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This month South Australians are being encouraged to ask themselves: if you were unable to speak for yourself, who would speak for you? And what health care and lifestyle decisions would you want them to make?

These questions are at the heart of Advance Care Planning Week, held for the first time across Australia from April 16 to 22.

With rates of dementia on the rise and a growing awareness of the importance of safeguarding the financial security of older Australians, documenting a person’s wishes in a legally binding way is more important than ever.

The best way to do this is to ensure you have an Advance Care Directive, which sets out your wishes around lifestyle, health and end of life decisions and involves appointing a substitute decision maker. You also need to appoint an Enduring Power of Attorney. This involves appointing a substitute decision maker (attorney) – often a family member or trusted person – to manage financial affairs in the event that you can no longer do it by yourself.

People know that they need to have these documents in place, but don’t always know where to start, and put these often emotionally confronting conversations in the too hard basket. We encourage people to have conversations with family or trusted friends early, before there is a health crisis or a change of circumstances, such as a move to residential care, to deal with. That way important decisions can be clearly expressed and documented in consultation with others without being clouded by stress.

We all deserve the opportunity to remain independent as we age. Don’t leave it too late to make your wishes known.

ACH Group is the first aged care provider in Australia to buy ‘Mobi-Mats’ to help residents in a wheelchair or with mobility issues to access the beach.

Mobi-Mats are lightweight non-slip portable pathways that allow people who use wheelchairs or walkers to access the beach. When laid across the sand, the mats create an even surface, creating a safe passage for anyone with mobility issues.

Three of these mats, which when laid out stretch 30 metres, were rolled out for the first time at Middleton on Wednesday thanks to a $10,000 grant from the ACH Group Foundation for Older Australians. The mats will be stored in an enclosed trailer purchased with a $3,175 grant from Goolwa Lions Club.

ACH Group’s Jane Young saw the mats in action at South Australia’s first accessible beach event at Henley Beach in February last year. She thought the mats would allow residents from West Park, ACH Group’s residential home at Goolwa, to access the beach.

“We have residents who grew up on and around the beach and who haven’t had the opportunity to be on the sand for 20 or 30 years,” she said. “We have a former fisherman who is now vision impaired but he is really looking forward to getting back to hear the sound of the waves, smell the ocean and feel the sand.”

Ms Young said she hoped to get the residents to the beach at least once a month, if not once a fortnight. The mats would also be used for access to public events.

She said the mats would help promote healthy ageing and encourage people of all abilities to enjoy the beach – something that is important to many Australians. “For many people walking on the sand becomes a real challenge and this makes it so much easier.”

The mats will be ‘rolled out’ for their maiden voyage on Wednesday. Family and friends have been invited to share fish and chips with residents on the beach. Ms Young was in talks with other community groups including a local Learn to Surf school about the possibility of hiring out the mats to other groups in the Fleurieu region.

Research around the world has shown that people who are active and socially connected are happier and have a better sense of wellbeing and overall health, regardless of age or health status. All ACH Group residential care homes embrace a unique ‘Healthy Ageing’ approach to make it as easy as possible for residents to choose to be active, remain connected and engage in what they love to do every day.

Accessible Beaches Australia launched a campaign in 2016 to encourage more people to use mobility mats with a vision of making most patrolled beaches in Australia wheelchair accessible by 2020. Push Mobility Managing Director Shane Hryhorec said Seacliff Beach was South Australia’s only accessible beach, home to a Mobi-Chair Floating Beach Wheelchair and Slat Type Access Platform, soon to be followed by Henley Beach.

“ACH Group is the first aged care provider to purchase these mats for residents, but we have had strong enquiry from around Australia,” he aid. Find out more here.

An interactive mural has brought the sights and sounds of the ocean to ACH Group’s Kapara Residential Living at Glenelg South.
Painted across six weeks by South Australian artist Rebecca Cambrell, the mural features scenes inspired by the Fleurieu Peninsula.
The mural curves across four walls of Kapara’s Higher Care Memory Unit and includes hanging mobiles, raised paintwork and ‘Talking Tiles’ that emit sounds from the sea.
ACH Group Dementia Co-Design Consultant Jodie Roberts said the mural served as a visual aid to help people living with dementia orientate themselves to their surroundings, reducing confusion and in turn promoting independence.
“The mural may also evoke positive memories from a person’s past by reminiscing about past seaside experiences such as family holidays. This can help staff and volunteers to really get to know a person and their story. Set in a nice quiet nook, it has a lovely calming ambience which helps reduce anxiety for people living with dementia.”
During her time at Kapara, Ms Cambrell enjoyed getting to know residents, staff and family members. She said she used her art to inspire interaction with people around her. “My work is not just about the visual – it’s what happens while the visual is being created. People came along every day and watched, gave me advice, sat and talked with family about how things were progressing.”
Ms Cambrell uses ‘impasto’ techniques to create a work that has tactile properties. Talking Tiles, wall mounted speakers that emit 80 seconds of sound, are uploaded with music that evokes seaside memories including ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ and a Mr Whippy-inspired version of ‘Greensleeves’, as well as gull and dolphin sounds. While she initially set out to paint a small area, the project “grew and grew” to feature a scene with Norfolk pines, kookaburras, pelicans and kangaroos, boats, a hot air balloon, water and sky.
“We’re not far from the beach here but not everyone can get to the beach, but here we’ve brought the beach to them,” Kapara Lifestyle Coordinator Michelle Williamson said. “The mural is bright and colourful and creates an interesting and engaging environment that encourages interactions between people.”

“My outlook is definitely glass half full, not half empty. You’re only here once and you don’t know how long you’re here for, so you may as well make the most of each day you’ve got.”

She’s been to Seaford to record a live cross, she’s made three phone calls and is squeezing in our interview on her way to the gym – all before 10am.

Two years after announcing her ‘retirement’ from Adelaide radio station FIVEaa, Jane Reilly is as busy as ever. FIVEaa wasn’t ready to let go of one of its best loved personalities, whose warmth and humour across a 40–year media career has earnt her a place in the hearts of all South Australians.

She agreed to stay, on the proviso that she start an hour later and was allowed more annual leave. “That means I have more time to travel and do the things I want to do,” she says.

As a roving reporter with FIVEaa’s Radio Breakfast team, Jane travels far and wide searching for quirky and fun stories. She has devoted a lot of time to her work with numerous charities including Variety, the Children’s Charity SA, St John Ambulance and Royal Society for the Blind.

Added to that is her new role as ACH Group ambassador, which has seen her getting out and about to experience first-hand what we’re all  about.

Jane has recently visited the Riverside Artists Group at Port Noarlunga and sat in on a rehearsal for an intergenerational choir performance by primary school students and ACH Group’s Sing for Joy choir.

“I’ve been really impressed and excited by what I’ve seen,” she says. “It’s wonderful that there are these opportunities for older people to revisit their talents or discover hidden talents that they didn’t even know they had.”

Jane says the role appealed to her because both her parents are aged in their 80s and are starting to need some help at home.

“I look at where my parents are and how important it is for them to keep their independence. It’s good to know that ACH Group recognises this and is doing its best to keep people connected and engaged with the community, in their own homes.”

Jane shares ACH Group’s vision that older people should be valued and respected and have their voices heard.

“I think as you age you have a lot to offer in life experiences and wisdom, and that is too often ignored and not appreciated.”

“I love working with young people – I get a real buzz out of that – and I think that keeps you young. But in the same way, older people have a lot to offer; it really works both ways.”

She says Australians could learn from cultures where older people are revered.

“We focus so much on the young and very beautiful and I get that – I was that person once,” she says, referring to the Miss Australian Beach Girl crown she won in 1974 at the age of 18.

“But that needs to change. It’s not just about standing up in a bus and giving up your seat. It’s understanding that there is a wealth of wisdom there. There are a lot of life skills that can be tapped into if people take the time to stop and have a tea or coffee; to ask questions.”

Jane began her media career hosting Early Birds on Channel 10 with Patsy Biscoe and Fat Cat. Her career included 10 years at ABCTV Adelaide then moving back to Network Ten as their weather presenter, a role she held for 17 years.

She won a TV Week Logie Award for Most Popular Female Personality in 1984 and in 2015 received an Order of Australia Medal for services to the broadcast media and charitable groups.

Reflecting on the longevity of her career, Jane puts it down to a combination of luck and hard work.

“When people ask me how I’ve survived, I always say there are three things you need to do: turn up on time, be nice, and be prepared. If you get those things right, you may not be the best, but you’re reliable, you don’t rock the boat, you’ve always got something to talk about.”

Today Jane shares a home at Norwood with her Golden Retriever and partner Randall, and keeps in regular contact with her two sons Joseph and Edward who live in Newcastle and Melbourne.

She enjoys travel, good food and wine and entertaining friends at home.

She’s also committed to keeping fit and healthy, walking most days and getting to the gym three times a week.

“I’m never going to look like Miss Beach Girl again but now it’s about having fitness and tone so that I can do all the things I want to do. Some days you really think I don’t want to do this, but then you walk out thinking ‘that felt really good’.”

As ambassador for ACH Group, Jane is looking forward to spending more time doing what she does best – meeting people.

“My outlook is definitely glass half full, not half empty. You’re only here once and you don’t know how long you’re here for, so you may as well make the most of each day you’ve got.”

Remember how at school, friends seemed all-important? As we move through life, the demands of work, family and being a ‘grown-up’ take priority.

But research shows that friendship matters. A study published in June last year found friends are as important as family when it comes to health and happiness, especially as we age (Department of Psychology, Michigan State University).

The importance of social inclusion is widely recognised and it’s a good idea for all of us to take part in regular social activities that encourage us to make new friends and keep in touch.

 

You could win a Murray River Highlights day tour for you and a friend, thanks to SeaLink and Adelaide Sightseeing.

Valued at $308.

Simply tell us in 25 words or less your favourite SA holiday destination.

Submit your entry by emailing [email protected] with ‘Murray River’ in the subject line. Entries to close on 31 May 2018.

Sprout Cooking School and Health Studio co-founders Callum Hann and Themis Chryssidis bring together fresh prawns with a Romesco sauce in a recipe published in our Autumn issue.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

½ cup roasted capsicum pieces

¼ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus 1 tablespoon extra

1 teaspoon ground cumin cup tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

Zest and juice of a lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus

1 tablespoon extra

500g peeled prawns

4 large handfuls green beans,

topped and tailed

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. To make the romesco sauce, combine the capsicum, half the almonds, garlic, one teaspoon paprika,
cumin, tomato passata and half the lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until smooth, add the two tablespoons of olive oil and blend briefly to combine.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Coat the prawns in the remaining tablespoon of paprika, season with a pinch of salt, then add to the pan. Cook for one minute on each side or until golden brown. Remove the prawns from the pan and leave to rest, lightly covered.

3. Add the beans, chilli flakes and anchovies, if using, to the pan and cook for about two minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Transfer into a bowl and toss with the lemon zest and remaining juice. Divide the beans among four serving plates. Top with the prawns, romesco sauce and the remaining almonds and serve.

 

Lately, it seems that every time you pick up a newspaper or magazine there’s a new cleaning tip promising to change your life. It’s even worse on Facebook and other
forms of social media.

“Go green with eco-friendly spring cleaning tips”; “How to green your cleaning routine”; “Go green and clean” the headlines scream. Read the full article, and you’ll find that these tips are nothing more than a reinvention of some of the practices made popular in years gone by, before chemical cleaning agents were available.

While many people still adhere to the tried and true method, for most of us the art of the ‘green clean’ has been lost. We’ve been seduced by the overtures of marketing professionals imploring us to invest in products that promise to clean 10 times more effectively* than their competitor product, or kill 99.9% of airborne bacteria*.

But with a list of ingredients so long you need to refer to a separate data sheet, it’s time we got back to basics.

Green and clean tips

You can use many items you already have in your cupboards at home to create environmentally friendly cleaning products that leave money in your pocket too.

Sparkling toilet without the weird colour
It might not give you a ‘bloo loo’ but if you sprinkle 1 cup of borax powder around your toilet bowl and then drizzle with ½ cup white vinegar, your toilet will sparkle. For best results, leave overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

Clean your oven without passing out from the fumes
Mix 500gm baking soda with ¼ cup washing soda. Run some wet paper towel or a wet rag around the inside of the oven, and then sprinkle with a generous amount of the baking soda mixture. Repeat! Leave overnight, and in the morning, wipe the mixture and grease away. For stubborn, baked-on stains, you might need to scrub with an abrasive pad.

*Not actually true

 

“Mindfulness has been shown to provide effective treatment for a range of psychological conditions including anxiety, depression and stress, and is now being used in a variety of ways, in settings from kindergarten to aged care.”

Have you ever eaten a snack and returned for more, not remembering you’ve finished it? Or driven somewhere and not remembered the journey? In today’s busy world, people often multi-task or focus on what’s next, instead of paying attention to the present.

Mindfulness is all about focusing on the present. By doing that, we let go of other ‘noise’ that is going on in our minds. That means instead of eating an apple while checking emails and worrying about how much you need to do that day, you slow down and focus on what you’re doing.

You think about each bite, the taste, texture, the sound it makes, and how it makes you feel. This simple technique might seem silly, but psychologists and psychiatrists claim it has real benefits when it comes to reducing stress and improving emotional, mental and physical health.

Mindfulness has long been a part of many religions and teachings such as Buddhism before it became more popular and mainstream in the 1970s.

ACH Group Head of Health and Wellness Services Kate Dobie says there is increasing research and medical evidence about the benefits of mindful practice.

What are the benefits?

• Mindfulness can boost the immune system, improve concentration and reduce stress.
• It can improve mood, boost clear thinking and increase feelings of empathy to others and even increase pain threshold (source: Journal of Neuroscience).

How is it done?

• Being mindful takes practice. It’s a good idea to start with a group or class to be led through techniques.
• Make sure the room is comfortable and quiet.
• You don’t need special equipment or physical skills. Sessions focus on training your mind to be focused and present.
• Meditation is sometimes combined with physical relaxation to help people to get comfortable

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.