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2 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
In this edition
Cover Story: Sally Evans..................................Page 3 Feature Story: Carlotta...........................................Page 5 Money..................................................Pages 29&30 Travel ...............................................................Pages 31-36 Puzzles ...................................................................Page 39
Contact us General Manager Geoff Crockett – 0413 988 333 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 1800 880 265 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Sue Germany – 0408 286 539 sue.germany@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Now online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Coffs Harbour and Clarence Seniors Newspaper”. The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland. The Seniors newspaper stable includes Toowoomba, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast publications. Published by News Corp Australia. Printed by News Corp Australia, Yandina. Opinions expressed by contributors to Seniors Newspapers are not necessarily those of the editor or the owner/publisher and publication of advertisements implies no endorsement by the owner/publisher.
Welcome
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Be loud and proud and claim your age
HELLO Friends, I am often asked how I select stories for publishing, how the everyday reader can submit their own story and how you can make a comment about a story or point of view published in Seniors News. Firstly, let me say, there are many worthy stories to be told and while online, there is unlimited space, print is limited by page numbers which means stories are limited. After that, factors to be taken into consideration include timeliness, trends, style, tone and substance of stories. That is, balancing the weight of stories from infotainment to entertainment articles including our well-being and travel sections and in this month’s issue, our special feature on retirement living options. Reporters and I regularly discuss and debate the pros and cons of articles. As a senior myself, I reflect upon my own interests and
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER
Group editor Seniors Newspapers network
concerns. In the wider world, I attend meetings, seminars and festivals on various relevant topics and at these venues I listen to a range of viewpoints from diverse groups of people. Then there is my family, all ready to share their point of view with me. When Seniors News reporter Tracey Johnstone brought me a profile on Sally Evans, her snappy label, Retirement Enthusiast, immediately gained my interest and on reading further, certain parts of her story definitely resonated with me. In particular, her urging of people to wear their age with pride. “When I hear others say they are not prepared to tell other people what their age is for fear of not
being given an opportunity or for those biases that seem to exist about people of particular ages; when I heard that, I made the decision that I was going to do the opposite. I was absolutely going to come out and talk about it. If we don’t talk about it, then we are just making the problem worse.” In the last few decades, because people have publicly named and claimed their own truth they have successfully challenged society’s ridiculous stereotypes that inspire gender and race prejudices and ruin the lives of harmless human beings. The same goes for age – while we all age differently, old age is not the same as it used to be, society demands different things from us and in return, we require different things from society. So, let’s start to get rid of ageism and claim our age without fear or favour. Of course, if there was anyone who successfully
fought against prejudice, it has to be Carlotta. She wasn’t the first person to undergo a sex change operation, but I’m sure she led the way in talking about her life’s journey. Our reporter Ann Rickard speaks with the 74-year-old and reveals how this vibrant woman still maintains a stage presence. Our well-being and living sections also share some great health focused information. I hope it’s practical and helpful, rather than faddish and temporary. The thing is, while it’s interesting and often inspiring to read about other people stories, it just mightn’t be us. In the end I think we just like to ‘keep the body and mind moving’. The best way to submit your story for publication is to email Gail.Forrer@ seniorsnewspaper.com.au The same applies if you would like to send me your comments on Seniors News articles. — Gail
Call for regulated power prices for seniors
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to new lows. “The report cites complex pricing plans, conditional offers, discounts from bases that vary by retailer, and an increasing trend towards discretionary win-back marketing as the reasons for consumer confusion and dissatisfaction,” Mr Henschke said. “Unsurprisingly, the AEMC report found that trust in the energy sector dropped from 50 per cent
in 2017 to 39 per cent in 2018.” Mr Henschke said while it was hoped deregulation of the retail electricity and gas markets would lead to better prices for consumers, the opposite had occurred, and vulnerable seniors often found it difficult to shop around for a better deal. “The proliferation of complicated and complex offers makes finding the best deal challenging,” Mr Henschke said.
“In many instances, older consumers have found themselves worse off because the terms and conditions of market offers are confusing. “Their limited access to the internet and poor digital literacy mean many older people are not even able to access online comparison websites or those of the power companies. “No wonder that many older people choose to stick with standing offers.”
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A NEW energy market report has reinforced the need for regulated power prices for older consumers unable to shop around for a better deal, National Seniors Australia said this month. National Seniors’ chief advocate Ian Henschke said the Australian Energy Market Commission report found higher prices combined with complex and confusing energy offers had driven consumer confidence
Cover Story: Sally Evans
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 3
Dismantling barriers in support of Seniors
Let’s face up to workplace issues and find solutions Tracey Johnstone
IN MANY ways, 60-year-old Sally Evans’ personal life reflects her public career goals. She is proud of her age, and proves it with the enthusiasm she expresses on gaining her Seniors Card. At this stage of her life she is thoughtfully examining her own future lifestyle and in doing so, is coming up with ideas that can benefit all seniors. In particular, this energetic businesswoman has focused her energy in the area of keeping seniors in the workplace and she is taking on
this huge issue in the same way she created her impressive resume. Across a 30 year career, Sally has worked in the private, government and social enterprise sectors. She has management experience in aged care,
health and investment management sectors, inclusive of holding executive positions with Opal Aged Care, BlueCross Aged Care, FTSE Compass Ground and AMP Capital. Sally’s work excellence has seen her awarded The Telstra Business Award divisional winner 2002 and gain inclusion in the Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence (2013 corporate division). Indeed, Sally is the type of person who sees a problem and finds a solution. In her encore career she has identified obstacles impeding the employment of seniors. Her goal now is to support the seismic shift of consciousness that is needed to terminate ageism and discrimination against the older employee. To end this ingrained prejudice, Sally has
RETIREMENT EXPERT: Sally Evans.
❝
I was absolutely going to come out and talk about it. If we don’t talk about it, then we are just making the problem worse.
identified issues that must change including decoupling the perceived link between seniority and pay, losing intergenerational stereotypes and seniors being willing to accept diversity in high performing teams. Sally also wants people to wear their age with pride. “When I hear others say they are not prepared to tell other people their age for fear of not being given an opportunity or for those biases that seem to exist about people of particular ages; when I heard that, I made the decision that I was going to do the opposite,” Sally said. “I was absolutely going to come out and talk about it. If we don’t talk about it, then we are just making the problem worse.” She said opening up these barriers will help older Australians to continue to be “economic participants” well past their 60s and even their 70s. “I want more people to be really proactive in talking about the benefits of what they bring,” Sally said. Sally also encourages employers to get on board with the opportunities these workers present, in various sectors including human resource management and her particular passion, aged care. “Employers are missing two really important
points,” Sally said of the broader workplace issues. “If they don’t proactively address this age diversity in the workplace they are going to have enormous workforce constraints in the future which is in their interests to solve, because if we don’t collectively and individually improve older workforce participation, our overall labour participation rates will fall and that will put pressure on wages and inflation.” She was cautious about last month’s Federal Budget announcements around aged care initiatives. “We need to increase the workforce and retain people in that workplace,” she said. “But, because it can be a physically demanding role there is an expectation that at a certain age a worker will no longer be able to do a job. “I am particularly interested in how we deal with those physical and mental health issues associated with the job, so we can have really healthy workplaces and older people working in those places. “If we are really good at doing that for our employees, there’s a chance we might be really good at doing that for our residents.” Sally’s ‘new retirement’ is a combination of work, well-being and relationships; about making choices. Her
retirement choice is working, but in a different way while using her skills and knowledge from her former full-time working life. She is currently a member of three boards associated with retirement, ageing and dying – a non-executive member of Gateway Lifestyle and Oceania Healthcare, and chair of the social enterprise group LifeCircle. Sally is also a member of the advisory group for the Benevolent Society’s EveryAGE Counts project which is working with partners and supporters to research the attitudes and beliefs that drive ageism in Australia. Her new work life is giving her the time to focus on what we need to do today to get a better future. “I am really interested in digital technology and what it is being used for, particularly in healthcare and finance so most weeks I will go to one or two sessions, random things, around digital technology disruption, AI, anything. “What I love is this random absorption of knowledge that I have the flexibility and time to immerse myself in.” Surrounded by a diverse groups of friends and with her health a key factor in ageing well, Sally remains committed to the road ahead and to discovering new opportunities in the ever-changing workplace and in retirement thinking. Definition of new retirement: A combination of work, well-being and relationships; about making choices.
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Profile: Federal Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Would you think about a pre-retirement gap year? Tracey Johnstone speaks with the Federal Aged Care Minister THE 2018 Federal Budget highlights the government’s return to a focus on older Australian issues through funding programs to deal with employment, skills, health, finance and aged care. Nineteen of those initiatives fall under Minister Ken Wyatt’s responsibility. While talking with the minister in his Canberra office late last month about these initiatives, he offered his thoughts on future ageing issues. Future issues The minister identified the first two big future issue are Australia’s population continuing to have more people living into their elder years and the need to get these people to be re-enabled and abled to remain independent, and living well.
“I notice the number (of people) who psychologically reach this point is that they are old and they start to behave old,” Minister Wyatt said. “What governments need to do is to seriously think about is this whole notion of an active senior cohort in our population.” The government wants all older Australians is to think about their life in the context of finances, ageing, aged care and career planning. “My question to a lot of seniors is, what are you doing for the next 40 years? I want people to get their health check so that they can take the intervention needed to prolong their life, and quality of life, to think about their finances, and be well replaced to retire and look after themselves for the next 40 years with whatever Commonwealth
AGED CARE: Federal Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM. PHOTO: COURIER MAIL
pensions exist.” Minister Wyatt also wants older Australians to consider keeping working, either in their existing industry or in a new one, such as aged care. “In aged care I need by 2050 another 940,000 people on top of my current 366,000,” he said. “I want people to turn their minds to other opportunities.” The 65-year-old is
planning for his future, even putting money aside for when he “needs to be in aged care”. “The government will provide some level of funding, but equally, having worked in this area, I am ensuring that I have sufficient funding for both myself and Anna for when we go into a retirement village or aged care facility together,” he said. But, not until his 90s. He intends staying active
in some form of work and in his community for quite a bit more time. As to what to do with our leisure time, the minister said we need to plan for our leisure time to help us avoid falling into depression. “This is why I have sought and gained the mental health funding,” he said. A gap year? He advocates a pre-retirement strategy of a planned ‘gap year’ from work of 12 months without pay. This he suggests could be a good way for seniors to ready themselves for the next life challenge. Changing attitudes Minister Wyatt uses the example of a sign he saw in an aged care facility, ‘don’t use Google, ask Nan’. The burgeoning population isn’t a burden he reiterated. “We have got to harness the energy there,” he said. Uncoupling the
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attitudes around ageing is a big challenge ahead. “This is important for all of us to talk about, not just government.” When challenged about the potential appointment of a Minister for Ageing, the minister posed the interesting question of whether such an appointment would perpetuate ageing. “Or, do you have every cabinet minister committed to encouraging people to think about longevity to 100 years?” he said. “Sometimes when you put a label on an area, that label stays. “In one sense I appreciate that maybe a minister for ageing may focus both the minds of Australians and the governments to build on what this government has commenced, and that is about recognising the inordinate levels of skills still in our seniors, the knowledge that still sits there.”
Feature Story: Carlotta
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 5
‘Darling, a lot of people call me a pioneer’ Ann Rickard
SHE IS an Aussie living legend and at age 74, Carlotta exhibits no signs of toning down the feathers or taking off the bling.
Over a five-decade career that began in 1963 in Kings Cross as a female impersonator with the all-male Les Girls revue, Carlotta has gone on to become a cabaret performer, television celebrity, a much-loved Australian icon, and perhaps, most importantly to her,
a transgender advocate and political activist. “Darling, a lot of people call me a pioneer,” she said. “I don’t know about that, but it’s a shame the government doesn’t hand out awards for people like me. I want one of those medals. “No, I want two... for earrings.” What keeps Carlotta performing today after all those years is simple. She loves what she does. “I feel sorry for people who are in a job they don’t like,” she said. “I have always liked what I do.” It was Carlotta’s much-publicised sex change operation in the early ’70s that paved the way for others to follow and opened up discussion about the transgender community. She acknowledges
she could never have envisaged the change in attitudes today towards transgender people and same-sex marriage. “It’s good but as much as we have equality now with same-sex marriage, there is still that bit of prejudice,” she said. “The ‘yes’ vote was wonderful, but I wouldn’t want a husband now. I like (my own) money too much.” Living on the Gold Coast suits Carlotta at this stage of her life, but she never envisages retirement. She will perform Carlotta, Queen of the Cross, at the Noosa alive! festival. The show promises songs and stories from 50 years on and off the stage with pianist Michael Griffiths accompanying her as she sings classics by Berlin, Rogers and Hart, Sondheim and Peter Allen.
ENTERTAINMENT SUPERSTAR: Carlotta will be in Noosa in July to perform as part of the Noosa alive! festival.
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6 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Local Story
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Extended services for community transport
GETTING to where you need to go can be expensive if you don’t have a car or can’t access public transport. This is more apparent on weekends or after business hours when private transport companies increase their charges. The Community Transport Company knows there is a need in Coffs Harbour for affordable transport outside business hours, so they’ve introduced more flexible options for customers. The Community Transport Company CEO Bethany Simmonds said they were extending their
hours of operation to benefit people who could not get out of the house after hours or on weekends, simply because it was too expensive. “We’ve known for a long time, there is a need in the community for extended hours of our service, which is affordable, reliable and trustworthy,” Ms Simmonds said. “Our clients are people who have trouble using public transport because they may be living with a disability, are elderly, isolated or financially disadvantaged. Having reliable access to everyday services when
they need and is what we are hoping to achieve by extending our services beyond normal business hours.” Existing clients can call the northern office on 1300 812 504, when needing an appointment out of normal business hours, to check the availability of transport for their needs. “Everyone’s circumstances and needs are different, so we are changing the mindset of normal transport options for the community, focusing on the needs of our customers,” she said. “We ask that our clients support the new service options but also be
AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE: Mark Gainge is a volunteer driver with Community Transport.
patient as we roll out the logistics of the program.” The company also has a large range of shopping buses clients can utilise.
These run in normal business hours picking clients up from their door and taking them to a number of popular
shopping centres. For more information, go to communitytransport. net.au or phone 1300 812 504. Al
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Coffs and Clarence
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Seniors 7
Talk’n’thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions
There are big changes ahead
HOW are you feeling at your age? Older? wiser? Hopefully. Bolder? Depends. More mellow? Likely. Are you at an age where you can say with ease ‘I am what I am and I’m OK about that’? Certainly, Doria Ragland, the mother of Meghan Markle (no need to say anymore), proved the point with the grace and confidence she exuded as she took her place at her daughter’s wedding. Fronting up to the likes of the English royal family without losing her nose stud, dreadies or poise proved this middle-class 61-year-old AfricanAmerican woman was made of sturdy stuff. Could she have done
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER Group editor Seniors Newspapers network
that at age 20, 30, 40 or 50? Perhaps not. It seemed to me that she drew her strength and style from the well of lifetime experiences. Could she have felt that way 50, 40, 30 or even 20 years ago? I doubt it. The world hadn’t gone through or settled with the changes delivered from the fights against a host of discriminatory behaviour – most of all those of race and gender. We are the first older
AN OUTSTANDING MOTHER: Doria Ragland.
generation to reap the benefit of these disruptions In many ways, Doria
Ragland represents a cross section of mature-aged people. She has married, divorced,
brought up a child, educated herself, worked and cared for extended family. It takes a lifetime to rack up these accomplishments and they should be respected and appreciated, not only in family life, but also in the public sphere and the workplace. But, sadly in many cases, there is still a lingering discrimination that forbids an honest recognition of the innate value of these qualities. It is called ageism. Ageism means that you can be smart, healthy, happy and reliable and endowed with positive skills that came from a lifetime of experience, but in certain situations,
usually employment, if you own up to a certain number, then you’re out of the race. If anything, the royal wedding presented a world healed from much of the pain caused from past prejudices. It showed how increased longevity has led to four generations of a living family, it showed how there are old people and older people. And in this new era, it also showed that it’s time to disassociate all the prejudices we link with a person’s age and instead see the reality of who they really are. The same as any discrimination, ageism is hurtful and unhealthy and the world is better without it.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Email editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or go online to www.seniorsnews.com.au.
Clarence Care + Support for Seniors Positive ageing in the Clarence Valley • Aged care • Home Care Packages • Short term Restorative Care • NDIS services • Shopping • Personal Care • Home from hospital support
Home Care Packages In the last Commonwealth budget the government announced a range of changes to aged care funding and services. Some of the benefits included: - More Home Care packages for those with high needs – Level 3 and 4 - More residential places - Capital funding - More Short Term restorative care packages - Pension Bonus Scheme – pensioners can now earn $300 a fortnight without affecting their pension They have introduced the More Choices for a Longer Life program. You may have seen ads on the TV about this.
Some of the initiatives are: The Government is providing further support for Australians with mental illness, including providing $33.8 million to Lifeline Australia to enhance its telephone crisis services and funding for beyondblue and the Way Back Support Service. The Government will provide $20.9 million to improve the health of women and children in their first 2,000 days of life. Funding of $154.3 million will support Australians to take up healthier and more active lifestyles, including participating in community sport. There are many activities and services already available in communities. Clarence Care + Support provide a wide range of services and getting assistance early on can improve your health. Clarence Care + Support is here to assist with getting support that meets your individual needs. You can contact our Customer service team on 6645 0400.
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8 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Columns
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Sassy grandma’s name It’s your time to get funky with the arrival of grandchildren Columnist Ann Rickard is a proud grandmother of seven of the most beautiful grandchildren in the land, but she says she isn’t biased. Ann gives us her take on grandmother names. CHOOSING a grandmother or grandfather name might seem of little importance when you first find out you are going to become a grandparent, but believe me, it is. This name is going to stick with you, and if you have happened to choose a name off-the-cuff that you don’t really have a fondness for, you are going to hate it until your dying day. So... give it lots of thought. No longer are us ladies required to be called granny (we shudder at that one). Any woman of a certain age now will remember or know about the grannies of yesterday. Always old beyond their years, usually with a tight perm
SNAPSHOTS OF LIFE ANN RICKARD ann.rickard@apn.com.au
in their grey or white hair, a heavy cardigan around their stooped shoulders, hanky up the sleeve, a chair by the fire, slippers on the bunioned feet, knitting at hand. That is so not us, right? Today’s grandmothers have caramel highlights in their blonde, fashionable hairstyles, they will sport the latest fashion labels, wouldn’t know what to do with a hanky if they owned one, and are more likely to be found at the gym doing high intensity interval training than in a chair by the fire. So, we need a name that makes us sound as fabulous and fun as we are. Ten years ago, I went through the name choosing when my first grandchild was due.
GRANDMOTHER JOYS: Time to pick out a fun new name.
Rejecting outright ‘nanna’, ‘grandma’ or ‘granny’, but considering cute Italian and French names of nonna and grand-mere, I decided to keep on looking. I thought briefly of a Dutch name but grootmoeder didn’t quite cut it. And seeing as I am not Italian, French or Dutch, it wasn’t quite right. I consulted many a sassy woman of a certain
age on this important subject. Finally, one came up with the name “Mimi”. I liked it. And so my life as Mimi began. Seven grandchildren later and the name is now as much part of my personality and character as my proper (boring) name, Ann. Mimi is an easy one for children to say. It is very close to ‘mummy’. And say it they do. From the
PHOTO: BOWDENIMAGES
very minute they can talk. The only problem is, they all say it at once. There is a great chorus of ‘Mimi’ the moment they come in the door and charge at me. They seem unable to begin a sentence without a loud and raucous ‘Mimi’ at the start. So entrenched is my Mimi name, my adult children call me that now. Mum has all but been
forgotten. As for suitable grandfather names... not so difficult. Who doesn’t love ‘poppa’, ‘pop’ or even plain old ‘grandad’? They are all endearing and traditional and right. Unless you are a groovy grandfather with a sleeve tattoo and a motorbike, then you’ll need to look for something a bit more you. — annrickard.com
Exercise should be part of any cancer treatment TUNED UP FOR THE THIRD AGE PAUL McKEON A GROUP of Australian cancer experts are launching a “world-first” position statement, calling for exercise to be prescribed to all cancer patients as part of their routine treatment. The Clinical Oncology
Society of Australia (COSA) has prepared the Exercise in Cancer Care paper, which states doctors should prescribe particular exercise regimes and refer patients to exercise specialists with experience in cancer care. The statement has been endorsed by more than 25 health organisations, including the Cancer Council and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and a
COSA report on the issue has been published in the Medical Journal of Australia. “We’re at a point where the level of evidence is really indisputable and withholding exercise from patients is probably harmful,” said Associate Professor Prue Cormie, chairwoman of the COSA report group and lead author of the statement. “If we could turn the benefits of exercise into a pill, it would be demanded by patients,
prescribed by every cancer specialist and subsidised by government.” The COSA statement finds most people with cancer don’t meet exercise recommendations, and outlines a level of exercise which would include: ★ At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, jogging, cycling, swimming) each
week and, ★ Two to three resistance exercise (i.e. lifting weights) sessions each week involving moderate to vigorous-intensity exercises targeting the major muscle groups. These views about the importance of regular exercise to our general health are reinforced by all of the medical experts who contributed chapters to our book titled How to stay Healthy, Active & Sharp in Retirement. Irrespective of whether
their expertise was in mental health, hearts, immune systems or dentistry, they all stressed the importance of regular exercise. It has the effect of making us healthier and thus improving our chances of not getting the various diseases in the first place. If you would like to find out more about health after 50, the book is available on our website. Please visit retirement books.com.au.
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Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Seniors 9
Have you been exposed to asbestos from James Hardie Building products? Sean Ryan
Director
mobile. 0457 222 709 toll free. 1800 316 716 email. sean@vbrlaw.com.au
Do you suffer from breathing problems?
Leading Lawyer Asbestos and Dust Disease Compensation 2016, 2017
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Who are we? Sean Ryan has dedicated his entire legal career to acting on behalf of persons who have contracted asbestos disease.
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Strict time limits apply to making some claims so call 0457 222 709 today for an obligation free discussion on whether you have a claim against James Hardie.
He has successfully handled hundreds of asbestos disease claims and has won many victories including successfully running the first ever jury trial for lung cancer in Australia. Sean Ryan has been voted as a Leading Lawyer in Australia in the prestigious Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession (2017) in the area of Asbestos and Dust Diseases Compensation.
Serving all claims in Northern NSW toll free. 1800 316 716
email. claims@vbrlaw.com.au
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10 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Community
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Markets are held on the second Saturday of each month in the main car park, near the Maclean Bowling Club. Stalls offer an array of items including jewellery, clothing, plants, craft items, freshly baked cookies and cakes and a great range of fresh produce. So bring yourself and the family and come on down to the Maclean Community Markets. Details: 7am-noon on July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13 and November 10. Phone 0418 431 567.
WE want to publish your community notices. Please send us the details of your meeting, get-together and club outings to us at editor@seniors newspaper.com.au and to submit a photo, please ensure it is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size. The deadline for our July issue is July 11.
OUR last bus trip was a successful outing to Casino Beef Week. After a two-week break during July Racing Carnival, a members barbecue is planned for late July, followed by a bus trip in mid August, to a mystery venue, before our eight-day tour to Mudgee area from mid September. All enquiries and further information, available from publicity officer, Sandra, phone 6642 7720.
SWEET TREATS: The Maclean community markets sell plants, craft items, freshly baked cakes, local produce and more.
COFFS HARBOUR REGIONAL MUSEUM
DON’T miss Submerged – Stories of Australia’s Shipwrecks on until July 28. An exhibition from the Australian National Maritime Museum uncovering Australia’s rich shipwreck history. The exhibition is the result of a national project of workshops held across
the country to source shipwreck stories. The Coffs Harbour Regional Museum is located at 215 Harbour Dr. Open: Tuesday to Saturdays from 10am-4pm. Phone (02) 6648 4847.
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CLUB members are actively involved in fundraising activities to raise donations for The Smith Family programs. We are always open to new members, so please get in touch today and come and see what it’s all about. Meeting Day is on the second Tuesday of the month at C.ex Club, Vernon St, Coffs Harbour. Phone (02) 6651 3622.
THE KING OF TALKBACK RADIO JOHN LAWS ON 2HC AND 2GF With over sixty years of commercial broadcast experience, John Laws asks the hard questions – and cuts through the political spin. For unmissable news, information, entertainment and talkback, Australia relies on John Laws.
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Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Asbestos disease compensation made easy
No out-of-pocket cost to you, due to no-win, no fee, basis. THE partners of vbr Lawyers are among Australia’s leading asbestos compensation lawyers. Their expert knowledge allows them to do the hard work in the background to ensure a quick, stress-free and above all, successful process for clients. Sufferers of asbestos disease, many of whom have never engaged a lawyer, can be anxious when considering the compensation process for the first time, only to end up being pleasantly surprised about the speed and the outcome of the process that can be achieved for them through the expertise and experience of vbr Lawyers. Here are some
commonly asked questions from new clients: ■ Aren’t I too old to claim compensation? No. vbr Lawyers regularly bring claims for clients with asbestos disease in their 70s, 80s and even their 90s. If you have an asbestos disease, meaningful compensation is likely to be recoverable no matter what your age. While we acknowledge that no amount of money can be true compensation for one’s health, our clients genuinely appreciate the peace of mind and security that the lump sum compensation can provide them in their advanced years. ■ How can I afford to pay
legal fees?’ There will be no out of pocket costs to you at all. vbr Lawyers act on a no win no fee basis meaning that you only pay any legal costs to us unless and until you actually recover compensation. Even then our costs amount to only a small fraction of the compensation recovered and in many cases the vast majority of your costs will be paid for by the entity paying the compensation. ■ Won’t it take too long? At vbr Lawyers we are able to complete an asbestos compensation claim usually within three to six months. It is very rare for an asbestos compensation claim to go over the eight months. ■ I have asbestos disease but it’s not cancer. Can I still make a claim?
Some of the non-cancerous or benign asbestos conditions such as asbestosis, asbestos related pleural disease and pleural thickening can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain even though they are not malignant. Some of these conditions can get worse with time. If these so called benign diseases are causing those symptoms, it is highly likely you will be entitled to significant compensation. It will cost you nothing to contact us and have us investigate your entitlements which we will advise you about at no obligation. ■ I have lung cancer. I have been exposed to asbestos but I have also been a smoker. Am I entitled to compensation? Unlike the specific
Seniors 11
SEAN RYAN: Director of vbr Lawyers.
asbestos cancer mesothelioma, asbestos related lung cancer often requires some additional proof for there to be an entitlement to compensation, so that if the asbestos exposure is significant, compensation may be recoverable irrespective of a smoking history. If you are in this situation, you will lose nothing and pay nothing to have an initial obligation fee investigation of your entitlements. ■ I have known about my asbestos condition for some time but I haven’t done anything about it.
Am I too late to claim? In most Australian states, time limits for common law compensation for asbestos disease have been completely removed. There remain some time limits in certain types of compensation claims but even where these have expired, there may be a basis to extend them. ■ Contact vbr Lawyers today on our toll free number 1800 316 716 to find out if you can bring a claim for lump sum compensation.
Hello from SCCA … “To be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing” Lilian Whiting. Living with dementia or caring for someone living with dementia can be a profoundly lonely experience because of the fear and misunderstanding around this condition within society.
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Dementia Australia also has a campaign in place to create dementia friendly communities. A dementia-friendly community is a place where people living with dementia are supported to live life with meaning, purpose and value. You can find out more about becoming a dementia “friend” on Dementia Australia’s website www. dementiafriendly.org.au
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12 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
What’s on
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
JOHN WILLIAMSON
HE IS firmly cemented in the nation’s musical
CHANGE THE WORLD – ONE STEP AT A TIME
NATIONAL TREASURE: John Williamson will perform on Saturday, July 21 at the Sawtell RSL Club.
culture, his impressive career spans more than 40 years. He has survived and soared in the often cut-throat entertainment industry. His unofficial anthems, tributes to legends and unsung heroes and tender ballads have captured the spirit of the nation in song unlike any other. His honest and passionate songs are synonymous with the country that inspires him and connect him with his countrymen regardless of age, sex or creed. Add to this his ability to deliver unforgettable live concert experiences that combine the perfect blend of humour, romance and
campfire stories woven together by his music. You can understand why he is one of the most in-demand live performers in Australia. There is no question that John Williamson is the real deal, stands by what he represents and is unashamedly proud of the country he loves. Saturday, July 21 from 8–11pm at the Sawtell RSL Club. For tickets: sawtellrsl.com.au/whatson/ticketed-shows.
GRAFTON HERITAGE TRAIL GRAFTON is a beautiful city of tree-lined streets,
and graceful, early colonial buildings featuring Victorian and Edwardian architecture, on the banks of the mighty Clarence River. Grafton was the early centre of development in the Clarence Valley being gazetted as a municipality in 1859 and was declared a city in 1885. Many buildings have been classified by the National Trust including the notorious Grafton Gaol and the Christ Church Cathedral. Explore the rich history the city of Grafton has to offer with a unique special interest brochure. On the trail you will visit more than 25 historical
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THE realisation that our oceans are suffocating under a blanket of plastic waste was instrumental in making that change - and the Jetty Memorial Theatre is showing two award-winning films, as part of the local Plastic Free July campaign. ‘Clean Bin Project’ is screening on Wednesday, July 11 at 6pm. Entry $5. ‘Tomorrow’ is screening Friday, July 13 at, 7.30pm. Entry $5. Both screenings will be accompanied by exciting food trucks including the Palmetto – serving up delicious deep south Carolina pulled pork BBQ sliders, Texas Bowls o’ Chilli and Cheddar Corn Waffle. And for dessert? Think warm brownies and hot chocolate from the sweet food truck vendor. For more about Plastic Free July go to: ourlivingcoast.com.au /plastic-free-july.
ANDRE RIEU’S 2018 MAASTRICHT CONCERT
AMORE – My Tribute to Love is shaping up as Andre’s most romantic and spectacular concert ever to grace the big screen! Affectionately known as “The King of Waltz”, Andre Rieu stages
an annual summer concert series in his beautiful Netherlands hometown of Maastricht. Performing for thousands of fans from across the world against the stunning medieval backdrop of the town square, the maestro is joined by his famous 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, sopranos, tenors and very special guests. The Maastricht concerts are Andre’s most popular live concerts of the year and continue to break cinema box office records, even against Hollywood blockbusters. On Saturday, July 28 2–3.45pm at BCC Cinemas Coffs Harbour.
GRAFTON REGIONAL ART GALLERY
SET in the restored 1880’s Prentice House, the Grafton Regional Art Gallery is the Clarence Valley’s premier visual arts centre. The Grafton Regional Gallery holds the largest collection of artworks on the North Coast, and continues to develop its vibrant collections. The gallery presents more than 40 exhibitions and 70 programs and events each year. The gallery’s collection focuses on the acquisitions from the Biennial Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award. The award fosters Australian contemporary drawing practice, and as a result, the collection holds many fine examples of Australian drawings. It also includes the historical O’Grady watercolour collection of Australian flora and fauna. Purchase unique, quality gifts at the gift shop. 158 Fitzroy St, Grafton. Phone (02) 6642 3177. Go to: graftongallery.nsw.gov.au.
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THE world’s most prestigious mountain film festival is coming to Coffs Harbour. The 2018 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour showcases over two and a half hours of the most enthralling mountain adventure films that will have you planning your next adventure before the credits roll. More than 300 of the world’s best mountain sport, culture, environment, adventure, and exploration films are shown during the week-long event. A selection of award winners and audience favourites then tours the globe, visiting 390 communities and 35 countries as part of the festival’s official world tour. This year, the Australian line-up features two-and-a-half hours of captivating short films shot in some of the most wild and remote corners of the world. Audiences will experience incredible highs and agonising lows through the lenses of some of the most accomplished climbers, paddlers, skiers, snowboarders, mountaineers, mountain bikers, explorers and adventure filmmakers alive today. Presented by World Expeditions, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will be screening at the Jetty Memorial Theatre in Coffs Harbour for one night only. Tuesday, June 26 from 11am–2pm at the Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Harbour. Go to: banffaustralia.com.au.
sites around the city including the Grafton Regional Gallery, Schaeffer House Museum, the beautiful sandstone commercial buildings around the CBD, Fig Tree Ave in Briemba St, and much more. Phone (02) 6643 0800, email: visit@myclarence valley.com.au or go to: myclarencevalley.com.au.
Feature Story
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 13
Make EveryAGE count Let’s start the conversation about living our best life Tracey Johnstone
THE EveryAGE Counts project is on track to drive a conversation across the generations about changing the norms and ultimately the community attitudes around ageing. The Benevolent Society team behind the project are determined to take on Australia’s ageism attitudes in all sectors. They want to move the current conversation away from a focus on aged care and the pension, and the burden of the cost of care. Instead EveryAGE Counts will tackle inclusiveness, participation, equity and a whole range of other issues that they expect will have a positive impact on Australia’s older people now and on those that will become part of the older community into the future. Last year’s research project, which was the first activity of EveryAGE Counts, delved into ageism and ageist stereotypes in Australia. The outcomes are helping to drive the next stage of the campaign which will be launched in October. Turning around the community’s perception of ageing and the value of ageing Australians across all sectors are the big goals for the campaign. That’s going to take changes in many ways, across the generations and within the older Australian community who generally don’t look positively on ageing. The society’s Older Australians campaign director Marlene Krasovitsky said seniors
TIME TO CHANGE: EveryAGE Counts is determined to take on ageism attitudes in all sectors and generations, changing them to the positive.
tend to couple ageing with decline and death. “It tends not to be a time of life we look forward to,” she said. If seniors can uncouple that attitude, younger generations can be encouraged to also uncouple their attitudes. “We need to do something to change,” Ms Krasovitsky added. “There are a lot of older people who are living happy, fulfilled lives and I think we change the narrative around getting older and start to present the reality rather than the stereotypes to people.” The key issues the campaign will take on were highlighted by the researchers who found ageism comes in different forms.
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They want to move the current conversation away from a focus on aged care and the pension, and the burden of the cost of care. “There are certainly discriminatory practices towards older people. Recruitment and work came up most often,” Ms Krasovitsky said. “There are also institutional practices and policies that have an impact on older people. “For instance, if you take the obvious example
of the age pension which is predicated on the assumption that most older people own their own home. In fact, that is not the case. “We know that ageism has negative impacts. “It can be devastating for an individual to feel they are no longer valued, no longer competitive in the labour market or if they feel marginalised. “We also know it has negative impacts at a broader societal level where people are isolated, marginalised, not benefitting from the inter-generational. “But also from the economic level, we are locking older workers out of the workforce and this can have devastating impacts given we are an
ageing demographic.” A group of key decision-makers has now been corralled to work on the national campaign. With the understanding that shifting attitudes across generations may take 10 or more years, Ms Krasovitsky expects it will run for an extended period. The group has started to develop a grassroots movement to get behind the campaign. “We want to build our voice and start to make our asks of government, of our local MPs, of our local communities, to start thinking and behaving differently around older people,” Ms Krasovitsky said. The EveryAGE Counts project team will be
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pushing the Federal Government for a minister for older Australians and a national agenda. They will also focus on workforce participation and on the way in which the media represent older Australians. “We want to see something other than the very frail, elderly woman pushing her Zimmer frame at a nursing home versus the exceptional 95-yearold grandmother who is jumping out of aeroplanes,” Ms Krasovitsky said. “Both of those are important images, but we want to see the range of images between those two extremes, and represent the reality and diversity of older people’s lives.”
14 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Special Interest
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
One miracle story of life This journey proves you never know what’s around the corner
GREGORY Smith’s story so defies belief, it is hard to know where to begin. Perhaps the beginning, where all extraordinary stories start. Born in Tamworth in the 1950s and raised by a confused mother and an abusive alcoholic father, Gregory was doomed from birth. Regular beatings from his father set the pattern for feelings of shame and low self-esteem. But nothing could have prepared the 10-year-old to be bundled into the car with his sisters, told by their mother they were going on an outing to their Aunt Muriel’s, only to be dumped at an orphanage in Armidale. The abuse continued, with the Sisters of Mercy showing anything but mercy, dealing out beatings and punishments including locking the small boy in a dark cupboard under the stairs. When his mother picked him and his sisters up from the orphanage almost two years later without explanation, his spirit was so broken he was convinced he had no place in society. Taken out of school at 14, labelled as a ‘simpleton’ and sent to work at the local flour mill, Gregory’s teenage years were a blur of petty crime, running away, and the inevitable confrontations with authorities. Later, when he was wrongly diagnosed as a
sociopath, his descent into alcoholism and drug addiction led to homelessness and almost total isolation from society. On one of his many treks to nowhere, ill and depressed, he found himself wandering into the forest in Northern New South Wales, going deeper and deeper without purpose or intent. He did not come out of the forest until a decade later. “Going into the forest to live was never a plan,” he said. “I didn’t just wake up one morning and think ‘I’m going to go into the forest and live there’. “Like so many other things in my life I just ended up in the forest.” For 10 years Gregory slept on ferns and lived on bats roasted over a fire. He brewed his own noxious beer from a
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Going into the forest to live was never a plan.
creek, grew a few marijuana plants and ate magic mushrooms. On one terrifying occasion he killed and ate an enormous diamond python – after he woke to find it on his chest. “The forest was a beautiful place, it was where I lived,” he said. “I had a sense of belonging there, a sense of security. “That stayed with me
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“That day I walked away from the park bench and past a church with a little sign that said, ‘today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present’. “That moment gave me inspiration to go on for another couple of weeks.” With no IT knowledge, Gregory knew the first step to education was to learn about computers. It turned out a free TAFE course wasn’t quite the
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE: Dr Gregory Smith.
answer when he realised he had signed up to learn how to build computers. But by this stage he was taking one small step at a time letting his thirst for learning and his natural and longsuppressed talent take him forward until he
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for quite some time. “All my experiences outside of the forest were painful, everything I knew out of the forest was stigmatic, shameful.” After a decade in the forest, Gregory began hallucinating about aliens and ancestors. His weight had dropped to just 40kg. He knew he was near death and it was time to leave, to go back and give society another chance. With no plan or goal, he drifted around various locations from Tweed Heads to Byron Bay. One day sitting on a park bench he watched workmen erecting a building. . His curiosity piqued, he asked the workmen what they were building and when they replied ‘a university’ he knew he wanted in. Education, an inner voice told him, would be the key to going forward. From that moment, he decided never to take a drink or indulge in drugs again.
completed TAFE courses and was accepted at university, although he was still homeless. After a couple of mentors helped him find modest accommodation, he began his long, slow way back into society. Today, at age 63,
PHOTO: MAYETA CLARK
Dr Gregory Peel Smith, has a PhD and teaches Social Sciences at Southern Cross University. ■ Dr Gregory Smith’s story is told in full in his memoir Out of the Forest, in bookstores now.
Royal anniversary messages for you ANNIVERSARY messages are personal congratulations from the Prime Minister, Governor-General or The Queen, for Australians celebrating a special birthday or wedding anniversary. Australians can receive a message from the PM: ■ on 50th wedding anniversary and every year after. ■ on 90th birthday and every year after. Australians can receive a message from
the Governor-General: ■ on 50th wedding anniversary and every year after. ■ on 100th birthday and every year after. Australians can receive a message from The Queen: ■ on 60th wedding anniversary and every fifth year after. ■ on 100th birthday and every fifth year after. More info: pmc.gov .au/government/ anniversary-messages.
Moving Well
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 15
Dance for wellbeing Research proves dance has a range of therapeutic benefits
Group editor Seniors Newspapers network
DANCE AS THERAPY: Dance for Parkinson’s Disease, members of the Canberra-based dance group Offbeat. PHOTO: LORNA SIM PHOTOGRAPHY
participants to use images, narrative and musical input to hone control over how they express themselves physically. Offbeat began in 2013 in the ACT. It developed in response to the dance program designed for People with Parkinson’s and the inspirational leadership of Erica Rose Jeffrey in Australia, and David Leventhal in Brooklyn, USA. The program is presented by Parkinson’s ACT, with Belconnen Arts Centre and Tuggeranong Arts Centre, and is presently funded by a three-year grant from ACT Health. ■ Research was carried out at Queensland University of Technology to assess the effect of dance on gait and dualtasking in PD, Dance for
Parkinson’s classes based on the Dance for Parkinson’s Disease model was conducted by trained instructors from the Queensland Ballet.
Preliminary analysis indicate dance has improved gait, speed during normal and dual-tasking, with enhancement in
emotional well-being and quality of life. For more information, go to: belconnenarts centre.com.au/ adultsclasses/offbeat/.
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IT’S a coupling of opposites – dance and disease merging to nourish the body and soul. Contemporary dance strives to connect the mind and body through fluid dance movements. On the other hand, Parkinson’s disease damages nerve cells in a region of the brain that is vital for the smooth control of muscles and movement. Ironically, it is the synergy between these two opposites that holds the flames to produce a dynamic ball of healing energy. Last month, dancers, doctors, scientists and dance teachers gathered to share scientific evidence to support the known therapeutic benefits of dance at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, Sydney. But showing is often more powerful than telling and, in this case, Canberra-based dance troupe Offbeat, a group of older people living with Parkinson’s disease and coached under the Dance for Parkinson’s Disease concept, proved the efficacy of dance to stimulate both muscles and mind in their I used to run marathons performance, choreographed by Jane Ingall and Philip Piggin with the dancers. The aesthetic beauty of this spellbinding performance, danced to
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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER
the Chariots of Fire theme music, pushed boundaries with quiet, expansive and intricate movements. On its conclusion, the powerful expression ensured there wasn’t a dry eye left among an audience of more than 200 people. The story of Dance for Parkinson’s Disease started as a single collaborative program between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group in 2001 but it wasn’t until 2012 that it arrived in Australia through a performance held in Brisbane at the National Parkinson’s Conference (Brisbane). Since then, Dr Erica Rose Jeffery, director for Dance for Parkinson’s Australia, has worked with the dance and Parkinson’s communities to share the joys of dance. During the past 17 years, Dance for PD has pioneered an arts-based approach which is being adopted by dance companies and schools, Parkinson’s groups and healthcare organisations in more than 60 communities around the world. The concept encourages participants to approach movement like dancers, rather than patients. The teachers, professional dancers with years of experience, know all about stretching and strengthening muscles, and work every day with issues of balance and rhythm. Most importantly, dancers know how to use thoughts, imagination, eyes, ears and touch to control their movement. Teachers encourage
PHONE 02 6653 1577 EMAIL: info@sawtellrsl.com.au ADDRESS: 38-40 First Avenue Sawtell
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16 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Tech News
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Getting eSafe and tech-savvy
Forget the fear and hi-tech talk and Be Connected safely Alison Houston
A NEW online and community program, Be Connected, aims to take away the fear factor stopping many older Australians from using the internet at all or using it as much as they could. According to research from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner about 2.7 million Australians aged 50 years and over have little or no engagement with the online world. They have low digital literacy, find technology intimidating, and lack confidence to ask for help or knowledge of where to get help, and are often taken advantage of online. “We know anecdotally that older Australians can be a more trusting generation – our research bears this out, with 40 per cent of those aged 50 and over experiencing a computer virus or being the victim of a scam, credit card or personal information theft,” eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said. With the world
becoming increasingly digital, those with low internet skills can often feel isolated from their community and family at a time in their lives when feeling connected is increasingly important. Even online shopping can make a huge difference to people’s lives, taking away the hassles of driving to the mall, finding a park, manoeuvring the trolley, reaching up and down for groceries and carrying heavy bags. While research shows about four million older Australians are keen to improve digital literacy, they also want help addressing online safety and security concerns. Hardly surprisingly considering their vulnerability online, 72 per cent prefer face-to-face, one-on-one coaching over online learning. As part of the Be Connected program, a national network of community groups is delivering free face to face coaching, supported by the Good Things Foundation Australia.
STAYING CONNECTED: The Be Connected program helps seniors keep in touch safely with family, friends and community in an increasingly digital age. PHOTO: VADIMGUZHVA
“We’re excited to have over 1200 community organisations across the country in the Be Connected Network, from libraries to retirement villages, community centres to men’s sheds, all supporting older Australians to get online,” Good Things Foundation national director Jess Wilson said. Whether you choose to learn online or face to face, the program is userfriendly and easy to follow,
starting from the basics – and I do mean absolute basics, with questions like what is a computer, a laptop, a tablet and a smartphone? Getting to Know Your Device, teaches the basic functions of a keyboard, a mouse, a computer, and managing files, while Getting Started Online helps you with internet search engines, using email and online forms. For those with More Online Skills, this unit
takes you that step further into online shopping, connecting with family and friends through social networks, using a digital camera and watching TV online. And of course, there’s the all-important section on internet safety and how to avoid scams and tricks, and the golden rules of “never provide personal information or account details unless you are 100 per cent sure exactly who you are dealing with” and “if in
doubt, delete”. Each module is small – taking about five minutes to complete – and is as simple as clicking the Start and then Next buttons and reading the simple-to-understand information, with absolutely no high-tech talk involved. Go to: beconnected. esafety.gov.au or phone the Be Connected helpline on 1300 795 897 to ask for the face-to-face course nearest you.
How you can avoid the online scams and tricks THESE are fishing for information on you. (The ‘ph’ comes from ‘phone’ but they can also come by text or email). Most pretend to be from a business you trust, such as a bank, your energy or phone company, warning something might happen to your finances or services if you don’t confirm your personal information or account details. If you give your details, you’re actually giving them to the
scammer. Never provide your personal information or account details if you are contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be from a reputable company. If you’re unsure about a telephone message or email you receive, contact the business directly. Be sure to use your own contact information for the organisation – don’t trust any details given in the email or phone call.
UNEXPECTED MONEY SCAMS
These usually involve an email promising a lot of money for a small upfront fee or account details and often seem too good to be true. Do not reply or click any link in the email. Types include: ■ The inheritance scam: From someone pretending to be a lawyer or banker, saying you’ve inherited money but you either need to give them
your details to place the money in your account or to pay an expert to free up the money. Ignore and Delete. ■ The lottery scam: Saying you’ve won a lottery or competition that you automatically entered by visiting a website. You just need to pay an administration fee to collect your money. Ignore and Delete. ■ The ‘Nigerian prince’ scam: Money is allegedly ‘trapped’ inside a country by political unrest but,
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with some financial help from you, it can be released and you will be generously rewarded. Ignore and Delete. ■ Charity scam: Particularly after disasters, they pretend to gather money for the victims but really keep it for themselves.
VIRUSES AND HACKING SCAMS
■ You receive an email or phone call saying a problem has been found
on your computer, but the person contacting you can help. ■ You just have to pay them money and they will fix the computer for you. Note: It’s actually not possible for a caller or someone on the internet to discover a problem with your computer. Ignore, hang up or delete. For more go to: scamwatch.gov.au. Source: beconnected. esafety.gov.au.
Advertising Feature
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 17
NAMBUCCA VALLEY FOR SENIORS
Geoff is happy in paradise Nambucca Valley is special, according to locals west by mountains and in the east by the ocean and a near perfect climate what more could we ask for. Once we had settled in to our home we proceeded to discover what the valley had to offer.
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The more I travelled the more I realised we had landed in Paradise. “Early in our voyage of discovery was the renowned Pub With No Beer. “Not only was the beer flowing but the kitchen was in full swing dishing up delightful meals. Since then, we have travelled to other outposts of the valley’s hinterland including Thumb Creek, Girralong Missabotti and all points in between. “Whilst the roads are a combination of sealed and unsealed surfaces all are area are accessible by Conventional vehicles driven to the existing conditions. “After experiencing the beautiful western countryside, we then
explored the beauty of the miles of unspoilt beaches ranging from Valla where the prized cowrie shells are often washed up on the beach to Nambucca only a 3km walk to the south with its famous V Wall and where the Nambucca River joins the sea. “Travelling south we found the famed surfing beach of Scotts Head and The fishing spots of Grassy Head and Stuarts Point. “Completing our tour of the Valley we visited the River Town of Macksville, the Verandah Town of Bowraville and the rural towns of Eungai Rail and Eungai Creek along the way visiting the four museums, the Buffalo Farm, Perry’s Lemon Myrtle Farm, Valley of the Mist, Yarriabini National Park with its Pines Picnic Area. “Unfortunately, I lost my wife last year and so I now find myself managing by working at the Tourist Information Centre surrounded by the greatest group of colleagues and friends. “I live in the best place in Australia with no reason to move on.”
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SEVENTY-FOUR year old Geoff Byron describes the Nambucca Valley as “the best place in the world”. He explains why… “I love the valley so much that I am still working as the coordinator Nambucca Valley Visitor Information Centre. “Arriving in 2009 the first thing I noticed was the rain was warm up here. I had travelled from Cowra in March with the furniture for our new home. I rang my wife to tell her I had arrived safely, was standing on the back deck dressed in shorts and t-shirt, enjoying a cup of coffee and it was raining. “We had decided on this part of NSW, having fond memories of past visits plus family spread between Wollongong, Brisbane and Country NSW. “Upon arrival we continued our support of Camp Quality by opening an opportunity shop and I continued to work at my pace in a small business that took me from Taree to Grafton. “The more I travelled, the more I realised we had landed in Paradise. With a valley bounded on the
18 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Wellbeing
Future care in hospitals Tech-savvy seniors will gain the benefits of e-Health hospitals Tracey Johnstone
HOSPITAL care is already changing in many ways as technology and consumer demand drives the way in which medicine is delivered in Australia. Overseas there are already virtual hospitals such as America’s John Hopkins Hospital control centre where staff are equipped with real-time and predictive information that help them to co-ordinate services and reduce risk. Australia doesn’t have this type of centre yet, but it’s not impossible that we could see it sooner rather than later. Associate Professor Ian Scott, director of Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital, provides a fascinating insight to the changes we are encountering now and the ones we should expect soon as we move towards delivery models based around prevention, prediction, personalised medicine and participatory health. Participation in our health Prof Scott said we all have a duty to take an active interest in our health and the care we are receiving; to understand the rationale for the treatments and the prescribed drugs, the possible side-effects,
what needs to be monitored, and become more confident in self-managing. “With digital guidance and the other resources, we can put in place, we can help people to become a bit more confident and competent in managing their own treatment,” he said. Avoid hospital The future is home care and outreach services which will allow people to stay at home with care provided by other health teams. “Even through nursing homes, we try not to transfer patients to hospitals if we can avoid it, allowing them to stay in the nursing home and receive care there,” Prof Scott said. “We have a very successful program here at PA where we provide outreach to nursing homes provided by our emergency staff and paramedics.” They have been able to avoid noticeable numbers of hospitalisations of those patients who needed “relatively simple therapy” and would have previously been treated in a hospital. “I think it’s a theme that many hospitals are progressing, providing outreach services and trying to get community services to be a bit more proactive, and trying also to get general
practitioners to be more proactive by identifying a person who may be heading towards a problem, getting in and being aggressive to prevent them from getting so sick they need to go to hospital,” he adds. He also expects there to be a shift to more ambulatory, home-based and digitally mediated care so that patients come to hospital only when really need to. Changing scope of practice Highly specialised roles are unlikely to change, but Prof Scott thinks other specialists will need to blur the boundaries of their role outside of their expert area so that they can understand the impact of what they do has on other organ systems. “In other words, they don’t just look at one organ system, they should be aware of what the whole patient is like in terms of other disease conditions because that is the demographic we are increasingly dealing with,” he said. “We are trying to get away from this process where older folk have to see four or five specialists for each of their organ systems and no one is co-ordinating the show and we are not aware of what is happening with interactions of one drug or another drug that someone else is maybe prescribing. “We have problems with older people being on
THE FOUR P’S: The future is delivery models based around Prevention, Prediction, Personalised medicine and Participatory health. PHOTO: EVA KATALIN KONDOROS
multiple drugs because they are seeing multiple specialists who really don’t understand the full picture. “There needs to be more generalist training. People will be able to practice in other areas. “They may not be fully qualified specialists in that area, but at least they have enough knowledge to handle a lot of problems in older patients to the point where we can avoid sending them to multiple different clinics.” Prof Scott also extends this comment to GPS and allied health professionals, where he sees them already developing specialised interests which they can then treat their patients within their practices. e-Health interventions There is more focus on
digital monitoring through tele-medicine and remote sensor techniques which may help to slow down the flow of patients into hospitals. Patients will remain at home where they are monitored for various health issues and the collected data is fed back to a hospital. “Doctors can make changes to therapy if they think a patient is stepping outside desired parameters and they need to intervene otherwise the patient is going to deteriorate and land in hospital,” Prof Scott said. As seniors become more tech-savvy, the value and understanding of e-Health will allow them to participate a great deal more in their health management. “We are tailoring our
care to your individual parameters.” e-Consultations He sees tests being done externally and patients receiving an e-message from the doctor advising the test outcomes and what actions the patient needs to take. Smaller hospitals “I don’t think we can no longer afford these great behemoths; building brand new hospitals of hundreds and hundreds of beds occupying entire city blocks,” Prof Scott said. “I think those hospitals are no longer viable. I think they are going to become somewhat of a dinosaur since a lot of the space and a lot of activity goes on in those hospitals can be shifted into an outpatient or home-based setting.”
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Coffs and Clarence
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Stepping ahead
Developments in your area CATALINA LAKE MACQUARIE
In this feature you will find the latest styles, amenities and locations available in living options
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HARRINGTON WATERS
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GRAFTON BY GATEWAY LIFESTYLE
Gail Forrer
MODERN hotel-like services, availability of health professionals, fun entertainment centres, provision for pets and attractive government financial incentives to ‘downsize’ are among the factors driving the demand for retirement living options around the nation. Today’s Retirement Villages, a key component in the mix of retirement options, stays founded on the original concept of providing a supportive accommodation in a community environment. But, beware, in the new millennium everything else has changed and evolved to meet the modern senior. After the results of the PwC/Property Council Retirement Census (2017), PwC Real Estate Advisory Partner Tony Massaro said retirement village accommodation continued to be an affordable option for the current generation of Australian seniors, who, for the most part, own their own homes. “The national average entry price for a two bedroom unit is at $424,000,” Mr Massaro said. “This is almost one third less than the median house price in the same postcode. “Every city needs vibrancy, diversity, connectivity and inclusion to truly thrive, so it’s exciting to see senior living continuing to evolve to support these needs with a myriad of amenities and care options – from dining to healthcare services to organised social outings. “As our population ages, and more of us work longer, our cities are going to need to work for seniors Australian in ways they never have before.” Ben Myers, Executive Director of Retirement Living at the Property Council of Australia said nearly 200,000 seniors
Seniors 19
www.gatewaylifestyle.com.au/ community/grafton
YAMBA WATERS BY GATEWAY LIFESTYLE
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PLANTATIONS, WOOLGOOLGA
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THE LAKES VILLAGE, COFFS HARBOUR www.thelakesvillage.com.au
BROOKHAVEN OVER 55S VILLAGE
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ENJOY RETIREMENT: There are a variety of living options to suit your needs.
Australians have made the informed choice to choose retirement village living, and this number was set to grow share in the coming decade. However, he noted the census data also revealed occupancy of retirement villages was close to capacity, highlighting the forthcoming shortage of
age appropriate housing for Australian in their local communities. “While entry into retirement villages remains affordable, but a lack of supply will put upward pressure on prices and make access to villages for seniors much harder,” Mr Myers said. He called for more development in
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view of population figures predicting approximately 382,000 seniors seeking a place in a retirement village in 2025. This is more than double the number of residents currently calling a retirement village home. ■ The full summary of figures from the 2017 PwC/Property Council Retirement Census can be found at www.retirementliving.org.au/research. Operators who own and/or manage more than 56,000 retirement living units participated in the Census.
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20 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT UPDATE COFFS & CLARENCE JUNE 2018
COMFORTABLE EASY LIVING : Grafton by Gateway.
PHOTO: ALAIN BOUVIER33 CRECENT ROAD E
A quality lifestyle at an affordable price
GRAFTON by Gateway Lifestyle is more than just a housing development, it is a community. A community of over 50s who share similar interests, who have a thirst for life and who are enjoying their new lifestyle. Gateway Lifestyle charges no entry or exit fees under the land lease living model, which allows residents to purchase a home at a lower price than
traditional housing options in the same area. This simple model means residents can free up capital that was tied up previously in land and use it to travel, take up new hobbies, or for retirement. Gateway Lifestyle CEO Trent Ottawa said the organisation was finding that a significantly high proportion of residents, working or retired, are moving into their communities specifically
to free up capital. “The quality in lifestyle and affordable cost sees many of our residents living the sort of life they’d always wished for,” Mr Ottawa says. “We have lots of residents that travel and appreciate that they can lock up and leave and feel secure in doing so.” Of course, not everyone uses that financial freedom to travel internationally, when they
have such a beautiful spot on their doorsteps. Set in the beautiful Clarence Valley, Grafton is rich in history and world-famous for its annual Jacaranda Festival. The mighty Clarence River has become a magnet for visitors and locals alike, with regular activities including the well-known Bridge-toBridge Ski Race. Grafton is close to
several National Parks and you’re spoilt for choice with the pristine beaches along the coast. Mr Ottawa said the community provided a peaceful retreat among fully landscaped surrounds, with outstanding facilities and friendly residents. “We have a great group of friendly and welcoming residents who enjoy a busy social calendar.” “With a number of
brand new, purpose built homes on offer at the moment, this is a great time to be downsizing into a low maintenance lifestyle.” The sales team at Grafton would love to hear from anyone interested in coming by for an inspection. Phone 1300 361 311 or go to: gatewaylifestyle. com.au for more information.
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 21
22 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT UPDATE COFFS & CLARENCE JUNE 2018
Less stress and more living
TRANQUIL waterways, modern facilities, a hit of golf and the joy of being part of a growing community are just a few of the highlights of life for residents who have chosen to make the move to Harrington Waters on the NSW mid-north Coast. Just 20 minutes from Taree and 40 minutes from Forster to the south and Port Macquarie to the north, Harrington Waters is a mixed residential development set on 447 acres and surrounded by pristine national parks, beautiful beaches and the Manning River. The development includes a fantastic array of facilities including a 13-tenant shopping village anchored by an IGA, Harrigan’s Irish Pub, and Harrington Waters Golf Course and club house. Buying into the lifestyle is as simple as purchasing your block of land and building – it is an estate rather than a retirement village or gated community, so there are no exit fees and rates are your only ongoing cost for the property. All service connections including town water, sewerage, electricity and telephone are located underground, further enhancing the community and all housing and land is just a short, flat, stroll by linked walkways to the neighbourhood facilities. For the water lovers out there, Harrington Waterways features a 20-berth marina for casual moorings and has a wide range of features including
EASY LIVING: The tranquil waterways, modern facilities and the joy of being part of a growing community, are just a few of the highlights of life for residents at Harrington Waters.
power, pump out and water facilities. Harrington Waters is growing steadily, attracting couples moving north from Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle and a less hectic pace of life. The latest land releases offer a range of options for potential buyers including golf course or lagoon frontage. House and land packages are available too. If you’re keen to find out more, go to: harringtonwaters.com.au or phone (02) 6656 0057.
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Wellbeing
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 23
Dentures and implants: what’s the best choice? Prevention is the best medicine
AIMING to keep your own teeth for life is the best outcome for everyone, but if we are unlucky, neglectful or a smoker, and some teeth are lost, there are options for their replacement.
EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW
Australian Dental Association Oral Health Committee consultant Dr Peter Alldritt noted, “most medications have a side-effect in the mouth, called xerostomia, which means dry mouth. “You then have less saliva flow which means you start losing suction for your dentures which rely on saliva”. “If you have your own teeth, without adequate saliva your risk of tooth decay goes up because in the saliva there is a lot of proteins, calcium, phosphates, iron and enzymes which neutralises the acidity in your mouth and help to protect your teeth against decay.” Seniors should also be aware that after stopping work, they often experience a decline in their dental health as their eating habits change. “When you retire you may have some morning tea with a biscuit, or a bit of afternoon with a slice of cake,” Dr Alldritt said. “Every time you eat, you get an acid attack on your teeth. “Now you are eating five times a day instead of three times a day, you
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BEST CHOICE: Learn more about better dental health, and about implants and dentures.
have now doubled the number of acid attacks and that can put you at higher risk of decay especially if you already have a dry mouth because you are taking a few medications.” There are two common options for teeth replacement – implants and dentures. Dr Alldritt said most dentists will consider all these options for every missing tooth.
IMPLANTS
Implants are increasing in popularity as they are the closest device which
looks, feels and acts like your own teeth. Their technology is getting better all the time, but the price hasn’t. “They are still the most expensive treatment option,” Dr Alldritt said. They are screwed in permanently to the jaw bone. And, as long as nothing goes wrong with the fusion to the bone, they may last a lifetime. It also takes some time to get the desired result as there are a number of steps to be completed in the process of having them settle into your jaw
bone. When you have replaced your teeth due to gum disease, for example, that disease could return around the implants so optimal oral hygiene is important as well as 6-12 visits to the dentist for a complete clean.
DENTURES
This removable prosthesis is much cheaper than implants. It can be made and placed within about a month. When there is no longer teeth and as we age, the jaw bone shrinks so the
PHOTO: SAM EDWARDS
denture gets looser and looser which makes it harder for a “successful” set to be made. “We find a lot of people up relying on denture adhesive,” Dr Alldritt said. Another reason for their decline is the increase in people deciding that wearing dentures – the loose, gum irritating, eating and smiling inhibitor – is just all too much to put up with anymore. They do often rub and cause sore spots, and that trauma can be a pre-disposition to oral
cancer. “It affects more than a 1000 people a year in Australia and it is often diagnosed quite late in its disease progression and therefore the progress is very poor,” Dr Alldritt said. His strong advice is that people with dentures should visit their dentist once a year. Dr Alldritt said there is little that can be one to improve the design of dentures. What can help is retaining as much bone as possible to help hold the denture in place.
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24 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Wellbeing
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
SPOTLIGHT ON THE SENSES: DEMENTIA
Honestly and openly talking about dementia Breaking down the stigma around cognitive decline Tracey Johnstone
DEMENTIA NEWS: One expert believes we need to learn more and talk more about dementia.
“We need brand new approaches, but we need to do them in a methodical and scientific way. “I don’t want to see what happened with cancer 40 years ago where everybody went off to a Pacific island and got some expensive new therapy that just didn’t work.” Early stages of Alzheimer’s Prof Woodward recommends that anyone with the likelihood of the early stages of Alzheimer’s speak to their
GP about taking Souvenaid, a nutritional supplement. Other management strategies he recommends are: ■ Keep your brain active ■ Get involved in groups and society, creating social interactions ■ Keep physically active ■ Eat a good diet “If you are doing those things, you are doing the best that you can at the time,” Prof Woodward said. Is there a cure? There is no cure found for dementia as yet.
A lot of money has been spent on working out how to reduce the toxic protein amyloid which researchers believe causes dementia. “We can remove amyloid,” Prof Woodward said. There is a Roche product called Gantenerumab which has been used in high doses in two studies which has been shown to actually remove so much of the amyloid from the brain that people who were previously positive for amyloid have become negative for it.” He points out however
PHOTO: FRED FROESE
there is more research to be done before the solutions to the symptoms can be addressed. In the meantime, researchers are also studying the other toxic protein tau, looking for more answers. “There are a number of possible explanations for why tens of billions of dollars hasn’t produced a cure,” Prof Woodward said. I certainly haven’t given up yet and neither have many of my co-researchers around Australia.” 6832962ab
DEMENTIA has been a tough conversation subject in the past, but through Dementia Australia and with the help of added government funding, more people are talking more openly about it. This is a vital step in the battle to combat dementia, according to DA chief medical advisor, Associate Professor Michael Woodward AM. These conversations are opening up the broader community’s knowledge of dementia – its prevention, management and even possible cures. Stigma around dementia It’s one of the issues around dementia that needs combating. Prof Woodward recommends dementia patients can contribute to a positive change in attitude. “We need people with Alzheimer’s to say ‘I have Alzheimer’s like a half a million other Australians and probably in the next few decades. It’s a bugger of a disease. I don’t want it, but don’t treat me any differently. There is still plenty of me left. I haven’t become a crazy person to be shunned just because I am becoming more forgetful’. We need to get Alzheimer’s out of the closet,” Prof Woodward added. Prevention
In the absence of a cure, being proactive in following good prevention strategies is the next best thing. “There have been population level intervention studies that we show we can almost certainly reduce the number of people with decline in their cognition and reduce the number of people with dementia,” Prof Woodward said. “The strategies that seem to work are improving physical and mental activities, reducing our dietary indiscretions and keeping our weight under control, and eating a more Mediterranean, better-balance and not too fast-food type diet.” Keep using your brain He supports dementia patients being encouraged to use their brain and memory, which may slow down the onset of the condition. “We can teach people with dementia to use their brain and to learn new material, and certain memories are not much affected by dementia,” Prof Woodward said. “We don’t give up on the brain once we become forgetful.” Experimental treatments There are a number of treatments being used, such as trans-cranial magnetic stimulation and ultrasound. “They are all in the early stages of research,” Prof Woodward said.
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Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Seniors 25
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26 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Wellbeing
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
We’re all ‘feline fine’
The purr of a cat can give you great comfort and relaxation By Alison Houston
IF YOU’RE an animal-lover, it doesn’t matter how old you are, or even if you have dementia, you never forget that love and the joy it brings. Mellie Hudson, lifestyle co-ordinator at Deloraine Aged Care in Greensborough, Melbourne, has firm proof of that statement, having just introduced cat visits at the home in addition to dogs as pet therapy. “We knew pet therapy brings residents out of their shell because we’ve been having visits from dogs for about 10 years,” Mellie said. “But there’s nothing we know of in Australia where it’s been done with cats.” The cats, from the Cat Protection Society of Victoria, were the suggestion of a family member of one of the residents, who had brought the new cat she had adopted in to show off. According to Brisbane’s
Mater Hospital, research shows that people with pets live longer, with pets having a “profound” effect on both physical and emotional health. Improvements can include a reduction in the fight or flight response, and therefore stress, and increased serotonin, which helps regulate mood, appetite and digestion, sleep and memory, as well as improvements in blood pressure and decreased pain and anxiety. And, of course, animals are non-judgmental, just happy to give you their company. “We thought it would work, but it’s been more successful than we ever thought – it’s been really positive,” Mellie said. So positive, in fact, that the visits now occur every four to six weeks, with about 15 residents taking part in each session, during which the visiting cat either sits on their lap or, for those who are too frail, the cat is held for
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She said the cats reacted differently to different residents, instinctively snuggling up with those who were perhaps not well... them to stroke. “It brings back those feelings and memories; it calms them, and the cats seem to have a sense that they are doing something special too,” Mellie said. She said the cats reacted differently to different residents, instinctively snuggling up with those who were perhaps not well, or frail, and being more playful with others. And as an added bonus, because the cats are each looking for a permanent home, photos of them with the residents are posted on the Cat Protection Society Facebook page, leading to
adoptions, so the residents know they are helping the community. “We’re really proud of what we’re doing, and so are the Cat Protection Society,” Mellie said. Jacqui Foley, a Cat Protection Society of Victoria team leader, chooses the cats for the program which she heads and which has grown in a very short period to cover three nursing homes. “It’s really beautiful to see the way people’s faces light up – it gives them an interest in their day,” she said. “They talk about their own cats that they’ve had in the past and about their lives, and I talk about mine and it’s already become like a friendship.” The program has a special place in Jacqui’s heart, with her father having recently passed away in a nursing home. “Going into a home can be very confronting – you don’t have the same lifestyle or community that you used to have,” she said. “Animals relax you and calm you when you’re stressed or unhappy.
PURR-FECT: The smile tells the story of success for a new program using cats as therapy, which the Cat Protection Society of Victoria has developed with Deloraine Aged Care. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
“Just patting them and feeling their fur lets you take a step outside of
what’s going on in your life; they’re good for the soul.”
Carp diem: learn to live alone, but not be lonely Tracey Johnstone
JANE Mathews gives us an entertaining guide to learning to live alone, successfully, while not feeling alone. Inspirational quotes, simple checklists, solid words of wisdom from experience and practical ‘take away’ tips, all laid out cleanly and clearly in her recently published book, The Art of Living Alone and Loving It. “During the course of researching the book I spoke to a lot of older people and I think it would resonate,” Jane said. “The point is to be proactive. Happiness is in your own hands and a lot of it comes down to doing things; not talking about it, not worrying about, but getting out there and doing something.” And, that is what Jane, 57, has done. She has taken on the issues of mental well-being, relationships, health, finances, your home, your social life and even your cooking for one – broken them down and built them back into positives for singletons. “I didn’t expect to be alone and I thought it would be lot easier than it was,” Jane said.
NEW BOOK: Author Jane Mathews.
“That’s why I wrote the book as I wanted to find a book that would help me navigate its more treacherous shallows, but I couldn’t find one. It’s certainly not a book about loneliness.
“It’s a book about how to make the most of it and be positive about it.” The book works for women and for men. “There is a lot that is applicable to both like cooking for one and how
to make your home your own, and how to organise your finances,” Jane said. One for the men – Jane notes “most people lie about what they eat alone”. Does that sound familiar? I also thought
her women’s observation of “tops with buttons up the back are Satan’s triumph” is on the mark. In Chapter 10 Jane brings it all together with a list of recommendations for taking action to enjoy
and thrive living alone. ■ Published by Murdoch Books, Jane Mathews’ The Art of Living Alone and Loving It is available in bookshops, online and in audio now. RRP $29.99.
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Wellbeing
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 27
New TV listening device beats world’s best hearing aids hands down
The TV Voice Pro is completely wireless. You can listen at the volume you prefer without affecting others.
Men’s health: Is your big end worn? WHETHER you are in your 60s, 70s or older, it’s a good time to check out your bottom for wear and tear, and even some corrosion. You can use the following check list from Foundation 49 for some of the items you should consider talking to your GP about and to find out more information. ■ Bowel cancer (extractor corrosion or big end problems): www.cancer.org.au/ ■ Bowel continence (worn big end): www. continence.org.au/ ■ Constipation (blocked extractors): www.betterhealth. vic.gov.au/ and www.betterhealth. vic.gov.au/ For more men’s health information, go to the website www.malehealth. org.au.
DIFFICULTY Hearing the TV Clearly is Now a Thing of the Past, Thanks to a Brand New TV Listening Device. A new TV Listening Device has been released that is specifically designed to deliver clear TV audio for those with any level of hearing loss. The product was developed by two hearing specialists from Australia who have engineered the sound to not only work for all degrees of hearing loss, but also to focus on speech frequencies for television listening. Hearing specialist Don Hudson says he worked with another hearing specialist and audio engineers to create the product for those with
hearing loss. “If you have any level of hearing loss, and are having difficulty hearing the TV audio, then this is the product for you. The headset is completely wireless, you can listen at the volume you prefer without affecting others in the room, and most importantly you can expect to hear the television dialogue with excellent clarity.” Hearing specialist Don Hudson says trouble hearing the television is one of the strongest complaints by those with hearing loss. “Even those with the very best hearing aids often complain that television dialogue is unclear, and their family
complains if the TV volume is turned up.” “We have worked for two years to optimise the speech circuitry to work for the three most common configurations of hearing loss. Other headsets focus on stereo sound effects and quality bass, but those features are generally not beneficial to those with hearing loss. My patients main concern is to hear the TV dialogue, and the ‘TV Voice Pro’ system uses circuitry that is customised to work for hearing loss and optimise speech clarity for television listening. That’s what makes it so effective.” The “TV Voice Pro’ headset is completely
LEND AN EAR: A TV listening device has been designed to deliver clear audio for those with hearing loss.
wireless, has up to 120 dB of volume, weighs just 70 grams and is a fraction of the cost of purchasing a hearing aid. The device is rechargeable and guaranteed to connect to any television. The purchase price is $349.00 and comes with
a standard 30 day money back guarantee. Simply call 1300 300 446 to place your order with the customer service team. You can also visit www.TvVoicePro.com.au for further information or to purchase online.
Ignorance doesn’t defeat bowel cancer “WHEN bowel cancer is detected, the best thing you can do is to make sure your doctors pursue it quickly to reduce further problems long term,” David Gardiner said. He’s 57 now, but at the age of 51, David was diagnosed with first stage bowel stage after a routine check-up with his GP. There were no symptoms. It was only during a GP check-up that David discussed the government screening kit which he had received, but ignored as he was aware there were issues with kits. “My GP handed me another kit and recommended I do it,” David said. A positive result was returned. His GP booked him in for an immediate colonoscopy. “It was booked and done two weeks later,” David said. “Three weeks later I went in for surgery and had 10-15cm of my lower bowel removed.” David found the treatment advice voluminous and varied, so he sought the advice of an independent doctor who guided him through the
CANCER SURVIVOR: David Gardiner.
process. As result he declined chemotherapy and radiotherapy. “I felt it was the right decision for me,” David added. His recovery has been good, helped on by talking to a nutritionist to assist with developing a suitable diet. “I was given dietary
advice on leaving hospital but to be honest, the information consisted of lists of good and bad options, which were very limited and sometimes not that clear. It was probably the most difficult part of my recovery,” David said. “During a routine PET scan a very small tumour
PHOTO: NINA BEILBY
on my thyroid was discovered. Apparently, it had a one per cent chance of being cancerous. After further tests, it turned out I was indeed in that one per cent, so that was another surgery I underwent. Thankfully that side of things is also under control.” David is continuing with
colonoscopy and blood tests, “but they are no longer as frightening”. “The entire process opens you up to a whole other world and in the blink of one positive test, so many more issues can arise that you had never even contemplated,” he said. “This experience has made me realise the importance of talking to your family about their medical history. Until I was diagnosed I had no idea both my aunt and grandmother had had bowel cancer.” For his over-50 friends that haven’t done the test yet, he has supplied them with test kits. “My closest friends and family, and my brothers have all had bought-forward colonoscopies,” David added. Talk about it, says David. If you are aware of a symptom or problem, if there is bleeding or irregular bowel movements, talk to your doctor and to your family. To find out more about bowel cancer, go to bowelcanceraustralia.org or phone the Bowel Cancer Australia Helpline on 1800 555 494.
28 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Money
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Understanding the nuances of bequests Tips to think about when go about planning gifts in Will
JOURNALIST TRACEY JOHNSTONE WHEN preparing your will, it’s a good time to consider bequests to charities that are close to your heart, ones that you have supported in the past and want to support one last time. A gift of this nature, known as a bequest, is easily included in a will and can be made to any number of people and charities – it’s your decision. Individuals ■ You are free to give the contents of your estate, under your will, to whoever you wish. ■ The ‘natural person’ must be alive at the time of your death. ■ They must be recognised as a ‘natural person’ under law, not an organisation. ■ If you give a bequest to someone who has died
before your estate is settled, the bequest will fail. Charities You need to ensure: ■ The charity is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. The charity must have a charitable purpose. ■ That your will accurately describes the charity – its full name, registered address, even it’s ABN – so that you leave no doubt as to who the intended recipient is. If you make a bequest to a charity which you don’t fully describe in your will, that bequest can go to places that you didn’t intend or it may fail due to the lack of clarity. To search for a charity’s Australian registration details, go to www.acnc.gov.au. Why leave a bequest? When planning a bequest you may consider
the following: ■ If I could change things for the better in my community, what would they be? ■ What causes do I care the most about and want to support? ■ Do research, public education, sport, self-help, community groups, international aid or advocacy appeal to me? How are gifts made? Generally, the bequest from an estate has to be written into a will or a valid codicil. There can be exceptions where a court can recognise a testamentary document which reflects the deceased’s true testamentary intentions and which can be admitted to probate. Most solicitors can advise you or talk to an estate planning specialist for complex matters. To find them, phone your state Law Society office.
GOOD TURN: A bequest is easily included in a will and can be made to any number of people and charities. PHOTO: LIDERINA
Sharegift is an another way to get rid of small parcel, low-value shares Andrew Heaven, WealthPartners
SHAREGIFT Australia (SA) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides shareholders with an easy and tax-deductible way to sell and donate small parcels of shares. There is no cost for the service – 100 per cent of the market value of the shares is donated to the charity you nominate
provided the charity has Deductible Gift Recipient status. Donations of $2 or more are tax- deductible to the shareholder. To qualify for this service, the shares must be for an ASX listed company, not be owned by a self-managed super fund and the value of each shareholding being transferred must be greater than $2. To be donated, eligible
shares will need to be either issuer sponsored or sponsored by a SA supporting broker. For further information, phone 1300 731 632 or go to sharegiftaustralia. org.au. If you are unsure of the status of the organisation, go to the Australian Charities and Non-For-Profits Commission at acnc.gov. au to search their register.
Leave the legacy of a cancer-free future for children Consider leaving a gift in your will to The Kids’ Cancer Project, a charity dedicated to funding childhood cancer research. Visit thekidscancerproject.org.au/giftinwill to learn more or phone Veena Singh in confidence on 02 8394 7715. Complete the form to learn how your will can help the littlest cancer patients. Post to (no stamp required): The Kids’ Cancer Project REPLY PAID 6400 ALEXANDRIA NSW 2015
Title:
Name:
Address: State:
Send me more information
Telephone:
Request a call from Veena
Email:
thekidscancerproject.org.au/giftinwill
Postcode:
A donation of shares is still treated as a disposal and may be subject to capital gains tax. In the event of a capital gain, CGT may be payable independent to any tax deduction received for the value of the shares on transfer. In your situation, if the market value of the shares is lower than the purchase cost of the shares, the difference will be treated as a
capital loss and may be used to offset capital gains on other shares sold in your portfolio or can be carried forward as a capital loss. Presuming you nominate an eligible charity, you will receive a tax deduction for the donation of the value of the shares and you can use the tax losses to offset your capital gains. The deemed disposal
date of the shares will be the date the shares are transferred from your ownership to SA. To qualify to claim a tax deduction for the 2018 financial year, share donations need to be submitted to Sharegift by 5pm on June 26, 2018. Notwithstanding the tax benefits associated with this service, your donation will help the work of your chosen charity.
Coffs and Clarence
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Seniors 29
Money
Find your free tax help just around the corner IF YOU need help to complete your annual tax return, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has a free, face-to-face service, available in 600 locations across Australia. With the help of trained volunteers, the process of lodging your return or an amendment, and claiming a refund of franking credits, can be done through the ATO’s myTax online lodgement process. The service is available if your income is around $60,000 or less for the income year, and you did not - work as a contractor, for example a contract cleaner or taxi driver; run a business, including as a sole trader; have partnership or trust matters; sell shares or an investment property; own a rental property; have capital gains tax (CGT); receive royalties; receive distributions from a trust, other than a managed fund; receive foreign income, other than a foreign pension or annuity. Volunteers are available from mid-July through to October. They won’t offer you tax advice, but they will help you navigate the online lodgement system including setting up your myGov account. The first step is to call
132 861. You will then be matched with the nearest available community centre designated as a Tax Help Centre. For more information, go to www.ato.gov.au/ Individuals/Lodging -your-tax-return/ Tax-Help-program Volunteers needed ATO assistant commissioner Kathryn Anderson said the ATO is looking for more Tax Help volunteers. They are recruited each year during
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remove the mystique around doing your own tax return and you to get to talk to a real person, face-to-face.” All volunteers go through an online and in-person training program, and security clearance process. Any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel and phone calls, are reimbursed. To apply as a volunteer, email SBITtaxhelp@ato.gov.au.
The service is available if your income is around $60,000 or less for the income year, and you did not - work as a contractor, for example a contract cleaner or taxi driver; run a business, including as a sole trader; have partnership or trust matters; sell shares or an investment property... March and April, but for anyone interested in volunteering, they can start the process now for next year’s intake. “We have people from a variety of backgrounds including bookkeepers and accountants,” Ms Anderson said. “The technology is easy to use. You just need to not be scared of operating a computer. “The volunteers help
Tax Help centres needed More Tax Help centres are needed to “house volunteers” Ms Anderson said. If a community centre or similar type venue is interested in volunteering space in their centre for the ATO recruited volunteers to operate the Tax Help service, they should email the ATO on SBITtaxhelp@ato.gov.au.
A bequest is more than a donation, it is a remarkable gift that can help to save lives in your community. For more information on leaving a bequest through your Will, visit www.helirescue.com.au/SupportUs/Bequests, email enquiries@rescuehelicopter.com.au or call 1800 155 155. 1800 155 155 | www.helirescue.com.au
Property Vs Shares – The Great Debate
Many investors swear by share investing. Many investors prefer investing in direct property. What is best for you? The answer depends on your personal investment needs and objectives and, importantly, which strategy you are comfortable with.
Why are shares so popular? • They have historically outperformed all other assets classes over the long term. • Shares can provide longterm capital growth as well as a strong and growing income stream.
• They can be bought with as little as $1,000
• There are significant tax advantages when investing in companies that pay franked dividends.
• It is a solid, tangible asset that is considered medium risk (in contrast to shares which can be considered ‘higher risk’).
Everyone will have their own opinion as to which investment strategy is best. For many Australians, property ownership is a rite of passage. However, shares can never be overlooked as a convenient, tax effective long term solution to generate income and wealth.
• It can ‘pay itself off ’ when the rent covers the loan repayments (except if the investment is negatively geared).
If you would like to consider which investment strategy is right for you, call the team at Morgans on 02 6651 5700 to arrange on obligation free meeting.
The benefits of property: • Property can be a fairly secure, long-term investment.
FINANCIAL ADVISORS
Neil Cole AR 000259352
• It can provide tax benefits via depreciation and deductions on the costs and general upkeep of the property, if the property is being used to produce income.
Hugh Anderson AR 000303568
Simon Callaghan AR 001009438
Ph 6651 5700
• Financial Planning • Superannuation • Stockbroking • Personal Insurance Suite 5/38 Park Ave Coffs Harbour www.morgans.com.au/coffsharbour
Morgans Financial Limited A.B.N. 49 010 669 726 AFSL 235410. A Participant of ASX Group
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Tracey Johnstone
30 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Money
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Federal Budget choices are designed to please
Most of them won’t kick in until until July next year
The current PLS interest rate of 5.25 per cent per annum will apply to existing and new loans. The measure will give older Australians more choice to draw on the equity in their homes to support their standard of living in retirement.
RE-ENTERING THE WORKFORCE
FINANCE TONY KAYE AFTER introducing tougher financial measures for seniors in 2017, the latest Federal Budget was ostensibly designed to please. It didn’t contain any nasty surprises for seniors, as such, but rather a series of measures focused on giving retirees a financial boost. Yet, all of the changes announced are not due to come into effect for another year. They include an expansion of the Pension Work Bonus (PWB) and the Pension Loans Scheme (PLS), allowing pensioners to earn more from paid work, and helping older workers to re-enter the workforce.
PENSION WORK BONUS
From July 1, 2019, the PWB will increase to $300 per fortnight, up from $250 per fortnight. This means that the first $300 of income from work each fortnight will not count towards the pension income test. This is in addition to the income-free area, which is currently $168 a fortnight for a single pensioner and $300 a fortnight
The government announced it will provide incentives to businesses to hire workers aged over 50, encompassing wage subsidies for employers worth up to $10,000. A Skills and Training Incentive also will provide up to $2000 for workers aged 45-70 at risk of being made redundant through technological or economic change to undertake reskilling or upskilling.
MONEY ADVICE: No nasty surprises in this budget.
(combined) for a pensioner couple. So, a single person with no other income will be able to earn up to $468 a fortnight from work and get the maximum rate of Age Pension. Pensioners will also continue to accrue unused amounts of the fortnightly PWB, which can exempt future earnings from the pension income test. The maximum accrual amount will increase to $7800 per year. The government is also extending eligibility for the PWB to earnings from self-employment. That means a pensioner can earn $7800 per year through self-employment
without impacting their pension. To ensure the PWB only applies to actual engagement in work, there will be a ‘personal exertion’ test. It is not intended that the PWB would apply to income associated with returns on financial or real estate investments.
PENSION LOANS SCHEME
From July 1, 2019, the government will expand eligibility of the PLS to all Australians of Age Pension age, including maximum rate age pensioners, and increase the maximum allowable combined Age Pension
PHOTO: PEOPLEIMAGES
and PLS income stream to 150 per cent of the Age Pension rate. Full rate pensioners will be able to increase their income by up to $11,799 (singles) or $17,787 (couples) per year by unlocking the equity in their home. PLS participants have the flexibility to start or stop receiving PLS payments as their personal circumstances change, and generally repay the loan once their home is sold. Existing age-based loan to value ratio limits will continue to apply. This means that PLS holders will not be able to owe the government more than what their home is worth.
WORK TEST EXEMPTION
From July 1, 2019, Australians aged 65 to 74 with a total superannuation balance below $300,000 will be able to make voluntary contributions for 12 months from the end of the financial year in which they last met the work test. The work test exemption will give older Australians additional flexibility to contribute more into superannuation as they move into retirement. Total superannuation balances will be assessed for eligibility at the beginning of the financial year following the year that they last met the work test. Existing annual
concessional and non-concessional caps ($25,000 and $100,000 respectively) will continue to apply to contributions made under the work test exemption. Individuals will also be able to access unused concessional cap space to contribute more than $25,000 under existing concessional cap carry forward rules during the 12 months. As bring forward arrangements for non-concessional contributions are not available to those 65 and over, individuals will not be able to access bring forward non-concessional contributions under the work test exemption.
THINGS TO DO BEFORE JUNE 30
■ Make sure you make your minimum pension payment before June 30. ■ If you don’t meet the minimum pension payment, the Tax Office deems your super fund to have not been in pension for the whole financial year, meaning you’ll pay tax on income and gains for that period. ■ If you had more than $1.6 million in pension or transition-to-retirement pension on June 30, 2017, you were able to then potentially take advantage of the Capital Gains Tax relief provisions that were outlined to soften the blow of the new Transfer Balance Cap of $1.6 million. These decisions need to be made soon, if they have not been made yet. Tony Kaye is the editor of listed financial services company InvestSMART. www.investsmart.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Seniors 31
T ravel
10
ways to make the most of a flight
Travel author ANN RICKARD has done more than her share of long-haul flying, and like everyone else, she hates it. But she’s learnt a few tricks along the way to make things less stressful. Here are her top 10 tips...
THERE is a saying, ‘if you don’t fly Business Class, your kids will’. In other words, leaving a hefty inheritance for your offspring will allow them up the front of the plane. As a senior you’ve earned that privilege. So fly BUSINESS CLASS if you can. Best you get up there before your offspring do. OK, we agree it is not always possible to fly Business Class, but next best is PREMIUM ECONOMY. Not all airlines offer it, and those that do don’t all give you a welcome glass of bubbles before take-off, and yes, the food is not all that much better than in Economy, but oh, the lovely extra space, and the limited number of seats in the cabin. Worth every cent. And you have priority check-in. Lovely. If you are down the
back in ECONOMY on a long-haul flight, keep in mind the amount of money you’ve saved and will have to spend at your destination. Makes it less hurtful. There are several ways to make Economy more comfortable, but planning is key. Here’s what we do. REQUEST AN EXIT ROW WHEN YOU BOOK. Some airlines charge for these rows and it’s up to you to see if you think it’s worth it. However, many passengers don’t like an extra payment so there is a good chance exit rows will still be available at check-in. If you ask nicely, smile politely, you have a good chance of succeeding in snapping an exit seat... all that extra leg room, no one in front of you reclining their seat. But be warned... most exit seats in the middle rows of the plane are taken by people with babies.
We all know what that means. REQUEST AISLE SEATS, ALWAYS. Getting out of your seat every hour is recommended to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis. Unfortunately, window seaters will have to climb over you. But if you are in the middle row of the plane in an aisle seat with just two seats next to you, chances are they will be occupied by a couple who will climb over each other to get out the other side... leaving you in peace. As a couple, we request an aisle seat each, middle row, one behind the other. We might not be sitting together but we both have easy access to get up and out. TAKE YOUR OWN
SNACKS. Nobody enjoys airline food... well, we’ve never met a person who does. Having healthy snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, muesli bars (a chocolate bar for indulgence) will make you feel more in charge of your own nutrition and feel less unkindly towards airline food. Drink lots of water and little alcohol, we all know that now. INVEST IN GOOD QUALITY, SOUND BLOCKING HEADPHONES. Being able to block out everyone around you is a blessing without price. Same goes for a good
eye-mask, gentle on the eyes and with good black out qualities. MAKE YOUR OWN COMFORT PACK. Buy small travel size moisturiser, mouthwash, toothbrush/paste and socks, pop them in a small travel toilet bag and you have all the comforts of those who have paid three or four times more than you up in Business Class. We call them ‘nerd cushions’ those unattractive NECK CUSHIONS you see people walking around airports with. They are daggy, but
they save your neck and head from lolling when you sleep and sleep you must in economy. Or you can always take your own pillow, bulky, but comfortable. USE THE PAY-AS-YOU-GO AIRPORT LOUNGES. They make a stop-over comfortable and have you refreshed for the next step. The price is worth it for the complimentary drinks, snacks, magazines. But more importantly... the tranquillity away from the masses. A bit of peace and quiet makes all the difference.
Event Cinemas “Amore” Screening Giveaway Thanks to Event Cinemas, we have 10 double passes to give away to their screening of André Rieu’s “Amore” concert film.
Affectionately known as ‘The King of Waltz’, André Rieu stages an annual summer concert series in his beautiful Netherlands hometown of Maastricht, performing for thousands of fans from all over the world against the stunning medieval backdrop of the town square. Visit eventcinemas.com.au for more details on the screening. To be in the running, simply visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions to enter online. Good luck!
Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore Qld 4558. Promotional period 04/06/18 - 06/07/18. Competition drawn 2pm 06/07/18 at Cnr Mayne Rd and Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Winners announced in Seniors August Editions 2018. Total prize value $400.00 (including GST). Entry is open to all permanent residents of Queensland, residing in the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Toowoomba Seniors distribution areas and NSW in the Northern NSW, Central Coast and Coffs & Clarence Seniors distribution areas.
Wellbeing + Travel + living + Money
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Visit www.seniorsnews.com.au for more information.
32 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Travel
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
All 4 Adventure’s Jase Andrews.
Off-Roading 101 guide
Jase Andrews is back in action for his All 4 Adventure show THERE’S nothing better than exploring the outdoors and venturing off the beaten track, but I know from first hand experience that an off-road adventure doesn’t come without its risks. That’s why it’s important to be knowledgeable and prepared for all of the potential bumps mother nature may throw your way. Prep for emergencies When embarking on your 4WD adventure, don’t forget to pack the necessities so that you are prepared for anything unexpected that comes your way, in particular: a shovel, air compressor and Maxtrax. While not many would think to keep a shovel in the boot, when you’re off-roading, there’s nothing better to keep on hand. Be sure to invest in a good quality shovel with a sturdy handle that won’t break when you need it the most, and the one from Rhino-Rack is great! Installing a winch and having Maxtrax as part of your kit is a great investment – they’re exactly what you’ll need in a tricky situation. But you haven’t already
invested in a winch, using Maxtrax with sand or leaves work well to create traction where there is none, giving your tyres something to grip on to. Low pressures for increased grip To prevent the need to put that shovel to work or whipping out the bog boards, an air compressor will allow you to adjust your tyre pressure to the terrain you’ll be conquering. Very low pressures of 20psi and under will provide more contact with the ground for increased grip and lessens the risk of punctures when driving over rocky surfaces. On sand, a lower tyre pressure allows you to remain on top of the sand instead of sinking into it. Know your gears Knowing your driving gears and their different uses is important when off-roading. 4H which is high-range, is suitable for the easier unsealed tracks, however once you reach more difficult terrains and steep inclines, you’ll want to use 4L which is the low-range 4WD. Hands on the wheel How you hold your steering wheel makes all
Jase Andrews has tips on how to help, if you get stuck off-road.
the difference to protect your hands and ensure you have control over your vehicle. Because your wheels will find gaps in the rocky terrain, your steering column is likely to be wrenched away from you without warning – so if your grasp is too tight, you could seriously injure yourself. With a loose grip on the steering wheel, your wheels will be able to find the ruts and gaps in the road. And when bogged, your steering wheel could turn
suddenly, so making sure your thumb is always on top will avoid a trip to the emergency room! Test the waters before entering When you’re approaching unfamiliar terrain, especially rivers or creeks, check the depth on foot or using a stick to ensure you aren’t in for any surprises. Check the current and make sure the water is moving at a safe speed. Try to avoid driving in bodies of water that are higher than half the height of your wheels to prevent
your engine from flooding. If your tyres get caught, don’t panic and continue to drive slowly so that your vehicle can get a better grip of the surface. Always remember to remain calm if things don’t go as planned. If you stall, try to rock the car forward on its own gear in order to get out of the water. This is where that trusty winch and mate can come in handy! Be tame in your off-roading endeavours, don’t try to plough through the road or show off by
driving faster than the conditions allow. There’s no sense in being over-confident, things can go wrong very quickly, so be sure to remain calm and drive with caution. All 4 Adventure Winter Encore To see Jase Andrews in action, All 4 Adventure will be back for an encore this winter! Tune in to One every Saturday at 6pm to see Jase Andrews tackle the Territory in his latest season.
Travel
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 33
Book in Kangaroo Island for a free grey nomad ride
Lots to enjoy on this island
TAKE a free ferry trip to the beautiful Kangaroo Island when on your grey nomad adventure. The offer is only valid until September 15, 2018 for two people travelling with a car and caravan or camper trailer. SeaLink are making the offer to the popular destination, saving you $196, for the 45 minute trip to the island which is located south-west of Adelaide. It has daily departure car and passenger ferries, travelling from Cape Jervis to Kangaroo Island return. While on the island you can enjoy cliff top wineries, tasting experiences at Kangaroo Island Spirits, and sample freshly caught seafood. The wildlife is impressive and you can get up close to the sea lions at Seal Bay and kangaroos, koalas and other native animals at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park. Then there is Raptor Domain’s Birds of Prey show. Brave the pristine ocean for a swim with the dolphins, taste a delicious serve of honey ice cream from Clifford’s Honey Farm and discover a hidden, sandy beach via a once-secret path at Stokes Bay. The island has four caravan parks – foreshore caravan parks in Kingscote and Penneshaw, natural bushland settings in the heart of the island in Parndana, more at the western end of the island next to the Flinders Chase National Park, and at popular attractions Admirals Arch and
KANGAROO ISLAND: The dramatic Remarkable Rocks.
The natives of the stunning island off the South Australian coast. PHOTO: NIKKI REDMAN
PHOTO: ADAM BRUZZONE
The SeaLink car and caravan ferry runs every day and takes 45 minutes each way. PHOTO: RANDY LARCOMBE
Take a break and enjoy some fine wine at Shaols Winery. PHOTO: SEAN MCGOWAN
Remarkable Rocks. All Kangaroo Island sites are powered and facilities at some parks include everything from picnic and barbecue areas to camp kitchens, walking tracks and self-contained
villas. For further information on ferry timetables and caravan or camper trailer holidays, go to www. sealink.com.au.
Around the Bend Call Simes Bros Coaches now to join our Around the Bend Travel Club! Day trips, musicals, extended tours and much more. Call now 02 6621 5416 or visit our office Shop 8, Wyrallah Road Shopping Centre, East Lismore
The sea lions at Seal Bay.
PHOTO: BRETT SHERIDEN
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34 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Travel
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
The world’s Top 10 WELCOME to the most definitive list of beaches ever assembled a diverse collection of off-the-beaten-path slices of paradise from every hidden corner of our planet. To create The World’s 50 Best Beaches, FlightNetwork has consulted 600+ of world’s best travel journalists, editors, bloggers and agencies to gain insight from their opinions and expertise. By asking the top travel professionals, Flight Network has created the most trustworthy and accurate list out there to inspire travellers and help choose their upcoming winter holiday destinations. Here are the top 10: 1. GRACE BAY Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10 Remoteness 8/10 Sand and Water Quality 10/10 Annual Days of Sunshine 319, Average Annual Temp. 29°C Grace Bay Beach, in Turks and Caicos is the most iconic and awe-inspiring stretch of sand in the world, and you’ll know you’ve set foot on one of the most spectacular beaches the moment you arrive. The protective and remarkably colourful barrier reef, which sits 1.6km off the shore, keeps the ocean swells at bay, making Grace Bay one of the most ideal places to soak in warm Atlantic waters. Swimmers enjoy consistent plush sands without the annoyance of
Navagio Beach.
rocks, seaweed or pollution. Those looking for a truly unforgettable underwater adventure can take the short boat ride to the barrier reef just minutes away. With sunny skies roughly 319 days a year, this island opens its welcoming arms to visitors year round with delicious sands that wrap you in luxury and clearest waters that beckon you to dive in. Travellers can fly directly into Turks and Caicos via Providenciales International Airport, the closest airport to Grace Bay, for around an incredible $300. To get to Grace Bay, visitors can rent a car, hop onto public transport, or grab a taxi. Your tropical beach getaway is right at the edge of your fingertips. 2. WHITEHAVEN BEACH Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 10/10, Sand and Water Quality 10/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 292, Average Annual Temp. 27°C
Whitehaven Beach will make you believe in love at first sight. Composed of 98 per cent silica, the sand here is some of the whitest on Earth. But the baby-powder-like sand isn’t all that makes every visit to this piece of paradise one to remember. Visitors can only access this 7km of coastline along the warm, clear waters of the Coral Sea by helicopter or seaplane to experience this spectacular island. Seeing all of that untouched natural beauty from above will make you believe in a tropical utopia with glowing sands and crystalline beaches. Situated on Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands with an always comforting 27°C temperature, this stretch of sand backed by tree-covered mountains is a heaven on earth which one must see to believe. Venturing into this beautiful beach is easy when flying directly into major airports in Australia . You have quite a few
options once you have landed to get to Whitehaven Beach, including boat, helicopter or sea-plane. 3. ANSE LAZIO Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 7/10, Sand and Water Quality 9/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 226, Average Annual Temp. 29°C Anse Lazio in Seychelles places each visitor into their own tropical paradise with soft, golden sand and sunlit atmosphere. Crystal clear water and lush coconut palms backed by granite boulders create a setting that feels more like a dream than real life. Anse Lazio is recognised as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, known for its picturesque views and vivid colours. The saturated waters wrap each swimmer in a teal dream while the dark green palms frame the golden sunset. The magnificent stretch of
Pink Sand Beach.
coastline offers a tropical oasis for every traveller whether they prefer vigorous activities or serene environments. Waters at an average 27°C draw visitors in for days spent snorkelling and swimming while the warm 28°C weather presents the perfect opportunity for exploration, activities, or a rest on pillow-like sands with a mimosa in hand. Anse Lazio is located on the northwest coast of Praslin Island, east of Zanzibar and northeast of Madagascar. The beach may feel likes its quite removed from the world but is actually easily accessible. You can obtain cheap flights to Africa and then fly to Seychelles or to Madagascar. Visitors can catch the speed ferry for an adventurous trip or take a short 15-minute flight from Mahe to Praslin. 4. PINK SANDS, BAHAMAS Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 8/10,
Remoteness 8/10, Sand and Water Quality 10/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 223, Average Annual Temp. 28°C Pink Sands Beach has a fairytale-like name, and you’ll understand why when you set foot on the beautifully coloured sands. The nearly 5km of stunning coastline, saturated in golden sun and pink plush ground, will plant itself in your memory forever. Harbour Island in the Bahamas is home to inviting stretches of coastline and mellow waters protected by an offshore coral reef. This portion of the island is an especially dreamy part, known for its pale pink sand made from the bright red and pink shells of the microscopic Foraminifera insects. The colour contrasts and meshes with the turquoise waterline, creating sunrise and sunset colours that are unlike anything else you’ll see in your lifetime. You can find flights to the Caribbean from all major countries in the
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Travel
Coffs and Clarence
Seniors 35
Anze-Lazio Beach.
Best Beaches Grace Bay.
world. The closest airport to Harbour Island is North Eleuthera (ELH) airport. 5. NAVAGIO BEACH, GREECE Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 8/10 , Sand and Water Quality 8/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 275, Average Annual Temp. 19°C Navagio Beach in Greece will dazzle your tropical dreams into reality as blue and white beauty combine to create a shipwrecked oasis. In fact, you will not be able to get the clear, crystal blue waters and fine gravel sand off your mind for decades to come. The remoteness of the island only adds to the spectacular and unique atmosphere of Navagio on Zakynthos Island. The baby blue waters and towering golden cliffs absolutely enchant travellers with its exotic features and atmosphere. The shipwrecked Freightliner MV Panagiotis, washed on the
gravel beach, only adds to the uniqueness of the paradise. The crisp 19°C weather and 20°C water welcome visitors into a new kind of tropical island meant to be experienced through vivid sights and slow strolls. Navagio Beach location is most easily and quickly accessible by first flying into the Zakynthos International Airport in Greece. 6. BAIA DOS PORCOS, BRAZIL Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 10/10, Sand and Water Quality 9/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 258, Average Annual Temp. 27°C Tucked away in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago is Baia Dos Porcos, also known as the Bay of Pigs, one of the most awe-inspiring beaches to experience. The myriad blues meddle in perfect harmony on the still water filled with rock
formations, including the iconic Dois Irmaos rocks which means the two brothers. Even better the beach is likely to be all yours, as it requires a trek to get to, and you have to pay per day to stay on the island, limiting the number of daily visitors. Water sports are forbidden which means its all serenity, all the time. Instead, search for the turtles and wildlife that inhabit the area and find yourself in preserved and natural beauty. The best time to fly to Brazil is between December and March, during the Brazilian summertime. The closest state to Fernando de Noronha is Recife. 7. PLAYA PARAISO Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 9/10, Remoteness 8/10, Sand and Water Quality 10/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 290, Average Annual Temp. 20°C Playa Paraiso in the Riviera Maya is a quintessential beach
destination for travellers on the hunt for perfection. Stunning white sands and bright teal waters combine to create a beach unlike others in Mexico. The thousands of annual tourists will agree that Paraiso’s waters are always welcoming and calm while a bounteous coral reef rests just offshore for an adventurous snorkelling or scuba diving session. For those who want a tranquil getaway, Paraiso is their paradise with soft sands just waiting to be relaxed on while the 290 annual days of sun offer a sun-kissed glow. With an average temperature of 20°C and water at 21°C, visitors are always able to find themselves comfortable and serene in their tropical paradise. Known as Paradise Beach for a reason, Playa Paraiso is easily accessible with numerous direct flights to Cancun International Airport. 8. HYAMS BEACH, NSW
Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 8/10, Sand and Water Quality 9/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 251, Average Annual Temp. 17°C No place on earth invites you to relax and unwind quite like the luxuriously soft white sands of Hyams Beach. Located on the South Coast of New South Wales , this postcard-worthy stretch of sand along the Jervis Bay invites visitors to enjoy underwater adventures in crystal waters or sink their toes into the whitest sands in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. For the more athletically inclined, hike in the Jervis Bay National Park located among the beach beauties. Dotted with rugged rock formations and bright green foliage, you may have to pinch yourself to make sure you are not dreaming when you set foot on the luxurious sands of Hyams Beach. The closest international airport is located in Sydney. 9. HIDDEN BEACH, MEXICO Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 10/10, Sand and Water Quality 8/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 299, Average Annual Temp. 25°C Imagine a beach completely tucked away inside a cave with a cavernous opening in the
roof to let the perfect amount of sunlight enter. That is Mexico’s Hidden Beach, and it’s undeniably one of the most interesting beaches in the world. Located just a one hour boat ride from Puerto Vallarta on the Islas Marietas, the only way to reach the golden sand at Hidden Beach is to jump off a boat and swim or kayak through a tunnel to shore. It is said that the hole in the roof of the cave, creating an ideal sunbathing area, was made when Mexican forces were engaging in bombing practice during World War I. Fly from major airports across various countries into Cancun or Cozumel. 10. TRUNK BAY, US VIRGIN ISLANDS Scoring: Sheer Untouched Beauty 10/10, Remoteness 7/10, Sand and Water Quality 10/10, Annual Days of Sunshine 140, Average Annual Temp. 27°C It remains one of the best-preserved beaches in the world. Venture to Trunk Bay Beach in the US Virgin Islands, where you will find a 205 metre underwater snorkelling trail, roughly half a mile of silky sands. Any major airports will offer flights directly into the US Virgin Islands. Find more information at flightnetwork.com/ blog/worlds50-best-beaches.
36 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Travel
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
Sail to Torres Strait Islands Explore the culture, cuisine and amazing views BECOME an expeditioner in 2019 as you explore a rarely visited part of Australia, the Torres Strait islands. Five Ahoy Buccaneer expeditions will journey to southern islands of the Torres Strait archipelago as well as to Cape York. Spread out across 150km of ocean between Cape York and Papua New Guinea, the archipelago is home to a blend of Melanesian and Indigenous Australian cultures surrounded by stunning blue waters. Dugongs, dolphins, giant marlin and sea turtles thrive in the crystal blue waters. The reefs provide opportunities for fishing, snorkelling and fishing. The 19-guest motor yacht Oceanic will take passengers on a round-trip from Horn Island to the unique and culturally rich islands where a local guide will each day showcase the diverse history of the Torres Strait Islands. Guests will be immersed in indigenous cultures, tales of
Book now to sail your way to the Torres Strait Islands in 2019.
head-hunters and the history of Possession Island, the place where Captain Cook claimed Australia for England in 1770. Travellers can also visit the remains of the World War II airbase on Horn Island or enjoy a beer at Australia’s most northerly pub – the Torres Hotel on Thursday Island. Accommodation on board is in double bed and bunk cabins, as well as sleeping under the stars in deluxe swags on deck. The 24m rigged vessel also boasts indoor and outdoor dining areas, two lounges and a deck spa. Fresh and healthy cuisine is prepared by an onboard cook who regularly sources much of the menu from what is caught from the sea each day.
The cruises begin and end on Horn Island with daily Qantas flights to the islands from Cairns. The tour costs $2520 per person, including for solos, in a deck swag and from $3150 per person in a cabin, twin-share. The cost include meals, shore excursions and transfers during the cruise. The flights to and from Horn Island are additional. Ahoy Buccaneers is offering a 10 per cent saving on its six-night Torres Strait Islands cruises departing on February 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25 in 2019, if booked by June 30, 2018. For more information, phone Ahoy Buccaneers on (08) 9193 7650 or go to ahoybuccaneers. com.au.
EXCITING TRAVEL: Indigenous culture, wildlife and amazing natural views are all part of the Torres Strait Islands tour.
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Submit your photos, stories, events and notices online. Look for the ‘share your event or story’ box on our home page. Visit us at seniorsnews.com.au
Coffs and Clarence
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
Seniors 37
Live and let’s save Golden years of retirement
WE SHOULD all be rewarded with a pot of glorious gold at the end of the retirement rainbow. Many seniors will still be working but need to plan what their future will look like in retirement. Maybe that will include travelling, volunteering, looking after the grandkids or downsizing to a cheaper, more manageable style of living. As with all major life changes, your regular income will change over time, so it’s good to review your finances at the end of each financial year. Prior preparation will assist with a smoother transition into retirement. Some income sources during retirement to help with ongoing expenses: Age pension, home
BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN equity release, income from super, investments outside of super, part-time employment, selling the family home. Keeping an eye on your finances: ASIC has an app, TrackMySPEND, which can give you a clear picture of your purchasing habits, and help gain control of your money. You can record the following types of expenses: your weekly household budget, costs for special events like weddings or celebrations, work or travel expenses,
coffees, lunches and any other cash expenses that you find hard to record. This app allows you to nominate a spending limit (per week, fortnight, month or year) and track your progress; separate ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ to identify opportunities to save; create ‘favourites’ so you can track frequent expenses; view your expense history; add ‘tags’ to categorise expenses and set spending limits for each category; create expense reminders sent as text messages to your phone; auto-fill expenses based on past entries. Bonus features include free data backup to prevent data loss, syncing your profile and use on multiple devices, exporting data to a CSV
POT OF GOLD: Good money management now will assist towards greater financial rewards in retirement.
file (for Excel, or other financial software). For more go to www. moneysmart.gov.au. Financial assistance: If you need financial assistance advice, particularly if you are in debt and have legal
problems, there are community legal centres and Legal Aid that offer free legal advice and services. Queensland – Legal Aid Queensland 1300 651 188 and NSW – Legal Aid New South
Wales 1300 888 529 or (02) 9219 5000. Women’s Legal Services Queensland – 1800 957 957 or 1800 457 117 (rural, regional and remote) and Women’s Legal Services NSW – (02) 8745 6900.
Winter planting ideas for newest rose varieties A RANGE of beautiful new roses becomes available during winter so now is the perfect time to start planning which varieties you want to plant in your garden. Yates have three stunning new-release roses from Treloar Roses to tempt you: Unconventional Lady (Korsamasi) This is a hybrid tea rose with large, deep, pink, fragrant flowers. The vigorous bush grows to around 1.6m tall and its long flower stems make it a wonderful rose for cutting. Climbing Future (Korjoslio)
It’s a climbing rose that is covered in softly scented large white flowers with a pale pink blush. Growing to around 2m tall, it’s a beautiful rose for growing against a fence or over a large arch. Garden of Roses (Korfloci) This one is a floribunda rose with delicately scented, full soft apricot blooms. It’s a compact rose, growing to around 60cm high, so is ideal for smaller gardens and pots. Roses do best in cool to warm temperate zones. ■ When deciding on where to plant any new roses in your garden,
choose a spot with well-drained soil that receives at least six hours of sunshine a day. ■ An area with good air movement is also beneficial, as this will help to reduce disease problems. ■ If planting a new rose in a pot, use a pot that has good drainage holes and fill with a good quality potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix.
CATERPILLAR TIME
With vegetables like kale, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower in full swing, caterpillars like the cabbage white butterfly caterpillars will be on the
rampage. Even the smallest of them can chew through mountains of foliage and left unchecked can result in heartbreaking skeletonised leaves. You may not see them, just their damage or droppings, as many are cleverly camouflaged. They are easily controlled by regularly spraying with Yates Success Ultra. Spraying should start as soon as the first caterpillars or their damage is spotted and repeat applications every seven to 14 days. For more great winter gardening ideas, go to www.yates.com.au.
DEEP PINK: The Unconventional Lady rose is a new offering from Treloar Roses. PHOTO: TRELOAR ROSES
Raspberry and almond ricotta dessert cake
SUPER-EASY: Raspberry and almond ricotta dessert cake.
EVERYONE will come back for a second slice of this super-easy dessert cake made with creamy ricotta and frozen raspberries, or fresh if in season. Preparation time: 20 minutes; Cooking time: 1 hour and 25 minutes.
★1 1/4 cups self-raising flour ★3/4 cup almond meal ★1/4 cup milk ★1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries ★Icing sugar, to serve ★300ml thickened cream, whipped, to serve
INGREDIENTS:
Step 1 Preheat oven to 160C/140C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 22cm round cake pan. Line base and sides with two layers of baking
★1 cup caster sugar ★125g butter, softened ★2 teaspoons vanilla extract ★eggs ★375g smooth ricotta
METHOD
paper. Step 2 Whisk sugar, butter and vanilla together until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until just combined. Add ricotta. Whisk to combine. Stir in flour, almond meal and milk. Fold in 1 cup raspberries. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Level top with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining
raspberries, pushing slightly into the batter. Step 3 Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 1 hour. Turn, top-side up, onto a wire rack lined with baking paper to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream. Serves 12. More recipes via: taste.com.au.
38 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
Digital Brand Insights
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018
To advertise, call 1300 136 181 or visit finda.com.au Trades & Services
Motoring
Kitchens
Cars
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Buyers should be cautious when dealing with car sellers that are overseas and should always arrange to view the vehicle prior to the transfer of any money. Be wary if the number in the ad is disconnected. If the buyer/seller says the number is disconnected because they are overseas, ask for a landline phone number at their current location as well as a mobile phone number. All contact details of the person buying or selling the car should be verified to ensure they are genuine.
More information is available at scamwatch.gov.au
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email: welmove@hotkey.net.au MyLife MyJourney enables you to record your most meaningful moments.
Tip
Keep that Radiator Radiant.
You of course want to get your car looking its best inside and out before a potential sale. One tip you might have forgotten: ensure that your radiator and windscreen washer reservoir are topped up.
This tip brought to you by www.finda.com.au
Recording your life in a digital album THERE are plenty of happy moments in everyday life but milestones are rare. Milestones are the penultimate moments. When three people from differing backgrounds recently came together to discuss and define the milestones events in their lives, it seemed they shared a common event – the birth of a new generation. Be it father, mother, grandparent or other relatives, the arrival of a family member soared way above the multitude of occasions that make up what most of us would consider a good life. No doubt everyday actions prove our love but emotion associated with an event as powerful as a milestone is not so easily voiced. Recording these magic moments from the birth of children to educational achievements,
attendance at family weddings or ceremonies to expressing the courage it took to skydive or learn Latin dancing creates an opportunity to invite your loved ones to join a unique and everlasting conversation with you. The MyLife MyJourney website is a digital photo album that allows you to give three dimensions to the truly meaningful moments in your life. Just like a printed photo album, it is there for you to share, remember and rejoice in the funny, inspirational or emotional life events. And just as you opened and welcomed friends and family to view your photo album, this digital album also gives you the freedom to choose the people who will share your memories. MyLife MyJourney is a unique, fun and easy way to build your life story. It can be as simple as
adding photos to your timeline or more complex, with friends and relatives helping you with memories, video and other documents. It is a safe online platform on which people of all ages and backgrounds can chronicle and share their story. Unlike other social media platforms, you can tell your story in your own way and share it with the people you choose, alternatively you can even invite others to contribute to your stories. Milestones is among the categories, which are called BRANCHES, representing the different, broad areas of your life and are there to make it easy for you to remember and jot down the different stories that belong to each BRANCH. For more: https://www .mylifemyjourney.org/faq.
Puzzles
Monday, June 25, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au
JIGGERED
4/6
The challenge is to rearrange a crossword which has been broken into 25 sections. One letter has been given to get you started. Work out which 3x3 square fits in with that letter and write in the letters. You can also shade the black squares if you find it helpful. After completing the first 3x3 area, work out which square joins on to it, and continue until you have made a complete crossword.
B U S E R A C
D U O B S E
T H E M R
I F N G
Y E E
N A C A R E
E E D R E R A
R O A P E M B
T T R S H
E F C R E T
G V E R E
S T E A R G
B L S E T H
S O I P E U
C U R A O
U R E E E M
T L E I F L E
U N A M B U
S E S S J A
C K S A A T I C
S C A R B A K
L P A W L X O
L A K W B E A
T Y
D T E A O T
M A S
K S C
S L O
Coffs and Clarence
QUICK CROSSWORD Across 1. Reunited (10) 7. Long-limbed (5) 8. Folds (7) 10. Alters (8) 11. Boast (4) 13. Speaker (6) 15. Mollycoddle (6) 17. Move slowly and cautiously (4) 18. Counselling (8) 21. Horses (colloq) (3-4) 22. Bury (5) 23. In particular (10)
Down 1. Stiff (5) 2. Happy shout (3,2,3) 3. Arrested (colloq) (6) 4. Frozen (4) 5. Makes certain (7) 6. Perplexing (10) 9. Tourists (10) 12. Benevolence (8) 14. Bowmen (7) 16. Breakfast food (6) 19. Mad (colloq) (5) 20. Deal out (4)
1
2
3
Seniors 39 4
5
6 7
8
9
10
11 12
13
14
15 16
17
18
19
20 21
22
TRIO
Can you complete these four words, using the same three-letter sequence in each?
SUDOKU
23
Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
V
REFER, SEARCh, TRAIPSE, UNSORTED, VEGETABLE.
ALPHAGRAMS L E E R H E R
L
U
D S I A P E M G A V E S S T L I L E T T S H U A M B O C A U T T R Y E E F R E L R A X N I N U G
SUDOKU TRIO: hOR
K S A I C K S C U E E M P W L O F Y E E
JIGGERED
Across: 1. Reconciled 7. Leggy 8. Creases 10. Modifies 11. Brag 13. Orator 15. Cosset 17. Inch 18. Guidance 21. Gee-gees 22. Inter 23. Especially. Down: 1. Rigid 2. Cry of joy 3. Nicked 4. Iced 5. Ensures 6. Flummoxing 9. Sightseers 12. Goodwill 14. Archers 16. Muesli 19. Nutty 20. Mete.
Good 25 Very Good 34 Excellent 43+
A C S S S A F R E
MA
S G O B R E O R A R E J K E C A T
550
A E
D B A S E T T A S T E B A R U S C U A A N C A K E L A W B E
TODAY
A
FREER ARCHES PARTIES ROUNDEST GET A BEVEL
M
D L
M R
How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word. No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb, e.g. he burns with anger.
T E O R O P E M D O B E S C R B A T H E R
WORD GO ROUND
WORD GO ROUND
Solve the anagrams. Each solution is a one-word anagram of the letters beside it, and the five solutions are sequential. For example, if the five-letter solution starts with J, the six-letter solution starts with K, and so on.
alameda alar alarm alarmed alder area areal armada armed dale dame dare deal dear derma dermal dram drama dream earl lade lama lame lamed lamer lammed lard lead lemma madam made male mama marae mare marl marled MARMALADE mead meal medal medlar rale rammed read real realm ream
ALPHAGRAMS
QUICK CROSSWORD
Get Set for the FM 103.1
Loving Life Day From 10am Saturday, August 4
Market Square, Grafton G
e.com.au Don’t miss out Proudly presented by FM103.1 Loving Life | www.fm1031lovinglife
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Free All-Day Stage Entertainment 8m Climbing Wall Magic Shows Rabbit Show Jumping Smiley’s kids party Jumping Castle Market Stalls Delicious Food Free Activities
40 Seniors Coffs and Clarence
seniorsnews.com.au Monday, June 25, 2018