Toowoomba, August 2019

August, 2019

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News – First Queen of the festival News – Community photo comp News – For the love of a child News – Staying in the workforce Community group guide Wellbeing Feature – 2019 Qld Seniors Week Wanderlust Living Motoring Classifieds Puzzles

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2019 Qld Seniors Week feature

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AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

Abundance of choice!

Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor THE highlight of this month’s edition is our Seniors Week lift-out.

Thanks to friends, readers, advertisers and colleagues who have supported the production of our special feature, which includes a Calendar of Events detailing the enormous range of activities, concerts and performances available during Seniors Week, together with interesting articles ranging from accommodation to travel.

Seniors Week is supported by the Queensland Government through its distribution of grants for activities that encourage us to extend ourselves and our world by trying out something new and beneficial.

I thought my friend Matt Eliott expressed it well when he wrote on his Instagram account: “At the tender age of 63, I can say one of the biggest traps of growing older is a narrowing of one’s world. I see it already in the people of my age in my life: seeking out fewer new experiences or new people, cultivating an increased need for familiarity.”

I think new experiences can be anything from

checking out a new book, joining a choir or becoming accomplished in the ancient art of tai chi – and in Seniors Week there is an abundance of opportunities – just look inside our feature.

This month we lead with Aussie actor Bryan Brown’s new movie and an interview where he expresses his delight at making a film specially for we older folk.

Further on, there’s the courageous story of Shelley Argent and the motivation that transformed her life from a suburban mum to an activist.

In our Wanderlust section, our regular travel correspondents John and Yvonne Gardiner share their colourful travels in Norway, while fellow world explorer Paul Coffey gives a taste of the unusual with a story and photos showcasing the capital of Azerbaijan.

CONTACT US General Manager Geoff Crockett – 07 5430 1006 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 07 5435 3203 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Brett Mauger – 07 3623 1657 brett.mauger@seniorsnewspaper.com.au 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 “Toowoomba Seniors Newspaper”.

The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. 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.

Living with unique ageing issues

Tribute to a great Australian food writer named as one of the National Trust’s original 100 Living Australian National Treasures.

Even more than that, though, she was trusted.

Margaret Fulton, indeed, built her career on the provision of sound, trustworthy cookery advice. And she knew it.

In 1980, reflecting on her career, she recognised that her brand was built on reliability rather than novelty or extravagance: “I believe

I’m doing the right thing by not being flamboyant. I know that’s the success of my business”.

Fulton began her career in World War II as a cookery demonstrator with the Australian Gas Light Company.

She gained valuable experience in retail and running the kitchen and homewares section of David Jones – before joining then-popular Woman magazine as a food writer in 1954.

At this time, she was also completing a professional cookery course at the East Sydney Technical College, largely based on classical French cookery.

In The Margaret Fulton Cookbook, she wrote: “I have always believed that good food and good cooking are part of all that is best in life, all that is warm, friendly and rewarding.”

Extract from ‘The Conversation’ - author: Prof. Donna Lee Brien

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THANKS: Vale Margaret Fulton, mother of Australian cookbooks.

Photo: Contributed

LEGENDARY Australian food writer Margaret Fulton has died, aged 94.

With a professional life spanning well over 60 years, she successfully managed that career and her image in the media over this period, being a role model for generations of Australian food writers.

In 1983, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. In 1997, she was inducted into the World Food Media Awards Hall of Fame and

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GOLDEN MEMORIES: Fay Clayden (nee Ryan) believes that while she may not have won big prizes materially, she gained a lot of pride, confidence and wonderful memories from being crowned the first Carnival of Flowers queen in 1950.

Photo: Glenn Hunt

Alison Houston MEMORIES of the first Carnival of Flowers and being crowned its queen have lasted a lifetime for Fay Clayden (nee Ryan).

The mother of five, grandmother of 16 and great-grandmother of six now lives in the Brisbane suburb of Bellbowrie with a beautiful garden inspired by her time in Toowoomba.

She returns for the Carnival of Flowers every decade to celebrate with the city.

“When I think about the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, I am flooded with happiness, a sense of achievement and feelings of pride and privilege,” she said.

“I was very honoured and still am to have received the title of Carnival Queen at the inaugural Carnival of 1950.”

However, she also still remembers her horror when her parents, who managed The Canberra

Hotel in Russell St, told her she was to be sponsored by the Licensed Victuallers (now The Hoteliers Association) as an entrant in the proposed Carnival Queen competition.

At 19, and working as a ticket seller at the local Princess Picture Theatre, she was relieved it was not a beauty pageant.

But she remained unconvinced she would be able to raise more funds than the other three entrants – Dawn Hillocks, Patricia Power, and Fiona Stewart – for that year’s charities, The Bush Children’s Health Scheme and Legacy.

With a combination of chocolate wheels, chook raffles, local dances, donation boxes in hotel bars, meat tray raffles and a rugby football match between the ladies of Toowoomba and Warwick, with a curtain-raiser challenge between Toowoomba and Brisbane jockeys, she did precisely that.

She clearly recalls the

first Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers parade – when no one knew what to expect – which culminated in her crowning ceremony.

“I was walking along the bridge to my ‘coronation’, trying to manage my train, orb and sceptre, quite nervous as the crowning was to be done by Dame Annabelle Rankin, who was a senator at the time,” she said.

“When all of a sudden, someone in the crowd shouted ‘good onya, Fay!’ which caused me to laugh and made me realise that no matter what I was pretending to be, I was really just still just Fay.” Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is on September 20-29, and the full program is at www.tcof.com.au or find it on Facebook.

We’d love to see and hear your memories of the early years of Toowoomba’s Carnival of Flowers. Write to us and send a favourite carnival photo to editor@seniors newspaper.com.au.

Council meetings

Dispose of your coals safely

Choose the right bin

Works projects

The next Council Committee Meetings will be held on 13 and 14 August commencing at 9am. The next Ordinary Meeting of Council will be held on 20 August commencing at 10am. All meetings are at City Hall, 541 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba.

Confused about where to put your rubbish?

Head to www.tr.qld.gov.au/recycling for handy hints and information on what can be recycled. Let’s recycle right!

Seniors Concerts

Strap on the dancing shoes and join us at one of our regional Seniors Concerts from 19-23 August! Headlined by the Memphis Moovers who are bound to get toes tapping. For concert locations and further info, call us on 131 872.

Water saving tips

We can all do our part to save water wherever possible. Remember, every drop counts. For information about water restrictions and helpful water saving tips, visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/water

Winter CHANGE activities

It’s winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and get active! Our CHANGE project has a great range of activities for those who enjoy an active lifestyle. Visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/change for more details.

The weather is getting cooler and there is nothing more comforting than a cosy fire. When disposing of coals at our waste facilities please be sure the coals have been dampened down and are cool to avoid causing fires. Please use designated disposal areas for coals. For more information visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/waste Full details of our road construction and maintenance projects across the Region are available on our website www.tr.qld. gov.au/roads

Dog off-leash areas

If your furry friend loves to get outside and burn some energy, we have plenty of dog off-leash areas to visit throughout the Region. For a full list of designated areas, go to www.tr.qld.gov.au/dogoffleash

Animal microchipping

It’s important to keep microchip details up to date so that lost pets can be reunited with their owners. Keeping your microchip details up to date will also keep you on the right side of State legislation. If you’re unsure whether your pets’ microchip details are correct, contact Central Animal Records on 1800 333 202.

Events Register

Looking for something to do or planning an event? Check out the events register to see what’s on in the region and advertise your event for free! Go to www.tr.qld.gov. au/events

For bookings for all events call 131 872 or visit www.tr.qld.gov.au

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First Queen of the festival

Updates from the Toowoomba Region

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Brown puts

Tracey Johnstone

PALM BEACH: A good start to long weekend party.

Photo: Elise Lockwood

WELCOME! “Come on in and join the party,” says Bryan Brown.

The backdrop is a glorious Sydney summer day of sparkling blue water and crystal clear skies. The lunch table is piled high with a sumptuous feast.

The guests are arriving to celebrate a significant birthday. They’re boisterous, full of energy and excitement at being reunited after a long time apart.

While you’re not actually seated at the table, but rather sitting in a cinema, you feel as though you are in fact there in person as the 11 guests gather round the table, anticipating a weekend of shared memories and new connections.

Our beautifully appointed chapel includes private family gathering area and webstreaming for those unable to attend.

“I made it for you,” Brown, 72, said of his role as the co-producer.

“It was made like, let’s put a movie out there that my age group can relate to.”

While his wife Rachel Ward was the director, Brown said she had no choice in casting him in the lead role.

“I own the movie. I asked her to direct it,” he laughed.

Let me introduce you to the Palm Beach guests.

There’s Frank, played by Brown. The quintessential Australian actor is the linchpin of the movie. He’s retired, depressed and living a complicated life.

“That’s what we are facing out there,” Brown said.

“People who are retired or sell their business and they have been active all their lives. It’s like: ‘What will I do? I’m lost. I have no purpose’.”

His wife of 30 years, Charlotte (Greta Scacchi), is trying to deal with menopause.

Friend and musician Billy (Richard E Grant) is struggling with a life of professional failure, while

his actress wife Eva (Heather Mitchell) is now only being offered grandmother roles.

Another friend, journalist Leo (Sam Neill), has health problems and his wife Bridget (Jacqueline McKenzie) is trying to work out if Leo is planning on leaving her and her daughter Caitlyn (Frances Berry).

Frank and Charlotte are two different characters.

Their daughter Ella (Matilda Brown) is a successful doctor, while son Dan (Charlie Vickers) is struggling to find his way in life and isn’t being helped by Frank’s high expectations on what that way should be.

Joining them is Holly (Claire Van Der Boom), the daughter of their old band’s singer Roxy.

The buddying young singer is also struggling to find her way and has brought along a surprising new playmate, sheep farmer Doug (Aaron Jeffery).

The three-day party has all the hallmarks of a fabulously relaxed, liquid, long weekend – until the veneer is scratched. Deep

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Palm Beach is easy to relate to

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on seniors hat for role secrets emerge that drive the friendships, and partners, away from each other.

So many of the conversations in Palm Beach resonate with me as a viewer.

Each of the characters are realistic, their stories drawing out the challenges of changing times and dealing with ageing.

Think back to when you have attended a reunion of old friends. How often has the conversation delved deep into the past and at other times skirted the realities of your shared experiences?

“I had gone through a period of anxiety and seen a psychologist about it as I didn’t know what the hell was happening to me,” said Brown, who was roughly 65 at the time of such a reunion.

“It was during that period leading up to a Christmas that I had together with some other men.

“One had lost his job and one had sold his business.

“Of those characters, none necessarily reflect

ENSEMBLE EFFORT: A scene from Australian movie Palm Beach. things that I might be dealing with now, but I can recognise in those characters there...

“Take Richard Grant’s character – a musician at his age, they’re all going to the young guys for music, he’s doing diaper ads.

“You know, I have

mates that are older actors that would love to be acting, but there aren’t roles for them.”

Brown said his children totally understood the issues the older actors reveal in Palm Beach.

Two of them were involved in the movie – actress Matilda, who he

has worked with several times previously, and graphic artist Joe. “They have always mixed with older people,” he said.

“They have seen relationships break up; they understand how painful they are and how real they are.”

Photo: Elise Lockwood

When Brown turned 70, Matilda observed in her father that age was just a number – it’s more about how you live your life.

He’s now a grandfather to Matilda’s nine-week-old son Zan. “I’m handling it pretty good,” the veteran actor said.

“I am still doing things and still looking for things to do, and people are silly enough to still ask me to do things.”

Brown’s next acting project is the second series of Bloom for Stan.

He’d like to do more movies around seniors as he sees many more stories to be told.

As he heads out to go surfing, walking, doing thrice-weekly pilates classes, and belatedly wearing a sun hat, he says: “I am not aware that I am getting older. Except when I watch Palm Beach and realise that I am”.

Brown said he had never let age determine what he did.

“We have got to find a way to step around that as a generation,” he said.

The movie beautifully raises contemporary seniors issues as relationships are tested, dissolved and somehow reunited.

“It’s a story about us getting through things and that there is plenty of life in front of us to enjoy,” Brown said.

Palm Beach is in cinemas this month.

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BEST FARM BUDDIES: Jean Gundry’s photo of husband, Ben, and grandchildren Jasmine, then 6, and Sophia, 4, is not in the running, but may inspire others to enter the Focus on Farms Photo Competition.

Community focus photo comp Alison Houston THE Focus on Farms Photo Competition is a great way for everyone in the Toowoomba region to recognise the contribution of farmers and our rural communities, and their incredible resilience.

“We would love to encourage seniors to enter this year, because it’s something that will really resonate with older members of the community, and there are so many categories to choose from,”

competition co-ordinator Jean Gundry said.

Now in its fourth year, and run by Gomaren and Doctors Creek Catchment Landcare Group, the event was originated by thenpresident Nicki Laws, who died from cancer last year.

“She was an amazing lady, very passionate and active in Landcare and the community and a great advocate for science in agriculture,” Jean said.

“The photos are certainly important, but we are all in the middle of

this dreadful drought and what this competition is really about is connecting our communities and bringing people together.”

The Nicki Laws Perpetual Trophy will be presented for the first time this year by husband Glen in a category themed Because We Care, especially for Landcare and environmental groups.

Jean said the new category was a fitting tribute on Landcare’s 30th anniversary to the vision of the grassroots

organisation and the way it had changed and shaped attitudes to sustainable farming, land and water conservation, biodiversity and environmental protection.

But you don’t have to be a farmer or a Landcare member to enter the general competition, just be a resident of Toowoomba Regional Council.

That’s all it costs to enter each single 5x7 inch photo.

Photo entries can be dropped at the mobile or any regional library, and

Jean Gundry discovered this water tower, which she had presumed her parents built on taking up the land after WWII, actually dated back to original settlers. at Westridge Photos, Toowoomba.

■ For more details, visit Gomaren and Doctors

Creek Catchment Facebook page, or phone Jean on 0475 311 525.

New Vietnam war film

ON THE eve of Vietnam Veterans’ Day on August 18, Toowoomba district veterans have been invited to a new film Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan. But Vietnam Veterans’ Association of Australia, Darling Downs Sub-branch president Norman Fry is uncertain how many will go to the cinema.

If they wanted to see it, he believed many of those who had served would probably wait until they could do so privately at home on TV. However, Mr Fry had spoken on Anzac Day to a highly decorated soldier

SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE: The Vietnam Memorial in Margaret St, dedicated in 2004, has just been refurbished for its 15th anniversary. who had served at Long Tan and who had been involved in ensuring the film’s authenticity.

It tells the story of one of the fiercest and most uneven battles fought by Australian soldiers in the

Vietnam War, when 108 D Company 6RAR soldiers overcame an estimated 2000 or more North

Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops.

The 1966 battle, in which 18 Australians died and 24 were injured, has become synonymous with the bravery and horrors faced by everyone who served in Vietnam, and has been marked since 1987 as Vietnam Veterans’ Day. Almost 60,000 Australians fought during the country’s 10-year involvement in the war from 1964-1973, and more than 500 died.

Thousands more were affected for life, including injuries, ongoing health problems and

experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.

Producer Martin Walsh said it was hoped the film, opening on August 8, would “help modernise our Anzac narrative” somewhat as Peter Weir’s 1980s film Gallipoli had done, and honour those who had served and been affected by the war.

For more information, phone Mr Fry at the Vietnam Veterans’ sub-branch on 4630 9815 or drop in at the separate entrance located at 549 Ruthven St.

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For the love of a child Why Shelley Argent OAM became an activist Gail Forrer “THERE are times parents should stand behind their child, other times they should stand beside them, but this was my time to stand in front of James and fight for his right to be seen as an equal.”

These were the words that sent Shelley Argent into battle to ensure her son James, who came out as gay in 1995, would have the same rights, the same opportunities, the same protection as everyone else in Australia.

As co-author Leanne Edmistone wrote in the foreword to Shelley’s life story titled Just a Mum: “She was just a mum who wanted both her sons – one gay and one straight – to be treated equally by the law and society.”

The book recounts Shelley’s life, from her childhood spent in a poor, dysfunctional 1950s Brisbane family to the woman who went on to disrupt the highest echelons of Australia’s social and political establishments.

Last month, Shelley and Leanne’s family, friends and fans gathered at Brisbane’s Avid Book Store for the book launch.

For those not familiar with Shelley’s personality, there was a short introduction written in point form with white chalk on a large blackboard. It read: “Always has an open house; Ring any time; Love a coffee and a chat; Pretty good cook.’’

UNBREAKABLE BOND: Long-time gay rights advocate Shelley Argent and her son James.

At the launch, Shelley’s engaging personality gave an insight into her warm heart, enormous love for family and her innate traits of stubbornness and determination that supplied her with the courage to walk the talk of equality, confront discrimination, lobby politicians and march as the sole mum among the LGBTQ+ community.

But Shelley did not just ask wider society to respect the rights of her son, she expected the same from family and friends and she relates that all but one were able to do so.

“There was only person who didn’t agree with me.”

For Shelley that was a deal-breaker that ended their long relationship.

Not withstanding her unwillingness to compromise on this issue, Shelley understood that acceptance can take time.

Referring to situations when children announce their coming out, she wrote: “After the initial shock, parents will often go through the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, hopefully, eventually, acceptance.

“Just as it takes our children time to accept their sexuality, so too will it take parents.

“There is a lot of someone or something to blame.

“Did we smother him/her. Did we spoil him/her? Did we spend

enough time with them as children? Is it my fault? Is God punishing me?

“The only truth is that a child is born as they are – not groomed, encouraged or turned gay.”

Just a Mum also includes her long, happy marriage and partnership with Don, dealing with sexual abuse endured by her son and the joy of academic achievement.

Shelley studied Social Sciences at QUT and graduated in 1997 as a mature-age student, a path that enhanced her understanding and ability to challenge the system.

Nevertheless, Shelley said one unlikely thing she was able to use to her advantage was her conservative, middleclass suburban housewife

appearance.

“It reassured so many parents, who were expecting to be greeted by a cheesecloth and silver bells type personality,’’ she said.

One father she had arranged to meet actually walked past her, thinking he would be meeting “a woman with shaved head, big boots and a razor blade in her ears”.

Another point she noted was that her gay son, who at 28 became the Queensland Police Service’s youngest sergeant, had fewer rights than the people he locked up.

The only legal right he held in Queensland was to be gay without fear of arrest.

“It was a discrepancy I

Photo: David Kelly

often highlighted during my lobbying,” she wrote.

Shelley’s journey as a campaigner for equal rights resulted in her receiving an OAM in 2006 and took her to places and people she could have never imagined in her Brisbane childhood.

She was a regular visitor to Canberra’s politicians and enjoyed marching in the Mardi Gras.

But ultimately, her work has been rewarded with state and federal policy legislative reform, culminating in marriage equality in 2017.

To obtain a copy of Just a Mum, go to the website shelleyargent.com/or facebook.com/ JustAMumShelleyArgent

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Staying in the workforce IN THE second part of this special series of staying in the workforce, we look at how to reverse attitudes.

Re-framing the attitudes of mature-aged workers to recognise their value in the workplace is part of the change process.

Stereotypes around older workers exist, but if they accept those stereotypes they limit themselves before even trying to adopt new skills.

“I advise people to catch themselves if they are saying ‘I’m too old to do that’ or anything like that,” Curtin University’s Dr Petery said.

“I would say ‘why are you too old? Who says that you are too old to do that?’ ” While the ability for abstract reasoning declines with age, the opportunities for mature-aged workers exist in jobs where employers are looking for the advantage of crystallised intelligence, gained from experience and wisdom, which increases with age.

“We know that if you have work that is cognitively challenging and engaging, that it can be protective of your cognitive abilities as you progress into old age, and can improve your cognitive abilities into old age,” Dr Petery said.

Changing attitudes also involves willingly engaging in reverse mentoring which can help to reduce workplace bias.

“We have five generations in the workforce,” maturious.com.au’s David Tarr said.

“We should be thinking around the benefits of generational diversity and how we get synergies between

Job loss

We can learn and change Graeme Wilson MENTORING: Recognising you need mentoring is a good place to start.

Photo: damircudic different age cohorts that enable that skill transfer to be shared from a younger person to an older person and from them to a younger cohort.”

Edith Cowan’s Business School lecturer Dr Julie Nyanjom recommends mature-aged workers approach their workplace with an open mind about being mentored by a younger worker.

“Realise mentoring is a co-learning experience,” she said.

“Both the mentor and mentee have something to bring to the table which means while you may need mentoring, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have the knowledge about something else more than what you are mentoring on.”

Recognising you need mentoring and your younger colleague has the knowledge you need is a good place to start.

This is particularly important when you have been out of the workforce for a while.

“When you enter a relationship like that, you will find there are fair exchanges between you so that they are able to lean on some of your experiences and you are able to lean on some of theirs,” Dr Nyanjom added.

“As you have those interactions where you are working together to solve problems and working towards a common goal, sharing the rewards and benefits that are achieved, it’s a proven way of reducing any type of bias,” Dr Petery said.

An organisation has a role in establishing an enabling environment for reverse mentoring to work successfully.

“Practically every organisation has a mentoring program, whether it is written or not,” Dr Nyanjom said.

“However, you find most of those mentoring programs have a traditional mentoring approach which explicitly or implicitly indicates that mentors will be older and more experienced.

“As long as they have that written into their policies and procedures, or into their organisational culture, you will find, regardless of what the mature age worker comes with into the organisation, it will be challenging for them to get into a mentoring relationship with younger people.”

Where the culture moves from not being about age but about experience, older workers will benefit greatly and so will the organisations.

REDUNDANCIES are a fact of life in the modern workplace, and it appears the best way to guard against the shock of losing a job is to actually plan ahead for the possibility.

Careers-focused business OnTalent assists Australians with the transition from redundancy, and the key message from Deborah Wilson, General Manager – Careers, Leadership Development & Consulting, is that everyone should be prepared for the possibility.

‘‘

It’s important to always be on the front foot around your career...

“I don’t think any organisation is exempt from it, so it’s all about that preparedness,” Deborah said.

“Nothing prepares you for the shock you get when it’s you, but the impact isn’t as great if you are already set up to identify and seize new opportunities as they arise “We do have to focus on the job we have now, but we also have to be thinking about what’s next if this doesn’t work out.”

While being on the receiving end of redundancy can be

confronting, Deborah said her 30-plus years in the careers field had shown her it was often the catalyst for positive life change.

“I believe you shouldn’t actually want to stay in a job forever,” she said.

“You do need to move, you need new experiences and learnings.”

She said the importance of staying on top of industry trends applied to all workers, regardless of age.

“We’re living longer so therefore we’re going to have to work longer to provide for ourselves and have purpose.”

Deborah said her best advice to anyone wanting

Spread the Word With Seniors Think you’ve got news and information that needs to be shared? Whether an upcoming community event, heart-warming tale or an update on anything local - we want to tell your story!

Head online to seniorsnews.com.au today!

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WORKING HARD: Job security is good, but being prepared for the future is even better.

Photo: RgStudio

COMBINED ROLES: The mentor and mentee have something to bring to the table. Photo: samotrebizan

Snapshot of Aussies in the workforce

to guard against being a logical candidate for redundancy was to focus on keeping their job skills current.

“You’ve got to invest in yourself,” she said.

“It’s important to always be on the front foot around your career and career development.”

For those who did find

themselves unexpectedly looking for new employment, Deborah said it was important not to buy into any perception that once you’ve hit 50 you’re no longer valuable in the workforce.

“People say to me ‘but I’m over 50’ and I say ‘well, big deal’. So what,” she said.

Heritage C Chapel a e

“We had a lady in her early 70s who was made redundant and she got another job within a couple of months.”

Deborah does not believe there is bias from employers against older workers or any growing trend towards them being made redundant.

“I think it depends on

your skills and your attitude,” she said.

If facing a transition after redundancy, Deborah said it was important to take whatever help was on offer from businesses like OnTalent.

“Most people come in with their shoulders down a bit but leave with a far better outlook.”

Heritage Catering

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AUSTRALIANS are increasingly working to older ages.

■ In 2016, one in eight older people were engaged in employment, education or training.* ■ By January 2018, Australians aged 65 and over had a workforce participation rate of 13% (17% for men and 10% for women), compared with 8% in 2006 (12% for men and 4% for women).* ■ The rate is likely to continue to increase as the retirement intentions of Australians change.* ■ In 2004-05, just 8% of Australians aged 45 and over intended to work until age 70, compared with 20% in 2016-17.* ■ In 2016-17, the average intended retirement age was 65 (66 for men and 64 for women), with just under 1 in 4 (22%) men aged 45 and over intending to work beyond 70.* AHRI and Australian Human Rights Commission Employing Older Workers (2018) reported: ■ Flexible work is the

top reason respondents cite that would encourage them to remain in the workforce.

■ Flexible working hours is the most common tool organisations use to retain older workers (76%).

■ More than half (56%) of the survey respondent organisations don’t have a transition-to-retirement strategy in place.

■ Respondents indicated the main advantages of recruiting older workers are the experience they bring (76%) and the professional knowledge they have acquired (68%).

■ Fewer 2018 respondents than 2014 reported their organisation ensures job advertising content attracts a full range of ages, and date of birth details are excluded from application forms.

■ Common recruitment practices for attracting older workers involve flexible work arrangements. * Source: ABS

Heritage Care and Support

Judith McGrath-Colquhoun Director

12

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

Community notes

Community Group Guide NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA

Toowoomba WE HOLD our morning teas on the first Thursday of each month at All Seasons Function Centre, corner of North and Tor Streets, Wilsonton, starting at 9.30am.

Visitors are always welcome.

Come along and enjoy a fun morning with guest speakers or an entertainer.

Lucky door and raffle prizes can be won.

For information, please phone Desma on (07) 4613 6750.

Garden City The Annual General Meeting of Garden City Toowoomba branch of National Seniors Australia will be held at 9.30am at the Drayton Bowls Club, corner of Ball and Gipps Street.

Before the formalities of the annual meeting we will be entertained by a singing group.

There will be raffles, a bring and buy stall, morning tea served by the Bowls Ladies.

Visitors welcome.

Cost $7.

For more information, phone Hazel on (07) 4635 4519.

QUILTS FOR ALL SEASONS

WHAT would you do with three men’s ties if you were challenged to make a piece of patchwork using only the fabric in those three ties?

There were 30 members of the

Toowoomba Quilters Club who accepted this challenge.

They came up with some incredibly creative ways of using and presenting their three ties.

Visitors will be able to see the Challenge entries on display at the annual Quilt Exhibition presented by the Toowoomba Quilters Club at the Salo Centre, St Ursula’s College, Rome St, Newtown from September 21-27.

Doors are open from 9am-4.30pm, except Friday when doors close at 2.30pm.

Club members will proudly display over one hundred new quilts, plus Art Quilts and small items.

They will demonstrate techniques, supply handmade items for sale, host several Trader stands and promote Quilt Art Union ticket sales to assist the LifeFlight Foundation, and much more.

Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be served.

Bus tours welcome.

For more information, phone Marilyn on 0408 139 075 or Janice on 0409 634 272.

SENIORS DAY OUT

THE monthly Day Bus Trip leaves Toowoomba for Dolphins Leagues Club, Redcliffe on the third Tuesday.

Cost is $30.

For more information, phone (07) 4634 3751 or 0418 878 867.

GET CRAFTY: Toowoomba’s Quilts For All Seasons quilt show is on from September 21-27 at the Salo Centre, St Ursula’s College, Rome Street, Newtown.

COBB+CO EXHIBITION

2019 Australian of the Year: This exhibition pays tribute to eight extraordinary Australians chosen as the 2019 Australian of the Year finalists.

Read their stories and see personal objects selected by each finalist that provide a special insight into their lives and experiences.

This travelling exhibition was developed in partnership with the National Australia Day Council and presented by National Museum of Australia.

Now on for a limited time!

Must close August 14.

Located at 27 Lindsay Street, Toowoomba.

For more, phone (07) 4659 4914 or go cobbandco.qm.qld.gov.au.

TWILIGHT TALKS

THE theme for Darling Downs Health’s next instalment of the Twilight Talks series is one affecting many people – osteoarthritis.

Guest presenter, Toowoomba Hospital orthopaedic surgeon Dr Chris Wall, said osteoarthritis was likely to become more prevalent in the future.

Twilight Talks are open to the public, so if you or a loved one has osteoarthritis, or if you’d just like to learn more about the condition, please come along.

The Twilight Talks presentation “Creaking hips and knees – osteoarthritis in 2019: prevention, treatment... cure?” will be held Toowoomba Hospital’s Unara Conference Rooms, Tuesday, August 13 from 6-7pm.

Complimentary parking for the Twilight Talk will be

available, and a light supper will be served.

No bookings are required.

TOOWOOMBA SENIORS EXPO

DURING Seniors Week, Garden City Branch of National Seniors Australia with the sponsorship of Toowoomba Regional Council will be hosting a Seniors Expo at the Clive Berghofer Centre in Baker Street on Thursday, August 22.

This will be an opportunity for seniors to gain information on, and interact with the providers of, services and activities such as health services, finance, travel, retirement living, social clubs and more.

There is still space for more stall holders.

Info: phone Hazel on (07) 4635 4519.

TOOWOOMBA

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP

OUR next meeting the Toowoomba Parkinson’s Support Group is on Thursday, September 5 at the usual time and place – 11.30am, meeting room, top floor, Toowoomba Municipal Library, Victoria St, Toowoomba. Our guest speakers will be from Brightside in Victoria.

They will outline their specific respite programs as well as the home care packages they now offer.

There will be a shared lunch as usual.

We look forward to seeing our regular members there and, as well, hopefully some new people who are always welcome.

For more, phone Carol on (07) 4659 7646.

Please send your community notes and pictures to: editor@ seniorsnewspaper.com.au

Space for end-of-life talk There is plenty to find out about on Dying to know day

DYING TO KNOW: Death Doula Kim Somerville.

WITHOUT Dying to Know conversations, many of us are dying in a way which is not consistent with our values or wishes.

Kim Somerville is a Death Doula and she said very often people feel ill-equipped to help their loved ones when they’re dying and so by encouraging death literacy and providing a space to talk about end of life plans, this day can help

all of us deal with death in a far more constructive manner.

In her role as a Death Doula, Kim said it’s so important to support the individual and their loved ones through the final months, weeks and days of life – right up until the time death occurs.

“While it is more exciting to celebrate a person’s first breath, it is just as important to

comfort their last,” Kim said.

Dying To Know Day dedicated to this important topic Kim said she’s so happy we have dedicated a day to such an important topic.

“A doula’s support can relieve stress and burdensome tasks from the family and gives the dying individual psychological, spiritual

and emotional support during the process.”

How can we prepare for death?

Kim said death is a situation where we cannot be completely prepared even though it is a natural and unavoidable part of life.

“Many people have not had much experience with people close to them dying, and because of this there is often a lot of fear,

questions and uncertainty,” she said.

“My role is to be a non-medical presence for the dying person, as well as their family and loved ones.”

Dying To Know events: dyingtoknowday.org.

To book a session with Kim Somerville, go to nursewatch.com.au/ services.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

NEWS

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14

NEWS

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

Story of Warfield Bros and how they built up their business

Warfield Brothers Pty Ltd.

LOCAL HISTORY

MR RAY Warfield has written a short article detailing the history of his family’s business to share with readers.

I trust you will enjoy taking a meander back in time.

Gail Forrer, editor MR H Keffer started the busies selling cars, tractors and general hardwares in 1900. When he became unwell, his doctor advised him to sell.

The year was 1938 and Mr Keffer sold it to three of his staff who were brothers – Arthur Warfield who was the manager at the time, his brother Hugh who was the motor mechanic and Jim who was a tractor mechanic.

Hugh contracted pneumonia in early 1943 and died in Yootapina Hospital, Pittsworth. His share of the business was given to his wife Grace.

Arthur and Jim carried on the business for a short time. However, at that time the large companies, in their

wisdom, decided that no business could hold more than one agency.

So, Arthur and Jim agreed to dissolve the partnership with Arthur carrying on with the Ford sales and the hardware store. Jim and the other tractor mechanic, Tom Haydock, took over the Case agency as Warfield and Haydock.

Arthur took his wife Jane and his two sons, Howard and myself, into partnership to carry on the business.

In November 1953, Arthur died. Howard and I carried on running the business.

As the other three brothers – Lindsay, Brian and Ross – were all working at the business, it was resolved that Jane retire from the partnership and the five brothers take over the running of the business.

So, a new company was formed called Warfield Brothers Pty Ltd. As the business was becoming too big for the existing building, more

ANOTHER ERA: Ray Warfield and his Model A Ford. land was purchased.

Firstly, Howard and I purchased the land in Short Street where Albert Rauchle had his Shell Fuel Depot.

Secondly, we purchased land behind the ANZ Bank to hold the machinery.

These areas adjoined or were in close proximity to the rear of the Yandilla Street store.

Thirdly, we purchased a large are of land opposite the Tattersalls Hotel to hold our new and used machinery. At this time we had in mind building a service station on this ground.

Fourthly, we purchased from Ken McFadyen his large building on the corner of Yandilla and Briggs Streets.

We moved our motor

and machinery, and workshop side of the business to this site allowed the hardware to use all of the land and buildings at the original Yandilla Street site. This was developed into a service stated with Ampol Bowsers.

A piece of land next to Sunshine Machinery agency was owned by us and we sold it to Edsel Falconer of Toowoomba to build a tyre service centre.

In August 1969, the Imperial Hotel on the corner of Yandilla and Briggs Streets burnt down with only slight damage to the service station.

Eight windows were cracked from the heat.

About this time we paid our final payment to Ken McFadyen and we were so

pleased!

However, it seemed our joy was short lived.

On a Saturday afternoon in June 1977, after the hardware shop was closed for the weekend, it caught fire and burnt to the ground.

It was suspected that kids playing with matches behind the shop next to a kerosene tank was the cause. The facade remains today.

This caused the company many problems, not to mention the cost and loss, and the man hours that the brothers spent clearing the burnt site.

We were under-insured by many, many thousands of dollars.

We carried on with the temporary arrangements

until we were able to rebuild into a nice modern store. It was a very hard and worrying time.

Howard retired from the business in the early ’80s and I retired in 1988.

Lindsay, as manager, Brian and Ross carried on the business.

Drought was causing great concern with sales of cars and machinery in the rural areas becoming almost non-existent. The shop was flourishing.

The hardware store was sold to Ross in 2000 leaving Lindsay and Brian to own the motor and machinery.

With a heart-breaking decision, the service station and motor and machinery businesses were closed on June 30, 2001.

Just $16 will help roll out the carpet at the hospice Alison Houston

GREAT START: Rotary Club of Toowoomba East president Roger Klaassen gets a first look at Toowoomba Hospice’s proposed new carpeting with administration and fundraising manager Mark Munro and chairman Graham Barron OAM, who accepted the club’s $7500 donation to the cause.

TOOWOOMBA Hospice’s Roll Out the Carpet fundraiser celebrates the palliative care facility’s 16th birthday with hopes of raising $30,000 to re-carpet the property.

A donation of $7500 by the Rotary Club of Toowoomba East from its annual charity golf day, and a further $1000 community donation just days after the fundraiser began have given it a great start.

But now it’s time for residents to do what they always have and again support the hospice by donating as little as $16 for its 16th birthday.

Without the public’s support, the hospice

wouldn’t exist, with more than 50 per cent of its $1.7 million budget coming from the community, administration, fundraising manager Mark Munro said.

Since it began it has given free palliative and respite care to more than 1400 clients and their families.

Last year’s birthday fundraiser topped its $15,000 goal and while this year’s objective is twice that, Mark said they remained hopeful of reaching the target by the end of August.

“We know it’s tough out there for everyone, but we really hope people will get behind this latest fundraiser,” he said.

This year’s Hang the Boss Out to Dry

fundraiser raised $33,000, compared to last year’s record $52,000.

The most successful fundraiser from that event will be announced in mid-August.

Then it’s time for more fun with the Toowoomba Hospice Race Day on Saturday, September 7 to raise funds for the hospice.

Tickets include entry to the races, complimentary nibbles, dinner, dessert, tea and coffee, and there are prizes for best dressed and best hat, as well as raffles and an auction.

Info/donations: toowoombahospice. org.au or phone 4659 8500.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

15

The new shingles vaccine is available

SHINGLES, also called hepes zoster, is a common but lesser known preventable disease which can severely affect older Australians.

The older you are if you get shingles, the higher your risk of being seriously affected.

Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of getting shingles later in life.

About one in three people who have not been immunised against chickenpox or shingles will get shingles at some time.

The Department of Health advises shingles, which is caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, causes a painful localised blistering rash on any part of the skin.

Most elderly people have had chickenpox as children, or as parents of children, before the development of chickenpox vaccine.

Hence they are at risk of reactivation of the virus to form shingles.

It’s described as a

Wellbeing

DENTAL HEALTH: Follow these easy tips to stay on top of your keep your teeth healthy. Photo: Alliance

How’s your teeth?

BETTER HEALTH: Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of getting shingles later in life.

Photo: fstop123 serious disease because it can cause severe nerve pain that can last for months and even years.

This has a great impact on quality of life.

Shingles in its early stage is contagious and so also has implications for carers.

It can also lead to: ■ Serious eye problems,

including blindness ■ Pneumonia ■ Hearing problems ■ Swelling of the brain ■ Or worse, death Shingles immunisation development is relatively recent and is currently recommended for free under the National Immunisation Program for adults aged 70 years to 79 years.

It is also recommended for people aged 60 to 69 years, 80 years and older, and for those aged 50 or over who live in the same household as someone who has a weakened immune system.

For more information about shingles, go to beta.health.gov.au/health - topics/shingles-herpeszoster.

WE NEED to twice daily brush, once daily floss, eat healthy and regular visit our dentist to maintain good dental health.

Food, glorious food Our eating habits play a major role in tooth decay which is a diet related disease.

What to do? Eat three regular meal times a day rather than snacking and grazing, and limit sugary treats to be part of a meal rather than as a snack.

Get drinking, water that is Tap water in most areas of Australia contains fluoride, one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to help prevent tooth decay.

Regularly sip it

throughout the day, including with and right after meals.

Chew on this?

Chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after eating can prompt your mouth to produce more saliva, which helps neutralise decay-causing acid attacks.

Brushing Brush for at least two minutes in the morning and at night. Too much pressure when brushing can damage your gums and tooth enamel.

Which toothpaste?

Choose one that contains fluoride.

Fluoride can also help remineralise (heal or reverse) early decay.

Info: ada.org.au.

Dementia tops the list for women

NEW research has revealed the reasons the rate of Alzheimer’s disease is higher in women than in men.

The study was presented at the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Scientists from the Centre for Cognitive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre have identified how the Alzheimer’s-related protein tau spreads in the brain.

The ways in which proteins spread may help explain why the prevalence of Alzheimer’s is higher in women than in men.

The research suggests that tau spreads through the brain like an infection, moving from neuron to neuron and turning other proteins into abnormal

FAST FACTS ❚ In Australia dementia is the leading cause of death in women with 64.5 per cent dementia related.

About two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women ❚ If USA researcher findings are proven, then they suggest sex-specific approaches may be needed to prevent Alzheimer’s tangles that result in the death of brain cells.

The researchers found that the structure of tau networks is different in men and women, with women having a larger number of “bridging

regions” that connect various areas of the brain.

This may enable tau to spread more easily between brain regions, increasing the speed at which it accumulates and putting women at greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease, the investigators theorised.

Further research is needed to confirm that women have an accelerated spread of tau.

About two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.

In Australia, dementia is the leading cause of death in women with 64.5 per cent dementia related.

If USA researcher findings are proven, then they suggest sex-specific approaches may be needed to prevent Alzheimer’s.

WOMEN’S HEALTH: Researchers are studying why Alzheimer’s is higher in women than in men.

Photo: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz “This could include earlier treatment, lifestyle interventions and/or remedial help for memory,” the researchers report.

“Understanding how different biological processes influence our memory is a really important topic,” Assistant Professor of

Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences and lead investigator for the study Dr Sepi Shokouhi said.

“Sex-specific differences in the brain’s pathological, neuroanatomical and functional organisation may map into differences at a neurobehavioral and

cognitive level, thus explaining differences in the prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders and helping us develop appropriate treatments.”

The Australian Dementia Helpline is at dementia.org.au/helpline or phone 1800 100 500

16

WELLBEING

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

Cure for endometriosis?

Kerry Heaney IT AFFECTS 10 per cent of Australian women and costs the economy $7.4 billion every year in lost productivity according to a recent Ernst and Young study, but the search for a cure for endometriosis remains a clinical challenge.

For 68-year-old Judith Perryn, who first experienced symptoms at age 12, searching for a cure has been a lifetime task.

It even earned her an OAM in 2001 for service to the development of public health awareness and education through the Endometriosis Association of Queensland.

“When I was first diagnosed, I had to go to

the library and look it up in medical textbooks to find out anything. Now people at least know the word, endometriosis,” Judith said.

Despite looking healthy, she was in a constant state of excruciating pain and endured a range of surgeries, treatments and medications.

“Until we find a cure, everything is just a bandaid of treating the symptoms, and they have been doing the same thing for 30 years,” Judith said.

Professor Grant Montgomery of The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience is leading the charge in endometriosis research in Australia to help women

like Judith.

He is currently exploring whether there could be sub-types of endometriosis, similar to many cancers, requiring different treatment options.

His team’s research has identified the genetic risk factors and is looking at how previous cancer genomic studies can be applied to better understand the disease.

“We don’t know if there are sub-types of endometriosis. However, we are currently working to understand this, as this could potentially mean endometriosis is treated differently based on the type, as is done with some tumours such as in breast cancer,” Prof Montgomery said.

“Because we don’t know the cause of endometriosis, current treatment is only treating symptoms but not the cause, which means treatment is not effective in all cases.

“Over the next five years of our research program, we will be moving towards a translational focus to understand if there are sub-types of the disease and various treatments, as well as understanding some of the cell biology in the initiation of the disease, building on our previous genetic and genomic studies to hopefully find better treatments.”

Although the causes of endometriosis still remain unclear and treatment is

BETTER UNDERSTANDING: Endometriosis research scientist Professor Grant Montgomery.

Photo: Anjanette Webb

still a major clinical challenge, current research is helping improve diagnosis and treatment for women.

Info and donations: giving.uq.edu.au/funds/ endometriosisresearchimber.

When food spells danger Anna Millichamp

Paediatric dietitian

■ What is food allergy and food intolerance?

Food allergy is when your immune system reacts to a substance (allergen) in a food (that is usually not harmful) and produces symptoms.

A food allergy can be mild, moderate or severe and life threatening.

Some food allergies are classed as immediate reactions, usually arising within minutes of ingesting the allergen, and these are known as IgE mediated allergies.

Others are delayed, in that symptoms arise more than two hours after ingesting the known

allergen, and these are classed as non-IgE reactions.

Food intolerance, on the other hand, is a broad term that captures a wide range of adverse reactions that some people experience after eating certain foods.

The symptoms are unpleasant, but are not usually life threatening.

■ What are the symptoms and triggers of food allergies?

Symptoms can be mild to moderate and include: swelling of face, lips, and/or eyes, hives/welts, abdominal pain or vomiting.

More serious symptoms (anaphylaxis) include: difficulty

Recognising allergies

breathing, swelling of the tongue, swelling and tightness in the throat, difficulty talking or hoarseness, wheeze or persistent cough, dizziness or collapse, and young children may become pale and floppy (ASCIA, 2019).

In infants and young children, other symptoms that are not always immediately obvious as being related to food allergy include infantile colic, reflux, eczema, chronic diarrhoea and growth faltering (ASCIA, 2019).

■ Are there more allergic reactions now than there

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were years ago?

The most recent research shows an increase in the prevalence of allergic disorders, including food allergies, in children.

Food allergy affects 10 per cent of children one and under, eight per cent of children five and under and around two per cent of adults (ASCIA, 2019).

Nine foods cause 90 per cent of food allergy in Australia (cow’s milk, egg, peanut, soy, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, sesame).

Of these, cow’s milk, egg and peanuts are the top three allergens for

infants and children.

But it is important to note any food can trigger an allergic reaction.

■ What causes food allergies?

Food allergies are the result of a complex interplay between genetics and environment.

There are several hypotheses why food allergies are increasing, such as the hygiene hypothesis, advice to delay the introduction of major allergens from an infants’ diet until they were older than one year of age, changes in the way certain foods are manufactured and allergy sensitisation via the skin with the application of

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skin products containing unrefined nut oils (ASCIA, 2019).

A 2017 multicentre genome-wide association study identified five genetic risk loci that indicate that skin and mucous membrane barriers and the immune system are important in the development of food allergies (Marenholz et al, 2017).

■ How are food allergies detected?

Non-IgE allergies can only be identified via an elimination diet with structured food challenges. These should also be undertaken for a short period of time under medical or dietetic supervision.

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SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

WELLBEING

17

Urgency of palliative care is needed

HEALTH CHECK: Know the ways to avoid certain illnesses.

Let’s talk men’s health

MEN, we need to talk.

Your current lifestyle choices could be increasing your risk of a chronic disease and putting your life in danger.

Let’s explore the top five diseases that are causing the premature death of Australian men, and how exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent them.

5. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD) CLRD is the collection of conditions that affect the lower respiratory system, including emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis, that cause damage to the lungs and restrict airflow.

■ Physical activity throughout life may reduce a person’s risk of COPD and decrease symptoms such as

breathlessness.

■ A high level of sedentary behaviour, like sitting, increases your risk of COPD, regardless of exercise time.

■ Older adults who are physically active have better lung function compared to adults who are not physically active.

4. Stroke A stroke occurs when blood flow to or within the brain is affected. This results in a lack of oxygen and nutrients to areas of the brain, causing cell death of that area.

Many lifestyle factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, artery disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and a lack of physical activity can increase a person’s risk.

Being a male also increases your risk of stroke, which is why it’s so important to reduce other risk factors.

■ Any exercise, when compared to no exercise,

protects against the risk of stroke.

■ Older men who are moderately physical active are least likely to have a stroke.

■ Moderate to high levels of physical activity reduces risk of all stroke.

■ Exercise decreases your total risk factors by decreasing blood pressure, decreasing total cholesterol and managing and controlling weight.

3. Dementia Dementia is a collection of symptoms that affect the brain.

The World Health Organisation recently released new exercise guidelines to assist in the prevention of dementia.

Evidence is piling up to prove that the more active you are in life the lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

On top of that: ■ Aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, swimming) improves cognitive function.

■ Physical activity maintains performance in memory.

2. Cancer of the lungs, trachea and bronchus Exercise can decrease the risk of lung cancer in both current and former smokers.

1. Ischemic heart disease This occurs when the arteries of the heart become blocked and therefore oxygen delivery to the heart is limited.

Symptoms vary person to person and unfortunately the first sign of ischemic heart disease can be when you have a heart attack.

Poor lifestyle choices will increase your risk of ischemic heart disease.

Being physically active decreases your risk of developing heart disease by: ■ Weight Management – Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for heart disease, and regular exercise helps to keep

you at a healthy weight.

■ Reduce your stress – exercise can help to reduce and manage stress.

■ For more tips on improving your heart health, visit the Heart Foundation’s website.

Take home message If you want to reduce your risk of premature death, making some simple lifestyle changes can help.

■ Reduce excess weight by making healthy food choices.

■ Stop smoking.

■ Avoid sitting for too long – get up, walk and stretch at least every one or two hours ■ Exercise – aim to meet the Australian Physical Activity guidelines for your age group. If you’re living with an illness or chronic disease, an accredited exercise physiologist can help you to exercise safely.

Info: exerciseright.com.au

Natural

New guide for comparison of medical treatment A NEW guide designed to help patients understand medical treatment fees and out of pocket costs will go online soon.

The AMA’s Informed Financial Consent Guide; A Collaboration Between Doctors and Patients aims to aid Australians when faced with making decisions around medical treatments.

It will provide an estimate of fees and the costs payable by a patient after any government and health insurer rebates.

The content is being provided voluntarily by

doctors and specialists.

The Federal Government website is being developed in consultation with consumers, medical professionals and insurers to make sure it includes appropriate information and features to assist and support consumers about decisions on their health care.

It is expected to incorporate MBS benefits and information about insurer gap payment arrangements, in addition to the doctor’s maximum

fee and the most common out-of-pocket costs for a treatment. The website is expected to go live by the end of the year.

An alternative and independent cost comparison website, mydrbill.com.au, has already gone live.

It has been set up by two retired doctors, Katherine McGrath and Stephen Clarke.

The website lists out-of-pocket expenses for about 90 procedures.

It focuses on the fees specialist doctors charge for surgical or medical

procedures and maternity care.

“The aim is to for patients to give de-identified information about their own out of pocket costs to help other patients choose wisely,” the website states.

“We provide advice about how to assess costs before you choose a specialist.”

MyDrBill does not cover emergency care, care outside of hospitals or care involving chronic conditions such as dialysis, transplants and chemotherapy.

Visit agedcare.royal commission.gov.au/ hearings/Pages/ Webcast.aspx.

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PALLIATIVE Care Australia (PCA) Board Chair Dr Jane Fischer has appeared as a witness at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety person-centred care hearing recently and emphasised the urgent need for palliative care to be considered as ‘core business’ in aged care.

Dr Fischer’s highlighted PCA’s a plan to improve palliative care in aged care.

1. Aged care policy should align with the World Health Organisation definition of palliative care and not be restricted to ‘end of life’ or last days/weeks.

2. Palliative care must be included and clearly articulated in the aged care quality standards, which all Commonwealth funded aged care services are required to meet.

3. All undergraduate nursing, allied health, medical courses and certificate courses for care workers must include mandatory units on palliative care.

4. Establish national minimum data sets for palliative care which includes both health and aged care.

5. Funding is needed to fully implement the National Palliative Care Strategy.

6. Investment and the development of innovative models of care to ensure equitable access to specialist palliative care.

7. Greater focus on community awareness on death and dying, palliative care and advance care planning.

8. Palliative care should be a COAG priority.

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AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

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C E L E B R AT E S E N IO R S W E E K 2 019 ■ Calendar of events

■ Community living choices ■ Travel ■ Living your best life

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FEATURE

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Enjoy your Seniors Week

Take advantage of many activities and try something new Tracey Johnstone IT’S time to celebrate everything that is great about being a Queensland senior.

This year’s unique nine-day Queensland Seniors Week opens the door for all of us to promote positive community attitudes within our seniors communities and in the

broarder community.

We can all do our bit towards positive ageing, increasing community participation and enhancing our community connections during August 17-25, and beyond.

In this year’s Seniors News feature you can discover all that there is on offer in your region.

Why not set a target of doing one Seniors Week

activity each day of this year’s annual celebration?

Learn, experience, enjoy and celebrate all things senior.

Grab a friend and take them with you as you discover a whole new world of multicultural, intergenerational and lifestyle activities, events, recreation, sport, art, craft, history and future.

Visit your local library, join a new recreation

group, learn a new craft skill or attend a show.

The list is endless. The only limitation is you.

Keep an eye out and an ear open to opportunities for longer-term connections with interesting groups and activities.

The week is a great chance to experience something new and to continue to enjoy that experience well beyond

Seniors Week.

The signature event this year is the Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers which is a unique arts initiative that provides a platform to develop intergenerational friendships, connections and understanding.

To find out about events outside your region, go to qldseniorsweek.org.au or phone 1300 738 348.

OK, now it’s YOUR turn to party.

Community spirit and values drive our service

TOOWOOMBA ANGELS: Judy Dempsey with client Margaret Chesterfield, Caroline Pedersen, Leo Harrigan and Karen Currie.

Caroline said that since Life Without Barriers established transport support for aged care clients in 2014 in Toowoomba, the service offering and geographic range has exploded.

The organisation now covers a range of services and covers clients surrounding towns of Warwick, Crows Nest, Chinchilla, Dalby and down the range, as far as

Gatton.

“Since then we have commenced Commonwealth Home Support Program and our very popular home care packages providing different levels of support around domestic assistance, personal care and of course, the continuance of our transport service – this covers taxi vouchers for the majority and those

that require more specialised support, a direct pick up and drop off service.”

Also on offer, Life Without Barriers also offers: ■ Veterans home care – which covers a variety of services from domestic assistance in the form of spring cleans to general maintenance, lawn care and personal care clients ■ Queensland Community

Support Scheme (QCSS) – which commenced on the July 1 this year and, working alongside other service providers, assists with transferring their clients to Life Without Barriers’ service “One of our clients, Mrs Chesterfield, is typical of the positive outcomes that our services provide,” Caroline said.

“She told us last week, ‘I love this service and

have been with you for five years... I’m not sure what I would do without you guys’.

“Another client who uses us to help with domestic chores, said of one of our cleaners, ‘she is very productive and refreshing to have around’.

“And that’s part of the attraction – our staff become more than just people who come to clean or help with chores – we build relationships with our clients, because we really do want them to live their best life.”

Caroline said the team in Toowoomba, headed up by aged care co-ordinator Judy Dempsey, includes a variety of culturally diverse support staff available to meet the needs of the consumers.

Most staff have worked for many years within the community sector.

“We now have more than 180 clients in our aged care programs, and this is steadily growing,” Caroline said.

We would welcome any inquiries about our services, and you can phone us any time on (07) 4616 3100 or go to lwb.org.au/agedcare.

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LIFE Without Barriers provide more than support services – they provide trusting relationships.

When clients start calling your workers “my angels”, you know you’re doing something right.

And while none of the staff at Life Without Barriers in Toowoomba claim to be sprouting wings and a halo, their dedication to their aged care clients is pretty heavenly.

“All of us work hard to ensure our company values come to life when we are dealing with our aged care clients,” aged care manager Caroline Pedersen said.

“We provide a wide range of support services under our home care packages, ensuring our clients are given every opportunity to live active, safe and stress free lives in their own home.

“But it’s the values that make our service extra special – we build relationships based on respect, responsiveness, courage and imagination, all vital ingredients to our clients, as well as our staff.

“We love what we do, as much as our clients love us doing it.”

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Our Calendar of Events SENIORS Week provides the opportunity for older Queenslanders to explore programs and services, events and activities, connect with people of all ages and backgrounds, to celebrate the many contributions older people make in their communities.

Take a look at our Calendar of Events across your region from August 17–25.

■ Seniors Week concert 9.30am–4pm A concert will be presented by our various activities, followed by a light lunch.

Afternoon entertainment will be provided by the dance band, Timeless.

Venue: Toowoomba Senior Citizens Club Inc, 39 Victoria St, Toowoomba.

Cost: $5 Contact: Bookings required by Wednesday, August 14, phone 07 4632 7157.

■ Table Tennis morning 10am–12.30pm Join experienced and new, interested people for a fun-filled morning of table tennis games, lessons and morning tea.

Wheelchair accessible Venue: Table Tennis Assoc, 5 Woodlands Rd, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Booking required, phone 07 5466 3425.

■ Country music concert 1–4.30pm Enjoy an afternoon of great country music with proceeds going to the Lockyer Valley School Chaplaincy program.

Wheelchair accessible Venue: Gatton COTA Seniors Centre, 23 North St, Gatton.

Cost: $7 ■ Colours of the Lockyer Arts and Culture Festival 10am–3pm With five hours of free entertainment and activities along with a wide variety of information and market stalls, this festival offers something for everyone.

Medieval knights,

Aboriginal performances, belly dancers, live music and more.

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Ferrari Park, Laidley.

Cost: Free

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

■ Pringle Cottage Museum Tour noon–3pm Pringle Cottage Museum is offering a guided tour of the museum and complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits for seniors during opening hours.

Cost: $5 Venue: Warwick Museum, Pringle Cottage, 79–83 Dragon St, Warwick.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

■ Southern Cross Soloists concert Rhapsody 3–5pm Join Australia’s leading chamber ensemble, Southern Cross Soloists, for a thrilling concert of brilliance, flair and sumptuous music-making.

From Ravel’s whirling La Valse, to Massenet’s gorgeous violin melody in Meditation, this program of much-loved classics and virtuosic masterpieces culminates with an absolute audience favourite: George Gershwin’s legendary jazz piano concerto, Rhapsody in Blue.

Wheelchair accessible and hearing loop available.

Venue: Warwick Campus, Church of Christ Care, 223 Dragon St, Warwick.

SHARING IS CARING: Queensland Seniors Week 2019.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required by Friday, August 16, phone 3370 1923.

MONDAY, AUGUST 19

■ Seniors concert 10am–noon Free Seniors Week Concert featuring Memphis Moovers.

Doors open at 9.30am for morning tea.

Venue: Clifton Co-Op Hospital, Diversional Therapy Room, Parking off Kate St. Contact: Bookings required by August 16, phone 131 872.

■ AGM of NSA 9.30am The annual general meeting of Garden City Toowoomba branch of National Seniors Australia.

Before the formalities of the annual meeting we will be entertained by a

Singing Group.

There will be raffles, a bring and buy stall, morning tea served by the Bowls Ladies.

Visitors welcome.

Venue: Drayton Bowls Club, cnr Ball and Gipps Street Cost $7.

Contact: For more information, phone Hazel on 4635 4519.

■ PrYme Aqua 8.30am-9.15am This class is ideal for anyone new to Aqua Aerobics, PrYme Movers members or someone recovering from injury.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Yoga 9.30–10.30am Relax and unwind with 60 minutes of mindfulness, gentle stretching and exercise.

A fusion of several different yoga styles to

Photo: Cecilie_Arcurs

centre your mind and body, suitable for new comers and experienced yogis.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ PrYme Active (Stadium) 10.30–11.30am Classes are designed for adults 60 and older who like to maintain an active lifestyle and are looking for a fun, social experience as well as a good workout.

The focus is on games and other fun physical activities designed to increase fitness, coordination and balance.

This class is all about experiencing the joy of movement through games and sport.

WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Laidley luncheon 9.30am–1pm

Catch up with old friends and meet new ones over morning tea and lunch.

Entertainment by local musician John Miners, raffles, lucky door prizes and more.

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Laidley Cultural Centre, 3 Laidley Plainland Rd, Laidley.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 07 5466 3425.

■ Tech Savvy libraries 10–11am Learn how to use a tablet/phone to read books and magazines or listen to stories and watch movies.

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Gatton Library, 34 Lake Apex Dr, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required 5466 3425.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019 TUESDAY, AUGUST 20

■ Seniors Concert 10–noon Free Seniors Week Concert featuring Memphis Moovers.

Doors open at 9.30am for morning tea.

Venue: Millmerran Cultural Centre, Walpole Street, Millmerran.

Bus leaving Cecil Plains Library at 9am to attend Millmerran Concert.

Bus leaving Pittsworth Pioneer Village at 8.45am stopping at Brookstead Community Hall 9.10am to attend Millmerran Concert.

Contact: Bookings required by August 16, phone 131 872.

■ Pringle Cottage Museum Tour 9am–noon Pringle Cottage Museum is offering a guided tour of the museum and complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits for seniors during opening hours.

Venue: Warwick Museum, Pringle Cottage, 79–83 Dragon St, Warwick.

Cost: $5 ■ Pilates 9.30–10.30am Pilates aims to strengthen the core (ie abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks) improves physical co-ordination and balance.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Recorder ensemble 10am–10.30am Presentation by U3A recorder ensemble.

Warwick Art Gallery, 49 Albion St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ PrYme Easy 11am-11.45am A class designed for people 50 and over looking to stay active and mobile with gentle exercises in a welcoming social environment.

The class combines aerobic and resistance training to help maintain overall fitness while having a great time with upbeat music and good company.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Introduction to Library Digital Resources 2–3 pm Southern Downs Regional Council provides a range of resources and services to residents through its libraries.

Find out more about the wide range of digital resources on offer such as eBooks, eAudio, eMagazines, and film streaming.

Venue: Warwick Library Meeting Room, 49 Albion St, Warwick.

Contact: Bookings required, phone Marianne Potter on 1300 697 372.

Cost: Free ■ Magic for the Ages 10.30am–1pm A multi-generational celebration featuring a magic show by Drace Illusionist, activities, stalls, prizes and a free light lunch.

Venue: Laidley Cultural Centre, 3 Laidley Plainland Rd, Laidley.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 07 5466 3425.

■ Open Day – Lockyer Valley Community Activities Shed 9–11am Join the men and ladies for an open day and find out what happens inside the shed.

Enclosed shoes to be worn for safety.

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Lockyer Valley Community Activities Shed, Saleyard Rd, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 5466 3425 ■ Be Connected Tech Support Information Session, 10–11.30am Learn how to ‘get connected’ electronically.

From email, to social media, this session is a walk through for beginners.

Wheelchair accessible Venue: Lockyer Community Centre, 14 Crescent St, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 5466 3425.

FUN AND FITNESS: Queensland Seniors Week 2019.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21

■ Seniors Concert 10am–noon Free Seniors Week Concert featuring Memphis Moovers.

Doors open at 9.30am for morning tea.

Venue: Crows Nest Community Hall, William St, Crows Nest.

Bus leaving Highfields Cultural centre at 9am to attend Crows Nest Concert.

Contact: Bookings required by August 16, phone 131 872.

■ PrYme Aqua 8.30–9.15am This class is ideal for anyone new to Aqua Aerobics, PrYme Movers members or someone recovering from injury.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Mystery Movie 10am–noon Settle back and enjoy morning tea along with a movie with a difference.

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: LaiCost: Free

dley Library, Spicer St, Laidley.

Contact: Bookings required, phone 5466 3425.

■ Gatton luncheon 9.30am–1pm Bring along your friends, enjoy morning tea, lunch, great entertainment with Trudy and Jed Hintz, raffles, lucky door prizes and more.

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Gatton Shire Hall, 52 North St, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required phone 5466 3426.

■ Taoist Tai Chi Class 1–2.30pm Join members of the Taoist Tai Chi and they will guide you through a basic Tai Chi class.

The class is free for all first timers and new members. Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Gatton COTA Seniors Centre, 13 North St, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings

Photo: FatCamera

required, phone 5466 3426.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22

■ Seniors Concert 10am–noon Free Seniors Week Concert featuring Memphis Moovers.

Doors open at 9.30am for morning tea.

Venue: Oakey Cultural Centre, Corner Campbell/McDonald Streets, Oakey.

Contact: Bookings required by August 16, phone 131 872.

■ Pringle Cottage Museum Tour 9am–noon Pringle Cottage Museum is offering a guided tour of the museum and complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits for seniors during opening hours.

Venue: Warwick Museum, Pringle Cottage, 79–83 Dragon St, Warwick.

Cost: $5 ■ Croquet Try Out Day 9.30am–12.30pm

Come explore and learn about the sport of Croquet, and play some Croquet with our friendly club.

Morning tea will be provided Venue: Warwick Croquet Club, Albert St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Pickleball 10am–noon An introduction to the game of Pickleball by two accredited coaches. One of Australia’s fastest growing sports, Pickleball is a paddle and ball sport played over a low net on a small court.

Come along and try out this new and exciting sport.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Garden Care, Drought Wise 10–11.30am We will be showing customers the best plants to survive through tough environmental times alongside the best way to CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019 utilise soils and products to make the most of your water consumption.

Venue: Bunnings Warwick, cnr Canning and Condamine St Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ PrYme Mind and Body noon–12.45pm All PrYme (seniors) classes for Seniors Week are free for anyone wanting to try them out.

There is aqua classes, gentle chair yoga, pilates and tai chi available.

Venue: WIRAC 2, 9 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Introduction to Online Training Resources 2–3pm Southern Downs Regional Library Service has a wide range of free eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, eLearning and eDatabases available online to all those with a membership cardanywhere, anytime.

Venue: Warwick Library Meeting Room, 49 Albion St, Warwick.

Contact: Bookings required, phone 1300 697 372.

Cost: Free ■ Tai chi 4.30–5.30pm Relax and unwind with tai chi, a perfect class made for any fitness level.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Seniors Expo 9am–3pm During Seniors Week, Garden City branch of National Seniors Australia, with the sponsorship of Toowoomba Regional Council, will host a seniors expo.

This will be an opportunity for seniors to gain information on, and interact with the providers of, services and activities such as health services, finance, travel, retirement living, social clubs and more. There is still space for more stall holders.

Venue: Berghofer Recreation Centre, Baker Street, Toowoomba.

Cost: Free Contact: For more, phone Hazel on 4635 4519.

■ Open Day – Lockyer Valley Community Activities Shed 9–11am Join the men and ladies for an open day and find out what happens inside the shed. Closed in shoes to be worn for safety.

Venue: Lockyer Valley Community Activities Shed, Saleyard Rd, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 5466 3425.

■ Mystery Movie 10am–noon Settle back and enjoy morning tea along with a movie with a difference!

Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Gatton Library, 34 Lake Apex Dr, Gatton.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 5466 3425.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23

■ Seniors Concert 10am–noon Free Seniors Week Concert featuring Memphis Moovers.

Doors open at 9.30am for morning tea.

Venue: Cooyar Community Hall, Munro Street, Cooyar. Bus leaving Yarraman Bowls Club at 9am to attend Cooyar Concert.

Contact: Bookings required by August 16, phone 131 872.

■ PrYme Aqua 8.30am-9.15am This class is ideal for anyone new to aqua aerobics, PrYme Movers members or someone recovering from injury.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Pringle Cottage Museum Tour 10am–noon Pringle Cottage Museum is offering a guided tour of the museum and complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits for seniors during opening hours.

Venue: Warwick Museum Pringle Cottage, 79–83 Dragon St, Warwick.

Cost: $5 ■ Pilates 10.30–11.30am

TECH SAVVY SENIORS: Queensland Seniors Week 2019.

Pilates aims to strengthen the core (ie abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks) improves physical co-ordination and balance.

Venue: WIRAC, 29 Palmerin St, Warwick.

Cost: Free ■ Vintage and Classic Car Rides 9.30am–12.30pm Revisit the glory days of vintage cars as you go for a jaunt in your choice of some beautifully restored vehicles provided by the Lockyer Antique Motor Association. Morning tea and lunch included.

Venue: Laidley Pioneer Village, Pioneer St, Laidley.

Cost: Free Contact: Bookings required, phone 07 5466 3425.

■ Over 50s Lifestyle Expo noon–3pm The expo will include approx. 25 exhibitors, providing displays and

information stalls ranging from support services, learning opportunities for over 50s, support devices, leisure activities, special interest groups, care planning etc.

Throughout the day there will be a group presentation on care planning and tai chi fitness.

The aim is to provide information to Over 50s community members, to better equip and inform them regarding their personal future care and lifestyle options, where patrons have an opportunity to gather a multiple choice of information in one easily accessible location.

Venue: Gatton Shire Hall, 52 North St, Gatton.

Cost: Free ■ Line dancing class 5.30–7pm Why not give line dancing a go?

It’s fun, it’s free and it’s easier than it looks.

Meet some great

Photo: KatarzynaBialasiewicz

people and try something new.

Venue: Gatton Church of Christ Hall, cnr Hickey and Allan St, Gatton.

Cost: Free

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24

Chaplaincy Family Breakfast 7.30–9am This is a time for fellowship and prayer to support School Chaplaincy in the Lockyer Valley.

Venue: Gatton Church of Christ Hall, cnr Hickey and Allan St, Gatton.

Cost: Free, donation appreciated.

Contact: Bookings required, phone 5466 3425.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 ■ Guided Museum tour noon–3pm Pringle Cottage Museum Tour Pringle

Cottage Museum is offering a guided tour of the museum and complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits for seniors during opening hours.

Venue: Warwick Museum, Pringle Cottage, 79–83 Dragon St, Warwick.

Cost: $5

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25

■ Combined Churches Gospel Service 2–3pm An afternoon of gospel music and a performance by the Peace Lutheran Choir.

Afternoon tea will be provided. Wheelchair accessible.

Venue: Gatton COTA Seniors Centre, 13 North St, Gatton.

Cost: Free

Disclaimer: Dates and times are printed as given to us. No responsibility is taken for accuracy of this information.

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

MATURE-AGE EMPLOYMENT: A new factsheet is available for older workers.

Photo: AlexD75

New research reveals facts for older workers THE Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research released a new fact sheet on legal protections for mature workers in Australia, outlining national and state laws that protect mature workers from discrimination and uphold their right to seek flexible work arrangements.

It also addresses the way workplace health and safety laws can be

uniquely relevant to older Australians.

“Older Australians are a vital part of the workforce and economy,” said Marian Baird, CEPAR chief investigator and Professor of Gender and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney Business School.

“Almost 20 per cent of Australian workers are over the age of 55 and, as the population ages, this

proportion will continue to rise.

“Such population ageing drives an increase in older workers but has also been magnified by rising mature labour force participation rates.

“While participation rates indicate older people are increasingly more engaged in the labour market, many challenges remain.

“Older Australians,

particularly women, are disproportionally primary carers of the elderly and those with a disability.

“Mature workers often juggle work and caring responsibilities, which are less well recognised than the child-caring role faced by many younger workers.

“Many also experience age discrimination in the workplace or when looking for work.

“The Australian Human

Rights Commission reports that 35 per cent of Australians aged between 55 and 64 have experienced ageism.

“Ageism and rigid work arrangements that don’t enable flexibility are two major barriers to older people remaining in, or re-entering, the workforce.

“Policymakers have recognised that mature workers need special protections, particularly

with respect to discrimination, flexible work, and health and safety, but more needs to be done in practice.”

A fact sheet, released by CEPAR, gives an overview of the legislative measures that protect mature workers in Australia. It is available to download free of charge at cepar.edu.au/ fact-sheets.

Seat cushions, pillows compromise older driver safety

EXTRAS: These are the sort of car seat items tested.

NEW research has found that common accessories typically used by older Australians to improve comfort in cars may increase the chance of injury during a crash.

Researchers at the Transurban Road Safety Centre at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) conducted more than 130 crash test simulations using a wide range of car seat accessories and found that some types of accessories may pose health risks.

These accessories include items that some drivers use to sit on, or place between their back

and the seat, such as seat base cushions, seat back cushions, back support or head-rest cushions.

“Around a quarter of older drivers use an aftermarket accessory to improve their comfort. But these products often have not been tested for safety,” Associate Professor Julie Brown, joint director of the Transurban Road Safety Centre at NeuRA, said.

People over the age of 65 are nine times more likely to be seriously injured during a car accident.

This is because their increased fragility makes

them more susceptible to injury.

Chest injuries are the primary cause of death for older drivers and poorly positioned seatbelts increase the risk of such injuries.

“The results show accessories that change the geometry of a seatbelt or the posture of a driver could increase the chance of these chest injuries in a crash,” Associate Professor Brown said.

“Our findings demonstrate the need to provide better guidance for older drivers on how to both be comfortable and safe while behind the wheel.

“Currently there is nowhere for people to go to get information about how to safely use these accessories.”

Associate Professor Brown recommends drivers check whether seats can be adjusted before using an accessory.

“If a driver can adjust their seat instead of sitting on a cushion or placing something behind their back, it will likely be much safer,” she said.

The Transurban Road Safety Centre is Australia’s only research-dedicated crash test lab.

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Hearing Aid alternatives to take off HEARING specialists have released new TV Voice clarifying earphones, which have outperformed the world’s best hearing aids in delivering clearer TV speech and dialogue.

Hearing specialist Don Hudson said the new TV Voice Pro Air earphones were developed based upon over 1000 hearing test results of those with hearing loss, and proven TV listening difficulty.

“Hearing TV dialogue clearly is a significant problem for those with hearing loss,” Don said.

“The clarity of the TV audio itself is highly variable, as many channels differ dramatically in intelligibility, and the

volume is often changing between programs and advertisements too.

“Hearing aids find it hard to correct this problem, as the originating problem is how the audio has been mixed for each TV program.”

The new wireless TV Voice Pro Air earphones overcomes this problem by altering the original TV audio.

The TV audio is recalibrated to a speech enhanced frequency response, with particular adjustments to high frequency consonants, such as ‘s’, ‘f’, ‘th’, ‘p’, to clarify TV dialogue.

Audiologist Suzanne Porter said hearing aid clientele are always

searching for better clarity, with up to 60 per cent of those with hearing aids reporting ongoing difficulties hearing speech and dialogue.

“Although the overall benefits of hearing aids are very good, often clientele still report difficulties in certain situations, such as difficulty hearing the TV dialogue, or trouble hearing on their mobile phone,” Suzanne said.

“For TV, hearing aid wearers said they were often missing the punch-line on their favourite TV programs, and fed up not hearing TV dialogue clearly, spoiling their overall enjoyment.”

The new TV Voice Pro

EASY LISTENING: The new wireless TV Voice Pro Air earphones overcomes hearing problems by altering the original TV audio.

Air System utilises the most beneficial audio clarity setting based on feedback from customers.

The product was also tested with hearing aid clientele at a busy audiology practice, with overwhelming feedback of improved clarity for TV listening over their current hearing aids.

The TV Voice Pro Air system has a specialised volume range up to 110dB – adequate volume for

those with any level of hearing loss, from mild to severe.

It works with any TV, new or old, and the earphones operate wirelessly up to 10 metres from the television.

The audio and volume of the TV for others in the room is not affected.

The TV Voice Pro Air system connects in under two minutes to any TV in Australia.

The earphones are

rechargeable and no batteries are required.

The purchase price is $349.

TV Voice Pro Air comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

To order, phone 1300 300 446 or order online, go to TvVoicePro.com.au. TV Voice Pro is currently offering free express courier delivery for a limited time.

YOUR FAMILY FRIENDLY DOCTORS IN WESTBROOK

Our family doctors are experienced in treating patients of all ages.

We are a multi-cultural practice and welcome patients from diverse backgrounds. If you require an interpreter this can be easily arranged for you or your family.

Cultural sensitivity is important to the doctors and staff of this practice.

Bulk billing is available to all patients who hold a current DVA or Medicare card. Conditions Apply.

Mon – Fri 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM 4/85 Main Street, Westbook QLD 4350 Sun Closed Public Holidays Closed

CONTACT DETAILS 07 4529 7447 Fax: 07 4529 7448 info@westbrookmedical.com.au www.westbrookmedical.com.au Book appointment

7034545aa

WORKING HOURS

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FEATURE

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Your local event guide CULTURE FESTIVAL

THE Toowoomba Languages and Cultures Festival brings dance, language and food from around the world to Queens Park on Sunday, August 11. Nepalese culture takes centre stage this year.

Toowoomba International Multicultural Society president and festival chair Gitie House said the festival united more than 100 community groups, service organisations, businesses and partners to support and encourage a sense of belonging and community harmony.

Everyone is encouraged to join the festivities.

Gates open from 10am-4pm. Entry is $10 for adults, $5 concession, children free. Go to TLCFestival.com.au or phone 0422 867 929.

CREAKING JOINTS?

A FREE Twilight Talk on creaking hips and knees from 6-7pm on Tuesday, August 13, presented by the Toowoomba Hospital, looks at osteoarthritis, prevention, treatment and

if there is a cure.

Guest speaker is orthopaedic surgeon Dr Chris Wall. A light supper is provided and complimentary parking is available. It is at Unara Conference, adjacent to Pechey St at the Toowoomba Hospital.

Phone 4616 5563.

LEYBURN SPRINTS

BATHURST winners Dick Johnson and Fred Gibson have joined a line-up of motor-racing legends set to attend the Historic Leyburn Sprints, this year celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Australian Grand Prix in Leyburn in 1949.

It’s the 24th running of the Sprints and Johnson and Gibson, both in their 70s, will participate in a variety of meet-and-greet activities over the weekend of August 17-18.

They will join 1960s and ’70s touring car contemporaries Colin Bond, John French, Kevin Bartlett, Bill Gates and others.

It is Gibson’s first visit, but Johnson has been a Sprints regular in recent years on the 1km

round-the-houses course.

Original 1949 Grand Prix cars will be on show, and you can see historic and classic cars race the clock through the streets of Leyburn. There will be food stalls, markets and more than 15 vintage caravans on show. Go to historicleyburn sprints.com.au or phone 4695 0001.

BATTLES REMEMBERED

AS WELL as August 18 being Vietnam Veterans Day, this year it is also the date to mark the 1942 Battle of Milne Bay, in which Toowoomba troops played such a big part. On the south-east tip of Papua New Guinea, it was the first Allied defeat of the Japanese army on land in the Second World War. Harlaxton RSL Band will be pulling double duty, providing tributes at both events. The 25th Infantry Battalion (known as the Darling Downs Regiment as it was headquartered in Toowoomba) will mark the Battle of Milne Bay at the battalion memorial about 11am after a 7.30am service at St

That’s Show Business Patrick Pickett conducts

Queensland Pops Orchestra

Musical theatre hits from Jesus Christ Superstar, Wicked Les Misérables and Grease with special guest artist

Rob “Millsy” Mills and the rising talent from

1 Sept 2:30pm

o N ok o B

Empire Theatre Toowoomba PH: 1300 655 299

w

AUSSIE LEGEND: Dick Johnson on his Ford Falcon at Mt Panorama. He is among big-name guests at this year's Historic Leyburn Sprints, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Australian Grand Prix in Leyburn in 1949.

James’s Church.

The Vietnam Veterans’ Day ceremony is at 9am at the Vietnam memorial in Margaret St, near the Mothers Memorial.

Harlaxton.

RSL members will also be raising funds selling memorabilia at Northpoint shopping centre in the days leading up to the anniversaries.

COMMUNITY WELLNESS

TOOWOOMBA Hospital Foundation is offering a couple of different wellness talks, starting

with Balanced Meals & Cooking for One on Tuesday, August 20 from 10-11am.

Then on Tuesday, September 10, you can learn about Living Options in Your Senior Years, with information on retirement villages, aged care and manufactured homes.

Both sessions are free and morning tea is provided.

Booking is required by the Friday prior on 4616 6166 or email stacey@toowoomba hospital foundation. org.au.

SENIORS EXPO

As part of Seniors Week, Garden City Toowoomba Branch of National Seniors is running a free Seniors Expo from 8.30am-4pm on Thursday, August 22.

It’s at the Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre, 20 Baker St, and will feature about 100 stalls covering health, finance, social activities, retirement living, travel and more.

The group meets on the third Monday of the month at 9.30am. Phone 4635 4519 or email hazken59@gmail.com.

It’s show time, pops, at Empire Theatre

WHAT could be more engaging than a 58-piece symphony orchestra playing your favourite musical theatre tunes?

Add the mellow sounds, and energetic moves of Rob “Millsy” Mills with the best Australia has to offer in the next wave of musical stars, and you have a night to remember.

The incredibly talented students from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Performing Arts join us for the fourth year.

There’s something endlessly endearing about many hit songs from classic Broadway and West End musicals.

A great tune from a Broadway musical has a unique quality that differentiates it from any other pop song.

Musical theatre songs transcend traditional barriers and stereotypes – shining stars of the very best that soaring melody and searing lyric can offer.

Their mission is to transport the listener into a vibrant and bewitching

sensory paradise.

These timeless songs are best seen and heard from a live performance stage, as they bring back that magic moment when you first witnessed the song live.

Even if you never got to experience the stage musical, these songs have so much melody and presence they can still carry you away.

That’s Show Business!

Our fantastic performers are the cornerstone of this noblest art.

As musical theatre has evolved, so too has the versatility of its artists.

With the stronger demands of the narrative performers have had to become actors, comedians, singers and dancers – what the typical stage producer values most.

In the past, there were separate dancing and singing choruses; now everyone is expected to do it all!

Producer Cameron Mackintosh’s four shows (Cats, Les Misérables,

The Phantom of The Opera and Miss Saigon) have run on Broadway for more than 60 years in total.

Internationally, they have made more money than the movies Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Titanic put together.

Through the mediums of sheet music, radio, movies, home entertainment and age-old word of mouth, the wonder of musical theatre has enchanted audiences from every corner of the globe.

That’s Show Business is proudly brought to you

by Patrick Pickett and the one and only Queensland Pops Orchestra.

On Saturday, August 31 and 2.30pm and 7.30pm at QPAC. For details, go to qpac.com.au or phone 136 246 and Sunday, September 1 at 2.30pm at Empire Theatre Toowoomba.

For tickets, go to empiretheatre.com.au or phone 1300 655 299.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

FEATURE

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Barrel barbie champs add some flavour MATES Neil Dransfield and Adrian Blomfield entered their first barbecue cooking competition because it was cheaper to attend the event as a contestant than to pay the general admission fee.

As the day of that first competition at Port Macquarie drew near, they decided to start thinking about what they would cook and do some preparation.

That preparation certainly paid off as the pair walked away from the Australian Barbecue Wars, the biggest barbecue cooking competition in Australia, with first prize and truly hooked on the craze that has taken America by

storm and spread rapidly throughout Australia.

Neil, 58, from Mansfield and Adrian, 55, from Springfield, Brisbane, known among barbecue cooks by their team name Double Barrel BBQ, now compete in up to 12 barbecue cooking competitions a year, travelling far and wide across the country as well as overseas.

“We had heard about it (the barbecue cook-off craze) and we saw a video of it on YouTube featuring one of the founders of the Australian Barbecue Alliance,” Mr Dransfield said.

“We thought it looked like a lot of fun, so we went to the competition in Port Macquarie, which is

the biggest one run outside of America.

“It got a little harder after that first win. And we aren’t competing in as many events this year, maybe just six or seven because it does involve a lot of travel.”

Double Barrel BBQ has managed to rack up an impressive number of wins in the five years they have been competing, and they plan to give the competition a good run for its money when they take part in the cook-off at the Kingaroy BaconFest from August 23-25.

Mr Dransfield said pork ribs were his favourite cut of pork to barbecue and he hoped that would be a category during the BaconFest event.

WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: Double Barrel BBQ’s Neil Dransfield and Adrian Blomfield.

More than 30 competitors have already signed up for the SunPork Smoke-Off barbecue competition at BaconFest.

Cooking starts at 5pm on August 24 and goes through the night non-stop with blind tastings by judges who will be rating each dish on appearance, texture and flavour.

All things bacon will be celebrated at the second annual BaconFest in

Kingaroy from August 23-25.

While the festival celebrates everything porcine, it also supports local producers and raises funds for drought-affected farmers.

The festival kicks off with a Wine and Swine cocktail event on Friday evening, followed the next morning by a cycling and running event, Rasher’s Rush.

There will be baconeating competitions, a Miss BaconFest pin-up pageant, a two-day bacon-themed food market and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef Adrian Richardson, host of popular television cooking show Secret Meat Business.

Go to kingaroybacon fest.com.au.

MON 19TH AUGUST

CLIFTON

SENIORS CONCERT - 2019 -

F E A T U R I N G

MEMPHIS MOOVERS

Doors open 9.30 for morning tea, concert to start 10am -12pm

Clifton Co-Op Hospital Diversional Therapy Room, Parking off Kate Street

Doors open 9.30 for morning tea, concert to start 10am -12pm Bus leaving Cecil Plains Library at 9am to attend Millmerran Concert

Millmerran Cultural Centre, Walpole Street, Millmerran Millmerran Cultural Centre, Walpole Street, Millmerran

Bus leaving Pittsworth Pioneer Village at 8.45am stopping at Brookstead Community Hall 9.10am to attend Millmerran Concert

Millmerran Cultural Centre, Walpole Street, Millmerran

Doors open 9.30 for morning tea, concert to start 10am -12pm Bus leaving Highfields Cultural centre at 9am to attend Crows Nest Concert

Crows Nest Community Hall, William Street, Crows Nest Crows Nest Community Hall, William Street, Crows Nest

Doors open 9.30 for morning tea, concert to start 10am -12pm

Oakey Cultural Centre, Crn Campbell/McDonald Street, Oakey

Doors open 9.30 for morning tea, concert to start 10am -12pm Bus leaving Yarraman Bowls Club at 9am to attend Cooyar Concert

Cooyar Community Hall, Munro Street, Cooyar Cooyar Community Hall, Munro Street, Cooyar

TUE 20TH AUGUST

MILLMERRAN CECIL PLAINS PITTSWORTH

WED 21ST AUGUST

CROWS NEST HIGHFIELDS THU 22ND AUGUST

OAKEY FRI 23RD AUGUST

C O OYA R YA R R A M A N

For more information, call us on 131 872 or visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/events

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FEATURE

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

OVER 50’S LIFESTYLE RESORT www.affinitylifestyle.com.au

See it ... hear it ... feel it!

70 Amy Street (via Ben St), Morayfield

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

FEATURE

FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OPEN DAY SATURDAY 17TH AUGUST 2019 10am - 4pm • Launch of the brand new ‘Marion’ display home • Visual presentation highlighting the conservation value of the surrounding environment • Pre-registration for bush care planting in Amy St park (Wednesday 21 August) • Cutting of celebration cake by the Hon. Mark Ryan at 11am • Hot & cold refreshments available throughout the day

Your perfect home among the gumtrees

melody@affinitylifestyle.com.au

1300 295 807

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FEATURE

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Top-quality products Made in Australia

STARTING from humble beginnings some 20 years ago in Brisbane, EasyCare services the whole eastern seaboard with its innovative adjustable beds and tilt and lift chairs, still manufactured locally right here in Queensland.

The business recently changed hands, with the new owners excited to build on the success of the past 20 years and expand the areas serviced with a ‘customer first’ approach. “We take great pride in manufacturing our own adjustable beds and tilt and lift chairs, but it would all be for nothing without our knowledgeable staff and their excellent customer service focus,� company CEO Truls Fauske said. “We managed to retain all staff in the transition to new owners and their commitment to our

Mobility scooters.

SLEEP EASY: The EasyCare group is also one of the largest suppliers of oxygen concentrators in Australia. customers is really showing.�

The EasyCare group is also one of the largest suppliers of oxygen concentrators in Australia and has remained at the forefront of the portable oxygen concentrator revolution when it gained momentum through technology advances

some 10 years ago.

As the largest supplier of Philips Respironics equipment in Australia, there are few questions the customer service team can’t answer.

As a one-stop shop for mobility aids, EasyCare group also has a full range of mobility scooters and power chairs from

respected premium brands Shoprider and Drive DeVilbiss.

Sharp pricing on quality products and a free in-home demonstration service is the EasyCare difference in a crowded mobility industry. “The mobility retail space was overwhelmed with cheap imports a few

years back, but customers quickly learn which brands they can trust,� said Mr Fauske. “We have stuck with the Shoprider and Drive brand since the beginning and we have developed a deep understanding of what makes a reliable end product. “Understanding our customer’s needs so they can purchase the right product is so, so important and something we place great emphasis on during initial consultation with new

customers.�

Recently, EasyCare became a network partner with Aidacare, enabling an even wider range of assistive technology products for end users and their care providers. “This has been fantastic for our customers, where they truly have a one-stop-shop approach to cover their needs,� said Mr Fauske.

Next year will see the EasyCare group expand into Sydney with a new location in the North Shore area.

Mr Fauske said the demand for custom made-in-Australia products in the Sydney market was phenomenal “We have so many customers in this region and setting up a warehouse and showroom in Sydney is a logical step to service those customers better.�

Customers can visit the Brisbane showroom in Virginia to get an appreciation of the quality product range.

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SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

FEATURE

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Care services to suit you Vinnies’ services open to all

MAKING the first steps into the world of aged care is not always an easy journey, particularly when seniors and their families are faced with so many choices of providers and care types.

With facilities and services in Brisbane, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Gympie, St Vincent’s Care Services is a leading provider of retirement living, in-home community living and residential aged care services.

Whether you’re looking to downsize, need some help around the home, or require around the clock care, St Vincent’s Care Services provides a holistic and tailored approach to retirement and aged care services to suit the needs of you or your loved one.

Many seniors who are

QUALITY SERVOCES: St Vincent's Care Services provides a range of support and care options. now ‘empty nesters’ often find the maintenance and upkeep of the family home becoming a challenge.

Sometimes, just making adjustments to your lifestyle such as downsizing to a smaller home, and having someone else take care

of maintenance can have a huge positive impact on your health and wellbeing.

St Vincent’s Care Services Independent Living communities offer contemporary and private units with the convenience and comfort

of a managed village lifestyle.

St Vincent’s Care Services Community Living is the perfect solution for seniors who are able to live in their own home or in an Independent Living community, but who would

benefit from some assistance.

Whether it’s help with the cleaning or weekly grocery shop, transport to and from appointments or social activities, or nursing care to help manage health conditions, your

Community Living Co-ordinator will work with you to develop a plan to suit your needs and lifestyle.

When additional support is required, St Vincent’s Care Services Residential Living provides around-the-clock holistic aged care for a range of needs.

Residents’ expert clinical care and comfortable welcoming accommodation is complemented by professional hotel services, extensive leisure and lifestyle activities and amenities, and compassionate pastoral care support.

St Vincent’s Care Services staff focus on enhancing and celebrating each resident’s lifestyle and enriching their quality of life, and delivering services and care that is tailored to each resident’s needs and preferences.

For more information, go to svcs.org.au or phone 1800 778 767.

The very best in support services and care, where we make you the priority.

At St Vincent’s Care Services, we provide the best balance of independence and support, with tailored options to suit your needs.

We understand the importance of lifestyle and community, which is why our aged care services encompass personal and clinical care, diverse leisure programs and support for emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Our services are tailored to meet your individual needs and are delivered with compassion, justice, integrity and excellence. We specialise in: • Residential Living at Arundel, Bardon, Boondall, Carseldine, Gympie, Kangaroo Point, Maroochydore, Mitchelton, Southport and Toowoomba.

• Independent Living at Bardon, Boondall, Carseldine, Enoggera, Mitchelton and Southport.

• Community Living within various communities in south-east Queensland.

Please contact St Vincent’s Care Services today to arrange a tour or have a confidential discussion about your needs:

J2920 0719

Phone: 1800 778 767 Email: svcs.info@svha.org.au or visit our website: www.svcs.org.au

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FEATURE

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Ambulance grants wishes

A DEDICATED ambulance will grant Queenslanders dying wishes.

Ambulance Wish Queensland will allow terminally ill Queenslanders to achieve wishes they would otherwise be unable to achieve.

“Fulfilling the final wishes of people can be challenging as you could be transporting someone who can’t walk, or sit in a chair, or who might require continuous oxygen or other medical appliances and support,” Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles said.

“With the Ambulance Wish Queensland program medically trained volunteers, adapted ambulances, and necessary equipment will transport people to fulfil their wish successfully and safely.

“I know Palliative Care

‘‘

Palliative Care Queensland has more donation and support opportunities Queensland has more donation and support opportunities, including decommissioned vehicles, parking, vehicle maintenance, electronic stretchers, marketing and promotion.”

“We are the first to bring it to Australia, after a member of the community on the Gold Coast was inspired and approached us about the idea,” Palliative Care Queensland CEO Shyla Mills said.

The program is currently recruiting and training volunteers and seeking support from donors, sponsors and partners to enable wishes to be

fulfilled from later this year.

Requests for wishes will officially open on December 1.

“Every Queenslander is touched by loss, dying and grief at one point in their life,” Ms Mills said.

“This new program will enable us to reach more people and help Queenslanders living with a terminal illness fulfil their final wishes.”

The Queensland Government has contributed a de-commissioned ambulance and initial funding of $50,000 along with $506,000 from PCQ. ■ For more information

HERE TO HELP: Trained Ambulance Wish Queensland officers will be able to fulfil the final dying wishes of patients.

Photo: Contributed on how to support PCQ’s Ambulance Wish Queensland program,

phone PCQ on 3145 0329, visit the website ambulance

wishqld.or.au or email hello@ambulance wishqld.org.au.

Skin Cancer Don’t risk it ...

Skin Cancer Checks

Dr Eddie Roos & Dr Albert Vermeulen

ANNUAL CHECK-UP: It is important to have a check at least once a year or when you have a lesion you are concerned about.

NO REFERRAL NEEDED. MEDICARE REBATES APPLY

When should you have a skin cancer check?

102 Medici Medical Centre, cnr Scott/ Curzon St, Toowoomba

Ph:

4638 2700

7030144aa

Cosmetic Elegance Clinic

IF THERE is one thing that is common to every Australian, it is the need to protect ourselves from the sun.

Not only should we protect ourselves, we also require regular skin checks by a professional.

Research shows that 81 per cent of all diagnosed cancers are skin cancer, making it by far the most common cancer in Australia and the one most people will be likely to develop in their lifetime.

When is a skin check advisable?

It is important to have a check at least once a year or when you have a lesion you are concerned about.

“Skin cancer is not a black and white science,” Dr Albert Vermeulen from Cosmetic Elegance Clinic said.

“If you are worried about something on your skin, have it checked out because it is just not worth the risk.”

“Skin cancers are not always easy to diagnose

because cancers don’t read the text books,” medical director Dr Eddie Roos said.

Dr Roos said other triggers for a skin check could be a sore that bleeds, heals and bleeds again or any sore not healing in six to eight weeks.

Phone (07) 4638 2700 or email info@cosmetic elegance.com.au to arrange your skin check.

For more go to cosmetic elegance.com.au.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

FEATURE

33

QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

Preened to purr-fection Kerry Heaney AMONG the 207 cats and more than 50 cat breeds judged and on display at this year’s Ekka will be Debbie Le’Strange’s Norwegian Forest cat Guysndolls Adrielle.

No stranger to the Ekka, Debbie has been competing with her cats for over 10 years.

Nine-month-old Adrielle has just graduated from the kitten class to try her luck in the big cat class.

She takes the place of Debbie’s former star performer, Micky J, who has retired from public life.

Debbie said it took two hours to prepare Adrielle for a competition with a makeover that would make many women jealous.

“Adrielle has her nails clipped, then a bath and blow-dry,” she said.

Every hair, from head to toe, must be dry, which is why it takes so long.

“We head off to the show the next day,” Debbie said.

“My cats love going to the show.

WELL GROOMED Debbie Le’Strange and her Norwegian Forest cat, Micky J, who has now retired from public life.

“Adrielle struts her stuff and stands up with her tail in the air.

“They love the attention.”

While the cat competition is a popular Ekka destination, the chance to see rare breed cats also attracts continuous crowds.

“People say they have

read about Norwegian Forest Cats but never seen one as it is quite a rare breed in Australia,” Debbie said.

Debbie said these natural breed cats that came from the forests of Norway were very lively and social animals that loved to play.

It’s a large breed, with

male cats reaching up to 10kg in weight.

Longhair, shorthair and kittens will be on display and judged at the championship cat competition by judges from Germany and New Zealand for this popular competition.

Highlights include the Supreme All Breeds Cat of

Show announcement on August 17 and the Kitten Feature Show on August 18.

The Cat Breed Showcase, on August 9, 14, 15 and 16, also is popular with the public.

Although many will be rare and pure breed cats, regular moggies with a loving nature can be

entered in the Companion of Show section.

There’s also a chance to see everything from border collies and chow chows to french bulldogs and poodles in the Ekka Canine Competition, with more than 2706 entries and 200 breeds on show.

This year the canine competition has a new home in Alexandria Park.

Must-see sessions include the toe-tapping Dances with Dogs and the super cute Best Puppy In Group.

Queensland’s aquarium enthusiasts also put on an excellent display for the Royal Queensland Show’s Pisciculture Competition.

A wide variety of breeds are judged including common goldfish, fighting fish, exotic tropical and freshwater fish as well as crustaceans, amphibians and even aquatic plants.

This year’s Ekka runs from August 9-18 at the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills.

For the full animal competition program details, visit the website ekka.com.au.

Soloists to celebrate Qld Seniors Week

IN CONCERT: The Southern Cross Soloists will perform on Sunday, August 18 at The Auditorium, Warwick Campus located on Dragon Street, Warwick.

CHURCHES of Christ in Queensland is celebrating Seniors Week 2019.

Join us for a free live performance from Australia’s leading chamber ensemble, Southern Cross Soloists in an exhilarating program of flair and virtuosity.

Rich with much loved classics and masterpieces, the program includes Ravel’s La Valse, Massenet’s gorgeous Meditation from

Thais, and finishes with a toe-tapping highlight, Gershwin’s jazz piano concerto, Rhapsody in Blue.

Southern Cross Soloists are one of Australia’s leading chamber music ensembles presenting traditional and original works each year.

Established in 1995, they have built a reputation as one of Australia’s leading

chamber music ensembles.

Performers: Tania Frazer (artistic director, oboe), Andrew Fong (clarinet), Alex Raineri (piano), Alan Smith (violin), Lina Andonovska (flute), Alex Miller (French horn) and Blair Harris (cello). Features: ■ 60 minute performance ■ Q&A session ■ Meet and greet with the musicians

Supporting Seniors Week 2019

■ Free event (bookings are essential) Complimentary afternoon tea and light refreshments to enjoy after the concert On Sunday, August 18 from 3-5pm at The Auditorium, Warwick Campus (223 Dragon Street, Warwick).

To book your seat or for more information, phone (07) 3370 1923 or go to cofc.com.au/events.

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FEATURE

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QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

SOCIAL HUB: There is never a dull moment at Living Gems Toowoomba’s award-winning country club.

Never too old to learn some new skills with Living Gems

‘‘

ADVERTORIAL WHEN Marion and Rodney Feldhahn packed up their home in Chinchilla and moved east two years ago, they didn’t realise how fulfilling their lives would be at Living Gems Toowoomba.

Both active members of the lifestyle resort’s social committee, the Feldhahns are busier than ever socialising with friends, learning new hobbies and getting involved in their community.

“We moved here to be closer to services as we got older and we also wanted to live in a secure environment with like-minded people,” Mrs Feldhahn said.

“We never counted on how much more we would gain from living here.

“We have made so many new friends and we are both doing things we’ve never done before.

“I’m learning to play the ukulele and my husband has taken up bowls.

“Retirement means having more time to do

We are really happy with our decision to move to Living Gems Toowoomba. We are very much part of the community here. things you love and to learn something new.”

Most activities are held at the resort’s award-winning country club, which acts as a social hub for residents.

Here you will find people involved in a myriad of activities on a weekly basis such as happy hour, line dancing, mah jong, craft, snooker as well as indoor and outdoor bowls.

The resident-run social committee organises a variety of events each month such as dinners, day trips and other special functions.

Home owners are welcome to participate in these social events as little or as much as they wish.

They also have the opportunity to listen to a number of guest speakers who visit the resort, ensuring that home owners are having fun and learning new things at the same time.

“We are really happy with our decision to move to Living Gems Toowoomba,” Mrs Feldhahn said.

“The resort is not too big that we feel lost or alone.

“We are very much part of the community here.

“It’s easy to get to know people and we are close to everything we need.”

For more information or to arrange a tour, please phone 1800 316 398 or go to livinggems.com.au.

Marion and Rodney Feldham are active members of the social committee at Living Gems Toowoomba.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

FEATURE

“LUXURY HOMES, PREMIUM FACILITIES, AMAZING COMMUNITIES. THE ULTIMATE IN OVER 50s LIVING...”

Blah, blah, blah.

You’ve heard it all before.

Don’t end up paying more for less. Come check us out.

livinggems.com.au 1800 316 398 | 500 South Street, Toowoomba

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FEATURE

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

QUEENSLAND SENIORS WEEK 2019

It’s a family affair at Drayton Villas

SHIRLEY Mallet loves her life at Drayton Villas so much, she convinced her son to move in to the village too!

The lively 87 year old has lived in the vibrant, established community for five years and when her son retired a few years ago, she didn’t hesitate to recommend Drayton Villas to him.

“I retired on the Friday and I bought a villa on the Monday.” Alan said.

“It worked out very, very well.” With his mum just 100 metres down the road, he can walk around there very quickly and check on her.

Alan was initially concerned about having neighbours, as he’s always lived on a couple of acres or in a big house with no-one close by.

“But it’s a good community. I’ve got great neighbours. We all look out for each other,” he said. “I go away a fair bit on holidays and they all help look after my gardens and birds. I go walking in the evenings after dark in the village – you feel safe in the community here.”

As for his mum, Shirley, n keeps busy volunteering at Mount Lofty Nursing Home and cooking up a storm.

She regularly makes tomato relish, cucumber pickles, passionfruit butter and lemon butter, and brings them to Drayton Villas’ homestead to sell to residents.

The money raised goes to the nursing home or a local charity.

GAME ON: Drayton Villas residents Lynn and Lyn enjoying a game of table tennis.

Alan Mallet with his mother, Shirley Mallett.

She’s also a member of the Shirley Club, where women called Shirley get together for monthly dinners, state conferences and a national conference.

“There are a couple of dozen in Toowoomba, and four or five in the village alone!” Alan said.

“She says it’s a good club to be in because you don’t have to remember anyone’s name!”

Drayton Villas, which has been an integral part of the Toowoomba community for 27 years, is home to residents from all around the world.

Village manager Scott Burton has been with Drayton Villas for more than two years says there is nothing more rewarding than helping someone find their new home in the

committee ensures residents are never bored, organising a wide range of activities including community dinners, morning teas, outside entertainment, line dancing classes, card groups and guest speakers, among others.

“The vibrant social atmosphere brings many benefits. You’re never alone in a village like this,” Lynn said.

“Even if you just go across to the Homestead or wander around the village, there’s always somebody to say hello to.

I also feel, from the safety side of things, you don’t have to worry as there are plenty of people close by.”

“I’m really happy here and can’t speak more highly of it!” Lynn said.

If you are researching

village.

“I love finding out more about the people who live here – there are so many interesting stories to be told,” he said.

“Also, the variety of residents is what makes our community special.

We’ve got people from the country, people from Canada, the UK, Ireland and South Africa. Our residents come from all walks of life and have had many different occupations.”

For Scott, the most important aspect of village life is the people and the community they share.

“We have a great bunch of residents and that’s what it’s all about. It can have a big impact on the feel of a village, and we have a friendly, calm

Drayton Villas Village manager, Scott Burton (right) with resident, Tom.

community where people are supportive and look out for one another.”

“The best thing about Drayton Villas is the atmosphere. Everyone who comes in says it feels really relaxed and friendly.” Scott said.

As Scott points out, there are 125 villas “so we can know everyone as individuals. We consider ourselves part of the family almost, and them part of our family as well”.

Lynn Jacobs, has been making the most of the village activities and facilities for more than two years.

“The village has the sporting activities that I like – the tennis courts, swimming pool, table tennis and those sorts of things,” she said.

The village’s social

your next steps in retirement and are unsure of what’s next, RetireAustralia’s guide Retire Ready will answer your retirement living questions.

The guide has some great information available, including choosing a community that’s right for you, how much it will cost, finding the contract that suits you and planning ahead in case your needs change.

To download the complimentary Retire Ready guide, go to info.retireaustralia. com.au/retire-ready.

To book a personal tour of Drayton Villas, phone 1300 687 738 or go to retireaustralia.com. au/communities/ drayton-villas/.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

Relaxed country-style living in the heart of the Darling Downs At Drayton Villas, you can enjoy affordable resort-style living, along with a strong sense of community and relaxed country atmosphere.

You’ll find shops and amenities across the road, including a medical centre, chemist, hairdresser and grocery store. With the CBD just 10 minutes away and a bus stop outside the village entrance, it’s easy to reach local amenities and attractions.

At the heart of the village is our community centre and picturesque ring road, and you’ll have access to exclusive facilities at an affordable price – including a tennis court, heated indoor swimming pool and bowls green.

Drayton Villas has been an integral part of the Toowoomba community for 27 years, and is the perfect place to enjoy a stress-free, low-maintenance lifestyle.

FEATURE

Low maintenance living without compromise Spacious 1 and 2 bedroom villas.

Beautifully refurbished modern kitchen and bathrooms Exclusive onsite facilities: indoor heated pool & spa, tennis court, bowling green, billiards table and much more 24-hour emergency call button Public transport at our front door Medical centre across the road

Researching your next steps in retirement?

Our guide will answer your retirement living questions and give you the confidence to make the right decision for you.

To download the complimentary guide, simply head to:

retireaustralia.com.au

Drayton Villas RETIREMENT VILLAGE

111 Drayton Road, Toowoomba Village opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm, Weekends by appointment.

Call 1300 68 77 38 to book your personal tour retireaustralia.com.au

37

38

FEATURE

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

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SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

Beauty by design The tourist hot-spot you’ve never heard of

PAGE 40

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40

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

Baku’s stunning buildings Paul Coffey I’M IN Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea, north of Iran, at the start of a two-week tour with Peregrine Adventures through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.

It’s my first step in a longish Europe trip; in a few weeks my wife Anne and I will meet up in Prague.

I’m stunned by Baku. I knew it had some interesting architecture, but I didn’t expect the innovation that I’ve seen.

Even the drive in from the airport was a joy: truly amazing buildings and wonderful urban design.

In the city proper there is a mix of architectural styles; some Islamic motifs, neo-classical columns, early 20th century mansions that fuse neo-Gothic and neo-Baroque elements, and timber balconies that jut out from the building facades.

Many apartment buildings even have interesting design elements that provide variety instead of dreary

CONTRASTS: The architecture in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan is a magnificent juxtaposition to the ancient city.

Photos: Paul Coffey

sameness.

The bridges have elegant balustrading, the roadside landscaping is careful and formal-ish, the street lights and some poster columns and borrowed direct from Paris; together with the street trees and some wide boulevards, there’s a distinct Parisian feel.

But there are also delightful news stands or Kiosk Press that I saw in

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Marriage of old and new in Baku,

Istanbul decades ago (the word ‘kiosk’ is a Turkish word).

Even the service stations are designed with some flair. There’s no sign of brutalist Soviet architecture here.

Just as importantly signage is muted: no huge billboards along roadsides, no large neon signs or giant screens, and no big arches at the McDonald’s – it’s like

Noosa’s design principles but on a much larger scale.

And there’s no litter.

The city is clean, but not sterile.

Clever up-lighting on the city’s old buildings at night is exquisite.

And it has an old city too. It’s a delightful walled enclave with some historical buildings, lots of little winding alleyways, some cobblestoned

streets and plenty of touristy cafes and restaurants.

Yes, there’s been a lot of renovation, which is ongoing, but old cities are just great.

No doubt a great deal of renovation has been necessary after the 70-year period of Soviet overlordship from 1920 until Azerbaijan independence in 1991.

And it’s not crowded;

you can quickly find yourself alone, and there’s a gentle, casual feel to the tourism game.

I love it!

Odd fact: Baku is 28 metres below sea level, the lowest-lying capital city in the world.

My driver from the airport seemed to consider the 120km per hour speed limit inadequate for getting from A to B, and many others thought likewise.

Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia form the sub-region known as the South Caucasus, that is south of the Caucasus mountain range, which runs east-west between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. North of here is Russia. To the south are Turkey and Iran.

There are a multitude of different ethnic groups, and languages, and therefore a great deal of historical tensions and conflicts within the Caucasus.

It’s been sandwiched between Persian and Byzantine (and earlier, Roman) empires; and fought over by Ottoman, Persian and Russian empires.

The cobblestone streets of Baku.

The Baku buildings are eye-catching.

A traditional street wedding.

41

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

AS PART of the Robin Boyd centenary celebrations, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne will present Robin Boyd: Design Legend, a new exhibition celebrating the work of one of Australia’s most well-known architects.

Presented in the iconic modernist building Heide II from August 3 to October 27, the exhibition is a major event in the centenary celebrations of Boyd’s birth and explores some of his key design themes and principles through ten of his distinctive houses.

“Heide’s rich history in design and architecture makes it the perfect place to reflect on Robin Boyd’s remarkable career and enduring legacy,” Heide Museum of Modern Art artistic director Lesley Harding said.

During his career, Boyd designed more than 300 projects, from residences to civic buildings, and was driven to prompt, inspire and provoke an

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42

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

‘‘

one of the best places on earth to see the enchanting aurora borealis.

GLORIOUS NORWAY: A panoramic view of Tromso from Mt Storsteinen.

Photos: Yvonne Gardiner

Gateway to the Arctic

This month explorers John and Yvonne Gardiner share their wonderful experiences as they discover ‘The Gateway to the Arctic’

OUR trip to Norway began in the north, at Tromso, one of the best places on earth to see the enchanting aurora borealis.

Tromso lies 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and is the largest city in northern Norway.

The first night of searching for the elusive northern lights was the best, with shimmers of green in the late-night sky and a surprising encounter with the multi-coloured aurora from the bus on the way back to town.

Despite the climatic challenges, human settlement in the Tromso area dates back thousands of years, although the city itself was founded only about 200 years ago.

Tromso soon became the centre for animal trapping in the region, and in the early 1900s it was the starting point for expeditions to the Arctic – hence its nickname, Gateway to the Arctic.

Apart from the phenomenal northern lights, Tromso is

The captivating Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. renowned as an adventure capital where thrill-seekers can speed up their sightseeing on an RIB (rigid inflatable boat) along a deserted fjord or

take teams of panting sled dogs for a run.

A less strenuous pursuit was an overnight stay on the Lyngen Peninsula northeast of

Tromso in a “lavvo”, a glass-top teepee that allows a wide view of the night sky.

These cosy cabins are equipped with wood

heaters for maximum comfort.

Each day offers a rich variety of “wow” experiences.

Definitely an experience

43

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

A street scene in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

On the way to Flam along the Sognefjord waterway.

The Flåm Line is a 20.2km-long railway track.

The National Theatre stages world class performances.

is an adventure capital

not to miss is the cable car up Mt Storsteinen, which reveals a dazzling panorama of snow-topped mountains, the shimmering sea and an astounding vista.

When we arrived back at the hotel, quite literally chilled, the hot tub and sauna revived much-travelled bodies.

Norway’s attractions are many, with its spectacular scenery, a chance to see the northern lights, fascinating Viking history, and a diverse and entrancing mix of people.

The capital Oslo was next on our itinerary, a city bursting with beauty and culture.

Oslo was named European Green Capital 2019 for its dedication to conserving natural areas and reducing pollution.

Tram 19 took us to the National Theatre at the centre of Oslo’s tourist trail.

There’s no shortage of museums to explore.

Most mesmerising of all was the Viking Ship Museum housing the remains of three boats.

Seeing the best-preserved Viking

The Vigeland sculpture park in Oslo. boat in the world was a show-stopper.

An intricately carved wooden cart, farm implements, textiles and sledges were all buried in the boat with their

high-status owner in the ninth century.

Oslo’s Historical Museum hosts eclectic displays on the peoples of the Arctic region, some Egyptian mummies,

American Indians and the Middle Ages.

Vigeland, aka the Sculpture Park, came highly recommended.

Apparently it attracts millions of tourists a year.

While a beautiful space for ambling and appreciating the splendid autumn colours, I felt that the hundreds of sculptures modelled on naked people were

underwhelming.

Next day we caught the train to Bergen, a trip lasting seven hours and the most scenic of all as it passed raging rivers, dinky timber houses, massive pine forests and snow-clad mountains.

For a spectacular two-hour cruise up the Sognefjord waterway flanked by steep mountains and frequent waterfalls, we boarded a ferry at Gudwangen.

Overnight we stayed in the delightful village of Flam (pronounced Flom).

Never having experienced the supreme comfort of a room with a heated floor while the snow fell outside, we soaked up Norwegian hospitality and feasted on reindeer burgers.

In the morning, the historical railway from Flam to Myrdal chugged for an hour through snow-white valleys and wonderful mountain scenery.

It felt like being in a life-size train set, everything so ordered and tidy, including the uniformed railwaymen. It was a great experience.

44

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

TRAVEL BRIEFS

ASTRONOMERS JOIN SOLAR ECLIPSE CRUISE

NASA astronomer Dr Michelle Thaller and engineer Dr Andrew Booth as guests for the Aurora Expeditions Solar Eclipse in Antarctica voyage in December 2021. Guests will be part of a once-ina-lifetime event as the full eclipse will only be visible from Antarctica in the early hours of December 4. The 22-day voyage departs Ushuaia, Argentina on November 24, 2021 and includes visits to the South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula, Elephant Island, South Georgia and the Falklands-Malvinas. Info: phone 1800 637 688.

VOLUNTEERING

ENHANCE your next Queensland holiday in the Southern Great Barrier Reef and get hands-on with volunteerism.

Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary is 28 minutes from Rockhampton and 15 minutes from Yeppoon.

It lies an animal sanctuary with countless beautiful things to discover.

You can cuddle a koala, hold a crocodile, snake or lizard, play with birds, interact with cheeky monkeys and hand feed kangaroos.

Your duties will include animal food preparation, wildlife presentations, and handing and cleaning.

Info: capricorn holidays.com.au.

SYDNEY HARBOUR 2020 OPERA

VERDI’S popular La Traviata will be performed on the Sydney Harbour stage in March and April 2020.

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Info: opera.org.au.

WENDY WU TOURS SPECIALS

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WINE WEEKEND IN TASSIE

THE annual Great Eastern Wine Weekend returns September 6-8, 2019. It will showcase the

PANORAMA: The exclusive pontoon built for viewing the coral formations around Queensland’s Heart Island. best food and wines of Tasmania’s east coast.

Info: freycinetlodge. com.au/WineWeekend.

SOLOS FRENCH RIVER CRUISES

SOLO-friendly river cruise line Riviera Travel, has 11 no-singlesupplement cruises in 2020 including the seven-night cruise departing March 31, 2020, aboard the Jane Austen, round-trip from Paris to one of France’s most historic and picturesque regions, Normandy.

The solo fares are available from A$3909, including nine guided excursions, on-board meals and Wi-Fi. Single travellers enjoy a cabin to themselves. Info: rivieratravel.com.au.

EXCLUSIVE HEART ISLAND TOURS

THE intricacies of the Heart Island coral formation can now be seen up close. It’s a 30-minute helicopter flight over the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach before approaching the Great Barrier Reef.

Guests then board a futuristic glass bottom boat before making the short journey to the Heart Reef. The cost is $999 per person and includes a return helicopter flight, tour of Heart Reef, snorkelling equipment and light catering. Info: hamiltonisland.com.au.

Earlybird offer and new ship for new Bravo performing arts music cruise to the South Pacific.

First 100 bookings save 10 per cent.

MUSIC CRUISES

A cruise ship new to Australia will be the highlight of the tenth, annual season of music

cruises from Australia in 2020, with Cruise Express offering a 10 per cent earlybird saving on the just-announced ‘Bravo Cruise of Performing Arts’ to the South Pacific next year. Royal Caribbean International will base the 2500-passenger Serenade of the Seas in Australia for the first time from October, 2020, and her second sailing from our shores will be a seven-night ‘Bravo’ performing arts cruise from Sydney to New Caledonia on October 13, 2020.

2020 marks the tenth anniversary of music cruises from Australia, with tens of thousands of Australians enjoying a variety of annual, week-long concerts at sea since 2010.

Fares are subject to availability.

Phone Cruise Express on 1300 766 537 or visit cruiseexpress.com.au.

HMS EREBUS

Be among the first to discover HMS Erebus – lost to the world for 170 years. Cruise the Arctic Circle’s Northwest Passage for this unforgettable experience.

Two free nights and no solo supplement.

Passengers on a voyage through the Arctic Circle’s Northwest Passage this September could be among the first ever visitors to the wreck site of HMS Erebus, one of the two ships of the ill-fated 1845 Franklin expedition.

Lost to the world for 170 years, the ship was found in 2014. It remains in a protected area, but Adventure Canada has secured the opportunity to visit – should weather and ice conditions allow.

Guests may be able to see the Erebus wreck via an underwater

remote-controlled camera, as well as the location where the ship went down, and meet those who monitor the wreck sites.

This makes the Northwest Passage cruise extra special, due to this new project to get to the bottom of the Franklin expedition mystery.

Phone 1800 507 777 or visit cruisetraveller. com.au. Direct link: CruiseTraveller.com.au/ outNWP2019

NEW ZEALAND RAIL AND SAIL CRUISE TOUR

Cruise Express has released the fully hosted ‘New Zealand Rail and Sail’ itinerary, offering complimentary on-board drinks for bookings made in Balcony staterooms or above.

The 16-night package features a 12-night cruise aboard Celebrity Solstice from Sydney to Auckland and a four-night North Island tour including a two-day ride aboard a historic train between Auckland and Wellington.

Sailing from Sydney on October 27, 2019, the cruise will visit Hobart, Fjordland, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Tauranga and the Bay of Islands before the cruise ends in Auckland.

A four-night land tour follows including a night in Auckland and a two-day trip to Wellington aboard the historic, privately chartered RM31 railcar ‘Tokomaru’.

Built in 1938 and named after a Maori canoe, the railmotor was used for North Island passenger rail services for more than 30 years until the early 1970s and still retains her traditional, art deco charm.

The cruise tour will be hosted by a Cruise

Express Tour Manager.

Phone Cruise Express on 1300 766 537 or visit cruiseexpress.com.au.

BHUTAN ON BIKE

Shrouded in mystery and filled with mountains and monasteries, Bhutan is one of the last great Himalayan Kingdoms and one of the most exciting ways to explore the wide-open valleys and snow-capped peaks of Bhutan is on the back of a Royal Enfield 500cc Classic motorcycle.

Located on the ancient Silk Road, filled with monasteries and ancient forts, Bhutan’s Himalayan landscape offers a diverse range of picturesque views from sub-tropical plains and primeval forests to towering snow-capped mountains.

The 15-day, personalised small group tour begins in Delhi, India, on April 11, 2020, before a flight to Bagdogra in the Indian state of West Bengal.

The motorbike tour through the mysterious Buddhist kingdom once shut off from the world, begins in the border town of Phuentsoling.

To book or make inquiries, visit extremebiketours.com. ❚ Tours and fares are subject to availability and conditions apply. Prices do not include international flights.

CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) has announced the introduction of themed cruises for its upcoming Australian season, including what is believed to be the first-ever gin-themed ocean cruise, as well as the world-first

Photo: Salty Wings

‘Fringe on the Water’ event.

The themed cruises on offer include a seven-night Boutique Gin and Culinary Cruise, a five-night Military History Cruise, and a one-night in-port Fringe World event to take place aboard the newest ship to join the CMV fleet, Vasco da Gama.

Fringe on the Water: To utilise the sensational entertainment venues available on board Vasco da Gama, and to introduce CMV to a local audience who may not be regular cruisers, the ship will host an in-port festival of the Fringe entertainment in Fremantle.

The exhilarating Fringe performances dreamed up by Fringe World on Saturday, February 1, 2020 will include: a Fringe World headline act in the main theatre, roving performers in the bars and lounges, live music and DJs into the early hours, overnight accommodation, breakfast and dinner on board Vasco da Gama.

The exciting headline act will be announced this October, with the release of the Fringe World program.

Boutique Gin and Culinary Cruise: Another of the themed cruises sure to entice guests is the world-first Boutique Gin and Culinary Cruise, which will cruise from Adelaide to Fremantle and will feature delectable experiences designed to showcase the very best local produce from South Australia and Western Australia.

For bookings and inquiries, visit cmvaustralia.com or contact your local travel agent (supplementary charges may apply).

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The stars in a NZ dark sky New home of astronomy

DISCOVERING the wonders and beauty of the dark sky is also helping to uncover understanding of ancient Maori culture in New Zealand.

A new home of astronomy and astro tourism has opened in Takapo (on Lake Tekapo), offering the world’s first indoor, multimedia experience combining Maori astronomy and science.

Dark Sky Project, formerly Earth & Sky, has opened the doors to its new 1140sq m building on the Takapo lakefront.

The centre includes the Dark Sky Diner offering spectacular lake and mountain views, and a range of day and night dining options It will be the departure point for the astro-tourism business’s outdoor, evening stargazing experiences.

With Takapo in the middle of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve – the largest dark sky reserve in the world and the first to receive gold status – there is no better place

for a new home of astronomy.

About the Dark Sky Experience This fully guided, state-of-the-art 45-minute experience is a world-first and has been designed to be truly of the place, reflecting some of the important research undertaken by the University of Canterbury at the Mt John Observatory as well as tatai aroraki (Maori astronomy).

To ensure the Dark Sky Experience is authentic, Dark Sky Project worked with local tribal groups, leading Maori astronomy expert Professor Rangi Matamua and the University of Canterbury to bring to life the stories of the universe.

Te Whare Tatai Part of the new experience is based around the concept of a Te Whare Tatai – a school dedicated to teaching Maori knowledge about the cosmos: the stars, planets, galaxies, sun, moon and everything that adorns the sky.

The students of these schools learned about

STARGAZING: Dark Sky Project Centre is opened by New Zealand Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and Maori elders.

Photo: Dark Sky Project creation, the connection between the earth, sky and sea, and how to interpret signs in the sky which could predict the year’s bounty of food, forecast the weather, and even gauge when accidents or death might fall upon members of their communities.

Maori used the sky as a roadmap and calendar, not only to mark place and understand where they were, but also to mark time and seasonality so they knew when the fish were running, when the birds were big and fat, and when the soil was fertile and ready for

planting. and their seasonal way of life.

The paid interactive experience provides the opportunity for multi-sensory interactions to help visitors to understand the scale of the universe, the wonder of its creation from both a scientific and cultural

perspective, as well as the wonder of some of our most recent discoveries.

The goals of the reserve are to promote star-gazing and astrotourism, as well as to protect the astronomical research at the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory.

Family agrees: it’s your turn Tracey Johnstone THERE will be no inheritance left by the time Evelyn Mollins and her husband Allan have finished their travels.

The Queensland couple are part of a growing trend of Australians aged 65 and over who are spending their hard-earned money on holiday experiences.

“My husband and I have worked hard for our whole lives,” the 65-year-old former bank officer said.

“We have helped the kids along the way to get into their own homes.

“I just feel it’s pretty much our time now.”

Their three children are OK with this approach.

“They are desperate for us to do what we want to do,” Evelyn said.

She has talked to a lot of people of a similar age who are worrying about leaving some money for their children.

“But they aren’t living their life,” she said.

“None of my kids are

SPECIAL CHARM: Norfolk Island’s warm, friendly people, timeless beauty and unique history makes this the perfect destination to visit at any time.

Your Norfolk specialists SENIOR TRAVEL: Retirees Allan and Evelyn Mollins at the airport, ready to take off on their next overseas adventure. thinking along those lines.

They’re busy paying their mortgages and trying to make a decent living for themselves, but they aren’t particularly worried about their future and passing on an inheritance.

“I don’t think that it’s even entered their heads, to be honest.”

The Scottish-born couple have travelled most of their adult life.

It’s only now, with Allan retiring last month and Evelyn retiring five years

ago, that their plans to extend their trips in Australia and to overseas destinations a few times a year can be put in place.

Their friends have recommended trying some short, small group tours with companies like Peregrine Adventures.

Taking extended holidays isn’t in the plan as they still want to be involved in the lives of their six grandchildren.

“We still look after two of the little ones every Wednesday,” Evelyn said.

PARADISE. That was Captain James Cook’s description of Norfolk Island.

This paradise went on to become a harsh penal colony and home to many convicts.

Today Norfolk Island is home to the descendants of the Bounty Mutineers who are incredibly proud of their heritage and culture.

Norfolk Island’s warm, friendly people, timeless beauty and unique history makes this the perfect destination to visit at any time – you will find a special charm that draws visitors back time and time again.

Norfolk Island is just a

short flight away with direct departures out of Brisbane with Air New Zealand. You can either travel on a valid Australian passport, or a valid Australian driver’s licence, or government approved photo identification.

There is so much to see and do and surprises to be found. Did you know that beautiful Emily Bay has been voted by travellers as one of Australia’s best beaches?

Norfolk Select Marketing are dedicated Norfolk Island specialists.

We are ATAS accredited and offer extensive knowledge of Norfolk Island – David has just returned from his 112th

visit to the island!

Our staff are all passionate about this special island destination and we have a wonderful working relationship with our suppliers on Norfolk Island.

We offer fantastic deals all year round and can tailor-make your holiday package to ensure a holiday like no other.

We look forward to assisting you with your travel to Norfolk Island.

We love Norfolk Island and we know that you will too!

For more information on Norfolk Select, phone (07) 5524 4966 for a quote now.

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AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

10 Bangkok to-do highlights Kerry Heaney WITH new budget flights from Brisbane to Bangkok, a holiday in one of Asia’s most exciting cities just got a whole lot more achievable.

AirAsia, recently named Skytrax World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the 11th year, has fares from Brisbane to Bangkok starting at just $199.

Their four weekly flights bring the bustling street markets, thriving nightlife and iconic temples of Thailand’s capital city within easy reach.

Here are 10 Bangkok highlights you shouldn’t miss.

Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) Standing more than 80 metres tall, Thailand’s most photographed temple on the bank of the Chao Phra River is also one of the country’s most revered.

You can climb the steep stairs to the first level and marvel at the ingenious decoration created from pottery shards.

Bangkok Flower Market Open all day, every day, this market is filled with

beautiful local blooms and exquisite, handmade Phuang Malai garlands.

You’ll see orchids, lotus, jasmine, chrysanthemum, gerbera, and lilies.

Most of the flowers are grown in the provinces nearest to Bangkok.

Sook Siam The ground level of the ICON Siam building has been turned into a food and craft market with stalls from Thailand’s 77 provinces.

It’s filled with food, flowers and produce and makes a fascinating wander.

You can see traditional foods being made and try them too. Best of all, the whole market is air-conditioned, so if you can’t make an open market, this will give you a taste.

River Cruise The easiest way to see both the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), ICON Siam and the Bangkok Flower Market is to take a ride on a Hop on Chao Phraya Hop-On Hop-Off Boat.

Cruising the river is a fast and refreshing way to travel to the sights.

An all-day, all-night pass costs just 300 baht

FLOWER POWER: Bangkok markets are full of colour.

Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya Historical Park.

(around $14 AUS).

Yaowarat Road Chinatown It all happens after sunset at Chinatown when the footpath becomes a kitchen and dining area lined with stalls.

The cuisines are varied, and the queues are long, so go early and hungry.

Look for stalls with a round red Michelin star sticker to find the most flavoursome treats.

Jim Thompson House Museum Go to see the Bangkok home and Asian art collection of the late James H.W. Thompson (aka the Thai Silk King), but you’ll also be amazed

and definitely easier for some than others.

The downside is exiting through three levels of a duty-free shopping mall, and there is no escape.

Ayutthaya Historical Park This day trip from Bangkok to discover the UNESCO’s listed temple ruins and historical sites that were once Thailand’s capital city. Ayutthaya Historical Park includes Wat Phra Ram and Wat Mahathat.

The Royal Palace, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wiharn Phra Mongkol Bophit also can be found here.

Staying there Stay at Shama

by the lush tropical garden. Expect to be tempted by the beautiful silk products in the adjoining store and dine in the onsite restaurant and enjoy delicious food.

Thai Bus Food Tour Thailand’s first double-decker bus food tour will serve you a delicious traditional Thai style afternoon tea. You’ll also see the city sights in air-conditioned comfort.

Mahanakhon Skywalk See Bangkok’s skyline from Thailand’s highest outdoor glass floor observation area on the 78th floor. It’s a lot of fun to dare yourself to step down onto the glass floor

Lakeview Asoke is a 10-minute walk to fast public transport at Asoke BTS Station and Sukhumvit MRT Station.

Their shuttle bus makes the trip even easier.

The spacious units all have a fully equipped kitchen, large flat-screen television with a separate lounge area and an ensuite bathroom.

With a pool, fitness centre and children’s playroom, it is perfect for couples, families or intergenerational holidays.

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Authority of Thailand and AirAsia.

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Got a hankering for a new hobby? Discover everything you desire with Seniors online. There’s exclusive travel offers, the stories that matter to you, big win competitions, plus every exciting event happening near you! Seniors – redefining an exciting retirement!

Opening Doors to the Seniors Lifestyle

Join us at seniorsnews.com.au

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

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Tips for a top night’s sleep

Living

Meredith Yardley IF YOU don’t sleep well, you may be sabotaging yourself without even knowing it.

Good quality sleep is essential for your health.

If you don’t sleep too well, here are some tips that have been proven to aid the most important 6–7 hours of your day.

Preparing your space ■ Unless you are bedridden, get rid of as much technology from your bedroom as you can.

These items can release electromagnetic frequencies that disrupt your sleep patterns.

■ Keep your bedroom cool and dark to help you maximise your natural sleep rhythms.

■ Let your body know you are getting ready to retire by dimming the lights a couple of hours before going to bed.

Preparing your body ■ Eat at least three hours before retiring, so your body focuses on relaxing, not digesting.

■ Do ‘bed readying’ activities, such as cleaning your teeth, a couple of hours before retiring. That way you don’t wake yourself up again to clean your teeth or stack the dishwasher.

■ A bath with lavender oil is a nice way to relax. Or you can lie on the floor (if you can get there) and stretch your legs up the wall – a sure-fire relaxation technique.

■ Avoid caffeine (including black tea) or alcohol close to bedtime as they can keep you awake.

■ Put away your devices (phone, tablet) two hours before retiring. The blue backlight can upset your body’s melatonin release, needed to sleep.

Preparing your mind ■ Write down anything you might stress over – it can wait until tomorrow.

■ If you can’t turn off your mind, think of random items by going through the alphabet, eg, A for antelope, B for boots, C for car.

AGEING WELL: Australia’s CALD community members face common and unique challenges as they age.

Photo: xavierarnau

Ageing issues unique

Tracey Johnstone MIGRANTS from non-English speaking backgrounds now make up between 30 and 35 per cent of Australians aged 65 and over.

That’s a significant number of people whose ageing issues are both common and unique.

For many, not having role models around them as they grow older in Australia presents one of the most complex problems explains chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), Mary Patetsos.

“Some of them have been here for the majority of their life,” Ms Patetsos said.

Migrants have been arriving into Australia

since the turn of the century; many of them came from Afghanistan, eastern and southern Europe, filling jobs in major infrastructure projects like the Snowy Mountains scheme, the Sydney Opera House and railways.

“They have often arrived as very young children or 10 or 20-year-olds,” Ms Patetsos added.

“They grow up, study, go to work, raise families and then find themselves at 84 or 86 ageing in a country they have migrated to.

“They aren’t growing in the village or town or place that they have seen other people growing old in. They are really making their way in a new place.”

Where these ageing Australians find they are suffering with dementia or

they aren’t regularly using English in their everyday activities, regressing back to their mother tongue restricts their ability to deal with the range of ageing issues and community services.

This is where Aged Care providers have a critical role in overcoming language barriers.

Some CALD communities are of such size that they have been able to establish ethno-specific Aged Care facilities, but there is much more support required for migrants living outside of the catchment area of these facilities.

FECCA are working to increase the profile of these ageing Australians.

“Once you need support, you need to know the system can look

after you so we need to ensure that providers understand that responsibility, that they understand the need to communicate, use translators and interpreted materials and perhaps employ bilingual staff,” Ms Patetsos said.

She has noticed some facilities have actively sought the employment of staff fluent in the language prevalent within their clients. Others have encouraged existing staff to learn basic words to help them communicate with their CALD clients.

Diversity in the Aged Care workforce is another initiative being rolled out by some providers.

“Not all of it is a burden,” Ms Patetsos said.

She argues that bringing diversity to the

Aged Care living space can benefit non-CALD residents. She also sees that the well-travelled Baby Boomers will be looking for more interesting experiences as they age.

“There are some wonderful examples where Greek or Italian or Italy food, depending on dietary needs, has been introduced into nursing homes and playing some easy games like Bocce and music; it can be fun for all residents,” she added.

“Multiculturalism is an advantage for all of us as it makes our life more interesting. If we take it that way it will be less of burden and more of a joy.

“We also need to make sure consumers know their rights and are able to access My Aged Care.”

You can feel safe and stay independent with this medical device BRAND INSIGHTS “LOSS of independence can be debilitating for seniors who have spent their entire lives living independently, working jobs and raising families and making decisions,”

Paul Joseph from Emergency Medical Services Pty Ltd, providers of the safeTwear medical alert system, said.

“We understand the natural effects of ageing can sometimes make independent living harder. Difficulties with

mobility, the risk of accidents and falls and issues such as isolation and loneliness are just some of the contributors.”

This is a core reason behind the decision to combine the safeTwear system with the safeTcare 24/7

response and monitoring centre – ensuring help is always available.

The peace of mind for not only the client but their families and friends is immeasurable, not to mention the benefits of having regained independence, including: ■ Feel like an

individual: The ability to make choices has a big impact on self-esteem.

■ Maintain balance and strength: Retaining balance and strength is a huge determining factor in someone’s ability to stay independent and active.

■ Sense of purpose:

Loss of independence can be isolating. Seniors who are isolated often develop feelings of hopelessness and depression.

If you would like to arrange a free demonstration, phone 1300 699 159.

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Older people and fouryear-olds OLD People’s Home for 4 Year Olds is a heart-warming documentary series, based around a unique social experiment where a group of older retirement home residents are brought together with a group of pre-schoolers to see if this inter-generational contact can improve the health and wellbeing of the older people, thus helping them to lead happier and healthier lives.

Over a period of seven weeks, our two groups of eleven older Australians and ten pre-schoolers, will be brought together for planned, mixed activities each day in a specially designed pre-school built within a care/retirement home.

Here they will share a structured timetable that encourages physical activity, social interaction, learning and happiness.

This social experiment will be run by a team of geriatric experts, and an early childhood expert, who will scientifically analyse and/or monitor the progress of both groups throughout, tracking quantifiable and measurable changes (both physical and mental) of the older group, and correspondingly, the developmental growth of the children.

Screening from Tuesday, August 27 at 8.30pm on ABC

DRINK UP: Enjoying a coffee a day is still OK.

Photo: SeventyFour

Enjoy your coffee with no side-effect

RESEARCHERS have found that our daily dose of coffee doesn’t change a person’s risk of being diagnosed with, or dying from, cancer.

That’s good news for about 46 per cent of the Australian population that enjoy drinking coffee.

The research by QIMR Berghofer which is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that there is no relationship between how many cups of coffee a person had a day and if they developed any particular cancers.

So, for seniors, having an extra coffee each day won’t make a difference to your cancer risk but drinking a lot of coffee can have other health impacts.

Its potential anti-cancer effect however hasn’t been established.

QIMR Berghofer lead researcher Jue-Sheng Ong said the study also looked at some common individual cancers such as breast, ovarian, lung and prostate cancers and found drinking coffee did not increase or decrease their incidence.

‘‘

For seniors, having an extra coffee each day won’t make a difference to your cancer risk...

“There was some inconclusive evidence about colorectal cancer, where those who reported drinking a lot of coffee had a slightly lower risk of developing cancer, but conversely examination of data from those people

with a higher genetic predisposition to drink more coffee seemed to indicate a greater risk of developing the disease,” Mr Ong said.

“The disparity in those findings would suggest more research is needed

to clarify if there is any relationship between colorectal cancer and coffee.”

QIMR Berghofer’s Statistical Genetics Group Associate Professor Stuart MacGregor said the study had implications for public health messaging around the world.

“The health benefits of coffee have been argued for a long time, but this research shows simply changing your coffee consumption isn’t an effective way of protecting yourself from cancer,” Prof MacGregor said.

Legal advice on dealing with domestic violence Caorlyn Devries MYTH 3: A domestic violence order can only protect the victim The protection provided by a domestic violence order isn’t just limited to the victim of the domestic violence.

Section 24 of the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 Qld provides that a domestic violence order can also cover other

‘named people’ who have been affected or impacted by the violence other than the victim (a victim is referred to in legislation as ‘the aggrieved’), namely: ■ A child of the aggrieved (including an unborn child) or a child who usually lives with the aggrieved ■ A relative of the aggrieved ■ An associate of the aggrieved (e.g. their new partner, a flat mate or a work colleague)

A court can name a child of the aggrieved or a child who usually lives with the aggrieved on a domestic violence order to protect the child from associated domestic violence or being exposed to domestic violence.

A child is considered to have been exposed to domestic violence if the child has: ■ Seen or heard an assault ■ Overheard threats of physical abuse

■ Overheard repeated denigration ■ Comforts someone who has been abused ■ Seen bruises or injuries to another person ■ Is present when police respond to a domestic violence incident The court must consider naming a child on a domestic violence order even if the application does not specifically request that the children be named.

A relative or associate

of the aggrieved may be named on a domestic violence order if the court is satisfied that naming the person is ‘necessary or desirable’ to protect that person from domestic violence.

When a person is named on a domestic violence order the conditions that apply to protect the aggrieved will also apply to the people who are named on the order.

Practical pointer

If you are making an application for a protection order and you are seeking to name other people on the order make sure you include their full names, date of birth and addresses on the application form.

This information is intended as general legal information only for people living in Queensland and is not a substitute for individual legal advice.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

REVIEWS

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Wars fought for Silk Road CREATING bedtime stories for his two young sons about a mythical giant called Chop Suey, was the spark for Frank Spencer’s new historical novel, The Silk Road Wars, set in China’s Ming Dynasty.

While the book’s main character, Chi, is based on this invented giant, the wars fought by China to defend its borders are factual. One of the first attacks covered in the book is Japan’s invasion in 1834.

Following this, many other regimes and leaders attempted to defeat the Chinese without success including King Porus of India, the Gauls, Romania, the Cossacks, the Thugees, the Moors, the Carthaginians and many others.

“The Silk Roads created a vast trading empire that made China the wealthiest of nations,” said Frank Spencer of his second novel.

“This also made China the prize other nations

strived to plunder.”

Throughout the Ming Dynasty the Great Wall was extended and strengthened and a formidable army was created to fight off the many and regular invaders.

Chi’s father, Peng, was a master in designing and manufacturing devastating weapons of war and set in place China’s arms race, transforming the Ming army.

Conscription was invented to replace the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives fighting off invaders, and a special elite unit was also created. Chi became China’s greatest warrior, a general who was a master in the art of war.

In defending its Silk Road, China fought back with great vigour and although always outnumbered, its superior strategies and weaponry more than levelled the odds.

HISTORICAL ADVENTURES: Author Frank Spencer. was a master tactician and authority on Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. A Secret Life is the title of Frank Spencer’s first book, an espionage thriller that follows the

intriguing life of Richard Sinclair and his extraordinary life skills, including martial arts, who uses the power of friendship and love to take on the biggest battles of

Photo: Melissa Hobbs

all.

The Silk Road Wars (and A Secret Life) has an RRP of $24.95 and at ll good book stores and online at Booktopia.

Take a technikolour trip with Dr Karl

The Carer BESTELLING author Deborah Moggach does it again in The Carer, a delightfully, witty and poignant novel of age, sibling rivalry and growing old.

Phoebe and Robert have an ageing and seemingly bored, widowed father James whose ageing issues force them to seek full-time help for him.

The easiest answer is to employ a live-in carer Mandy. She’s not the best choice Phoebe thinks, but when she and her brother would prefer to not take on the role, Mandy looks like the best solution.

This leaves the middle-aged siblings to pursue their own lives, complicated as they may be.

Their stories are relatable which may leave some few readers feeling like they are reading about themselves.

Dealing with their father isn’t all they really need to have to worry about as their lives change and so do their intimate ambitions of ageing happily.

So, while the seemingly innocuous Mandy looks after

China invented gunpowder and had cannon whereas most of her adversaries did not.

Its greater cunning and ingenuity was also used when it bought weapons used in the American Civil War. “The Silk Road Wars documents the many great land and sea battles and identifies Britain emerging as the prime antagonist,” Frank said.

“In building a mighty navy and an empire, Britain continued to see China as a bitter enemy and remained in conflict with the nation well into the age of steam and dreadnought battleships.”

Frank Spencer’s love of Marco Polo’s travels was further reason for creating this historical novel, which interweaves many other characters into the narrative including Chi’s friendships and his love life, and relationships with Emperor Zu Youjian and General Qi Juguang who

James who has discovers a new found energy for shopping trips, journeys to garden centres and life outside his front window, Phoebe and Robert juggle jealousy with a sense that something is amiss.

The father who was too busy to attend his children’s sports day is now happily chortling over cuckoo clocks and television soaps.

Just when it seems life can’t get more complicated, the surprising truth of their father’s former life and their mother’s written recollections changes everything.

Moggach previous novels include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Tulip Fever.

Published by Hachette, RRP$29.99.

DR KARL Kruszelnicki AM is a living legend when it comes to sharing his informative, amusing stories and insights to science.

In his 45th book, Dr Karl’s Random Road Trip Through Science, Dr Karl continues his admirable if ambitious 30 plus year mission to track down all the awesome stories in and of the universe.

He goes full kolour, with brilliant and funny illustrations to match his dress sense.

Why do wombats poo cubes?

Do fish drink water?

What nearly destroyed

humanity on Halloween 2015?

How do you use an incinerating toilet?

Find out whether cannibalism is nutritious, how birds fly when they’re asleep and the Big Question – why does spaghetti always break into three parts?

So whether you’re 10 or 60, strap in and get ready for a random ride through the universe.

It’s perfect for any age and for grandparents to share with their grandkids.

Published by HarperCollins, RRP$35.

Secrets will be revealed in Venice A YEAR after her husband Leo’s death, widow Daisy invites her three adult children to join her for a holiday in beautiful Venice.

It will be wonderful, her chicks under one roof again in their father’s birthplace. But is it possible to recapture the past?

Marc’s marriage is in

jeopardy, but for his mother’s sake, he convinces his wife to keep up appearances.

Anna’s trying to hide the truth about the dismal state of her London acting career; and Ellie, enjoying a gap year and uncertain about her future choices, wants to avoid family pressure to conform.

Despite the magic of Venice, family ties are tested to the limit, especially when a shocking secret from Leo’s past is revealed.

Now everything they value about love, family, commitment and trust must be re-examined.

Published by Penguin, RRP $32.99.

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Booking in the grandparents

READING together is a “lovely way for generations to connect and build a really special relationship”.

“Escaping into a story always creates feelings of warmth and pleasure in a child,” said teacher-librarian and children’s book expert Megan Daley, author of Raising Readers and creator of the Children’s Book Daily website.

Speaking to grandparents at Toowoomba Library recently, she said grandparents are an “untapped resource” in building children’s reading identities.

That’s particularly the case today with long working hours for parents, and grandparents increasingly “filling in the gaps”.

Not only are high-quality

contemporary picture books “works of art”, they are also “gateways to different and interesting conversations”.

That could include talking about where nan and pa used to live or work, their pets, hobbies or what life was like for them growing up.

Looking at beautifully depicted scenes may elicit a conversation about nature and lead to a walk looking for flowers, birds or animals, other books or resources where these things can be further explored, or activities like painting.

Reading can also be a gateway to tricky subjects, such as bullying, illness, death, break-ups or additions to a family.

“Books can give the words when you don’t know what to say,” Megan said.

CONNECTING: Megan Daley’s father Geoff Dean reads with her girls Ava and Georgia Daley.

Champions on the lanes ‘‘ AN 11-day carnival of “fierce but friendly” competition for tenpin bowlers over 50 from across the country is about to take place at Toowoomba’s Sunset Superbowl.

The Australian Tenpin Bowling Seniors Organisation (ATBSO) National Seniors Challenge is on from August 23-September 2, with about 250 people expected to take part.

Returning to the Superbowl’s helm, acting Sunset Superbowl manager Mark Smith, who has worked in the industry for 30 years, said that as a true “lifetime sport”, tenpin continued to be extremely popular with older age groups.

“Anyone can do it no matter what your age or ability; there are lots of aids to help people,” he said.

“We have some people who use a walker as they go up to bowl.”

Mark said as well as competitive leagues, Sunset Bowl has a Wednesday noon Golden Oldies group open to everyone over 50 of any level of experience.

“It originally started as part of U3A about 17 years ago,” he said.

“Competition is fierce sometimes but it’s social and there’s no membership, so you just go along when you want

Hosting the nationals was definitely a coup for Toowoomba

FIERCE, BUT FRIENDLY: Sunset Superbowl bowlers and ATBSO Queensland competitors Marilyn Grundon and Paula and Bob Troy get in some practice for the coming nationals titles. to.”

For $16.50, you can enjoy two games plus lunch and new players are welcome.

Keen local bowler Marilyn Grundon, who is competing in the ATBSO National Seniors Challenge, began bowling about 20 years ago.

She enjoys the fact that, while the daytime leagues are predominantly “mature” players, because the leagues are based on averages and handicaps, age is irrelevant so, at night particularly, all ages mix.

“It’s most definitely the

social element as well as the competition, and a lot of people don’t realise it’s actually very good for you as well,” she said.

That includes improving heart and respiratory fitness, strengthening and conditioning your arms, shoulders, chest and leg muscles, increasing

endurance, maintaining bone density and burning roughly 240 calories an hour.

Studies have shown that bowling three games is equivalent to walking one mile (1.6km), and the social aspect, of course, also helps general wellbeing.

In the national titles, players compete in individual and team events across four divisions, comprising two based on averages, Open (no restriction of averages) and the Grand Seniors for 60s-plus.

They have previously qualified through state “roll-offs”.

ATBSO Queensland treasurer Cheryl Womack said hosting the nationals was definitely a coup for Toowoomba, but Sunset Superbowl was state-of-the-art and, with 24 lanes, one of the state’s biggest facilities.

She said while people can be members of the ATBSO, known as “The Seniors”, and play socially from 45 years old, representative competition was strictly for the over-50s.

To find out more, go to atbson.org, phone Cheryl on 0403 123 535, or for Sunset Superbowl phone 4634 0233. Spectator admission to the nationals is free.

SENIORS \\AUGUST, 2019

MOTORING

51

‘‘

In traffic or on the open road, the ES manages to make life serene.

SPACE AND LUXURY: The Lexus ES300h Sports.

Rarefied freezing air

Grant Edwards Grant.Edwards@apn.com.au

COLD air was blasting across South Australia.

Gale forces whipped topsoil skyward across the Murraylands, yet as the trees bent under the pressure, family life proved serene in the Lexus ES. The five-seater sedan remained planted despite the conditions while maintaining the marque’s renowned luxury standard.

Relaunched last September, the seventh generation ES is available exclusively as a hybrid and starts just shy of $60,000 before on-road costs.

It’s a proven combination of petrol and electric power — Lexus and its parent company Toyota have been champions of hybrid technology — and the perfect alternative for those not quite ready to dive deep into the world of full electrification.

Sedans have lost their buying lustre in recent times, but with a family of four and more than 1000km to travel, the ES proved it can more than compete with an SUV for space and luxury.

VALUE

The Sports Luxury costs an extra $15k, which leaves nothing on the specification shelf.

Lexus embarrasses German rivals with its uncomplicated feature inclusions, gear such as a head-up display, 12.3-inch colour screen, satnav, digital radio, wireless phone charger and a sunroof.

Upgrades for the Sports Luxury include three-zone aircon, power boot lid with kick sensor, heated steering wheel and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson stereo.

The rear seats are also heated and can recline.

Warranty coverage is slightly longer in term than some prestige rivals at four years, but distance is restricted to 100,000km.

Lexus doesn’t have service packages or capped prices on maintenance, but you do get a free loan car when it’s under the mechanic’s microscope.

SAFETY

Five-star safety was awarded with a swag of technology which protects those inside the car and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists — radar sensitivity increases at night to further protect the latter.

There are 10 airbags, radar cruise control to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, blind spot monitor to stop the driver from cutting others off and parking

sensors at both ends.

Road-sign assist constantly monitors changes in speed zones and when using cruise control, the driver can simply hold the button up or down to match the limit.

COMFORT

Trademark Lexus plushness comes in spades. Unless you’re in one of the V8-powered sports cars, you can bank on a Lexus being impressively quiet.

This seventh-generation ES has progressed another rung with an ultra-smooth ride, and even the Sports Luxury’s 18-inch alloy wheels have a hollow rim to reduce noise.

Space is akin to an old-school Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon.

Five people can be housed in comfort, yet four are best suited with each corner availed generous head, leg and knee room. Those in the front have electric seat adjustment, for the driver it has 14-way capability ... just 12-way for the passenger.

Cabin materials look and feel like high quality, and there are two cupholders within the main console but no bottle holders in the doors.

The constant bugbear for Lexus is the

mouse-style remote touch pad which is used to navigate the primary controls — radio, satnav and various vehicle information.

Cumbersome and difficult to operate on the move, it needs further refinement for more seamless operation.

With the hybrid battery stored under the rear seat, the ES boasts a generous boot which was able to handle two large and two small suitcases, as well as a couple of backpacks.

DRIVING

This iteration has grown in every direction, 60mm longer, 45mm wider, 5mm lower, and its wheelbase is 50mm longer.

The new architecture offers increased rigidity and along with suspension changes makes the ES more adept in the bends.

Power from the four-cylinder hybrid system remains subdued, and even with sport mode engaged it will sprint from standstill to 100km/h in less than nine seconds.

That’s not going to have the ES on the quarter mile start line, but this car is all about comfort and ease of driving — both aspects are well covered.

Light steering makes city and rural sojourns effortless.

The ‘bull horns’ on top of the instrument binnacle

enable changes drive modes. Compared to normal, ‘sport’ quickens throttle responses and changes the transmission shift program and ‘eco’ does the opposite.

Among the benefits of the Lexus hybrid system is electrification without complication.

No plug-ins, no recharging. It all happens without any driver intervention with charge going back into the battery.

Components in the ES are lighter and improved, and Lexus has claimed 16.4 per cent fuel improvements over the outgoing model.

Official average fuel consumption figures are an impressive 4.6 litres for every 100km, although with a fair amount of long highway drives we achieved six litres.

That’s still impressively thrifty, but hybrids typically do their best work in

metropolitan areas where there is regular stop-start activity.

HEAD SAYS

Outstanding levels of luxury and space for the whole family with running costs that dwarf premium rivals.

HEART SAYS

The ES looks and feels expensive with grand tourer performance.

ALTERNATIVES

GENESIS G70 2.0T SPORT FROM $63,300 New arrival on the prestige scene from parent company Hyundai.

Smaller in stature but closer in price, powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 179kW/353Nm. For more motoring info, please see our Brisbane motoring advertisements between pages 17-20 of this edition of Seniors News.

52

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AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

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Watering & Irrigation

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Motoring

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54

CLASSIFIEDS

Money

Dianne Charman RECENTLY there has been a lot of chatter around deeming rates and changes made for part-pensioners.

Deeming is the method that Centrelink and the Department of Veterans Affairs use to calculate the income from your financial assets when determining your entitlements for the Age Pension (as well as other benefits such as Disability Support Pension and Newstart Allowance) under a means test.

Deeming assumes that financial investments are earning a set rate of income, regardless of the amount they are actually earning.

There are two components of means testing – an asset test and an income test.

Centrelink calculates your Age Pension on the test that generates the lowest eligible pension amount.

For seniors with financial assets who are assessed under the income test, the change in deeming rates is welcome given the current low interest rate environment.

The government has cut the deeming rate for large investments from 3.25 per cent to three per cent,

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

What is deeming ...and why care?

and for smaller ones from 1.75 per cent all the way down to one per cent.

Individuals may earn up to $174 per fortnight, couples up to $308 before their pension entitlements are impacted by the income test.

Income in excess of these amounts reduces pension entitlements by $0.50 for every dollar assessed for income test purposes.

The changes mean that couples whose income is assessed using deeming may receive up to $1053 extra year, while singles could receive up to $804 extra a year.

While the payments will be backdated to July 1, 2019 the payment adjustments will be processed from the end of September 2019.

So, what should I be doing?

Embrace technology My biggest tip is to become friends with the MyGov portal. Learning how to navigate the website will pre-empt the need for long, frustrating calls and time spent waiting on hold to Centrelink.

Embracing new technology might seem a little overwhelming at first but it’s definitely worth it in the long run.

Regular reviews Regular maintenance and keeping your Centrelink details up to date will pay off, both in terms of your finances and your valuable time.

I helped clients last year update investment values during the share market downturn.

Doing so resulted in a back payment of $517 and an increase in pension entitlement of $42 per fortnight per person or $2184.

Don’t overvalue your home contents When adding your home contents remember this is not the insured amount but the ‘fire sale’ value.

Think about if you were to put all your possessions in a garage sale, what would you receive?

I’ve seen cases where home and contents are valued at $60,000 and when you think about the fire sale value it’s really nowhere near this amount.

Check your super / income Your superannuation/ income stream provider updates Centrelink with your balances in March and September each year.

If you see a change in your pension payment around then check the

MONEY ADVICE: Understand deeming and how it works. latest balances on MyGov as this might explain the adjustment and save you another Centrelink phone call.

Finally, here are a few things you can update / do yourself online: ■ Upload bank statements, rental agreements, superannuation and income stream information ■ Upload receipt details for assets purchases such as your new car, trailer, caravan,

motorcycle etc ■ Update your income ■ Change your bank account details ■ Update your personal details, such as change of address, phone numbers, email ■ Lodge your application for Age Pension, Carer’s Allowance or Pension ■ Manage appointments with Centrelink ■ Change your nominee arrangements ■ View your payments history and next payment details

Photo: Wavebreakmedia

■ Submit complaints or provide feedback Dianne Charman, of Jade Financial Group, is an authorised representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd. Any advice given is general only and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consult a financial planner to consider how appropriate the advice is to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Superannuation catch-up provisions explained FINANCE commentator Andrew Heaven, AMP financial planner at WealthPartners Financial Solutions, addresses how superannuation “catch up” provisions, that came into effect from July 1, will work.

His example is a person aged 55 and with a super balance of $405,000. He earns $100,000 a year and receives the 9.5 per cent employer superannuation contributions.

Since July 1, 2018, individuals with a total superannuation balance of less than $500,000 are able to carry forward their unused Concessional Contribution (CC) cap for up to five years.

The total superannuation balance is calculated by adding together all the amounts you have in the accumulation phase and pension phase of your super at June 30 of each

financial year.

The CC cap refers to the limit on the concessional superannuation contributions you can make in a financial year.

This includes salary sacrifice and compulsory employer contributions, as well as any personal contributions which you may claim as a tax deduction in your tax return. The cap for the 2018–2019 tax year is $25,000.

Amounts of unused CCs arise when you have not fully used your CC cap in a tax year.

Individuals will be able to utilise their unused CC cap on a rolling basis for a period of five years.

Amounts that have not been utilised after five years will expire.

If you earn $100,000 and receive 9.5% Employer Superannuation Guarantee Contributions (SGC), you receive $9500 of CCs.

MONEY ADVICE: Learn more about the new rule around superannuation contributions.

Photo: Squaredpixels Assuming you make no additional concessional contributions in this financial year, you will be eligible to carry forward $15,500 of unused CC cap into future financial years from the 2018-19 tax year.

Assuming your income

doesn’t increase and you made no additional concessional contributions this financial year, nor in the 2019-20 tax year, in the 2021-22 financial year, you would be able to personally contribute a tax-deductible

contribution $46,500 which represent three years of the unused CC cap of $15,500 a year.

Under the rules for carry-forward contributions, your total superannuation balance is determined on your June 30 closing balance

in the financial year prior to the start of the financial year in which you wish to make the additional concessional contributions.

For example, if you wanted to make a carry-forward concessional contribution in the 2019-2020 financial year, your total superannuation balance must be under $500,000 on June 30.

To be eligible to contribute to superannuation you will need to be either under age 65 or satisfy the work test of 40 hours in a three-day period in the tax year prior to making a contribution if older than 65 up to age 75.

The Coach is published on wealthpartners.net.au.

Any general advice in this story doesn’t take account of personal objectives, financial situation and needs.

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Down 1 In mythology, what nymph inhabits mountains? (5) 2 What is a mental disorder characterised by delusions of persecution? (8) 3 Which philosopher, novelist and dramatist (Jean-Paul___) was the chief French exponent of atheistic existentialism?

(6) 4 What do we call a system of government by the wealthy?

(10) 5 Which gas is commonly used in advertising signs? (4) 6 Hochgolling and Wildspitze are mountains in which country? (7) 9 What instrument measures the humidity of the air? (10) 11 What are precise, trivial or minor details? (8) 12 What is a person devoted to the refined, sensuous enjoyment of food and drink?(7) 14 What insect often travels in swarms, stripping vegetation? (5) 16 What mournful poem is often a lament for the dead? (5) 17 What covers more than 20% of the Earth’s surface at any one time? (4)

Across 1 In Greek mythology, which poet and lyre player sought his wife in Hades after her death? (7) 4 What animal was not observed live by a European until a 1913-15 expedition to China? (5) 7 Which monetary unit was launched in January, 1999? (4) 8 What are small pieces of toast served in soup? (8) 10 Named after an annual fair held until 1855 near Dublin, what is a rowdy brawl? (10) 12 What is a swelling of the neck resulting from an enlargement of the thyroid gland? (6) 13 What Russian vehicle is drawn by three horses abreast?

(6) 15 What is the mode of applying the mouth to the mouthpiece of a brass or wind instrument? (10) 18 Which mythical monster had the head of a bull and the body of a man? (8) 19 What small, high-pitched, keyless flute is used in military bands? (4) 20 In ancient Mesopotamia, what type of construction was a ziggurat? (5) 21 What is a factory where skins and hides are treated? (7)

6

SUDOKU

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

5x5

ALPHAGRAMS

Insert the missing letters to make ten words — five reading across the grid and five reading down.

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 fiveletter solution starts with J, the six-letter solution starts with K, and so on.

S

A I

11 12 14

A

15

17

21

23

WORD GO ROUND

Down 1. Shown (8) 2. Unaffected by emotion (5) 4. Scope or range (6) 5. Defeat tactically (12) 6. Perforated (7) 7. Weary (4) 8. Centre of operations (12) 12. Unachievable (8) 14. Self-inflicted setback (3,4) 16. In the middle (6) 18. Once more (5) 19. Wound covering (4)

GK CROSSWORD Across; 1 Orpheus, 4 Panda, 7 Euro, 8 Croutons, 10 Donnybrook, 12 Goitre, 13 Troika, 15 Embouchure, 18 Minotaur, 19 Fife, 20 Tower, 21 Tannery.

Down: 1 Oread, 2 Paranoia, 3 Sartre, 4 Plutocracy, 5 Neon, 6 Austria, 9 Hygrometer, 11 Minutiae, 12 Gourmet, 14 Locust, 16 Elegy, 17 Snow.

SUDOKU

5x5 T E N S E

E D G E D

QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1. Rash 3. Hedonist 9. Violent 10. Toper 11. Accidentally 13.

Exodus 15. Hoodoo 17. Inarticulate 20. Choke 21. Warfare 22. Bullseye 23. Onus.

Down: 1. Revealed 2. Stoic 4. Extent 5. Outmanoeuvre 6. Impaled 7.

Tire 8. Headquarters 12. Hopeless 14. Own goal 16. Midway 18. Again 19. Scab.

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.

TODAY: Good 21 Very Good 26 Excellent 33

Find a finished crossword by deleting one of the two letters in each divided square.

Solution opposite

BLACKOUT

ALPHAGRAMS: LIFTS, MARRED, NEUTRON, OVERSTEP, PATHOGENS.

DOUBLE CROSS

A L O N E

N A

D

SOLUTIONS

WORD GO ROUND

A R

E

airman airmen amen amine anima anime earmark emir karma main make maker mana mane mania mankier marae mare marina marine mariner mark marker mean mike mine miner mink mire name RAINMAKER ramekin ream rearm remain remark rime

I E

FLITS RED RAM ONE TURN TOP SERVE HEPTAGONS

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

22

Across 1. Foolish (4) 3. Pleasure seeker (8) 9. Brutal (7) 10. Drunkard (5) 11. Inadvertently (12) 13. Mass migration (6) 15. Jinx (6) 17. Incoherent (12) 20. Strangle (5) 21. Armed conflict (7) 22. Dead centre (8) 23. Responsibility (4)

G S

S

18

19 20

O I

16

E E

L I M I T

13

M

3/8

21

Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

R K

55

S P A R S

G E N E R A L K N O W L E D G E

PUZZLES

J C I V Z F T S V T K R R E P

M I L I T A N T V E V I N C E

B C K O T U M R N A Z G W O L

F A L L A C I O U S X H U N G

F D O A R E X P G P F T R O H

G A M B I T O P R O F O R M A

Z B L L G O Q Y T O Y P I I O

V I C E R O Y O U N H I T C H

B G Y R X B S S D S G M Y N O

U N C L E S A M X R E P O S E

X I F U T T N O Y E T R A H G

I T E M P A N T I B I O T I C

E I U B O C K H V U O P L E L

B O R E A L L E N F E E B L E

K N K R W E Q R H F D R P D U

BLACKOUT

Work out which squares need to be deleted to reveal a completed crossword.

Solution opposite

DOUBLE CROSS

M F G C I C A D A L L M V I O L A B L T A I F A U C E T N I S T R O P P Y U R T E A S P O O V F R I G H T O N U R E C O N O M I E G A

V U I I G N I T C C E E L U M R E O B S T A Y A N S M O T U I N R E B H E I I M P R O T O T C S H I H E C

H E N U F E P E B E L E

D R F R

B I O N R B E R A C L E

56

TOOWOOMBA

AUGUST, 2019// SENIORS

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