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Kapara Residential Living, a historic landmark in Glenelg South, played an important role as a centre of care during the war years.

Originally a 14-room homestead built in 1895 and set on five acres of grounds, the home was used as a nursing hostel during World War I and World War II.

Taking its name from the aboriginal word Kapara meaning ‘by the sea’, the building was designed by architect George Soward, who also designed the Adelaide Oval Grandstand and Beehive Corner.

It was first home to George and Elizabeth Jury and their two sons and three daughters. When Mrs Jury sold the property to the Repatriation Department in 1921, it was converted into a hostel for returned Anzacs, known as the Anzac Hostel.

Edward the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII, visited Kapara in July 1920 as part of a week-long tour of South Australia. He was in Australia from May to August on behalf of his father King George V to thank the nations of the British Empire for their sacrifice during the Great War.

In 1939 the building was leased to the Red Cross at a nominal rent of one pound a month. The public helped to fund the cost of altering, renovating and fitting out a 50-bed hospital for servicemen that opened in 1940 and was known as the Red Cross Convalescent Home.

Later another wing was added to provide care and permanent accomodation to aged ex-servicemen. When Red Cross bought Kapara in 1959, it became The Kapara Red Cross Home, providing accommodation and services for convalescent ex-servicemen and women, Legacy widows and civilian nurses, as well as 36 beds for infirm ex-servicemen.

ACH Group has owned the home since 1974 and today provides care to 137 residents.

Frank Weist – ACH Group’s CEO said: “ACH Group has a special affinity with the Veteran community, as our organisation was founded to provide accommodation for War Widows. We are proud to continue this association by providing services to members of the Veteran community.”

Photo courtesy State Library of South Australia.

South Australian tennis great Kevin Lonergan hopes to take on the world’s best senior players in a return to the International Tennis Federation competition in Europe this year.

Kevin, 86, had hoped to compete in the Oceania Regional Championships at Kooyong, Melbourne, in March, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

He’s been training up to four times a week to prepare for the international clay court event and plans to continue his training as soon as he’s given the all-clear from his GP.

Kevin, who lives in an ACH Group housing unit at Walkerville, retired from tennis 20 years ago but kept up his fitness at the gym and pool.

He’s working with coach John Caldana to brush up on his skills to play in the International Tennis Federation Senior Open in Munich, Germany, in July.

“I’ve always enjoyed tennis and I’m looking forward to getting back into it and seeing some old friends,” he said.

“I thought maybe if I work hard I might be able to play in the 85s this year. I might not be as quick but I’m thinking I can get to the net. I’ve been lucky to play tennis, it’s given me a lot of opportunities to play all around the world.”

The Kooyong competition was a family affair for Kevin: his daughter Kerry travelled from the Gold Coast to play in the 55s, while his sister Pauline Wood played in the 75s.

Kevin has a long history of success in tennis on the world stage, representing South Australia and Australia many times in a career that spanned more than three decades.

From 1952 to 1958 he represented the state against Victoria in the annual interstate matches, and won the Burr Medal for best and fairest three times.

In his early 30s he competed in Wimbledon and qualified for the French Open and 13 European tournaments, winning two titles in France and Switzerland.

Kevin travelled to the US, UK and Europe many times, playing in 21 tournaments in Europe in 1990 alone and winning three of the over-55 singles titles in France, Germany and Italy.

In between playing as a professional, Kevin coached at Memorial Drive and several colleges in Adelaide.

A group of residents from ACH Group residential facilities Perry Park and ViTA  are combining their skills in woodwork and sewing for a good cause.

Their first products to hit the market are wall clocks and doll beds.

The beds are carved by hand, sanded and lacquered, then decorated with lacework, rails and curtains, tiny mattresses, quilts and pillows all made by the Perry Park Craft Group.

Orders are strong with big plans to extend into making rocking horses.

The project follows a major upgrade of the Port Noarlunga site’s Men’s Shed thanks to a grant from Onkaparinga Council and the ACH Group Foundation for Older Australians.

The upgrade includes new benches, equipment and machinery, tables and seats and an overhead pergola with fan.

Men’s Shed volunteers Bill Hosszu and Dave Newlyn have worked tirelessly to build and install new equipment.

“This is a great place, it’s just gold,” says Bill, who started volunteering at Perry Park in May last year. “The blokes are so happy to be here and it’s a wonderful way to spend time together. They certainly do get a lot of work done.”

Resident Jim Lintern enjoys being part of the group.

“I’d be out here every day if I could,” he says. “It’s great to be able to do something with your hands and I enjoy the company.”

To find out more about ACH Group’s Residential living options here or phone 1300 22 44 77.

As soon as Jan Creek met six-month old shelter dog Jed, she knew he would be easy to train. Jan, 84, spent many years as an obedience trainer and dog breeder and was founder and patron of The Rottweiler Club of SA.

She hasn’t owned a dog for four years and was thrilled when her Support Worker Lynne Galaboff started bringing Jed to visit.

Once a week she and Jan took Jed to a local park to teach the pup to sit, stay and heel. Lynne says she saw an instant change in Jan. “I thought she would just talk to the dog and enjoy spending time with him, but as soon as I handed her Jed’s lead, she took control and started to walk him,” she says. “Her mobility improved and she enjoyed getting out into the fresh air and sunshine.”

In the 1980s Jan was a regular fixture at the Royal Adelaide Show, offering rides in a custom built sulky attached to one of her Rottweilers.

She bred dogs under the name ‘Kleinhan’ and sold pups around Australia and the world – she even sold one to Adelaide radio personality Bob Francis.

“I love dogs because they always love you in return,” she says. “I think they are wonderful company.”

Lynne’s creativity and taking action was inspired through ACH Group’s Dementia Leadership Program.

Find out more about our dementia services and initiatives here.

Mahjabeen Ahmad has been recognised in the Governor’s Multicultural Awards for her work in helping to develop the first Muslim aged care resources in Australia.

Mahjabeen is Project Manager of the Muslim Communities Partnership, a two-year program which aims to develop culturally appropriate aged care services for South Australia’s 20,000-strong Muslim community.

She was presented the award for Most Outstanding Individual Achievement in Aged Care by His Excellency the Honorable Governor Hieu Van Le as part of a Harmony Day.

Since coming to Australia in 2010, Mahjabeen has dedicated herself to being a change agent by creating awareness and better understanding about Muslim aged care issues in the broader community and initiating projects within the aged care industry and state-level peak bodies to promote inclusiveness.

ACH Group’s Ivy Diegmann says Mahjabeen is a strong advocate for her Muslim community, championing their health and aged care needs so that providers can be more aware of and better understand these needs and provide culturally appropriate services.

“She works tirelessly to help educate the Muslim community about the Australian aged care system, build the community’s trust and confidence, and reduce cultural reluctance and misperceptions about accepting support from aged care providers,” she says.

Mahjabeen’s achievements include:

• Conducting the first empirical research on aged care needs of Muslims in South Australia titled Designing Aged Care for Muslims in South Australia: An exploratory study, set to be completed this month.
• Breaking new ground with a suggested model of spirituality for ageing Muslims published in a co-authored article that has informed the development of the National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care. Her pioneering research Muslims in Australian and their Aged Care Needs: An Exploratory Study with Reference to South Australia was included in Review of Australian Research on Older People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds.
• Developing the first Muslim aged care resources in Australia at staff and organisational levels with her project Muslim Communities – a CALD Partnership Model. This model aims to ensure Muslims receive services that meet their religious and cultural needs.
• Since she joined ACH Group in 2015, Mahjabeen has provided cultural diversity training to hundreds of the not-for-profit organisation’s 1700-strong staff at induction and refresher training sessions to better equip them to provide services and improve customer experience. She also engages with the Aged Care Assessment Team meetings to build better understanding of Muslims needs.
• Overseeing the creation of a prayer room in a former meeting room at the ACH Group headquarters at Mile End.

As the first Muslim Board and Executive Committee member of the Multicultural Communities Council of SA (MCCSA), Mahjabeen has led the way to connect the MCCSA with the Muslim community through various community engagements. She played a critical role in promoting Islamic calligraphy through introducing classes to older ethnic women at MCCSA under the government’s Healthy Ageing grant.

“Mahjabeen is a role model in resilience, courage, and grit for migrant women who come to Australia much later in life and find the motivation to make a difference,” Ivy says. “We congratulate her on her nomination and wish her well.”

The awards were hosted by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia, in the grounds of Government House.

Australia’s first Muslim MP Anne Aly was among those who answered the question ‘What makes a good life?’ at the Al Salam Peace Festival in Adelaide in January.

She is part of a video produced by ACH Group and launched to coincide with Harmony Day today to celebrate cultural diversity.

ACH Group is a major sponsor of the Al Salam Peace Festival, hosted each year by the Islamic Society of Australia.

Ms Aly, who was appointed to Parliament last year, said for her, a good life meant being able to pursue a passion without fear.

“It’s a life where you are surrounded by family, friends, loved ones and the time to do the things you really enjoy but also a life where you feel that you can make a difference – whether that’s a small difference, or a great difference,” she said.

Others who contributed to the video include Tasneem Chopra, a TEDx presenter and Australian Muslim Achievement Awards (AMAA) 2013 Woman of the Year, who said: “A good life for me is equality without exception, regardless of where you’re from, what you believe in or what you do.”

ACH Group Chief Executive Officer Ray Creen said he was looking forward to celebrating Harmony Day.

He experienced first-hand the effects of prejudice and bigotry after a childhood in Northern Ireland and as a senior manager coordinating the ambulance response during the London bombing.

“Today I’ll be taking a moment to cherish, respect and appreciate the fascinating range of cultures, religions and ethnicities that we have in Australia and also within our own organisation.”

A total of 45 per cent of ACH Group’s workforce were born overseas and 30 per cent speak a first language other than English.

As well as celebrating and acknowledging cultural backgrounds, religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, ACH Group runs a Muslim Communities Project and Cambodian Program.

Watch the video here.

Until he was introduced to ACH Group, Francesco Barresi, 81, never imagined that taking up the offer of a Home Care Package would see him return to the airwaves of Radio Italiana 531.

For a decade, Francesco Barresi caught the bus to Wright Street in the city to be part of a weekly talkback segment.

A singer and poet in his younger years in Sicily, Francesco loved to play requests and share stories with his listeners, many of them Italian migrants themselves.

In January with support from ACH Group, he revisited friends and toured the station’s new headquarters at Hindmarsh. He was also given the chance to speak again on air.

“When I walked in, they said to me ‘It’s the poet, Francesco!’” he says. “They invited me to sit and chat with them. It was good to be back.’”

Francesco and his wife Grace live at their home of 37 years with support from ACH Group, including house cleaning and gardening, as well as weekly exercise therapy.

Francesco ventures over to the nearby Coopers Stadium  to watch his beloved Reds train, with the support of his care workers while Grace goes shopping and takes some time out.

Grace says she and Francesco, who sailed to Australia in 1966 with an 18-month old daughter and baby boy on the way, are very happy living in their own home.

“I would love to be able to look after Frank here at home for as long as possible,” she says. “The help and support of my aged care team has made this possible for me.”

Find out more about ACH Group’s home support services here, or phone 1300 22 44 77.

Congratulations to ACH Group Perry Park Site Manager Karen Barwick, who has been named as a finalist in the ‘Excellence in Innovation in Education Category’ in the SA Health South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.

Karen has been recognised for her strong commitment to Interprofessional Learning (IPL) at ACH Group, and has been an integral part of the IPL Leadership Group since its inception in 2012.

Interprofessional Learning is when students from two or more professions (e.g. a nurse and a physiotherapist) work together to learn and reflect about their professions’ similarities and differences.

ACH Group believes an IPL approach to learning improves communication, collaboration, reduces risk of practising in isolation and ultimately improves the quality of care.

Karen’s nomination was strongly linked to the fact that at Perry Park she has established a student placement approach where the student’s  learning objectives are matched with placement activities, to provide an authentic positive contribution to the lives of older people.

Award winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday 12 May 2017.

Best of luck, Karen!

 

A group of ACH Group Sing for Joy Choir members experienced a live television interview in Adelaide last week.

The group were asked to be part of Channel 44’s ‘FringeWatch’, a live online streaming show, to spruik their debut performance at the Adelaide Fringe on Sunday.

After a quick make-up session, each were given a run-down on how the interview would run, then formed a ‘studio audience’ to watch on before and after their own interview.

Host, comedian Jason Chong, kept the choir on their toes, interviewing each member on stage including Neville Manning, who joined the Seaford choir three years ago.

“I’ve never had my makeup done before,” he joked. “It’s all a good experience.”

Choir member Annie Cizakowsky, who wrote a song for the Fringe performance, said she enjoyed being part of the show.

“I was a bit nervous at first and I don’t think I was very good at holding the microphone,” she said. “But it was great fun, I loved it.”

Watch the show here.

During days of extreme heat, older people can be particularly vulnerable.

Take a look at our fact sheet on coping with extreme heat for older people and for families and carers, plus a few tips on being bushfire ready.

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