ACH Group Sports Festival 2023
Drawing inspiration from the sportsmanship and passion for sports at the Masters Games, ACH Group’s residential social team collaborated with the residential health services team to create a month-long sports festival.
The residents competed in basketball, bocce, marathon, darts, shotput, and quoits.
The ACH Group teams included:
- Colton Court: The CC’s
- Healthia: Wheelie Wonders
- Highercombe: The Hornets
- Kapara: Kingpins
- Milpara: Superstars
- Perry Park: River Rockets
- ViTA: The Achievers
- West Park: Going for Gold
- Yankalilla: Sea Dragons
Here are the highlights from the games…
Opening ceremony
Opening ceremonies were held across all nine residential care homes, inviting residents, staff, volunteers and students to participate.
Week 1
Week 1 of the ACH Group Sports Festival brought a lot of excitement and enjoyment to residential care homes.
The events featured basketball and bocce, and some impressive shots were captured. Everyone showed tremendous support, with cheers filling the air.
As Luke, the ACH Group Health Services Team Leader, pointed out, “The focus of all these events is to promote inclusivity, but also, from a health perspective, we saw it as an opportunity to challenge the residents physically in a fun way.
In the photos, you will notice that some residents sat down while others were standing (reflecting inclusivity). However, for both groups, they were also working on dynamic sitting and standing balance. These enjoyable exercise activities will continue after the games have concluded.”
Many residents who weren’t originally planning to participate ended up giving it a try. As one of the residents remarked, “It’s just like working out in the gym, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Week 2
Team Kapara Kingpins laced up their sneakers, stretched their marathon muscles, and got on their marks to show everyone how it’s done!
We’ve seen a tremendous display of talent from participants. It was heart warming to see the enthusiasm of everyone and a bit of friendly competition.
Week 3 & Week 4
As the games drew to the end, it was fantastic to see so many more residents getting involved in the remaining events.
The feedback from residents and family has been very positive, with one family member sharing, “Love hearing about the events and how happy dad sounds when I ring him. Thank you all very much. Richard had a fantastic time and is very competetive.”
Closing ceremony
We are immensely proud of what the residents achieved in the ACH Group Sports Festival held in October. Check out these awesome photos from the closing ceremony.
Scores have been calculated, and medals have been awarded at the closing ceremony, including trophies for overall winners.
Fun facts:
- The average distance across homes for shotput was an astounding 4.5 meters! The overall individual shotput winner was Paul at Yankalilla with an amazing 8.9 meters.
- Basketball was measured by the accuracy of shots, with Maxine at Yankalilla achieving 82% accuracy rate.
- The marathon was a timed, 45-minute activity set up as a loop course where feasible. The focus was on inclusivity, ensuring there were resting and refreshment stations included throughout the course.
- Across all homes, residents walked over 113,000 meters!
A special shoutout goes to the Colton Court CC’s team for adapting to the adjusted activities, considering the home layout.
And that’s a wrap!
Luke Mapunda, Health Services Team Leader, reflected on the ACH Group Sports Festival.
Here’s his hightlights:
- Seeing the residents come together for fun, to exercise and to participate in some different activities while supporting each other in a really positive way. There was friendly competition within and across homes, but the sense of community throughout the games was fantastic.
- Working across teams can be a challenge at times, but the way the social and health teams came together to organise the activities was great. This was then enhanced by how the rest of the staff (home managers, nurses, care staff, volunteers, maintenance) supported the activities.
- Finally, some of the results I found inspiring. To watch residents challenge themselves was awesome and it highlights that if you provide the right environment, older adults have the ability to do incredible things.
Social Manager Residential, Jane Garforth, reflected:
“I just wanted to take a moment to express my awe and gratitude for the incredible participation and competitive spirit we witnessed during the ACH Games and Show. It was truly heartwarming to see residents rise to the challenge, and our dedicated staff went above and beyond to ensure the success of these events. None of this would have been possible without the invaluable contribution of our amazing volunteers who stepped up in various capacities. Special thanks to the students who helped document and evaluate the events – your involvement was invaluable.
A huge shoutout to our colleagues from Allied Health for wholeheartedly embracing the idea and joining in on the fun. And to our residents, you all are the true stars! Your determination and grit were nothing short of inspirational. I believe many of you even surprised yourselves with your outstanding performances.
Thank you, each and every one of you, for making this event a memorable success. Let’s keep the positive energy and teamwork going! Olympics next year! “
Health Services Team Leader – Residential, Jordan Parpadella concluded:
“The overall feedback from residents and homes has been very positive. Some homes have even opted to continue with a couple activities trialled at the Sports Festival, now added to their regular social activity calendar.”
Good health and wellness is an easy choice
At ACH Group, our residential care services are dedicated to creating opportunities for older people to thrive, where they are valued, stimulated and connected, while still retaining control of their lives.
Learn more about the healthy ageing approach and residential care at ACH Group.
