As we reach the end of 2022, this time of year provides an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and feel enthusiastic about a fresh beginning in 2023.
Before we look towards next year, it is only fitting to remember the achievements of the ECH community first. We did the numbers and discovered – 4,271 clients received wellness services; there were 102,773 exercise class attendances and 116 volunteers contributed 6,095 hours of volunteer service. That’s not all, there are more amazing accomplishments to read about on page 3.
This year, I also had the pleasure of attending a Council of the Ageing (COTA) Congress event with ECH resident and Co Chair of the Consumer Reference Group Janine Gosbell. We discussed the ageing journey and what does it really mean to age well in 2022. You can read our thoughts and my hopes for the future of ECH on pages 12-13.
The sun is finally shining, the days are getting warmer and there are plenty of exciting events coming up over the next few months. Find our calendar of events on pages 24-25 so you can start planning. This is also a good time to keep in mind summer heat safety and bushfire advice before heading out. Read our health advice and who to contact if you have a power outage on page 10.
To all our clients, residents and volunteers, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support of ECH over the past 12 months. We’ve showcased a small fraction of the amazing stories from our community in our magazine and we know that there are many more to come. We hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as we have enjoyed bringing them to you.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to all our wonderful staff for their support and commitment to ECH and our clients. We have had many compliments throughout the year highlighting the care shown by our team members, who are committed to enabling our clients to live the best life possible.
For many of our clients, access to services remains important and necessary regardless of the time of year. As such, many of our sites and services will operate either fully or partially over the Christmas period. See below for our Christmas closure dates. For those staff who will be working over this period, your support and assistance in providing these services is greatly appreciated.
Please look after yourselves and each other, and I wish you all a safe and happy holidays.
Warm Regards, Claire Scapinello ECH Chief Executive
During the public holidays, non-essential ECH services will be rescheduled. ECH will communicate with you if any of your services will be rescheduled. Essential services will have limited availability. Below are the closure dates for our sites.
All Social Day Programs and Wellness Centres will be closed Monday 26 December 2022 and will reopen Tuesday 3 January 2023.
The ECH Care Hotel will remain open.
If you have any questions please call 1300 275 324.
One phone call made a world of difference to ECH client Bernadette’s life.
Bernadette, who was receiving a Home Care Package with another provider, was not having the experience she had hoped for.
Then when ECH came highly recommended to her, she knew she had to pick up the phone and make a change.
“ECH got back to me quite quickly to book in an appointment, so a Care Coordinator could come to meet me,” Bernadette says. “They were lovely – I didn’t have any doubts about ECH at all.
“She did all she could so that I could still receive all of the services in my Level 4 package; it was just wonderful.”
After just a couple of weeks, a transfer process was completed by ECH with Bernadette securing the same services – personal care and
nursing – under the Level 4 package she was previously receiving.
She couldn’t be happier with the switch, which makes her feel safe and secure every day with a regular check-in from her ECH Care Coordinator and Home Support Team Members.
“I’m very independent so when my Home Support Team Member comes for a visit in the morning, I’m dressed, I’ve had my breakfast and my medication, so they come and just sit with me and have a coffee and a chat. And then they check in during the afternoon as well,” Bernadette says.
“It makes me feel safe.”
Like Bernadette, Cherie contacted ECH when she knew she had to make a change for her husband Alfred, who is living with Dementia.
“There has been a 100 per cent improvement since transferring to ECH,” Cherie said.
I made the initial phone call, contact was immediate – a home visit was scheduled, and assessments were done.
“When
The staff have been very friendly and accommodating. They are pleasant, and they know what to say in a difficult situation; they really understand.
“
Within a few weeks, Alfred also was assessed and booked into exercise classes giving him a sense of purpose, Cherie said: “Transferring to ECH has been two-fold - Alfred’s medication has been reduced, he has something to do, and he has purpose. It’s become more positive.”
Mandy, whose dad, Joe also transferred to ECH, could see an improvement from the beginning.
“Making that change to ECH has seen a huge difference – the Care Coordinator has made pop-in visits to check on mum and dad and the communication has been great … they are always so friendly and accommodating with whatever mum and dad need,” Mandy says.
It has all been thanks to the ECH Care Coordinators, such as Jenny Krogdahl, who are there to help and
make the transfer process as smooth as possible.
“We work collaboratively with the client to ensure they have the right services to enable them to remain living at home for as long as possible.” Jenny says.
“The best feedback you can get is when clients recommend ECH to their family and friends.”
I love doing what I’m doing to make our clients’ lives just that little bit better!
ECH Care Coordinator Jenny Krogdahl
“
client Bernadette
Offer to help your family and friends perhaps cook them a meal, teach them a skill or you could offer to babysit the grandchildren or pet sit a friend’s animal.
Received a gift that wasn’t quite right? Perhaps you have some items you no longer need? Regift items in unused and/or good condition, such as clothing, puzzles with all the pieces or children’s toys and gift to those members of your friends or family that might appreciate them more.
Make a scrapbook of old photos or pick your favourite photograph and find a spare frame to put it in.
There are plenty of free things to do out and about, especially during the warmer months. Offer to go out for a walk with someone. Visit a free museum or art gallery. Raid your fridge and pantry and put together a picnic to enjoy some time in the sun.
If you already have the ingredients, get busy in the kitchen, make a cake, bake some bread, or cook dinner for your friends and loved ones.
Add a personal touch to your gifts this Christmas. Sew a scarf or a tea towel, paint a portrait or landscape, or even collect some shells from the beach to start crafting! Use your talents to create unique and
of veggies from your veggie patch or a bouquet of flowers from your garden make beautiful, heartfelt gifts.
For an extra special gift this Christmas, pass along a treasured family heirloom to a close friend or family member to bring you closer together.
Need something new to read? Exchange a book you have already read with a friend or family member for one of their books – happy reading!
meaningful gifts.
The holiday season can be hard on your wallet – but the good news is, it doesn’t have to be! These budget-friendly gifts are just as thoughtful (if not more so) than a big-time splurge.
Being financially and environmentally sustainable can be important to many people at Christmas, one way to do this is to create a DIY potted plant gift! Potted plants are an inexpensive gift to give and the perfect way to bring life to someone’s home.
You can opt for a traditional pot or upcycle a jar or mug that you may have spare as the pot. If you want to find a unique container you can visit your local charity shop for affordable alternatives.
When gifting the pot plant why not try your hand at making your own gift tags and attaching them with
ribbon or string. To personalise the gift even more attach a photo.
ECH Horticultural Therapist Dean Gaston recommends trying a hardy succulent, even the most novice of gardeners will struggle to kill these as they thrive on neglect.
If you have a green thumb, try propagating one of your existing plants at no cost. The best plants for propagating are a Pothos (Devil’s Ivy), Snake Plant and Peace Lily or Rosemary is a perfect herb alternative. Succulents are also very easy to propagate.
Here are some tips to keeping the plants happy and healthy to pass on to the special someone receiving your gift:
• If you’re using an indoor plant then place it in a light, airy space and out of direct sunlight compared to succulents and Rosemary that tend to need more sunlight
• Water the plants when the top layer of soil is feeling and looking dry
• Occasionally spray a mist of water over plants to keep the foliage healthy
• Trim and prune dead flowers on the plant to allow for new ones to take their place
Whether you have a small garden, patio spread, pot cluster on your balcony or are involved in a communal garden, we would love to see it! To enter, send us a photo at keepconnected@ech.asn.au of your blooms and make sure to include your category: • Small garden • Large/communal garden
• Patio • Balcony
Being a mother of six children, grandmother and great-grandmother to 18 and retiring at the age of 93, the ECH Manson Towers resident has lived a very active life – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m an avid walker - I walk about an hour a day,” Barbara says. “I broke my pelvis over a year ago, but I’ve recovered from that.
“I move too fast for anything to catch me. Sometimes my daughter will be driving down Brighton Road and she’ll spot me walking and go ‘yep that’s my mum’. I’m very blessed I can do that.”
During her Wednesday walks, Barbara has made a game for herself - collecting supermarket catalogues in her local area.
“I’ll walk to the Foodland at Glenelg South and pick up a catalogue there, I then walk to the Woolworths on the corner of Jetty and Brighton Roads, followed by Aldi on Anzac Highway. I’ll finish it off with a beachfront walk and then head over to Coles. I like to keep things interesting,” she laughs.
It’s a fun pastime she started since retiring only last year from managing her son’s bakery where she was working up to three hours a day, six days a week.
“My son bought a bakery in 1996 and six weeks after I started, he hired an assistant to help me, so she taught me a lot, but she left after 16 years. I really enjoyed working at the bakery, loved the people that would come in every day…I just love life,” she says.
Barbara has also been a green thumb throughout her life, having grown her own fruits and vegetables in her expansive garden in Hove.
When she downsized and moved into Manson Towers 20 years ago, where her mother was one of the original residents when it first opened in 1972, the limited space didn’t stop her from growing her own produce.
“When I saw all the soil being brought in, I thought ‘oh those poor men’. There were big oval shaped galvanised planter beds – it took four tonnes to fill them!
“We’ve planted all different things such as tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, coriander, parsley and we’ve got a few flowers which will bring the bees to germinate.
“I love visiting the garden so I can cut some herbs and now we have a lemon and a lime tree as well which is just wonderful.”
Through visiting the garden daily, she has come to know more residents of Manson Towers, which gather once a month for a morning tea and a chat.
“Having the garden has brought such joy to my heart.”
Thanks to a new communal garden established at Manson Towers at the beginning of the year, Barbara can be found pottering amongst the vegetation every day.
On my balcony, I grow rosemary, beetroot leaves, parsley, basil, spring onion, garlic, chilli and flowers.
Sitting still has never been an option for Barbara, and at 95, she has no intention of slowing down.
The extreme hot weather in Australia can also create some environmental and health risks. It is important for you to be aware of, and prepared for, the impact the fire danger ratings and severe heat may have on you and the services you receive from ECH.
By taking a few simple precautions you can ensure you remain safe and stay cool and hydrated for a happy healthy summer.
If you live in, visit, or drive through bushfire prone areas make sure you know the Fire Danger Rating each day throughout the fire danger season by checking the CFS website or listening to ABC Adelaide. If you live in a bushfire area, ensure you have a bushfire plan.
On days where a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating has been forecast in your local area, you will be contacted by ECH to reschedule your services to another suitable day.
For further information regarding bushfire safety, phone the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline on 1800 362 361 or visit cfs.sa.gov.au
During extreme heat, ECH may reschedule services to your home or village. ECH will always contact you in advance to advise of any changes before they happen.
If the electricity is out at your home, visit sapowernetworks.com.au/ outages or call 13 13 66 to check if there is an outage in your area. You can also sign up to recieve text message alerts for your address, which notify you when the power is out and the estimated time it will be back on. If it’s a very hot day and the power is out for an extended period, ensure you drink more water than you normally would and seek an airconditioned place, such as a public library or shopping centre, until the power is back on.
During periods of extreme heat, the Australian Red Cross offers free daily telephone checks to people who are vulnerable and isolated, to see if they are safe and if they need any help. To register for the TelecrossREDI service, call 1800 188 071 or visit redcross.org.au/get-help/ community-services/telecross/ telecross-redi
Summer can cause serious health issues like dehydration, as well as more minor concerns like bites and stings. If you are feeling unwell and are unable to access your usual GP, call Healthdirect 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 022 222 to speak to a health professional.
Summer is on its way, bringing with it a chance to get out and about, socialise and enjoy life during the warmer months.
Philip may not triumph playing a weekly game of draughts at the ECH College Grove board games group, but he still feels like a winner.
It’s all down to the community of people with whom he shares a laugh, a coffee and friendship.
“At our College Grove social activities, we start off with the best intentions,” he laughs.
“You’ll find us in a group playing a game and then people will start talking and that’s all they want to do; they just want to talk – and that’s the greatest social gift.”
Philip, who has been receiving ECH services since 2017, first heard about the College Grove social events from his Care Coordinator at the end of last year and wanted to give them a go.
Since he joined the group at the beginning of 2022, he has enjoyed taking part in various other weekly
activities like art classes. “It’s basically an art class, board games and chat, and people are just happy with that,” he says.
For Philip, the gatherings are more about the social connections and company than the activities.
“I have a theory that what we do –playing bingo or draughts – is only 5 per cent of the time and the other 95 per cent is that you are together with a good bunch of people.”
Philip enjoyed his weekly visits to College Grove so much, he decided to attend another social group - the Halifax Café in the city – which also offers a variety of activities, workshops, guest speakers, and the chance to meet new people every Thursday.
“There are only about four men and a majority of women, but that doesn’t bother me,” he says.
“I love meeting new people. The last 25 years of my working life I did a lot of casual work where I got to meet new people and that was great.”
Philip recommends anyone to join the social events as a way of meeting people and learning new skills.
“The social side of life is very important - especially for people who live by themselves. Without those social connections and activities, you would feel very isolated. Meeting and chatting with people is good to keep your mental health positive.”
If you would like to learn more about the current social activities ECH offers visit
This was the question along with
others that were posed to attendees of the recent Council of the Ageing (COTA) SA event in celebration of International Day of Older Persons.
Aproud sponsor of this event ECH sent along Chief Executive Claire Scapinello with ECH resident and Co Chair of the Consumer Reference Group Janine Gosbell to join in the conversation.
Before the event, everyone was asked to submit a rule they live by and a rule they would like to break together with words they associate with their experiences of ageing. The most popular words were displayed as ‘word clouds’ representing the positive and negative aspects of ageing. Freedom, wisdom and experience were common positive words with health, invisibility and pain negative words.
With the word cloud fresh in everyone’s mind the event kicked off with a panel discussion featuring Maggie Beer AO, Keith Conlon OAM and Polly Sumner Dodd discussing their experiences of ageing, what they liked, didn’t like and what they would like to change. They highlighted three major challenges that they believe society need to address – loneliness, helplessness and boredom.
Janine commented “one of my frustrations is that older people are often spoken to as one homogenous cohort, once you reach 65 everyone is simply lumped in together, yet there is 35-year span between 65 and 100! People are at different
We are all on an ageing journey, yet what does it really mean to age well in 2022?
many
Our core purpose at ECH is to help people live the best possible life as they age, and these are all major challenges
to living well and living longer. Older people have so much wisdom and experience to share and currently as a society we do not celebrate this or make the most of it.
“
39% of the South Australian population is aged 50+
In less than 20 years this will rise to 47%
stages, by choice or by circumstance, and at ECH we are fortunate that Claire understands this.”
Claire continued, “The media tend to depict older people in a negative manner, yet we have a broad diversity in our ageing population here in Australia. We should be treating people as individuals and giving them the freedom to make their own choices and write their own rules for the way they want to live in the future.”
One theme that came out of the event was the fact many older people said they would be happy to continue in paid employment in some capacity for longer.
“At ECH this is something we would be open to; this would mean providing roles to dedicated
employees that want to work with more flexibility around lifestyle changes like looking after grandchildren or working less hours. When done purposefully this would create a more experienced and diverse workforce, which can only lead to better outcomes for our clients. This is something I’m excited about for the future,” said Claire.
We’d love to know what are the rules you live by and what are the rules you would like to break! Please email us at keepconnected@ech.asn.au and we’ll publish these along with all of the feedback from the COTA SA event for International Day of Older Persons in the next issue of Keep Connected.
ECH Care Hotel Clinical Nurse Janice Ferrari has been working at the Walkerville Care Hotel since it opened in July 2021.
An integral part of Janice’s role is to connect with guests at the Care Hotel, their family members and carers to develop an individualised plan for the care and support each guest will require during their stay.
“For our guests living with Dementia, it is important that we make every effort possible to support them to maintain their usual daily routine and minimise any disruptions to this. This helps to avoid guests becoming anxious and unsettled, which are common symptoms that can be experienced by people living with Dementia when routine or environment are changed.”
The respite area of the hotel provides eight individual suites in a safe and comfortable environment that enables guests to move around freely, it also houses a purpose designed hub where guests can share mealtimes. In addition, there is a sensory room that contains a range of tactile, auditory, visual and movement-based experiences that can help when someone might be feeling overwhelmed. Everyone responds differently to different sensory experiences, sometimes we need particular support to manage this.
Many of the guests staying in the Care Hotel for respite choose to join in the weekday activities provided through the Social Day
Program, which provides meaningful engagement and an opportunity to socialise with small groups of likeminded guests and clients.
For the family and carers of our guests, we develop therapeutic relationships that are built on trust and confidence. For many carers, the decision to leave their family member or loved one in a different environment, even for one night, can be challenging and evoke feelings of guilt. Knowing that the ECH Care Hotel has professional nurses and purposefully trained care staff ensures guests are in very safe hands. This allows carers peace of mind and an opportunity to enjoy the time away to rest and relax or attend to appointments and commitments without stress or worry.
The short stay area of the Care Hotel provides an additional eight suites for guests who may require care and support following a procedure, an acute hospital stay, deconditioning or loss of confidence, for example from a fall, in addition to a number of other reasons. Guests are free to come and go as they please and can be supported further with arranged additional services and therapies throughout the duration of their stay at additional costs.
We have many guests that return to stay on a regular basis, which is true testament to the positive guest experience.
Christmas is a time for family, and friends and enjoying the holidays. However, we can often find ourselves wrapped up in chores and errands instead of spending time doing the things we love. ECH has a number of services to help free up your time, help you get out and about and if you’re a carer even provide a little respite too.
If the housework is mounting up then ECH is here to help with some of the regular household chores such as changing bedsheets, laundry, ironing, cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, vacuuming and meal preparation.
If you need assistance with Christmas shopping an ECH Home Support Team Member can drive you to the local supermarket or shopping centre. They can help with carrying all of your purchases into your home as well as helping to put groceries away and even use the ingredients to prepare your evening meal.
Or if heading to the shops is not something you enjoy, you can have an ECH Home Support Team Member take care of the shopping for you or help you set up an online shopping account with your favourite supermarket. Online shopping allows you to browse the aisles from the comfort of your home and choose your groceries and gifts, which will then be delivered direct to your door.
If you want to get out and visit interesting destinations, meet like-minded people or learn a new skill then why not join one of ECH’s social activities. From bus trips to art classes to community gardens, there is always something to join in. For more information visit ech.asn.au/events
If you are a carer needing a break then the ECH Care Hotel can provide you with peace of mind while your loved one is looked after. Located in Walkerville, the Care Hotel is designed to support guests living with Dementia and to provide much-needed respite for carers in a comfortable, home away from home environment. For more information visit ech.asn.au/carehotel
If you want more time to do the things you enjoy, discover our range of home services and visit ech.asn.au/home-care
Learning to communicate is something ECH client Peter has had to do for a second time in his life with a determination that is as strong as ever.
When Peter experienced a stroke six years ago, he lost his speech and was later diagnosed with aphasia – a condition that affects the language centres of the brain, resulting in difficulty understanding words, speaking, reading and writing.
“It was really difficult, but my doctor said I can get my speech back. I have slowly had to learn to speak all over again,” says Peter.
Peter started one-on-one speech therapy sessions with ECH Speech Pathologist Coralie Hayley while also attending the Talkback weekly group sessions at the ECH Wellness Centre in Morphett Vale. This program provides opportunities for people with aphasia to practice conversational speech in a supportive environment. Here they can gain support from other people living with aphasia. Peter has worked hard to restore his speech so that he can continue to communicate and connect with his loved ones.
In their sessions together, Coralie provides techniques and strategies on how best to communicate. Peter’s therapy is focused on improving word finding skills and developing everyday communication. For example, compiling and sending text messages, writing sentences, or participating in conversation.
“People with aphasia often experience social isolation and can find everyday situations challenging as a result of difficulty in communicating. They haven’t lost any of their intelligence, but they have trouble finding their words so
my job is to help them improve their ability to communicate. I really enjoy working with my clients and helping them through a challenging time in their lives,” says Coralie.
Peter says: “When I talk, I know what I want to say but sometimes I can’t get the words out completely, but I’m building my vocabulary again. People often tell me how much my communication has improved over the years, which boosts my confidence.”
The pair have not only been working on Peter’s speech therapy, but they also teamed up to participate in the six-kilometre leg of the Cityto-Bay Fun Run which was held in September 2022, raising money for Aphasia SA, a registered charity that supports people living with aphasia.
“I’m an avid walker, often walking five kilometres a day, so I wanted to get involved in the event to challenge myself and give it a go,” Peter says.
“I said to Coralie that I might walk a bit slow, but she didn’t mind, she told me she would walk with me.” Peter and Coralie were proud to have completed this challenge together and it was an added benefit to be able to raise money and awareness of Aphasia at the same time.
Peter’s confidence has certainly grown over the past two years. I’m very proud of what he has achieved.
Cyber attacks and data breaches are becoming more and more common, with one cybercrime report being made approximately every eight minutes in Australia. Concerningly, this rate has increased by 13% in the past financial year1
When cybercriminals have access to your online accounts, they have access to all your personal information.
The best way to protect your accounts and private information is by having uncrackable passwords.
Kat Milner, Digital Mentor at Create Your Change, has a number of tips on how to safeguard your online accounts and create strong passwords:
• Avoid using identifying information in your passwords (i.e. family members’ names, street you live on, date of birth, etc)
• Avoid using easily found/guessed information (i.e. family names, pet names, street, etc.)
• Avoid using obvious passwords - especially “password”
• Avoid using common sequences such as ABCDE, 12345, qwerty
• The longer the password, the better
• Random capitalisations are more secure (e.g. Friday = FriDaY)
• Substitutions work well (e.g. Friday = F7!Day)
• Using the first letter of a lyric or phrase, combined with capitalisations (e.g. You Can’t Always Get What You Want = YcagWyw)
• Adding numbers and/or special characters increases security (YcagW60yw!!)
• Above all - if you write down your passwords, NEVER keep them stored with your computer, especially laptops or tablets
If you are concerned that you may have been involved in a cyber attack, or would like more information or tips, you can contact the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 292 371 or visit cyber.gov.au
1Australian Cyber Security Centre, https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/reports-and-statistics/acsc-annual-cyber-threat-report-2020-21
Sticking to a healthy diet may seem a bit challenging when it comes to a tighter budget, yet with some careful planning, extra cooking time and building up staples, it is possible to eat healthily on a budget.
ECH Dietician Deepti Parmar suggests that by eating plenty of vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains and other nutrient-dense foods you can get more value from your grocery budget.
Here are ECH dietician Deepti’s tips to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your meals while keeping to a budget:
Planning your meals is essential if you want to avoid overspending at the till. Rather than shop day-to-day for what you need, menu planning helps you make the most out of your staples.
Buying staples slowly and will save you money over time. Keeping these staples on hand, you can cook cheap meals and focus your grocery spending on fresh produce.
include:
• Rolled oats
• Rice
• Wholemeal flour
• Tinned fish
• Canned tomatoes
• Beans
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Pasta
• Sugar
• Spices
• Cooking oil
• Vinegar
• Baking powder
• Milk
• Salt and pepper
Stretch your meat dishes by bulking meals with healthy seasonal vegetables and buying economy cuts. The humble egg is an excellent alternate source of protein and can be used to make a filling meal.
Vegetables are cheapest and healthiest when they are in season, so you’ll save money by planning meals around the seasons.
Herbs and spices can transform boring budget meals into gourmet delights. Grow your own herbs and spices to save money and purchase your spices at an ethnic grocery store or market.
Drink water instead of soft drinks and juices. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a slice of lime to iced water for a refreshing drink in the hotter months of summer.
Sprouts are easy to grow on the kitchen bench and are very nutritious. Pots of herbs are also easy to grow. Try growing a few to add a bit of colour and flavour to your dishes.
For more information on dietetic services that can help you improve your nutrition while sticking to a budget visit ech.asn.au/wellness/dietetics
If you’re interested in your ancestry and want to learn more about it then you might like to create a family tree. It’s also a great way to learn about your ancestors, and preserve family stories, plus it’s fun!
A family tree is a visual representation of a person’s lineage, tracing relationships to common ancestors, usually presented in a tree structure starting with one individual as the root. Branches are represented by lines, while leaves are represented by boxes. Family members are represented by leaves containing information about their births, marriages, and deaths.
You can make a family tree as simple or as complicated as you like.
Simple genealogy charts include you, your parents, your grandparents and your great-grandparents. In a complicated family tree, you may see your parents, your siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.
It’s up to you how far you go.
Before you jump in and start drawing your family tree, you may want to do a little planning. For example, you might ask yourself:
How far do you want to go back?
Is there somebody in your family who already has this information to give you a starting point?
What type of information do you want to include on each leaf such as births, marriages and deaths?
Do you want to add pictures of your ancestors to each leaf and where can you find these pictures?
Remember, there isn’t a single family tree definition that dictates what should be included or how it should look. If you just want to chart relationships without digging too deep, you might want to draw a simple kinship diagram. The kinship diagram uses basic symbols, lines, and letters to represent relationships.
Try writing your family tree in this template!
Financial abuse happens when someone steals money or items of value from an older person, taking control of someone’s power of attorney and using the person’s credit cards or cash.
As people age, they may need someone to help support them with managing their financial affairs. This is even more prominent in those who live with Dementia or those who may be isolated.
The long-term consequences of financial abuse can be devastating. Thankfully, there are ways to help protect yourself against financial abuse and steps to take if it does occur.
The possible signs that financial abuse is taking place may include; bank statements or cheques that go to the perpetrator, forgeries on legal documents, large bank withdrawals or transfers between accounts, missing belongings and signing documents you don’t understand.
Looking for signs that indicate someone is financially abusing you may include people who, charge too much for the products or services they need, forcing the person to change their will or bank accounts, have financial issues of their own, showing a strange interest in how much the person is spending, or use their credit cards without them knowing.
The Adult Safeguarding Unit protects the rights of adults at risk of abuse. They have key functions which supports adults vulnerable to abuse aged 65 years and over.
Examples of ways they help are:
• Providing confidential information and advice to callers concerned about themselves or someone who may be vulnerable to abuse
• Responding to reports of suspected or confirmed abuse
• Raising community awareness of strategies to safeguard the rights of adults who may be at risk of abuse
• Providing support to safeguard the rights of adults experiencing abuse, and supporting their needs, wishes and circumstances
It’s important if you feel that you’re currently experiencing financial abuse to seek advice.
Losses to imposter bond investment scams have nearly tripled in the first half of this year, with consumers losing over $20 million to these sophisticated scams1
Scamwatch, which is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, (ACCC), has urged Australians to stay vigilant in the wake of a spate of scam investment schemes, particularly imposter bond scams.
The latest Scamwatch data reveals that there were 228 reports of imposter bond scams in the first half of this year, compared with 82 reports in the same period last year.
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard urged Australians to be cautious when presented with investment opportunities and to always have an accredited financial or legal advisor check any potential investment opportunity before sending any money.
Delia further cautioned “As interest rates rise, people looking to invest in bonds are falling victim to these scams after searching online for investment opportunities. This is often after they complete enquiry forms on fake third-party comparison websites.”
Imposter bond scams usually involve transferring funds into a bank account, sometimes based in Australia, and sometimes abroad. Contact your bank if you believe you have been scammed.
The ACCC shares investment scam reports with ASIC, the financial sector, Facebook and telecommunications providers.
Australian investors should check ASIC’s Offer Notice Board, register of Australian financial services licensees and Moneysmart list before investing.
1https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/news-alerts/consumers-warned-about-fakeinvestment-opportunities-as-losses-top-20m
The guides of Carrick Hill generously share their considerable knowledge of the extensive and eclectic collection that Sir Edward and Lady Ursula Hayward, the estate’s original owners, amassed since the Carrick Hill mansion was completed in 1939. A uniquely personal selection of the guides favorite pieces form the Guiding Lights exhibition: ceramics from across the globe, continental glass and textiles, English silver and furniture, and bronze sculptures from here in Australia are just some of Carrick Hill’s extensive collections on display.
For more information, visit carrickhill.sa.gov.au
The Carpenters from Kempsey, celebrate The Carpenters, but with a comic twist. Starring Darren Mapes & Debora Krizak, they play Darren & Sharon Carpenter – from Kempsey. Together they recreate the sound of The Carpenters with uncanny accuracy.
Join Darren & Sharon in concert as they hit the road with all of the big hits you expect and throw in some Christmas classics and you’ve got a great night out.
For more information, visit theregaltheatre.com.au/ event/the-carpenters-from-kempsey-a-carpenterskinda-christmas
Park 27 has suffered more than any other park, over the years, with huge tracts of this park removed to make way for public buildings yet so much beauty still remains. Discover this park’s history, its hidden treasures, and its continuing role in Adelaide’s culture on a guided walking tour.
For more information, visit adelaide-parklands.asn.au/guided-walks
If you’ve missed the lights, Glühwein and Carols by Candlelight in Hahndorf, then make sure to add these dates to your calendar. It has been two years since the Hahndorf Christkindlmarkt has been held, but it is finally back for 2022.
Christkindlmarket is a European-style Christmas Market in Adelaide’s German settled town, Hahndorf. The market features lights, stalls, entertainment, gifts, food and much more.
For more information, visit christkindlmarkt.com.au
Adelady and Gathered are coming together again to bring you a Christmas Market in Victoria Square for the whole family to enjoy. Head on in to the city to get all your last minute Christmas shopping sorted from up to 100 amazing local SA makers, creators and artisans. Plus enjoy locally made food and drinks including ar bar area featuring the best SA has to offer.
For more information, visit gatheredsa.com.au
The Santos Tour Down Under is the first stop for the world’s best cycling teams and riders, and the opening event of the UCI WorldTour. Not just a bike race, the Santos Tour Down Under is home to the largest Festival of Cycling in the southern hemisphere, with a range of associated events, mass-participation rides for kids and adults, street parties and live music combining to create a massive party atmosphere across South Australia.
For more information, visit tourdownunder.com.au
World-famous chef, Yotam Ottolenghi is bringing his Flavour of Life tour to Adelaide Convention Centre. Ottolenghi’s passion, warm presence and inclusive voice has attracted devotees worldwide. This is an exclusive opportunity to hear about the taste sensations and ingredients that excite him, navigating the pandemic, and the joy of taking time to enjoy food with family.
For more information, visit adelaidecc.com.au/event/ yotam-ottolenghi-flavour-of-life
For 31 magical summer days and nights, Fringe transforms Adelaide and greater South Australia. Adelaide’s biggest arts festival stretches from Whyalla all the way down to Mount Gambier, with eclectic and vibrant events that include cabaret, theatre, comedy, circus, music, visual arts, workshops and so much more.
For more information, visit adelaidefringe.com.au
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
800g-1kg whole snapper, cleaned, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup fine rice flour
1.5 L vegetable oil, to deep fry
1 long red chilli, de-seeded and sliced, to serve
1/4 cup fried shallots, to serve juice of lime, to serve
Thai Sweet and Sour Sauce
2 coriander roots, washed and roughly chopped
3 long red chillies, de-seeded and roughly chopped
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 red eschalots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup tamarind paste
1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1. To make the sauce, place the coriander root, chillies, garlic, ginger, eschalots and oil together in a food processor and pulse ingredients to a smooth paste.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add paste and cook for two minutes or until aromatic.
3. Add tamarind paste, sugar and fish sauce with 80ml water, stirring to combine. Cook for three to four minutes or until reduced by a third. Remove from heat and check balance, adjusting accordingly so that the sauce is sweet, sour, hot and salty. Set aside for later.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok over a high heat (about a third full) until a piece of bread sizzles and becomes golden.
5. Score the fish from the head to the tail, at 1cm intervals, cutting through to the bones.
6. Evenly coat the fish in the rice flour, removing any excess.
7. Carefully slide the fish into the hot oil and cook for five minutes each side or until skin is crispy and fish is just cooked.
8. To serve, place half the sauce down the centre of the platter, place the cooked fish on top and spoon the remaining sauce over the fish. Garnish with chilli, spring onions, fried shallots, coriander leaves and lime juice.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
½ yellow peach
1 apricot
63g raspberries
63g blackberries
63g strawberries, hulled
2 egg yolks
50g sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
150ml pure cream
1 egg white
63g ready-made meringues (e.g. toffee & almond meringues), roughly crushed
To garnish: red currants, icing sugar
To serve
Allow large pudding to stand for 10 minutes or individual for 5 minutes before turning onto serving plates. Top with red currants, a dusting of icing sugar to garnish with reserved berries.
1. Lightly grease a 1ltr pudding basin or 4 individual pudding basins and line with plastic wrap, allowing plenty to overhang.
2. Slice the peach and apricot in half, removing the stones and cut into 1cm cubes. Place in a medium bowl and add 125g of the mixed berries, reserving the rest for garnish. Mix gently to combine.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla bean paste together over a saucepan of simmering water.
4. Using electric beaters whisk until pale and mousse like, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream to soft peaks, then fold into yolk mixture, until well combined.
6. Place egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and beat to stiff peaks. Gently fold into yolk mixture, until well combined.
7. Add the mixed fruit and crushed meringue to the yolk mixture, folding gently to incorporate.
8. Carefully spoon the mixture into prepared pudding basin. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top and place in freezer overnight.
ECH wellness clients Colleen and Anna, along with ECH Fitness Leader Raul took the plunge and abseiled 70 metres from the top of the InterContinental Hotel on North Terrace! This was Colleen’s third time taking the plunge, raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities where she volunteers.
Colleen woke at 3am on the morning of the plunge wondering whether she was crazy yet thinking of the families she was helping ultimately got her over the edge. It also helped that she had two of her Henley Beach ECH Wellness crew going along with her.
Well done to all three participants, what a fantastic achievement!
Cumberland Park Community Centre group participants Christina and Tina have made some wonderful macramé creations. If you would like to try your hand at macramé then please join our amazing crafters every Wednesday at the Cumberland Park Community Centre where they make everything from plant hangers to coasters.
Back in August, a group of ECH clients and residents enjoyed a trip to Virginia Home and Garden Centre, just north of the city, where they had a wander around the nursery and of course picked up a few plants!
After being diagnosed with Leukemia five years ago, ECH client Trevor had to retire earlier than planned. When he lost his vision, a good friend introduced him to ECH Home Care services which then led him to the wonderful community activities that are held each week by ECH.
18 months ago, Trevor began attending the social groups at College Grove every Tuesday, and then the Halifax Café each Thursday, where he met other likeminded people (and pets!) who were able to pull him out of his shell.
Trevor says that attending the weekly groups has made a big difference and that the friendship and support helps pick him up on a bad day. He has now begun attending the art classes at College Grove on a Tuesday where his sense of humour really shows through, he says.
“Because I’m blind, I’ve got no idea what I’m painting. But that doesn’t matter. I paint by feel.”
The wonderful community at Cup-a-Cake Café in Victor Harbor have been working hard developing their sketchbooks with ECH art extraordinaire, Koruna. They have been learning how to use techniques like colour theory, charcoal drawing and cross hatching over a cup of coffee.
If you are in Victor Harbor and are looking for a group to join, come along and visit the Cup-a-Cake Café fortnightly on a Thursday morning from 10am to try a new activity.
As a part of our Social Day Program at Walkerville, a small group of ECH clients visited Echoes Montessori Early Learning Centre, located in ECH Encore Apartments. This was a wonderful opportunity for the children and ECH clients to take part in intergenerational activities and learn from each other. We look forward to arranging more of these visits in future as it’s proving to be a very rewarding experience for all involved.
The final siren may have sounded on season 2022 but the off-field action is set to heat up this Summer as SANFL releases a huge catalogue of historic content on its new streaming platform, SANFL Now.
Each SANFL Club will have its own dedicated week, with a host of memorable games and pivotal moments, selected by a club great, to be featured.
• Port – Bruce Abernethy - 24 Oct
• Glenelg – Graham Cornes – 31 Oct
• Sturt – Sandy Nelson – 7 Nov
• Norwood – Michael Taylor – 14 Nov
• Eagles – Bernie Vince – 21 Nov
ECH residents and staff recently celebrated the completion of the village refurbishment of Bowden Towers. It was a wonderful opportunity for staff to meet the residents, get to know their community and share their experiences in an ECH village.
• West – Roger Luders – 28 Nov
• Central – Chris Gowans – 5 Dec
• South – Joel Cross – 9 Jan
• North – Andrew Jarman – 16 Jan
The selected content will remain on the platform throughout summer, so if you miss your favourite club’s week you can watch later at your leisure.
As part of the ECH community, you can take a trip down memory lane with the first two months of your subscription for free. Use the code SANFLECH when signing up on www.sanflnow.com.au
The Cumberland Park Community Centre group are always making new, fantastic creations. The wonderful ‘Cumby Crafters’ teamed up with the Marion Lions Club to make sensory mats for the Flinders Medical Centre Emergency Department. These bright and colourful creations are given to patients who are agitated or anxious to help calm and relax them.
Agroup of ECH residents have been busy getting community garden beds ready for some colourful spring flowers and tasty vegetables. The raised beds will be used for picking flowers and planting of herbs, lettuce and picking greens. The group also planted a special rosemary plant in memory of their friend who was a passionate gardener.
Our wonderful participants at the Get Connected program in Happy Valley entered artworks they had created into the Royal Adelaide Show. We are thrilled to announce that their ‘Hills Landscape’ and ‘Sunflower’, came first and second in their category!
The Get Connected group is a friendly, welcoming community that meet weekly on a Wednesday in Happy Valley.
It’s been almost two years now since the Halifax Café crew started meeting in the city every Thursday. This friendly bunch has grown to around 15 people who meet weekly to enjoy a coffee and a chat as well as try their hand at new activities.
Two of the cafe crew, who are ECH Independent Living Residents at Bowden Towers, invited everyone to their community room to celebrate Ros’s birthday where they all enjoyed homemade pizzas and cake.
If you are looking to join a welcoming community, then please come along to the Halifax Café every Thursday.
TAfter discovering their shared passion for cars, ECH Home Support Team Member Ben offered to take ECH client Jim for a drive in his 1978, 25th anniversary limited edition, silver Chevrolet Corvette. The pair enjoyed a drive through the hills and Jim shared fond memories of his younger self. They then spent time going over the car admiring the attention to detail of the car’s restoration.
Once you have found all the words in the word search, use all the remaining letters in the order they appear to discover the secret sentence. Send this sentence to keepconnected@ech.asn.au or call 1300 275 324 by 28/10/22 and two winners will be drawn at random, each win a $50 EFTPOS gift card.
Winners will be announced in the next issue. Last issue’s winners were Wai Best and Aleyne Teague.
1. Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Their days are numbered!
2. Who is Santa’s favourite singer? Elf-is Presley!
3. What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa? A rebel without a Claus!
Which country was the first to use the tradition of Christmas trees?
Which drinks manufacturer is said to have popularised Santa’s red and white costume?
Which country does eggnog originate from?
At ECH we are constantly looking at ways to reduce our ecological footprint on the planet. This is why we ask that once you’ve enjoyed this magazine you pass it on to a friend, family member or even your local café so that it gets a long life. This magazine was printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper which supports the growth of responsible forest management worldwide.
Y A G Q W F H D I L R N W A R P H A S O T R A A E R M V M B R Y E E V O A V A P T S R T M H C C N H E R A A P S A H Y O P L E K Y I A S H R M C
T V A E E H S I M U E E B R S A D I B G N N I M I M P M I
A C U W S