feros 2021 WINTER COVER STORY LASTING LEGACY UNDER CEO’S 20-YEAR HELM LAUGHTER YOGA THE BEST MEDICINE A KISS A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY IN THIS ISSUE ABOUT FEROS CARE 03 CEO’s Word We’re Feros Care. And what we care about most is helping people 04 Feros News live bolder lives. Healthier. Better connected. More active. More fulfilling. 06 Mark’s NDIS plan helps We don’t just want you to live. We him move forward want you to dream. To get your feet 07 Laughter yoga wet and your hands dirty. To laugh, – the best medicine have friends, be happy. To have ambitions, passions, plans. 08 Lasting legacy under CEO’s We call it growing bold and for over 20-year helm 30 years, we’ve been making it real, both for older Australians and those 11 Life on their own terms living with disability. We can support you in many ways and with many 12 NDIS community projects services. We can help with residential 14 Social Prescribing aged care, home care, accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme, 15 What’s new on the veteran’s services, community care, or Virtual Social Centre getting you back on your feet after a hospital stay. 16 Ask Gran Not Google goes to Uni CONTACT US 17 Digital transformation at home FEROS CARE BUSINESS CENTRE Level 3, The Strand Respecting personal 18 72–80 Marine Parade (Locked Bag 1) pronouns – a beginner’s Coolangatta QLD 4225 guide Ph: 07 5669 0555 Fax: 07 5536 7520 Email: [email protected] 20 A kiss a day keeps the doctor away Feros Central Aged Care Hotline Ph: 1300 763 583 Fax: 1300 850 770 22 Be Someone For Someone Email: [email protected] – Winter Update Feros Care Local Area Coordination 24 More than paying for Ph: 1300 986 970 your funeral Email: [email protected] 26 In Great Company update JOIN US ON FACEBOOK 27 Age no barrier for facebook.com/feroscare volunteer’s unique FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM friendship instagram.com/feroscare 28 Disability and dating – dos and don’ts feroscare.com.au/stayintouch 30 Board Update 31 Reviews 32 Social news 34 Brain games 35 Crossword 36 Stay in touch feroscare.com.au 2 FEROS MAGAZINE CEO’S WORD WELCOME TO THE WINTER 2021 EDITION OF FEROS MAGAZINE fter 20 wonderful years with Over the last few months, I’ve had In this edition we consider a new Feros Care, the time has opportunity to reflect on my 20 years perspective on death and dying Acome for me to resign as with Feros Care and I’m proud to (page 24) and look at gender and CEO and to step boldly into the next share some of my personal favourite personal pronouns (page 18). era of my life and career. It’s time for moments in this edition (page 8). a new leader to move forward with There’s plenty more inside the cover! Feros Care, and time for me to spend As always, we have plenty of stories The focus for Feros magazine is quality time with my family and find about the people who matter most information and enjoyment. We’d other ways to contribute to the aged – you, our clients, residents and love to hear your feedback and any care sector. participants. See how Christian and suggestions for the magazine. You Greg (page 11) are still living life on can email your feedback and ideas I want to pay tribute to an amazing their own terms at 75 and 80, and to [email protected] and team who have delivered on our how NDIS Participant, Mark de Waard they will be gratefully received. mission. Thank you for the honour (page 6) can ‘stand on his own two of being your CEO over the last legs’ after 30 years! I hope you and yours remain safe two decades. I have proudly led and well. While we’re proactively a team of passionate, committed As I write this, I’ve just attended a contacting our clients and professionals who are unrelenting in wonderful 100th birthday celebration participants to make sure they’re their efforts to improve the lives and for a bright, vibrant and always bold safe, if there is anything we might lived experience of our clients and Feros Village Byron Bay resident, be able to do to support you, please residents. I genuinely thank each and Nina Marzi. There were lots of her get in touch. In the meantime, I hope every one of them for their support family, friends and fellow Feros you enjoy reading this edition of your and effort. residents there and what an honour to Feros magazine, and I look forward to witness the enjoyment they all derive joining your ranks as an avid reader And finally, I would like to from each moment of their lives. It’s in the next! acknowledge the Senior Leaders an example we can all aspire to. and the Board of Feros Care – past and present – for the faith, support Part of growing bold is to discuss and wisdom which has been so things that aren’t always talked about generously offered to me as CEO. – to explore the taboo so it becomes Jennene Buckley a little less fearful or misunderstood. CEO Spending time with Feros Village Byron Bay resident Alan Nina arrives to her 100th birthday celebration in style. Harkness at Nina’s celebrations. WINTER 2021 3 FEROS NEWS GRAN SLAM LIVE LAUNCH More than 40 poetry-slamming seniors from Cairns to Sydney lit up the internet at the end of 2020 when our ground-breaking ‘Gran Slam’ project went digital in a free live- streamed event. The ‘COVID edition’ of the popular slam poetry project saw our razor- sharp collective of seniors showcase what they have learned during eight weeks of coaching and workshops under the tutelage of experienced poets and literary performers Luka Lesson and Sarah Temporal. Hosted by award-winning comedian and cabaret artist Jenny Wynter, and watched avidly by a digital audience, Gran Slam LIVE saw the free-wheeling wordsmiths perform their own works, as well as special appearances by their Gran Slam mentors, Sarah and Luke, and musicians Gordon Hamilton and Tom Thum. BARNEY MILLER CLASSIC PRIDE For 22 years Barney Miller has held SUPPORT the Barney Miller Classic – an annual surf competition in Sawtell, NSW. The NETWORK competition aims at raising donations for someone in the community in need. It’s Barney’s way of giving back – and brings surfers together from as far as Sydney to the Sunshine Coast. In 2021 over $20,000 was raised for injured surfer Matt Clerke “Chook” who lost all function in his spinal cord after an accident. Our Pride Support Network is a grassroots group created by A wonderful opportunity for the team members who wanted a members of the Sawtell and wider safe space for LGBTIQA+ staff, surfing community to get together, their allies and anyone interested surf, grab a bite to eat and make some in better understanding their new friends, Feros Care was proud friends, and family members in the to sponsor this event in 2021. The rainbow community. In turn this event was a huge hit with over 140 will ensure that we support and competitors turning up on the day care for our LGBTIQA+ clients with and described the experience as greater understanding and respect “an amazing chance to give back”. as well. The group has a number Can’t wait for next year’s event! of exciting initiatives that will work toward this cause – so stay tuned! 4 FEROS MAGAZINE RED CARPET ROLLED OUT FOR ALAN Filmmaker Alan Harkness walked Village Byron Bay, with many of the red carpet for the premiere of Alan’s fellow residents and carers Village Life, his latest creation – at having starring roles in the film. 90 years of age. Shot on location in early 2020, Having once worked alongside the documentary’s premiere was Hollywood screen icons Ava put on hold due to the unfolding Gardner and Fred Astaire, the COVID pandemic, but Alan finally storytelling veteran has donned got his moment in the sun when Alan said he was motivated to get his director’s cap for a new passion Feros Village Byron Bay hosted back “behind the camera” to help project – a documentary about a much-anticipated screening for break down stereotypes around life at Feros Village Byron Bay, residents, staff, family and friends aged care. his home. in February. Friends from the industry also made an appearance “I want to show that aged care Village Life provides an insider’s including Damon Gameau from doesn’t have to be all long perspective of the bold, beautiful That Sugar Film. corridors and small rooms,” he said. and vibrant community of Feros “I’ve met some really interesting people here – there's a lady who has taken up drumming, another who knits enormous, colourful blankets, some whom I've done ballet classes with and a man who works on these huge jigsaw puzzles. “There are a lot of different backgrounds and talents here – and stories to share. You can view Alan’s film Village Life on Feros Care’s You Tube. REMEMBERING PETER WHAT’S We were saddened to learn NEW of the recent passing of Peter Warner. Peter lived a bold ON THE life, and was committed to empowering seniors to do POD the same. Over the past few years, Peter had developed Now in its third season, the Grow Bold with quite a connection with Feros, Disability podcast continues to raise the voices beyond his Fearless Film of people living with disability.