Seniors Toowoomba, June 2020 by seniors

June, 2020

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SENIORS

WELCOME

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INDEX 10 12 14 19 22 23 25 27

Community notes Cover story – The ‘’new normal’’ Feature – Virtual Expo Travel – Wanderlust Wellbeing People Living Puzzles

06 Town unites for moving tribute to centenarian.

Winds of change Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor THIS month we lead with Kathryn Greiner, a woman who, both in private and public, has her finger on the pulse of older Australians. At 73 years old, Greiner is not keen on being described as “elderly’’. The word elderly seems to have come from another time – long before this generation of older people reaped the benefits of modern medicine and lifestyle. COVID-19 has also placed aged people in front of the debate because of the initial perception there were some who considered the virus an older person’s problem. However, the Prime Minister’s has said: “Every Australian matters. It doesn’t matter whether they have just been born or are approaching the end of their lives — every Australian matters.” Certainly, the intergenerational solidarity shown through

Crows Nest’s show of creativity a success.

Couples grow with the flow Garden ideal way to be alone together IF empty shelves at garden centres are anything to go by, social distancing conditions have created a surge of novice “green thumbs’’. But for residents at Bolton Clarke’s Westhaven retirement village in Toowoomba, gardening is – and always has been – a way of life. For Elmore and Rae Lloyd and Dennis and Deslyn Law, the community garden at Westhaven is an ongoing labour of love, and a chance to grow not just food and flowers, but friendships too. Elmore and Rae moved to Westhaven from their farm in Pallamallawa, NSW, in 2017 and the passionate gardeners haven’t looked back since. V1 - SETE01Z01MA

BLOOMIN’ REWARDING: Elmore and Rae Lloyd love spending time in the garden at Westhaven.

“We’ve made quite a few friends since living here,” Elmore said. “We’ve got good neighbours. We’re a family, really.” Rae added: “The garden fits in very well during social distancing.’’ To help pollinate their

gardens, Elmore and Rae have two native stingless beehives in their backyard, and another up in the shared vegie patch. It’s a sentiment and second passion shared with Dennis and Deslyn, who brought their beehive with them from Maryborough.

many and varied acts of community kindness has supported the value of older adults during this difficult time. Sadly, I also have to inform you that due to fast-changing world events in the areas of technology and including the COVID-19 virus, this will be the last issue of Seniors News (both in print and digitally). Seniors News comprises a small team of dedicated professionals who have endeavoured to provide you, our readers, with inspiring, practical and entertaining reading aimed at empowering the older person. I trust that in some way this has been achieved. Finally, to our readers and advertisers, thanks so much for all your support, it has been a pleasure working with you. Gail

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 Mark Smith – 07 3327 3327 mark.smith@newsregionalmedia.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 361604 and quote “Brisbane 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.

NEWS

JUNE, 2020//

SENIORS

Holly the greyhound shows just how eager she is to get on with the job.

‘‘

Older volunteers often find it a very rewarding thing to do – it’s about having a purpose and making a difference. DOGGY TREAT: Helen, Coco the dog and Nyrinaa share a book during a Story Dogs session.

Pictures: Story Dogs

Doggone fun way to help kids read dogs. And because the program runs during school hours, the majority of volunteers are retirees. Local coordinator Petra Westphal has just moved to Toowoomba from the Sunshine Coast, where she also established the program. There are now 40 volunteers working in schools across the Coast and six volunteer coordinators. Petra became involved

Alison Houston IF you enjoy reading, being with your dog and making a difference to kids, Story Dogs needs your help. The program, which assists Year 2 students to develop their reading, is already active in Dalby, but just starting in Toowoomba and needs volunteers with calm, relaxed and obedient

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after adopting rescue greyhound Holly about five years ago. Realising what a placid dog she was, Petra looked for ways they could help others, and discovered Story Dogs. Started in Murwillumbah, northern NSW, in 2009, it has become a national program supporting more than 2600 children each week. The idea is that by targeting literacy problems

early, the cycle of frustration and falling behind in learning can be broken. “Older volunteers often find it a very rewarding thing to do – it’s about having a purpose, making a difference, spending time with someone younger and sharing something you love,” Petra said. “My oldest volunteer on the Sunshine Coast was 91 and the youngest in their

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rather than intimidate the child, and the book bag is swapped each term. The child chooses which book to read, and having the dog as their audience means they don’t see reading as a chore. “The dog doesn’t care if you read fast, slow, mispronounce or get stuck on words, it’s totally nonjudgmental,” Petra said. Teachers report not only does children’s reading confidence grow through the extra one-on-one attention and practice, but absenteeism decreases as the children don’t want to miss their time with the Story Dog. To find out more, call Petra on 0419 137 716 or go to www.storydogs.org.au. To contact Dalby coordinator Lyn Clancy, email lyn@storydogs.org.au.

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30s, with a lot of people from 60-80-years-old.” Petra said the intergenerational relationship worked for both sides, particularly in today’s world where many children don’t have access to grandparents locally and vice versa. “It’s lovely for children to have that experience of an older person in their life,” Petra said. Training and ongoing support are provided for the volunteer, who also needs a Blue Card to work with children. The dog can be any breed but must be more than 12-months-old and pass vet and obedience checks before being accepted. Each volunteer is provided with a book bag of six beautiful picture-based story books with limited words, aimed to entice

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Virus crisis can’t break bonds Men’s group thriving in socially challenging time Alison Houston

MAKING CONNECTIONS: TOMNET facilitator Anthony Hegarty chats with member Bevin Bliesner before social distancing began. They have kept their connections active online.

THE Toowoomba Older Men’s Network motto of “older men supporting older men” has passed with flying colours during the unprecedented test of Covid-19 restrictions. “Our network is focused on creating sustainable peersupport networks for life, and it has been invaluable,” general manager Louise Adcock said. But even she was surprised just how well it had worked in practice. Ringing participants to check how they were faring, one man exclaimed, “You’re the fourth person today!” with most having already been on calls or video link to numerous others in the group. As the program is open to all men older than 50, many members were already computer literate and they helped those who weren’t,

or found other ways to stay in touch. Grandchildren also assisted in setting up some members to join the Zoom counselling sessions that took the place of weekly physical get-togethers. TOMNET had just launched a new program working one-to-one with facilitators to help retired men find new opportunities and regain meaning in their life when Covid-19 hit, forcing the initiative online. Current statistics show that three Australian men over 65 take their life every day – often finding that after a two-year “honeymoon period” immediately following retirement, they lose connections, purpose and momentum, and sink into depression and anxiety. Complicating factors include losing partners, facing illness or other personal issues, or being forced into retirement through health or

redundancy. “TOMNET’s ultimate goal is to turn the period from age 50 onwards into one of the most satisfying times in a retired man’s life,” president Stan Carroll said. Part of being able to do that is just having the vocabulary to say how you are feeling – something men are often reluctant to do, ingrained with the “suck it up and get on with it” philosophy. “We know walking in the door is the hardest, but it’s worth it,” Stan said. In fact, eight out of 10 participants report they wish they had found TOMNET sooner to “get their confidence and spark back”. It is not just about the weekly meetings but the other organised and unscheduled activities that branch from that. To learn more, email admin@ tomnet.org.au, phone 4638 9080 or visit http://tomnet.org.au.

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PEOPLE

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SENIORS

Presence the best present for Joffre Alison Houston JOFFRE Bell said he didn’t want presents for his 100th birthday, just “presence”, and he got that in abundance from the people of Clifton. “I don’t know how to pay everyone back for their attention and the respect they gave me,” Joffre said. “I thought the RSL might have three to four cars driving past, but the whole community came out! “I don’t think I’ll ever get

over it.” Joffre and his wife, Rhyl, sat waving at their property entrance with the 100th birthday balloons flying as pipers played and a soldier on horseback carrying the Australian flag rode by. A procession of local cars followed, flying their own balloons, some adorned with signs, drivers beeping their horns in salute and calling out “happy birthday’’. It was a wonderful carnival atmosphere, completed by the

UNFORGETTABLE: Joffre Bell and his wife, Rhyl, celebrate his 100th birthday by the kerbside with the entire community of Clifton. Despite the coronavirus-forced limitations, Joffre could not have been happier with the tribute.

presentation of Joffre’s birthday card from the Queen by State Member for Condamine Pat Weir, birthday cake and of course a Happy Birthday rendition. “I’m overwhelmed,” Joffre said as he wiped his eyes. A couple of weeks after the big day, Joffre said

cards were still coming in – his only worry, he laughed, was getting writer’s cramp replying to them all. “Had there not been the virus and lockdown, it would have been quite different,” Joffre acknowledged of his big day on April 27. However, he said it could

hardly have been better, except for having missed out on seeing family from “down south”. It’s just another chapter in the life of Clifton’s oldest resident – born in the town his grandfather came to in 1900. Joffre went off to serve in

Bomber Command in World War II but returned to the community he loves to play an ongoing major part in. As for the future, apart from just having had his driver’s licence renewed for another two years, Joffre said he was “on for the next 100 now”.

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NEWS

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SENIORS

Stretching the friendship Tracey Johnstone THE enormous success of the ABC television series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds has led to researchers looking at how this intergenerational experiment can be offered in the broader community. There have been similar projects conducted through other aged care facilities, but few are known to exist in the non-residential seniors’ community. With support funding from the University of NSW’s Ageing Futures Institute, project co-leader, Dr Stephanie Ward from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) senior research scientist Dr Ruth Peters, will investigate how to bring older adults and young children together for learning activities. “We were all initially inspired by the television

program, which I was on,” Dr Ward said. The geriatrician found the key outcomes from the show were purpose and connection. “I could see the way that the experiment gave the adults a sense of purpose and how important that was, for some of them, in changing their health and their attitudes,’’ Dr Ward said. “The sense of connection is incredibly important for all of us at any age but can become more difficult to maintain at an older age.” It underpinned a great deal of the transformation the TV show researchers and viewers saw. “It reminded us all how incredibly resilient and resourceful older and younger people are and what magic can happen when you bring the two generations together,” Dr Ward said. “Coming out of that, we

UPLIFTING CONNECTION: Resident Stuart enjoys a visit from Jax and Michaela in a scene from the TV series Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds. Pictures: ABC-TV

want to look at what is sustainable and feasible in the longer term for intergenerational projects and what will be useful for community-based older populations.‘’ The multidisciplinary Intergenerational Integration Initiative project

will look at the best way to deliver a similar project to what was conducted in the aged care home but within the broader senior community. Dr Peters said: “We want to bring together older adults living in the community with children

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living in that community.’’ Dr Ward added: “We saw in the television show how beneficial it could be but we need more evidence to find the best way to do this.’’ While the TV show was based on four-days-a-week interaction, the researchers

are considering a shorter format. The decision will hinge on the feedback they receive from an Australiawide survey, which they want anyone aged 18 and over to complete. The survey is available online at coghealth.net.au/ the-intergenerationintegration-project. By the end of this year, the project team hopes to have resources available on how groups can conduct face-to-face intergenerational interactions on an ongoing basis. “One of the key things we want to get out of the whole project is some recommendations about how you might take this into your own community,” Dr Peters said. Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds screened for five weeks as part of a sevenweek experiment to see how the company of youngsters could improve seniors’ lives.

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NEWS

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SENIORS

Community notes

Community group guide TOOWOOMBA PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP WE ARE one of 30 similar voluntary groups in Queensland and 130 groups across Australia. We are affiliated with the national body, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA), and we work closely with Cancer Council Queensland. The Toowoomba Support Group is one of the largest inland/regional groups, with 110 members. Our role is support and education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we

do not give medical advice. Meetings are attended by men coping with diagnosis, those who have had various forms of treatment, and men living with prostate cancer. Partners and family members are encouraged to attend meetings. There is no formal membership and no obligation to attend every meeting. Members enjoy the social side of the group, giving a vision of life and hope after treatment. Please confirm if meetings are currently occurring. Memory

SUPPORT A MATE: The Toowoomba Prostate Cancer Support Group is one of the largest inland/regional groups, with 110 members. Picture: Warren Lynam

Street (behind St Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church), Toowoomba. For more information, phone Terry on 0409 615 756, Doug on 0491 116 686 or Paul on 0439 760 008.

GRIEF AND LOSS SUPPORT PEOPLE experience grief in many ways. It is normal for bereavement to bring with it a mixture of intense feelings of sadness, confusion, anger, guilt and fear as well as memories of happier times. Blue Care recognises that

some people may need extra support during this journey and since 1990 has been conducting specialised grief and loss programs for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Some people may feel more vulnerable to their grief at this time of social distancing and isolation. As restrictions are lifted and we are able to meet again, this program may be the support that helps people to continue on their grief journey.

The Blue Care Grief and Loss Program aims to provide information on the grief process as well as offer practical advice and effective coping skills while providing emotional and social support. The program runs as a small group, meeting for two hours each week for eight consecutive weeks, usually on Blue Care premises. There is no cost for the program and the trained facilitators volunteer their time to assist, recognising the individual and

community benefit it provides. Programs are scheduled in Toowoomba, Stanthorpe, Warwick, Kingaroy and Roma throughout the year. While not meeting during the COVID-19 restrictions, now is the time to get your name on a waiting list so that dates can be set and programs are ready to start as soon as we are able. For more info or to register your interest, phone Margaret Spinks on 0491 071 787 or email bluecare.grief.loss @gmail.com.

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Since this is our last edition, I would like to say a special thanks to you for taking the time to send us your community notes and pictures. With your support the Toowoomba paper has been a joy to create. I wish you all the best, Kind regards, Gail, Editor.

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COVER STORY

JUNE, 2020//

SENIORS

How society will change Greiner analyses post-pandemic life

‘‘

Tracey Johnstone MEMO to ScoMo: 70 is not “elderly”, bristles Kathryn Greiner (AO) as she stares down the barrel of the “new normal’’. The chair of the NSW Government’s Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing and the CRC Longevity Project recognises nothing is the same right now, and nor will it be in the future when Australia, and in fact the world, gets to the other side of COVID-19. “Social change is a pendulum that swings out,” she says. “This time it has swung way out, causing great disruption to our lives. “When that pendulum comes back and things come back to what we now call the ‘new normal’, it will never be in the same place that it was again. We are going to be further down the technological track. “We will have to manage our spending because things will cost a lot more because we won’t have the income we used to have.” Seniors will need to adapt to this new normal. Every aspect of their lives, and those of younger generations, are being impacted by this health crisis and its consequent financial crisis. While rigorous debates will ensue as the state and federal governments confront the challenges of retaining old social and economic policies, and implementing the introduction of new ones,

I fear ... it will be even harder for somebody over 55 to be maintained in employment. Kathryn sees some key issues ahead that seniors need to get across. Inviting seniors to supermarkets at an allocated time, Kathryn says, was a positive move and one she hoped would continue well into the future. However, supermarkets have announced they have stopped the initiative as stock levels have returned to normal. “The concept that our older people deserve a bit more space and time to shop, I think, is a classic one,” Kathryn says. However, asking seniors to do this at 8am is a tough call for many of them, who struggle to be mobile at that early hour. She has also noticed a surge in the conversation around the lack of fit-for-purpose housing, particularly public housing, which has been highlighted to younger neighbours who are assisting seniors to cope with their everyday tasks. Work changes The call is for the doubling of the JobSeeker (formerly Newstart) allowance to stay even though the Government has said it will reduce it in late September. It is vital for those who

are unemployed and are not old enough to qualify for the age pension. “I think the community won’t allow the Government to go back,” Kathryn says. “We are going back to post-Great Depression thinking by government, which is why there has to be a platform to support people who cannot work and who cannot find jobs.” For several years now, there has been a big push to keep older workers in the workplace longer. That will change. Kathryn sees those over 50 struggling even more to find a job or keep an existing one. “I fear we are going to go back to an era where it will be even harder for somebody who is over 55 to be maintained in employment.” The challenge will come from younger people’s attitude to working. The favoured gig economy will slow down as young people seek to move from casual work towards permanent employment. Staying home It’s highly unlikely many Baby Boomers who have saved to travel overseas every two or more years will have the cash to spend on

SOBERING VISION: Kathryn Greiner (AO), chair of the NSW Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing, says life will never return to what it was before COVID-19.

their dream adventures. Many will find the value of their investments will have decreased significantly. So too their dividend income. “Where the travel industry has picked up the last four or five years with this ready market, that market has gone. And they will have reputational issues to address,” Kathryn says. Family stress “The numbers will go up,” Kathryn says about

psychological elder abuse, which is happening behind closed doors. “We are hearing older people being confined to their bedrooms in a generational share house. “I heard of one independent-living resident who went to the shops and was then told he had to leave his accommodation. In the regional areas, there are tremendous problems with older people even being able to get to the shops.”

It is also expected that many Baby Boomers will be asked to provide financial assistance to their children, who will struggle to meet their financial commitments. Cash to card Cash, for the most part, has disappeared. We’re online in almost every way. Health, social connections, banking – we’re there now. That’s OK for those seniors who can afford an

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COVER STORY

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and how seniors will fare NBN connection, Kathryn says, but what about those who can’t afford it or haven’t become accustomed to technology? “We know the Commonwealth Bank is a hair’s breadth away, if not already, from not accepting cheques anymore; everyone will have to do internet banking. “For a lot of older people, that’s a struggle.” She says the Government needs to provide financial assistance to seniors, much as it does with things like electricity, so they can all be digitally connected via the NBN.

meeting weekly with the state’s peak agencies to identify ageing issues that need to be highlighted to his State Government colleagues. Kathryn is also putting her mind to the idea of a phone app that provides immediate senior-specific information and the possibility of keeping engaged the younger generations who have stepped up to assist Meals on Wheels as volunteer delivery drivers. Ex-Socceroo Craig Foster led the Play for Lives campaign, one of the positive initiatives to come from the pandemic.

younger generations, the idea posed as a question to Prime Minister Scott Morrison by Leigh Sales on the ABC’s 7.30 show on April 16, about locking down older Australians until the coronavirus crisis passes, receives an aghast response from Kathryn. “That is absolutely outrageous,” the 73-year-old says. Older Australians can be active, not so active, needing help or infirm – we are not all the same. “The Government needs to avoid the ageist attitude digging deep into our society,” Kathryn says. “They need to do a report that shows that the virus did kill people from across the age ranges. “It’s often the ones that have a complicated or an immune-challenged system that causes the death.”

Telehealth nod Another change that has every likelihood of staying is telehealth, if Federal Health Minister Health Greg Hunt has his way. It’s not intended to replace in-person medical consultations, but for those health issues that can easily be managed via phone or video-link conversations, telehealth could well help to improve the accessibility of medical personnel. Kathryn uses the example of visiting her physiotherapist. While she had five faceto-face sessions, she believes that after the initial assessment, she could have had the subsequent recovery sessions conducted through online consultations. Ageism arises While the EveryAGE Counts campaign is working overtime to quell the resurgence of ageist attitudes among the

LIVE

ED INSPIR

Good neighbours Community connections have been rife. They are bringing out the best in many people, who are

supporting their neighbours in many ways. But is it sustainable? Seniors will probably see these community outpourings dissipate as the younger generations return to work, their social connections spread out from their homes and local streets, and the children return to normal school attendance. “I think it will be hard to maintain,” Kathryn says. Creating an in-building intranet is one suggestion she makes for those living in close communities to stay connected well after this pandemic. Another suggestion is using local libraries as social hubs. “Hopefully for those that have been isolated but somehow found their way into engaging in a group, let’s keep our fingers crossed they feel motivated to keep engaged in that group,” Kathryn says. Taking action The five years ahead will be interesting, Kathryn

surmises. The trillion dollars the Government has committed to getting Australia to other side has to be paid back, somehow. Where will that money come from? “I fear it will come out of the older people,” Kathryn says. “Will that mean the GST will rise? Will that mean there will be a wealth tax? “Will that mean that a land tax will come on to the family home? Negative gearing will go out the window. “These are areas that we as a nation have been dancing around. This kind of a crisis may bring them back to the fore. “Certainly, in the short term, if not in the long term.” Not all that she sees coming out of COVID-19 is bad. Look at the #PlayForLives campaign. Former Socceroo Craig Foster is driving the campaign, which is encouraging professional athletes to take on essential volunteer positions left

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vacant due to COVID-19. Kathryn cites this as a good example, as well as the recruitment of volunteer Meals on Wheels drivers through sports clubs with footballers who’ve suddenly found time on their hands. The “innovation and agility in organisations and their capacity to pivot” is impressing Kathryn. Take, for example, the restaurant trade with its move to takeaway meals. “The second one is the recognition that older members of our society are due a certain degree of respect, which has been missing in our very forwardlooking, young-thinking country,’’ she said. “I think we have to bring more care back into the community and we have to look after those who may not be able to look after themselves. “The Government is (also) far more aware of older people.” NSW’s minister responsible for ageing, Dr Geoff Lee, is already virtually

Local governments Seniors need to push their local councils to be the “dynamic driver” of community connections, Kathryn enthuses. While many councils struggle to be innovative, Kathryn sees opportunities for them if they can pivot as a result of what they observe during the pandemic and reinvent themselves as key delivery agents for positive community change. “The further away from the ground you get, the harder it is for the granularity of it to be seen as so important; you think far more in the macro,” Kathryn says. “I think the issues of people and their everyday lives are very much micro; they are on the ground with state and local governments.” When it becomes appropriate to meet, Kathryn expects various local and state government entities to discuss the lessons learnt and the changes that need to be made.

Ruth is for women who care about their families, their communities and their country. It’s a down-to-earth magazine that shares stories about local women and their life journeys whilst celebrating Australian communities, produce, designers and ideas. Our writers are from all walks of life and each piece they contribute brings the magazzine together in a way that will bring you joy, comfort and inspiration.

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SENIORS

SENIORS VIRTUAL EXPO 2020 ADVERTISING FEATURE

Bringing the expo to you THERE is no getting away from it – COVID-19 restrictions have made life pretty challenging for all of us, as individuals and as businesses. Many of our readers look forward to this time of year when they can get out of the house and head along to a seniors expo to see what’s new among the industries and businesses who count them as customers. For business owners, the expos traditionally offer the opportunity to meet new customers face-to-face and share their products or services. Right now, having thousands of people wander through an exhibition hall is not able to happen. There are still great products and services out there to be showcased though, and that’s where the Seniors Virtual Expo 2020 is

here to help. For the months of June and July, Seniors News will host an online virtual expo on our website at www.seniorsnews.com.au, where we will share the latest products and services from our advertisers, supported in print with regional advertising most relevant to readers of each of our eight monthly publications. By promoting businesses online and in print, we’re making it easier for readers to contact businesses in the way that suits them best, and making it possible for readers to order products directly from the websites of the businesses involved. For many businesses, online sales have helped to keep them going while their shopfronts are closed. For Seniors, our online

editions (complete with live click-throughs to websites mentioned in stories and advertising) have seen increased interest. And while COVID restrictions closed some of our regular distribution points such as libraries and sporting clubs we’ve found there’s been a jump in demand for our news online. In March, traffic to our website jumped to 325,138 page views for the month and 129,923 unique visitors (as reported by Adobe). Businesses signed up so far include Bite Dental, Algester Lodge, Jubilee Community Care, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Stafford Fashions, Aidacare, Gourmet Meals, Wellways and Van Homes. Follow the expo action at www.seniorsnews.com.au/ topic/virtual-seniors-expo2020.

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AUSTRALIA’S 2.7 million unpaid carers now have access to greater support with the introduction of the Australian Government’s Carer Gateway. Carer Gateway provides practical information and advice and connects carers with local support services including support planning, counselling, peer support, financial packages and emergency respite. It’s free to access for anyone caring for a family member or friend who is living with a

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FOR many people the thought of transitioning into retirement and moving into the next phase of their life is emotional and stressful. Briese Lawyers love to empower people in this area through their annual seminar and expo â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maintaining Choice in Your Senior Yearsâ&#x20AC;?. In the current climate, they have created an online Facebook Community with the same name to share great content. The purpose of the group is to provide information to anyone 55+ covering everything from transitioning to retirement, fulfilling your bucket list, leaving a legacy, writing your memoirs, options for aged care, estate planning, life, health, fun and family! We invite you to find us on

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Island haven back in swim DAYDREAMING of a winter break on a Barrier Reef tropical island where you can dive and snorkel among the coral? Your dreams can come true when Lady Elliot Island reopens on June 13 for overnight guests and day trips from Brisbane. Lady Elliot is within 250km of the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Hervey Bay and Bundaberg via a scenic day flight. Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort owner Peter Gash says the family-run island will operate on a 50 per cent-bed capacity under their COVIDSafe plan. This ensures all operations comply with strict Queensland Health guidelines. Peter also operates the Seair light aircraft that will V1 - SETE01Z01MA

whisk you from Redcliffe Airport to Lady Elliot and back for the best reef day trip from Brisbane. The plane boards early morning and flies up the coastline past the holiday spots of Mooloolaba and Noosa and the contrasting sands of Rainbow Beach. After an 80-minute flight, guests arrive at Lady Elliot, and it doesn’t take long before you are dipping into the water and swimming among the coral. Manta rays and turtles are frequently spotted here, and divers and snorkellers both find tropical fish, sea cucumbers, starfish, clams and sea urchins. Guided snorkel tours and snorkel safaris help ensure everyone gets a chance to explore the reef. There is also a glass-bottomed boat, which reveals all the underwater action as you glide over the surface.

On low tide the beach becomes a different sort of wonderland as the island’s marine biologists take groups out to explore the littoral zone. Be sure to pack a pair of old sandshoes or beach shoes to walk among the coral. Bright-blue starfish are plentiful here. It doesn’t take long to walk around this 45-hectare coral cay island, which is home to 88 species of birds. Once mined for guano, it is now a wildlife sanctuary. Peter has put Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort at the environment forefront with hybrid solar-power stations replacing diesel engines. The Lady Elliot daytrip flight gives you five hours to explore the island. You’ll be able to pack in plenty during that time, including a swim, snorkel, beach walk, island exploration and lunch. For more information, visit ladyelliot.com.au.

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ESCAPE

JUNE, 2020//

Soak up the charms of Kiwi hotspot

SENIORS

BATHED IN BEAUTY: The 15km Tarawera Trail is based around Lake Tarawera, near Rotorua, New Zealand. The trail ends in Mt Tarawera’s shadow. Pictures: Graeme Wilson

Immerse yourself in nature with lakeside walk Graeme Wilson FOLLOWING last December’s tragic eruption on White Island, it was with some trepidation that I contemplated tackling New Zealand’s latest great walk. The 15km Tarawera Trail near Rotorua ends in the shadows of active volcano Mt Tarawera, responsible for the country’s most devastating eruption in 1886. It took the lives of more than 100 locals – completely burying a nearby village – with ash spread across 15,000sq km and the accompanying roar heard almost 1000km away in Christchurch. But with history showing the average space between eruptions is about 1500 years, and zero recent sign of activity, my partner and I set off justifiably confident that this sleeping giant was unlikely to reawaken any

time soon. The free walk starts on the shores of Lake Tarawera, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Rotorua in the North Island, and winds its way around the lake with picnic and toilet facilities along the way. While some choose to make a full day of the picturesque undulating return walk from the Te Wairoa carpark to Te Rata Bay (Hot Water Beach), we decided to spend a leisurely five hours on the one-way trip. That still allowed time for a well-earned relax in the heated lake waters at journey’s end before a 15minute water taxi ride provided a rapid return to our starting point. On arrival at Hot Water Beach, you’re greeted by plumes of steam spiralling invitingly upwards as boiling water from thermal springs creates a naturally heated

shoreside spa. Along the preceding path, short climbs and descents alternate as you work your way from pumice-strewn lakeside beaches to elevated vantage points among the native ferns so famously replicated on the jerseys of New Zealand sporting teams. The Kiwis are justifiably proud of the renowned beauty of their country and we deliberately took our time to stop regularly and take it all in. We encountered just a few fellow hikers on our walk and, of course, the trail has been even quieter in the past few months, with New Zealanders locked down during a highly successful response to contain the COVID-19 virus that has decimated other parts of the world. But the hope is that with both Australia and New Zealand having standout

success in managing the virus, country borders will soon reopen to allow transTasman travel. When that happens, I highly recommend you grab the chance to venture across “the ditch” and enjoy all our near neighbours have to offer – and as a bonus be able to do it in relative peace as the rest of the world remains locked out and watching on in envy.

Here’s cheers to good times at the newly reopened Secret Spot Hot Tubs. It’s the perfect place to fully submerge yourself in the healing waters or just soak your feet while enjoying a glass or two of your favourite tipple.

Rotorua itself is New Zealand’s cultural tourism capital and staying a night either side of your Tarawera walk opens up many exciting opportunities. Maybe take a mountain bike ride in the vast forestry areas, stroll through the awe-inspiring Redwood Memorial Grove, and ride the gondola to the top of Mt Ngongotaha to take in panoramic views of Rotorua

and surrounds. And if Hot Water Beach has you hooked on the soothing qualities of a dip in steaming water, drop into the newly reopened Secret Spot Hot Tubs. Fully submerge yourself in the soothing, healing waters, or choose to just soak your feet while enjoying a glass or two of your favourite beverage. Sweet as.

An abundance of New Zealand’s iconic native ferns adds to the visual feast that is the Tarawera Trail. SETE01Z01MA - V1

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The trail’s short climbs and descents alternate as you work your way from pumice-strewn lakeside beaches to elevated vantage points among the native ferns.

‘‘

The Kiwis are justifiably proud of the beauty of their country and we deliberately took our time to stop regularly and take it all in.

Walk this way for a hike to remember. V1 - SETE01Z01MA

Hot Water Beach’s plumes of steam spiral invitingly upwards as boiling water from thermal springs creates a naturally heated shoreside spa.

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Wellbeing

Finding solace in helping to handle grief Tragedy leads Doris to bereavement education LEARNING to grieve can be the toughest lesson of all. When Doris Zagdanski was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, someone suggested to her it was the worst thing that could ever happen. “I just looked at them and said ‘No, I’ve already survived the worst thing in the world – breast cancer is just a small stumbling block’,” the Gold Coast grandmother recalls. “I didn’t tell them the details, just that breast cancer didn’t rate for me.” That might sound surprising until Doris explains that, for her, the “worst thing in the world” was losing her daughter Claire to cot death, which is now known as sudden infant death syndrome. More than 40 years later, the 66-year-old admits that

while she might have learnt to live with the grief, she has never forgotten what it was like. But she has found a way to handle the pain, for many years working as a grief educator and now training funeral directors with some of Australia’s best-known brands – including White Lady, George Hartnett Metropolitan and Somerville Funerals – on how to deal with people coping with the death of a loved one. The daughter of postWorld War II migrant parents who spoke only German in their Geelong home, Doris was so determined not to be “the wog kid” that she devoted herself to learning English and became an overachieving, straight-A student. Not content with simply being bilingual, she studied

Japanese in high school and then Japanese and German at university, ultimately becoming a Japanese teacher at her alma mater – Oberon High School at Belmont. “Mum is German and Dad was Ukrainian – she was 20 and he was about 27,’’ Doris recalls. “They were lucky to come to a country that was very good to them and gave our family so many opportunities.’’ Doris’s father passed away about 10 years ago but her 91-year-old mother still lives in a nursing home in Geelong and continues to speak to Doris and her siblings in German, while they respond in English. Determined to make something of herself, the young Doris became an overachiever. “If I didn’t get an A – 95

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sobbing as he begged their baby girl to start breathing again. “It took me at least five years to emerge from that cloud of grief. I’ve since learned that you don’t get over that sort of grief – you learn to incorporate it into your new way of living.’’ Compounding Doris’s pain was a feeling that she hadn’t been allowed to say goodbye properly during the funeral process. “I’ve always regretted that I didn’t get to pick her

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per cent or 100 per cent – I considered I didn’t do well,” she says. But as is so often the case, the attitude that set Doris up to soar when she achieved also set her up to crash badly when she felt she failed. For her and her husband, Peter, that crash came on June 17, 1980. Her life was changed forever that night after she discovered Claire’s lifeless body in her cot and then could only watch as Peter desperately performed CPR,

up and hold her one last time, from the moment we found her in her cot. “l didn’t get to do it when the ambulance took her away and when I asked the funeral director if I could hold her one last time, he said, ‘No, we don’t do that’.’’ Three years after Claire’s death, Doris met a funeral director and told him how she felt, in no uncertain terms. She pulled no punches in letting him know she thought funeral directors knew little about grief – parents’ grief in particular – and didn’t know anything about holding funerals that were a meaningful way of saying goodbye. To his credit, he invited Doris to share her views at a conference of funeral directors and two years later, in 1984, offered her a job. Since that day she has not only worked as a funeral director, but also devoted her life to training others in the industry on how they can do their jobs with compassion, respect and empathy. “A mentor in the funeral industry once told me that what happens in the first five days after a death can impact on that family for the next five years,” Doris says. Doris has written seven books and countless articles and columns to help people deal with grief, and since 1992 has worked for national funeral brand InvoCare, both as a funeral director, Queensland general manager, and now as a trainer based at Nerang.

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VERSE-ATILE: Actor John Howard’s lockdown selfie (left) during a poetry reading and (above) his sidekick Colin the cafe kelpie.

Howard brushes off the blues Tracey Johnstone IT’S ironic: the industry we are relying so heavily on to keep us occupied as we stay at home during the COVID19 crisis is largely being ignored when it comes to financial handouts. “It seems the spirit of our society is not considered essential,’’ actor John Howard says. “That’s what we do: we tell stories about our society. Apparently, according to this Government, that’s not essential, yet it seems in lockdown people find it extremely essential.’’ Most of the industry participants who have brought us films, plays, operas, TV shows and music live on casual employment; day to day, contract to contract. Add age into the mix and the immediate future is dire. Howard, 67, a Silver Logie winner, star of many iconic Australian movies, plays and TV shows such as SeaChange and Packed to the Rafters can’t qualify for JobKeeper, is too old to receive JobSeeker and is far from ready to retire, so the pension isn’t the answer either. There is no reason for him V1 - SETE01Z01MA

to stop working; he knows he can keep going until he drops, as long as there are acting roles for him. On March 15 and in the throes of delivering a stellar performance in Melbourne as part of the national tour of the comedy show Senior Moments, Howard found himself unemployed and on a plane home to Sydney. The upside of that experience? He discovered he has a “beautiful” singing voice. Delivering Puccini’s Nessun Dorma in a mock opera during the show, Howard was quite surprised he could do it, and well. Could he add this to his long list of talents? Yes, he declares. During this social isolation around Howard, many of his colleagues are continuing to develop acting material, but with a reduction in arts industry government grants and the restrictions around social gathering, several have turned to Woolworths, working stacking shelves. Howard holds some hope that his writer colleagues will remember to include roles for older actors. “Normally (when a job finishes), you go and get a job somewhere to keep some cash coming through,’’

Howard has discovered his painting talent during lockdown and produced some impressive work (above and left),

Howard says. “Over the 45 years I have been working, sometimes I have been working and sometimes I haven’t. This is unusual as there aren’t options.’’ Back in his apartment at the seaside suburb of Manly, the past few months have been a time of reflection for Howard as he struggles with no income. Reinvention is currently the most obvious option for him. Howard is keeping himself amused by writing poems, or “Pome’’, as he calls them – because he doesn’t like to take himself too seriously – and painting. He posts his work to his Facebook #JohnHoward and

Instagram #JohnHoward ActorOfficial accounts. Encouraged to share his work, unruly-haired Howard dons the iso poet’s dark glasses and launches into reading his favourite Pome, called Grace. “And now a gentleness comes to us. In the eye of our storm of desire and fear. A quietness my love. Out of our talking, into our listening. Grace. The most beautiful word I know my love comes to us. And we can be truly happy.” There’s not much money in poems, Howard admits,

but his newly discovered painting talent is another thing. Last year he “invaded” the studio of artist and friend Sophie Gralton. While cleaning her brushes, he found the inspiration to try painting a parrot. “Some months later I put it on Facebook to see what would happen,” Howard says. “Someone bought it. I thought, hello! So, I painted a few more birds, then I got a run on ibises and from there it went to ‘Can you paint my dog?’.” When the mood takes him and the artistic side of his brain gets juiced up, he will spend 20 minutes or up to eight hours a day

painting. Howard has also taken on painting people, but those efforts are not for showing yet. The idea of an exhibition is brewing in his brain but that will happen sometime in the future as he develops more material and skills and waits for the world to return to normal. “I am really enjoying it, so I am looking to be as good as I can.” Facebook has become an important tool for Howard to remind his many followers “I am still around; I haven’t shuffled off to Buffalo”. He’s also accepted an advocacy role with the Queensland organisation Designer Life, which offers career transition for matureage job seekers. “It’s about retraining people over 40. There’s going to be a lot of that going on,” Howard says. “The reason I am doing this is I think it’s a very worthwhile thing for people to be considering. “The longer this goes on, I am thinking I am going to have to reinvent myself. “A lot of us are having to reinvent what we are doing, who we are and how we are going to make a living.”

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Why retire when you are doing what I’m doing?

APPETITE FOR A CHALLENGE: At 75, journalist Ray Martin has found comedy as the host of new lifestyle satire At Home Alone Together.

Ray’s still right at home at 75 Tania Phillips TELEVISION host and journalist Ray Martin has always kept his personal life private but a new “home show” and COVID-19 lockdown conditions have meant a change of heart. At Home Alone Together, to air on the ABC on Wednesday nights at 8.30, is a satirical look at life under lockdown through the scope of a lifestyle show, with the veteran journalist acting as host and straight man to a group of young comedians. The whole program came together quickly, according to the 75-year-old, with the ABC agreeing and turning the show around in just a few weeks. And while it shocked him to gain the approval of the network quickly, the real boss and person with the power was his wife of 50 years, Diane. A notoriously private person who shielded their two children from the limelight too, Diane wasn’t thrilled to have their house turned into a television set – putting their lives and possessions on show. “It’s a huge breakthrough because I’ve been really private about my family. In the 50-odd years of my

career there have never been photos of my kids. Often with Bert and Patti (Newton) and so on, the children were part of their television persona but my wife is very private,” Ray said. “We had to get her across the line – she doesn’t like the idea of doing a ‘Grand Designs’ in our place, where everyone gets to see your carpets and your paintings and prints. She thinks that’s intrusive. “But we still had to film it here so we have filmed it in the kitchen, the family room and the lounge room and outside and up on the deck, and in my study. It’s been kind of fun.” However, Diane Martin’s approval didn’t come without a little extra convincing on the part of her husband. “My wife is a house and kitchen Nazi, so it means she and I go round on a Sunday night, before we film on a Monday and Tuesday, with a mop and a vacuum cleaner,” he laughed. “She is fussy about a tidy house, and the end result is we’ve never seen the house so spick and span.” With Diane’s approval in place, Ray became the host

and added another show to his long list of television achievements. In fact, even though he officially retired three yeas ago, Ray continues to be one of the hardest-working men in the Australian television industry. In the past three years he has averaged 90 plane trips a year for work, and even now in lockdown Ray has had three television shows on three different networks in a six-week period, including Channel 7 travel show Hello World, which he filmed last year, and a onehour documentary on VC winner Keith Payne produced for SBS with former ABC head of news Max Uechtritz. Ray admits he is a little surprised to be popping up all over our screens at this age – particularly in a comedy show – and in fact many of his friends. spotting the promo during the Shaun Micallef show, thought it was just another of Micallef’s spoofs. “I’d done some stuff with a guy named Dan Illich, who’s the producer of this, and then Chris Taylor from The Chaser, who is the writer.” Illich had put together live

A scene from At Home Alone Together, one of the many projects keeping Ray Martin busy.

satire featuring Ray and several other journalists last year in Sydney, which the veteran journalist described as “a lot of fun”. “I’d done some Chasers with Chris some years back and I did a number of comedy spots for SBS with (satirist) Mark Humphries,” Ray said, explaining he was no stranger to the genre. “They rang up and said we’ve got this new show coming and we think that you’d be absurd enough to be a good host for it. I liked the idea and someone at the ABC must have been smoking something because

they agreed.’’ So what’s next for Ray (other than writing a book on Fred Hollows and using his COVID-19 downside to sort his thousands of photos, fix up his deck and get through the list of jobs Diane has for him to do now he is finally at home)? One thing for sure is he obviously has no intention of really retiring. “No, no there is no stopping,” he said seriously. “Oddly enough, before you rang, I was just watching a documentary with David Attenborough, who turns 94 today – he’s become my role model. To keep doing what

he does at 94 – I’ve got 20 years to go. “Why would you want to retire when you are doing what I’m doing, a show like this or a documentary on Keith Payne etc, etc, as against going out and playing golf or bowls or going down to the leagues club? You’re kidding me – I couldn’t think of anything worse. “For sheer satisfaction, fun, enjoyment and for keeping enthusiastic, I can’t think of anything else. I wouldn’t have swapped being a journalist for anything in the world.” SETE01Z01MA - V1

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ACTION: Show cookery expert Shirley Cronk shares her tips from a lifetime of baking, as part of #12DaysofCrowieShow.

Show finds online sweet spot Alison Houston WE ALL know the saying “the show must go on”, and Crows Nest Show organisers decided that is exactly what would happen – even if it had to be virtually. The aim of the #12DaysofCrowieShow, secretary Jess Hanson said, was to keep the community positive in the face of COVID-19 restrictions and keep the event, which started 1901, alive in some way. “This is the first time the show has had to be cancelled since the war, so when we made that decision in March we discussed that we still wanted to keep the momentum going and how we could do that,” Jess said. With an eye towards keeping the labour low, they decided to run a 12-event virtual agricultural show through Facebook, with no entry fees so everyone could be involved, and no judging. They even had local dab hands like veteran vegetable steward Maurice Burgess V1 - SETE01Z01MA

and Crows Nest AH&I life member and Ekka cookery judge Shirley Cronk film 10minute tutorials sharing tips on their area of expertise. Jess said many Crows Nest locals, for example, had great vegetable patches or fruit trees but no idea how to begin showing their produce … until now. “It was wonderful – capturing the show culture in 2020; involving show identities and recording their knowledge … it’s too good not to be recorded,” Jess said. “Shirley’s in her 80s and has a lifetime of show cookery tips, hints and hacks; things that older people know from a lifetime of experience, like how to avoid rack marks and skewer marks on a cake.” The online show achieved 374 entries, including local, Queensland-wide and interstate interest. Jessica said they crossed all age groups, from “children bored at home looking for something to do” to residents at the Churches of Christ Crows Nest

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It was wonderful capturing the show culture.

Retirement Village. Diversional therapist Monica Black helped village residents enter a number of categories, including needlework and handicrafts, floriculture, the pet parade, A Day in the High Country and Crows Nest Has Talent. One of the highlights for Jessica was retirement village entrant Joyce’s rendition of Amazing Grace. “It was just the most beautiful thing to see this elderly lady put herself out there to give other people joy,” Jess said. “Probably the standout of the whole initiative was how

Veteran vegetable steward Maurice Burgess made two “how to” videos for #12DaysofCrowieShow, sharing his secrets on how to successfully grow and show your produce.

it connected the whole community.” Jess feels they may have even tapped into a new audience, those who had felt the local show was outdated and didn’t realise its purpose was “to encourage people to get better every year”. And they could introduce a new online element to future shows, so that residents in the aged care

village can continue to participate. But while the show is over again until May 8, 2021, the work is far from over for the Crows Nest AH&I Society, with the 6.5ha showgrounds set for a major facelift. With 70 powered sites, they have received grants to build a new all-abilities ablution block including laundry, upgrade the

existing toilet and shower block and paint silo murals to make the area more attractive to caravan clubs, group meetings and other potential money earners. DID YOU KNOW? No sector in Australia puts in more volunteer hours than the agricultural show movement, with 1.56 million hours volunteered to run 580 events nationally.

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