group’s new Winter Menu is the result of engagement roadshows, chef visits, and collaboration with a dietitian – all of which contributed to the development of the recipes. The
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Bessie's birthday at ACH Group Milpara Residential Care Home, with FIVEAA radio crew joining

Special guests surprise Bessie on her 92nd birthday! 

March 28, 2025
A late-night phone call to a commercial talkback show has seen the start of an unlikely friendship between a radio host and an aged care resident. That friendship grew this
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Sylvia and Luisa at the Art Room at Milpara.

ACH Group celebrates Luisa’s two decades of volunteering

February 18, 2025
Luisa Centofanti has just chalked up a remarkable 20 years of volunteering at Milpara Residential Aged Care Home – and she’s not done yet. Having walked into Milpara as a
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First round of graduates of Rhythm of the Day program, showcasing their certificates

Engagement & Individual Support Care Workers celebrate graduation

December 10, 2024
The inaugural graduating class of Engagement & Individual Support Care Workers have been deployed to ACH Group residential aged care homes to provide an elevated level of support to residents.
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Health Services Team Leader Luke Mapunda at Healthia's Health Studio

Innovative Health Studios keep ACH Group residents active and engaged

October 11, 2024
ACH Group is making good health and wellbeing an easy choice for residents. Over the past year, significant investments have been made to upgrade the health studios across all nine
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Milpara Residential Care Home Memory Unit - resident engaging in n activity with staff member

Program boosts outcomes at Milpara

September 13, 2024
Engagement with purpose is driving a remarkable improvement in the quality of life for people living with dementia at ACH Group’s Milpara Residential Care Home.  Residents at Milpara’s Memory Support
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Learn more about the community at Milpara

Photo from Kapara Residential Care Home gym, with residents participating in a cycling challenge.

Residents take on the cycling challenge

February 5, 2025
ACH Group Cycling Challenge at Residential Care Homes The Tour Down Under is one of South Australia’s most iconic sporting events, bringing together cycling enthusiasts from around the world. This
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ACH Group customers Bill, Peg and Charlie

Centenarians have their say

October 1, 2024
Special Good Lives moment with three centenarians from ACH Group community In a world that seems to be constantly evolving, where the pace of life quickens, and technology reshapes the
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winter wonderland, with paper snowflakes on table

Embracing the winter wonderland

July 20, 2024
This winter, go beyond the tradition of celebrating Christmas in July In Australia, it has become a tradition to embrace the holiday spirit during the winter season by recreating the
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Going on a bus trip is one of the things that make Milpara residents happy. Here's a photo of them in a park, waving and having their photo taken for the 'Happiness Project'.

What is happiness to you?

March 22, 2024
Happiness means something different to each of us International Happiness Day is celebrated on 20 March, and  and we were excited to kick off the happiness party by launching the
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ACH Group welcomes feedback

At ACH Group we welcome and actively seek out feedback. We listen and take action to personalise resident experience and deliver high quality care.

All feedback is an opportunity for ACH Group to improve services and how they are delivered. Residents and families can share insight into their experience by talking directly with the care team, as part of care plan reviews, at home meetings, or using the home’s feedback boxes.

Feedback can be provided at anytime using our online feedback form.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Walking for brain health - two older people enjoying an outdoor exercise

Enhance your brain health by staying active

Following Brain Awareness Week, Luke Mapunda, Physiotherapist, has shared some simple tips to support brain health.

Embrace the great outdoors

Walking is a fantastic form of exercise. It’s low-impact, accessible, and South Australia’s beautiful parks and walking trails make it an appealing option. Not only does walking improve physical health, but it also offers a chance to socialise and connect with the community, while enriching your mental wellbeing.

Strenghten your heart and mind

Engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise is crucial. It boosts blood circulation, which increases oxygen supply to the brain and releases hormones that help in the growth and protection of brain cells.

Incorporate intervals of increased intensity during your exercises to keep your heart rate within an optimal range for your age, which is beneficial for both heart health and cognitive function. As always, contact your health team for individualised advice.

Build a routine with others

One of the best ways to stick to an exercise routine is to join others.

Whether it’s with friends, family, or a community group, shared activities provide encouragement and make it easier to form lasting habits. Plus, the social interaction can be as rewarding as the exercise itself.

Engage in dual-task activities

Activities like yoga, dancing, and tai chi, which challenge both your body and mind, are excellent for improving balance and cognitive skills such as reaction time.

At ACH Group, besides exercise and wellness groups, the HUR Senso machine offers fun and interactive dual-task training sessions that benefit both your physical and cognitive health.

HUR Senso is a physical training platform that uses a computer screen and pressure plate sensors to create interactive, dual-task training sessions, challenging the body and the brain at the same time. The Senso is located at our Health Studio Christie Downs and Health Studio Rostrevor.

A journey towards a healthier you

From my experience, I’ve witnessed the profound positive effects that regular physical activity can have on both the body and mind of older adults. Remember, it’s never too late to start a journey towards a healthier you.

Supporting you to achieve your health and wellbeing goals

Whether it’s being able to enjoy activities that you love or trying new ones, recovering from a setback, or managing an ongoing condition, we’re here to help. You can access health and wellbeing services in your own home, or at our three Health Studio locations at Christie Downs, Glenelg and Rostrevor.

Along with individual services, our specialised health programs combine exercise and education to promote independent living and positive health outcomes.

Contact us today to find out more.

About Luke Mapunda

Luke Mapunda is a Physiotherapist and the Health Services Team Leader at ACH Group, where he oversees a team of 14 allied health professionals across four residential care homes.

Luke is dedicated to supporting older South Australians through tailored wellbeing programs and fostering social connections within health studios.

Health Services Team Leader Luke Mapunda at Healthia's Health Studio

Supporting your brain health

Food that supports brain health

Tips for boosting your brain health

As we get older our nutritional needs change to support healthy bodies and minds. ACH Group Dietitian Michael Dobie has shared some simple tips to support brain health.

Drink enough water

The brain is one of the hardest working organs in the body. If we don’t have enough water in our bodies, it can impact our brain’s ability to concentrate, moderate mood and stave off fatigue.

The amount of fluid we need varies significantly from person to person but as generally:

  • Men need about 10 cups (2.6 litres or 2600mL) of fluids every day
  • Women need about 8 cups (2.1 litres or 2100mL) of fluids a day

Remember, it’s important to drink before you feel thirsty. Choose drinks that taste good – try adding some cut up fresh fruit such as lemon or orange, and ice to an insulated cup. Take a drink with you when you go out.

Add colourful fruit and veg

Eat more brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, squash, capsicum, sweet potato, tomatoes, leafy greens and berries. These foods are associated with better brain health.

When in season – fresh is best – however frozen fruit and vegetable options are also a fantastic, budget friendly option and can be particularly useful when cooking for one or two.

Go fish

We are fortunate to live by some truly fantastic fishing areas. Seafood, including salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are associated with good brain health.

If you like fish aim to have it at least twice a week. Something as simple as tinned fish on a sandwich can be a good start to introducing seafood to your diet.

Know your portions

For many older people, a Sunday roast or a dinner of meat and three vegetables is an engrained staple. The good news is that this when done well is a very nutritious meal. Just remember, serves of meat should be no bigger than your palm, it doesn’t have to just be three veggies, aim for as many vegetable varieties with bright colours and try and have a salad as a starter.

Savour the flavour

Research has shown that people who eat slowly and take the time to really appreciate each mouthful on average eat less. 

Consider Mediterranean diet

If you’re keen to explore dietary patterns for overall health, the Mediterranean diet is well worth considering for boosting physical and mental wellbeing.

Supporting you to achieve your health and wellbeing goals

Good nutrition can help to decrease your risk of memory loss, maintain your strength and feel better as you age. Support your health with advice and support from ACH Group’s dietitians who will work with you to develop a realistic and tailored nutritional plan.

Contact us today to find out more.

About Michael Dobie

Dietitian Michael Dobie has spent the past 20 years providing expert insight into aged care menus.

Michael is ACH Group’s Dietitian Lead and in his role, he ensures residential aged care menus are providing the right variety and nutritional content to enable a quality dining experience.

Dietitian Michael Dobie

Brain health for healthy ageing

A group of older people playing jenga, a great activity for brain health

Promoting brain health for healthy ageing

Keeping your brain healthy can be quite the puzzle!

Pieces like healthy eating, staying physically active, and keeping your mind engaged all play a big role in cognitive wellbeing.

Following Brain Awareness Week (10 – 16 March), let’s explore how these elements work together to support your brain power over time.

Brain power

We all know that it’s important to exercise and eat well to keep our bodies active and healthy. But a growing body of research shows it’s just as important to keep our brains healthy.

When it comes to brain health, looking after your heart, staying active, challenging your brain, eating well, and being social, are the foundations of maintaining it.
Brain health icons - heart health, exercise, engage brain, nutrition, be social

Look after your heart

Conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol, also increase the risk of developing dementia.

You can reduce this risk by managing these conditions through staying active, eating a heart healthy diet and choosing not to smoke.

Stay active

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates the growth of brain cells and the connections between them. 

For people aged 65 years and over, it is recommended to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. Try to reduce the time you spend sitting down and break that time up as often as you can. Speak to your health team for individualised advice.

Challenge your brain

Research shows that trying new, challenging mental activities helps build new brain cells and strengthens connections between them.

It’s easy to fall into habits, so it’s important to try and introduce challenges, whether it’s learning a language, playing a musical instrument or enrolling in a course. It’s never too late to learn something new!

Eat well

Choosing a variety of healthy foods is another important way to boost brain health.

Saturated fats found in pies, biscuits, deep fried foods and meat are associated with an increased risk of dementia. Aim to include a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, legumes, wholegrains and ‘good fats’ such as those found in fish, olive oil and walnuts.

Be social

As well as making us feel good, being with other people has been shown to improve cognitive function and vascular health, and reduce depression.

Activities that combine mental, social and physical activity, such as golf, dancing or tennis, provide even greater benefit.

Expert advice for brain health

We consulted with two health professionals from ACH Group to explore the advantages of maintaining an active lifestyle and eating well. 

Dietitian Michael Dobie
Michael Dobie, Dietitian

Good nutrition can help to decrease your risk of memory loss, maintain your strength and feel better as you age. Tip number 1 is – drink enough water! It will enhance your ability to concentrate, moderate mood and stave off fatigue.

Read Michael’s tips for boosting your brain health.

Health Services Team Leader Luke Mapunda at Healthia's Health Studio
Luke Mapunda, Physiotherapist

Luke has witnessed the profound positive effects that regular physical activity can have on both the body and mind of older adults. Remember, it’s never too late to start a journey towards a healthier you.

Read Luke’s tips for enhancing your brain health by staying active.

Is your brain up for a challenge?

This brain health crossword is packed with words relating to brain health – everything from brain-friendly foods to habits that keep us sharp.

Use the clues to fill in the words below. Words can go across or down. Letters are shared when the words intersect.

Download: Brain Health Crossword [.pdf]

Learn more about brain health and healthy ageing

What services are available at ACH Group?

ACH Group provides a range of services to suit individual needs and allow for choice, offering the right advice at the right time, no matter where someone is on their health and wellbeing journey.

With focus on health and wellbeing and staying socially connected in ways that suit a person’s abilities and interests, ACH Group is here to help.

Contact us to discuss which service option is best for you or the person you care for.