This International Day of Older Persons, AnglicareSA celebrates its almost 5,000 customers across our residential and community aged care services.

Our customers have lived rich and interesting – raising families, pursuing careers, and contributing to their communities – and that does not stop when they move into a residential aged care home or access supports and assistance at home.

We recognise and acknowledge the important contributions our older customers have made and continue to make in our community, just like Ken who lives at our Elizabeth East residential aged care home.

Described by vascular surgeon Dr Alan Scott as a “remarkable surgeon and a truly remarkable Australian”, Dr Ken Clezy, AM, OBE, is no stranger to the harsh realities of human life.

A doctor for more than 50 years, and a surgeon for nearly as long, Ken’s work surgically reconstructing deformities caused by leprosy was internationally regarded and renowned.

Born in 1929, John ‘Ken’ Clezy V was born into a long line of Johns (the tradition would continue with his son and grandson, John VI and VII), the first being his great-great-grandfather back in the 1800s. 

The oldest of four children, Ken was born into a religious family and grew up on a farm in Naracoorte in the state’s South-East.

It became obvious as a child that farm work wasn’t in Ken’s future – in his memoir Now in Remission: A Surgical Life, he wrote:

“By the time I was knee high, anyone with half an eye could see I’d never be a farmer.”

Listening to a minister and missionary in his last year of schooling cemented Ken’s life purpose.

“I felt God calling me for overseas service,” Ken said.

And so, Ken embarked on a medical degree, with the aspiration of becoming a doctor and working overseas in disadvantaged communities lacking access to health care.

Throughout his professional career, Ken travelled and worked as a surgeon in various countries, and sometimes, it was dangerous.

Ken will never forget his experience working in a hospital in Yemen during the Second Gulf War.

On one fateful day, Ken narrowly escaped death when three of his colleagues were killed at the hospital. Ken’s saving grace: going home for breakfast.

Ken said working in low and middle-income providing urgent healthcare and performing vital surgeries could be challenging at times, but his strong sense of faith and calling compelled him to continue serving others.

“I wanted to do something that could help people; Ken said.”

“Seeing all sorts of ailments and doing different operations to help people was something I enjoyed.”

While Ken retired from medicine in 2005 after an illustrious career, that didn’t stop him from keeping busy, penning several novels and his memoir.  

As Ken aptly put it in his memoir: “I couldn’t dodge the fact that I was another surgeon who… was reluctant to lay down the scalpel.”

You can read more about Ken’s incredible life as a surgeon in low and middle-income countries in his memoir, available to purchase at Wakefield Press.

With a penchant for poetry and a definite way with words, Bob thrives on the camaraderie, community, and connection on his regular outings through AnglicareSA’s social activities program.

Bob and his wife Pam, who has dementia, first became customers of AnglicareSA’s Home Care Services when they relocated to Adelaide from Queensland to live closer to family.

Two years ago, Pam was moved into a care home due to her worsening condition, and while Bob continues to receive services from AnglicareSA, the social activities and groups have become an important part of his routine.

“Oh, it’s the company really,” Bob said. “There’s a couple of guys who are regulars, and we have a good chin wag about things, plus there’s Tash (Social Activities Coordinator) who leads the way and looks after us very well.

“It’s very important to me because I’m on my own with Pam and her dementia, so to get out of the house and talk with other people about similar problems, it’s good for me.”

Bob not only gets involved in the Garden Club hosted every fortnight at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Plympton, but he’s also now a regular at social outings.

“Tomorrow we’re going for an outing to the West Lakes Hotel, so that will be good, but other times we might visit an op shop or other things like the time we went to the Planetarium.

“We have lunch together which is great because again you’ve got the company and you’re talking about similar problems and lot of things about the past.

“There’s always a lot of stories to share.”

On the topic of sharing tales, Bob is in fact quite prodigious, penning at last count, 71 poems on various subjects about life, love, and more recently his 90^th birthday.

“I think most of them are about the fact that we’re getting old, and my wife is getting worse with the dementia,” he reflected.

“That’s all very sad, and of course, a lot of the poems are sad, but I think it’s probably just a bit of relief for me to write down what I think about it all.

“I’m up to 71 that I’ve got recorded on the voice recorder, and there are others that are partly written, but I’ve never finished.

“I try to share my poems as much as I can.”

AnglicareSA’s Social Activities for Older People

For more information about how to get involved with Anglicare SA’s Social Activities, please contact 8209 6626.

Costs of Social Activities vary depending on your government funding package and the specific group activity, with co-contributions ranging from $1.50 through to $14.50 – still great value for a day out all expenses included.

Margaret lives at AnglicareSA’s Trott Park residential aged care home, which has recently renovated its onsite hairdressing salon.

Margaret loves going to the hairdresser every week for some pampering and a chat.

“It’s like a day out,” Margaret said.

And the best part is, it’s just down the corridor from her home.

The renovation, which saw the design of the salon modernised and the equipment upgraded, was carried out to make the layout of the space more user-friendly and inviting.

“The salon is the centrepiece of the building, as it is located near commonly visited areas such as the reception desk and the café,” AnglicareSA Customer Service Coordinator Rebecca Hudson said.

“We wanted to create a beautiful space that looks inviting for families walking past, but also peaceful and calming for our residents visiting the salon.”

The new-and-improved salon was the result of almost a year of planning and six weeks of construction, to ensure the layout could accommodate potential expansion of services to include other beauty therapy services.

Margaret said the upgrades felt like a boutique experience.

“I think the renovations are lovely. The space looks clean and inviting,” she said.

The convenience and opportunity for social interaction are two reasons why Margaret continues to visit the salon for a cut and a blow dry.

“I am happy we’ve got a hairdresser here,” Margaret said.

“It’s easy to get to and I don’t have to travel anywhere.

“In other salons, you might get a different hairdresser every time. I like that we have the same hairdresser here – I get used to her and bond with her.”

AnglicareSA Clinical Coordinator Claudette Wright said having a hairdresser onsite two days a week had been tremendous for the residents’ wellbeing.

“Having a hairdresser onsite has been very good for our residents’ independence,” she said.

“They make their way to reception to book a hair appointment and can attend the appointment so close to their own homes.

“Being able to go to the hairdresser and feeling refreshed has been great for their self-esteem.

“They feel more comfortable and confident, which is great to see.”

Little Milla loves going with her mum every Thursday to AnglicareSA’s Trott Park residential aged care home to see her older buddies. 

The nearly two-year-old attends the home’s intergenerational playgroup, designed to bring children and older people together to play, sing songs, and interact in a fun and stimulating environment. 

Milla’s mum, Kate, said the intergenerational aspect of the playgroup was a big part of what encouraged her to join.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of intergenerational playgroups,” Kate said.

“It’s valuable seeing what young children bring to older people and what they can provide in return.”

Kate, who also attends the group with her sister and niece, said it was a great opportunity for them to have a family day.

“My 97-year-old grandad (Milla’s great-grandad) is a resident here,” Kate said.

“The playgroup gives us a chance to visit him, as well as providing a welcoming environment for Milla and her cousin Ava to interact with him.”

Intergenerational playgroups offer more than just a fun activity or a few laughs. 

Kate said attending the playgroup had helped to instil confidence in Milla and given her the space to develop her communication skills.

“Milla gets so much confidence being around older people and aged care homes from this playgroup,” Kate said.

“She enjoys interacting with the residents and has a great morning.”

AnglicareSA Customer Wellness Lead Sharon Jennings said intergenerational playgroups were always a hit with the residents.

“Whenever the children visit, you just see the residents relax and start smiling,” Sharon said.

“Playing and interacting with the children gives them a sense of community. They have the opportunity for social connection and to share their stories.”

Join the fun

Families with children up to five years old are invited to join the playgroup. The program runs during the school term on Thursdays at 10:45 am at 4 Kangaroo Thorn Road, Trott Park.

Give the Trott Park team a call on 8329 2401 for more information and to register your interest.

This Aged Care Employee Day, AnglicareSA says ‘Thanks for Caring’ to our dedicated workforce of more than 1,000 care workers, hospitality teams, nurses, allied health professionals, lifestyle teams, coordinators, administration staff, and many others who work across our Aged Care Services.

They make a difference every day by providing essential care, comfort, and companionship to older Australians. They help our loved ones live longer in their own homes or feel at home in residential aged care.

Their commitment and dedication to providing extraordinary care in what can be at times a challenging occupation is worthy of recognition. 

From Holden to aged care

For Adris Salih, home care wasn’t part of his original career plan.

“I worked at Holden for 28 years and thought I’d be there until I retired,” Adris said.

However, the closure of Holden’s manufacturing plant threw a spanner in the works for Adris, who had to find new employment, choosing to retrain as an aged care worker.

“I like to talk to people and have good people skills, so I decided to give it a go and try something different.”

Adris Salih

“It was a big change, but I have really enjoyed it.”

Adris, who has been a part of AnglicareSA’s community aged care team for nearly 10 years, was recently promoted to Home and Community Client Services Lead and now manages 43 care workers across metro Adelaide.

He said he loved being able to mentor the next generation of aged care workers.

“I try to catch up with each of them as much as I can on their shifts and see if they need any support.

“I love being able to help them to care for our customers.”

Adris said Aged Care Employee Day provided an opportunity to recognise aged care employees’ hard work and commitment to the health and wellbeing of older people.

“Aged care workers put 110 per cent into their work,” he said.

“The job we do is huge and makes a big difference to the lives of older people.”

Bringing the fun

Darcy Kemp likes to say that her role as a Customer Wellness Assistant at our Grange residential aged care home is all about bringing the fun.

From celebrating events to facilitating gardening groups, armchair travel sessions, and the all-important Bingo Wednesdays, Darcy brings bucketloads of enthusiasm to every lifestyle activity she’s a part of.

Darcy is part of the lifestyle team responsible for designing and creating engaging and fun leisure activities that meet residents’ needs.

It’s a role she thinks is very important for residents’ health and wellbeing.

“Moving into a residential aged care home can be hard initially for residents, who are now living with other people they don’t know. I like to make them feel at home and find ways to get them involved in activities that make them happy and where they can connect with other residents.”

Darcy Kemp

“When you age, your abilities might change, but your interests don’t.”

It’s clear that the residents are fond of Darcy – smiles and laughter are common takeaways in their interactions with her.

And talking to Darcy, the feeling is mutual.

“I love talking to the residents and their families and hearing their stories.

“I form such strong bonds with the residents, it’s like I have 100 grandparents,” she joked.

Darcy said Aged Care Employee Day was also a chance to acknowledge the contributions of older Australians.

“I think it’s so important that we give back to older people and look after them,” she said.

“Everything that we have now is thanks to them.”

Joining AnglicareSA’s Aged Care team

With the number of Australians over 85 expected to double over the next decade, it’s no secret that more aged care workers are needed to keep up with the demand.

Want to make a difference in the lives of older Australians? Join the AnglicareSA team and apply for a role in aged care here.