When was the last time you did something really different? Pushed yourself out of your comfort zone, or challenged yourself to try something new?
These questions are at the heart of the 10 Dares Challenge, the brainchild of members of the Exchange, who set out to design a ‘Future Human’ event for South Australia’s Open State Festival last year.
They decided that our future selves are shaped by our actions today and came up with a range of dares, from canoeing and calligraphy to balloon flights and guitar lessons.
People once thought that as we got older, our brains had limited capacity to learn. We now know that our brains keep learning and changing, and that by taking on new challenges, we can reduce the risk of dementia and boost cognitive health.
One of the magical things about taking on these experiences is that we can slow our perception of time. We all remember how slowly the weeks passed as a child. Scientists believe that is because at that age our lives are packed with novelty – new people, new learning, new places. As grown-ups, we can dial up the difference in our days just by sampling some new foods, taking an unfamiliar route, or trying a new hairstyle.
It’s been 85 years since Charles Nicholson travelled from Port Augusta to Adelaide to watch Don Bradman play in the third Test against England at the Adelaide Oval.
Mr Nicholson was seven years old and already a cricket fanatic.
At the time, there was growing controversy around aggressive ‘bodyline’ tactics employed by English players.
“I can just picture it now,” Mr Nicholson said. “There were 50,962 people there that day. It was an exciting time to be there, particularly when (Australian Captain) Woodfull took a blow to the heart.”
Mr Nicholson, who turned 93 this week and lives at Kapara, Glenelg South, returned for a tour of the new-look Oval this month organised by ACH Group.
The former SACA tour guide, who played until the age of 65, was impressed by upgrades to the Oval.
“It’s marvellous – better than I thought it would be,” he said. “I’d recommend to anybody to go and see it, even if they’re not interested in football and cricket. The views to the north and south are absolutely beautiful. It’s spacious; not hemmed in like ovals interstate.”
Mr Nicholson said cricket was a big part of his childhood in the 1930s.
“Growing up we had to amuse ourselves and the financial situation wasn’t all that wonderful,” he said. “We would borrow the neighbour’s rubbish bin and use that as the wicket and a piece of galvanised tin sheeting as the wicket keeper. We played for hours and hours.”
He remembers collecting pictures of Bradman and the Australian team on packets of liquorice ‘cigarettes’ and chewing gum.
They would keep up with all the news from the Test in England on the radio. “They started at 8 o’clock at night our time and they’d have lunch at 10 o’clock our time and we small boys would have to go to bed.”
At the age of 22, after watching “every ball” of the 1946-47 Test Match against England and playing in the country tennis championships at Memorial Drive, Charles decided to move to Adelaide.
“I said to myself well this is the life, we haven’t got this sort of thing in Port Augusta,” he said. “I helped form the Glenelg Moseley Street Cricket team and played for 10 years in that Association.”
Mr Nicholson played cricket on and off, including helping to form a team at the Adelaide branch of the Australian Cricket Society until he was 63. He spent five years as a SACA tour guide and enjoyed sharing his considerable knowledge of all things cricket and football.
He and his wife Audrey visited Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1981 where they met and befriended curator Steve Green, a friendship that Mr Nicholson continues today.
Find out more about ACH Group’s Residential Care services here.
Portrait of Don Bradman printed on a cigarette card and distributed during Australia’s tour of England in 1934. Source: The National Library of Australia
ACH Group is all about Good Lives, and that’s why we’re proud to be a partner of this year’s Adelaide Fringe.
“Our partnership with ACH Group fits in perfectly with the inclusive nature of the Fringe,” Adelaide Fringe CEO Heather Croall says. “It’s a festival for the young and the young at heart alike.”
The Adelaide Fringe is an open access festival held across the months of February and March. This year the festival will feature 1,233 events delivered by around 6,000 artists across 42 venues, including ACH Group’s own Sing for Joy choir, returning after a sell-out debut in 2016.
ACH Group Ambassador Jane Reilly will host the choir’s ‘Colour Your World’ performance on Sunday 18 March at the National Wine Centre, just a short stroll from the Garden of Unearthly Delights.
Aged up to 94 years, with an average age of 70, the choir is led by professional choir leaders. Choirs are based at Seaford, Glenelg, Payneham and Wynn Vale.
The Sing for Joy Fringe performance is supported by The Australian Government Commonwealth Home Support Programme and the ACH Group Foundation for Older Australians.
ACH Group helps to provide transitional care for older people in times of crisis through its respite care options.
The release of The 2018 Report on Government Services shows a jump in the number of older people forced to stay in hospital for long periods, prompting calls for more access to transitional care.
ACH Group residential facilities Kapara (Glenelg South), ViTA (Daw Park), Perry Park (Port Noarlunga) and Yankalillia Centre have designated rooms available for respite care.
At Perry Park, a Foundation Room offers free emergency respite without the need for formal assessment, allowing flexibility in times of crisis.
“The focus of the Foundation Room is on giving people the chance to take a break, recuperate, and return home,” says ACH Group Residential Site Manager Karen Barwick.
“Respite care also offers the opportunity for people to experience residential care during periods of transition.”
The Foundation Room is fully funded by The ACH Group Foundation for Older Australians.
ACH Group also offers cottage-based respite to support people to maintain their independence and remain valued and active members of the community, while providing a break for their carer.
CHSP, RAS, ACAT…..When it comes to aged care, acronyms abound. What do they mean, and how do they work? ACH Group’s Teresa Moran explains some of the most commonly used.
CHSP is short for Commonwealth Home Support Program. This is a government subsidised programs designed to support people to stay living at home longer. CHSP is a collection of services we call ‘lighter touch’ – things like help with housework, gardening and access to social groups. HCP is a ‘package’ of services to support people who need more than just the basics – and along with help around the house can include personal care, medication management, assistance with meals and so on.
CDC stands for Consumer Directed Care. Under CDC, the person accessing services chooses how their government allocated funds are spent.
RAS stands for Regional Assessment Service and assesses the person to work out what level of services they might need. The RAS assessor can immediately approve services for people whose needs are less complex and who will then be able to access services through the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
If a person’s needs are more complex they will need an ACAT assessment. ACAT stands for Aged Care Assessment Team. Team members will conduct a free assessment to determine what types of services might be of assistance.
Still confused? Our friendly staff are happy to talk you through your situation. Call us today on 1300 22 44 77
Diagnosed with younger onset dementia at the age of 57, Adelaide mother of three Lee Martin found herself without work and unable to drive. Afraid to go out by herself, she became isolated and depressed.
Two years on, things have turned around for Lee, whose artwork is part of a visual art exhibition in Adelaide.
‘Remember My Story’ is the result of an eight-month series of workshops run by The Art Bus Australia in collaboration with ACH Group and Alzheimer’s Australia SA.
Workshops run by professional artists focused on drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and sharing stories. It also involved excursions to The Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens.
Lee said she has loved being part of the group.
“I didn’t even think I could do art, but I love it, especially pottery – it’s awesome,” Lee said. “It’s been great making friends here and meeting these wonderful artists.”
After her diagnosis Lee’s neurologist suggested she contact ACH Group, a leader in innovative dementia services.
Today Lee takes part in a weekly golf, lawn bowls and art classes.
The Art Bus co-founder Claire Harris said she was inspired to run the Remember My Story program by a friend who was diagnosed with younger onset dementia aged in his 40s.
“Through this program we can offer the opportunity to learn new skills, to create and share and exploring our imaginations through the visual world is very rewarding. We’ve learnt a lot together in this program.”
Remember My Story was made possible through Arts South Australia Community Arts and Cultural Development Project Funding.
The exhibition is on at the Eastwood Community Centre until Tuesday December 12.
ACH Group’s Riverside Artists will mark its 30-year anniversary with an exhibition at the Arts Centre, Port Noarlunga.
The group was formed at ACH Group’s Perry Park Day Therapy Centre in 1987 and was first known as Perry Park Painters.
During the 1990s the class expanded and moved to the Port Noarlunga Arts Centre on the banks of the Onkaparinga River.
Today the group meets every Friday morning and provides an opportunity for older people to come together to create artwork and connect with others.
Group coordinator Gaynor Jarvis said over the years the group had brought together many wonderful artists to learn new skills or rekindle old ones in a fun environment.
“I am there to support them but they support each other, that’s the lovely thing about the group,” she said. “The social benefits are just as important as the art that happens. It really is a special place.”
A highlight of the exhibition will be a tribute to founding member Bob Guild, who passed away this year at the age of 93.
Bob, along with his wife Evelyn, signed on as a volunteer in the 1980s. He went on to become an accomplished artist, mentor and friend to many in the group.
Brian Hibben joined the group two years ago and now works across a range of mediums, from painting, printmaking and clay to mixed media. “I never thought I had an artistic bone in my body,” he says. “Now I can’t imagine life without it – it’s been brilliant for me. What I enjoy most is the art, but also the companionship with others.”
Fred Artis, 80, is a volunteer driver for ACH Group and now combines his driving duties with painting as a member of the group. “For me being part of the group helped me discover a new passion in painting,” he said.
Alma Pope, 85, has been drawing and painting since she was seven years old and joined the group in 2012.
ACH Group, which celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, runs a wide range of social activities across Metropolitan Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, providing opportunities for people to engage and connect in the community.
The exhibition opens on Friday 10 November and runs until Monday 11 December. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm and Saturday 12pm to 4pm.
ACH Group Retirement Living residents enjoyed the good things in life at recent Annual Residents Meetings. Held in October in both South Australia and Victoria, the meetings saw a combined 450 people attend from 46 different retirement living sites across the two states.
Residents enjoyed a delicious 3-course meal while hearing from speakers such as ACH Group CEO, Ray Creen, about developments of the year, key achievements and strategic directions for their retirement living sites. The highlight for many were the wonderful guest speakers, Anne ‘Willsy’ Wills and Kevin Sheedy who shared the crowd on ‘living a good life’. Having grown up with these familiar faces, residents relished the chance to relive their fond memories of each guest.
To learn more about the day and the good life living in an ACH Group Retirement Living Unit click to watch the video below.
Akhter Rahman braved the skies above West Beach today to take on the ‘MegaJump’ at Mega Adventure aerial park.
The 75-year-old took on the challenge as part of The Exchange’s 10 Dares Challenge, an initiative of ACH Group’s Exchange membership program.
Akhter climbed 83 steps to the highest platform where she was strapped into a harness, then stepped into an 18-metre free fall jump.
The Norwood practising clinical psychologist also braved on the ‘MegaBounce’ trampoline, jumping up to eight metres from a harness.
“I was pretty nervous, but it was great, just amazing!” Akhter said after the jump. “I wanted to challenge myself to do something new. There are so many benefits for your body and your brain.”
During August and September, Exchange members have been invited to try a range of dares, from karaoke and a ukulele lesson to trying out Garmin fitness bands and eating real crickets at the Adelaide Oval.
The Exchange’s Fiona Telford-Sharp said the Challenge aimed to encourage people to do something new or different that keeps them growing, learning and reinventing. “It’s about stepping outside your comfort zone and putting your hand up for something new and exciting,” she said. “Just because you have reached a certain age doesn’t mean you have to give up trying new things and challenging yourself in different ways.”
ACH Group’s new Planning Ahead Advisory Service is experiencing strong demand as more South Australians take the steps needed to make sure their affairs are in order.
Launched late last year, the service brings together a team of health professionals to explain the steps involved in preparing an Advance Care Directive and Enduring Power of Attorney and highlight the importance of having these documents, in addition to a Will.
ACH Group’s Teresa Moran says majority of customers have chosen to have the service delivered in the comfort of their own homes. Many have chosen to include loved ones or close friends in the conversation.
“Knowing where to start and opening the conversation can be daunting,” Teresa says. “Our professional staff can help you to navigate what can be a complex process and give you peace of mind, knowing that everything is in place to ensure that your wishes are known and documented in the event that you can no longer speak for yourself.”
ACH Group can help with:
Taking steps to complete your Advance Care Directive and Enduring Power of Attorney
Providing the forms you need
Exploring what matters to you and documenting your preferences clearly
Facilitating family discussions if needed, to leave no element of doubt
Providing additional follow-up if required, including assistance to get the paperwork signed and distributed.
This week is Planning Ahead Week, held to raise awareness of the importance of making sure your choices are known and acted on if you cannot express them yourself in the future.
Find out about our Planning Ahead Advisory Service here, or call us on 1300 224 477.
