Life’s rich tapestry
serves as inspiration
Life’s rich tapestry serves as inspiration
by Stephanie Buckland | CEO Amana Living
One of the biggest joys of working at Amana Living is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. They are a huge inspiration for me personally but also for our people who work across Amana Living’s residential care centres, home care services, day clubs and retirement villages. Today, I’ll share a few of the stories about the people who motivate us every day.
Recently, I visited Lady McCusker Village to meet Fred Gfeller. Fred came to Australia from Switzerland seeking a new start in life. He served with the Australian Army Band for 22 years and this experience gave Fred a strong sense of Australian mateship, motivating him to dedicate his life to honouring the Diggers. As a result, Fred has established a Garden of Remembrance at Lady McCusker Village which has become the centre of all ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services. We’ve been hugely impressed by Fred’s drive and passion.
At the opposite end of the freeway, there is Viv Ferguson at Wearne House in Mandurah. Viv starts her day with exercises in her room, enjoys taking part in the stretch and strength classes run by our therapy team, and works out on the treadmill at the local gym every week. This isn’t remarkable until you learn that Viv is 102. Viv is full of life and reminds us that age isn’t a barrier to doing what you love.
As well as individual highlights, there are stories of how residents support each other to try new things. Eleven residents from Thomas Scott Hostel in Camillo agreed to take part in a choir with students from John Wollaston Anglican Community School. Many of the residents had never sung in a choir before but they decided to give it a go and the choir, Generation Joy, performed at the recent Anglicare Australia conference. They all loved singing with the children and didn’t let anything stop them.
These are just some of the individuals among the thousands of people we support who inspire us every day. We are fortunate to get to know them and to be a part of their lives; one of the great privileges of working in aged care.
