Thursday Island Rescue Mission: Recently, the Animal Welfare League Queensland and Vets Beyond Borders got together with the Thursday Island Animal Support Group. As a team, they completed a successful desexing pilot program on the Island.
As the champions for animals in need, AWLQ is committed to creating lasting changes for animals in society. In addition to the shelter work, AWLQ provides community-based support programs with a focus on prevention. The Thursday Island Pet Support Program falls into this remit.
The amazing volunteers helping animals and their humans on Thursday Island
THURSDAY ISLAND: THE PROBLEM
Sonja Einersen is from the Thursday Island Animal Support Group:
On Thursday Island, we don’t get vet visits very often, and there isn’t a resident vet on the island. We used to have a vet that flew in, but recently, she retired. Sometimes a vet from Cairns comes up, but by the time they get up to the island, the cost is prohibitive. So, we have quite a large problem with dogs and cats on the island.
The Thursday Island Animal Support Group started talking to AWLQ about the possibility of a vet service on the island. Could pet owners get some low-cost or free surgery procedures done?
All of us in the support group are volunteers. We were excited when the collaboration went ahead. At the moment, a vet only visits the island 3 times a year due to Covid restrictions. And, it costs $600 to have a dog desexed. This is out of the reach of a lot of people. In fact, we haven’t had any surgical services on the island for quite some time. If animals got sick they would be euthanised or would just die due to a lack of services.
PROGRESS
Since our organisation got up and running, we’ve helped quite a number of dogs. From bee or wasp stings right through to being hit by cars or stray dog attacks. We try our best to fix them. We have stapled up a few dogs, and we hold antibiotics that we can give out under the supervision of the vet. But there are a lot of stray dogs on the island. The council does collect these, however if they weren’t able to re-home them, then they are euthanised.
Sometimes people end up with a dog that they don’t really want. And then it ends up having litter after litter. They try to get rid of puppies. So, we end up with lots of stray dogs. The council work with us and give us a lot of dogs that they find or that have been surrendered. A lot of people who come to Thursday Island just for a couple of years, end up rescuing a stray off the street, and end up bringing dogs back to the mainland with them. That’s quite a common story. To stop the cycle, we need large-scale desexing to happen. That’s where Vets Beyond Borders come in. Sylvana, a project manager with AWLQ, is the person that put us all in contact. She talked with Vets Beyond Borders and got them on board.
THURSDAY ISLAND: Looking Ahead
There’s still a lot to do. We’re hoping if we can continue, we’ll start to get numbers of strays and unwanted animals under control. There are still certain areas on the island with pretty big problems. We also need to educate the local population. There’s a lot of misinformation about having your dogs desexed. People don’t believe in desexing male dogs, and they think that the females should have one litter before they get desexed. But we urgently need to desex the animals here on Thursday Island in significant numbers.
The cat problem is probably worse than the dog problem. We also need to desex the cats. The feral cat population is a huge problem on the island, but we have been rehoming cats and kittens successfully in the last few months as well. They’re a little bit different to dogs, because they’re not as visible. They go off into the bush and look after themselves. This is terrible for the local wildlife.
I think the more we can get out there, the more we will lessen the issue. We just need to put a dent in getting existing animals desexed so it’s not a continued cycle.
Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. Credit – Feral Arts
SYLVANA WENDERHOLD – PROJECT MANAGER
Sylvana Wenderhold is a Project Manager for AWLQ: The first time we did the desexing program was in September, and I was the coordinator. AWLQ did all the organizing and then Vets Beyond Borders supplied the team of vets and the vet nurse. I coordinated with the Thursday Island Animal Support Group to get the location and they put out the word. We flew to Thursday Island and set up a clinic in a “shed” and we desexed for four days.
I am a big believer in the desexing programs – I started the National Desexing Network. My current role is rural and regional programs manager. What I’m trying to do is to help areas that don’t currently have any desexing programs. With Thursday Island, the problem is just the sheer number of animals and no veterinary service. Next year we hope to go four or five times to get the population under control. There are just so many puppies born, and we haven’t really even started tapping into the cats.
I’m actually on my way now to the airport to pick up two dogs from Thursday Island! One is a four- month-old puppy, and the other one is a bit older. It was one of only ones that didn’t heartworm – all the other ones had it. It’s very hard for us to rehome them when they have heartworm.
Donating AWLQ helps because obviously it costs us money to go there and set this all up. We pay for all the pharmaceuticals and the flights. We do ask the owners on the island for a donation, which almost all of them give us. They’re all very thankful that we are there helping.
The volunteers working hard on Thursday Island
To find out more about the work of the AWLQ, click here.
Canine Myofascial Therapy: Katie Hunt is the name behind the new pet service called Canine Myofascial Therapy. She tells us all about what she does for pets in pain.
Is your pet in pain? Have they slowed down or can no longer jump onto the couch or into the car? It could be myofascial pain. This is pain in muscles or fascia (a type of connective tissue that surrounds muscles). Myofascial pain can appear in any body part on animals. The pain is steady, aching, and deep, ranging from mild discomfort to excruciating and “lightning-like.” Knots may be visible or felt beneath the skin, and the pain does not resolve on its own.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy using trigger-point release techniques can be very effective in pain relief of this condition. Once the trigger points are gone, the animal is then able to move that muscle more freely again. They will regain a range of motion to the limb the muscle was affecting, whilst supporting the long-term health of the local muscle system.
Dry needling for the treatment of myofascial pain is also a useful tool. It is a modern treatment designed to ease muscular pain and its popularity is growing. Dry needling is called this because no liquid is injected into the body. Therapists place a stainless-steel filiform needle into the “trigger points” in muscle or tissue. The needle helps release the knot and relieve any muscle pain or spasms, increasing blood flow to the area and stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities.
Dry needling must not get confused with acupuncture although the same type of needles are used. Acupuncture works on the body’s energy flow and meridian pathways.
Hydrotherapy
Katie is currently in the process of starting up her own hydrotherapy clinic here on the Gold Coast. Hydrotherapy is an underwater treadmill. It helps your pet to regain muscle strength after surgery (and other medical issues including weight loss). The buoyancy of the water helps to take the weight of the joints so the animal can exercise with minimal pain whilst building strength, muscle mass and increase their mobility and agility.
Enter Canine Myofascial Therapy, started up by Katie Hunt. She has quite the qualifications in her arsenal, including a certificate in Animal Dry Needling, through the Australian College of Eastern Medicine. She has Cert 4 in Vet nursing, a Certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy, Cert 111 Animal Care and Husbandry, Cert 111 Captive Animals (zookeeping certificate).
Says Katie, “I have been in the animal industry for 20 years. I started out working in pet shops and volunteering at Zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, trying to gain as much experience as possible with every and any animal. But I don’t have a favourite I love them all. I started vet nursing in 2005 and then became a zookeeper not long after, specialising in reptile and avian care. In 2013 I wanted more out of my job and to be able to care for my animals in a more in-depth way. I decided to go back and study vet nursing but specialise more in the care of wildlife. So, I did a 12-month placement at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. I have been a general practice vet nurse for the past 7 years and was previously a vet nurse for AWLQ at Coombabah and Daisy Hill.”
Canine Myofascial Therapy: Dry Needling Benefits
Since discovering the benefits of dry needling to relieve pain on pets, Katie has been offering dry needling treatments since the beginning of this year. “I currently dry needle at the Aussie Pet Collective in Slacks Creek and a few other locations along the Gold Coast and Tweed area.”
Katie is passionate about making animals better. “It all started in 2005, I got a kelpie Dalmatian cross puppy and named her Indiana, at only four month of age she was hit by a car and needed her back leg amputated. Because of her 3 legs we did lots of swimming to keep her muscles nice and strong, and this helped to take the weight off her remaining legs. I was very aware of how this could affect her later in life.
“In 2017 she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and given 6 months to live, so we got a little brother for her and me – Paddy the Frenchie. Indiana went on to live another 3 years! Unfortunately, I had to make the devastating decision to put her to sleep, a month before her 15th birthday. She is my reason for studying hydrotherapy and dry needling. She was my soul dog. I want to help all the 3-legged and 4-legged puppies! I just want all animals to be able to live and experience a pain-free life.”
Katie has experience with all sorts of animals from geckos, crocodiles and snakes, cats and dogs, to goats, chickens, horses and cows. If your pet suffers from any of the above conditions, you can contact Katie.
Canine Myofascial Therapy:
THE MOST COMMON SIGNS OF PAIN IN YOUR PET
-Decreased activity – take notice if your pet is not playing as much as usual
-Not going up or down stairs – could be an early sign of osteoarthritis
-Reluctance to jump up onto surfaces – this especially applies to cats
-Difficulty standing after lying down, is a sign of osteoarthritis
-Decreased appetite – this can be a sign of mouth pain
-Over-grooming or licking a particular area – can be a sign of referred pain
When it comes to over-50s lifestyle communities, Halcyon Greens is smashing it. The development can’t stop winning awards. It has been attracting buyers from all over the country who are flocking to the Gold Coast in unprecedented numbers. With the Pimpama community’s final stage now selling, Silver Magazine took a spin around the development to see all of the good stuff before it sells out.
Several years ago, Halcyon founders Dr Bevan Geissmann and Paul Melville took a trip to Florida, the epicentre of over50s lifestyle resorts. Returning to Australia with the latest thinking on the good life, the vision for Halcyon Greens was born. “Our vision for Halcyon Greens was to create modern, country club living, the size and scale of which has never been seen in over-50s living in Australia,” Dr Geissmann said.
Masterplanned by Sanctuary Cove architect Brian Toyota, the northern Gold Coast community is located on an 84-acre island. It is surrounded by a nature reserve, and stunning native wetlands. Also, it is nestled next to the ultramodern community of Gainsborough Greens. Residents have private access to the club’s 18-hole Championship golf course and clubhouse.
Homeowners at Halcyon Greens enjoy connecting with neighbours through various activities
Many homeowners enjoy free golf as a benefit of living at Halcyon Greens. They are incredibly active in organised competitions… but are also partial to a social game with friends. Outside of golf, there are plenty of activities, with groups and events being organised to keep homeowners busy and connected.
$20 MILLION LIFESTYLE AND RECREATIONAL PRECINCT
Running through the community and located across six acres is the $20 million lifestyle and recreational precinct. This is the largest, purpose-built facility of its kind in Queensland. It rivals many of Queensland’s five-star tourism resorts. Homeowners have access to 22 different functional spaces, it caters to more than 40 individual sporting, leisure and recreational groups. Homeowners can enjoy both casual and formal events, in different spaces, which are connected by enclosed walkways.
The Lodge is the more formal of the leisure facilities. It features a luxe seated area with stone fireplace, commercial kitchen and bar, private dining room, a 40-seat Gold Class cinema, library and sala.
Surrounding The Lodge is an outdoor seating area which looks out over the resort pool. It has sun lounges, a beach entry and disability rail for ease of entry. Plus there’s a sunken firepit, which is perfect for afternoon meets.
On the other side of the resort pool is the Recreation Club. It has a commercial kitchen and bar, parquet dancefloor, function space, 25-metre heated mineral pool, spa, gym, hair salon, beauty treatment spaces and bocce court.
The Pavilion opens to eight pickleball courts, tennis court and a championship-size bowling green, all floodlit so homeowners can play well into the evening. It also offers BBQ facilities, kitchenette, function space and a billiards area.
Recreation Club’s heated mineral pool
LET’S GET THE PARTY STARTED
Halcyon communities are designed to provide homeowners with the ability to do as much or as little as they like. The homes are built to allow ageing in place and the facilities offer a platform for homeowners to form vibrant sporting and leisure groups. The social club at Halcyon Greens, known as the ‘fun club’ is incredibly active. It organises many events and activities ranging from live concerts, themed dinners, fashion parades, mystery bus trips, excursions and trivia competitions.
Gatherings are also being held at the social rooms
A team of busy volunteers work hard to organise the many events. Group president Ann Ryan said the best thing about being involved with the social group is having the opportunity to meet more people in the community. “It brings homeowners together from the single homeowners to the couples who socialise and connect with the rest of the community. It’s great watching people who haven’t danced in a long time hit the dance floor. It’s also great seeing the people who have just joined our community talking to new friends, and happy.”
The community has recently had trips to Maleny, the theatre in Brisbane and one of Gold Coast’s most fun cover bands, Koi Boys, played live at the Recreation Club. “We are spoiled for choice as you need to prioritise what you want to go to each week as there are so many things on offer,” said Ann.
A theater in Brisbane where community events are held
AWARDS
Halcyon is no stranger to industry recognition being the most awarded creators and operators of over-50s lifestyle communities, with almost 30 national and state awards.
Halcyon Greens is no exception with the Pimpama community winning the prestigious Urban Development Industry Australia (UDIA) Queensland’s 2020 awards for Best Seniors Living and Best Master Planned Community.
The community was shortlisted in the national awards. This made it the first developer of over-50s communities to be a finalist in the Seniors Living and Master Planned categories.
The UDIA recognition was off the back of the community’s $20 million Recreation and Lifestyle Precinct winning the Master Builder’s award for Best Tourism and Leisure Facilities over $10 million, beating many hotels and tourist resorts on the Gold Coast.
More so, Halcyon Greens is also a final in this year’s national Urban Developer Awards, which are yet to be announced.
GREEN CREDENTIALS
Halcyon Greens has been designed and built to take advantage of green technology. This lowers the carbon footprint of the community and offers homeowners more certainty over energy costs. The community has six-leaf UDIA EnviroDevelopment certification for its sustainability initiatives across ecosystems, landscaping, waste and recycling, energy, materials and water.
In addition to this, Halcyon homes are built using materials such as steel frames, Hebel panels, insulation and 3.5kW solar panels and solar hot water as standard, with many homeowners choosing to upgrade to 5.0kW. Many homes have Tesla batteries which drive down energy costs even further, with one homeowner revealing they were averaging around 1.0kWh per day compared to their previous home (also solar powered) of around 11kWh per day. “The cost comparison isn’t simple because we had solar in our previous home with a very good feed-in rate. However our average daily cost in our previous home was $1.00 per day compared to a credit of $2.70 per day at Halcyon Greens,” the homeowner said.
Greenery is a key point at Halcyon Greens
THIS IS THE LIFE
The lush island oasis has allowed the community developers of Halcyon Greens to dream big and create an exceptional lifestyle community. The team at Silver have visited and can vouch that the development is everything that the builders have promised. We highly recommend doing the tour. The final stage of the Pimpama community is now selling and with the Gold Coast real estate market set to get hotter over the coming years, the time to inspect Halcyon Greens in now. Enjoy!
Don’t let your age stop the party… check out these most debonaire of the chair.
HOMECRAFT OVER ARMCHAIR TABLE
This does exactly what it says on the tin! The table goes over an armchair and can be tilted towards the user. It can hold a book or a tablet for a seriously comfy relaxing time. Or it can be fixed to the right or left side of a bed, too. The laminated teak tabletop is easy to clean. And there is a neat little side table to hold a mug of coffee/tea. Relaxing time has never been so comfy.
home craft over armchair table
FOAM LEG RAISER
The ergonomically designed foam leg raiser can help to provide support to swollen legs and stimulate circulation. It is ideal for use on a bed or flat surface. It has a high-density foam base with a memory foam topper and a soft velour cover. Okay, that’s the legs sorted out! Let’s see what tonight’s movie is! Life is good!
FOAM-LEG-RAISER
ASPIRE SIGNATURE LIFT RECLINE SPACE, SAVER
This space-saving chair can be placed close to walls to save space. The depth of the seat is adjustable so your body will fit into it like a hand into a glove. It has a large side pocket for storage, and the handset fits right in that very pocket. Users can easily get the handset, discouraging leaning and possible falls. It comes with four wheels so the chair can be easily moved. The handset has large backlit buttons. And it also comes with a USB charger point to charge phones, tablets, and devices.
ASPIRE SIGNATURE LIFT RECLINE SPACE, SAVER
The European-designed electronics provide a quiet and smooth lift, complete with an integrated battery backup. Adjustable padding means that support can be individualized. The high-quality foam upholstery snugly covers the steel frame which gives the user great posture support. And it has easy-clean fabric – with commercial-grade durability and resistance to flame, mold, mildew, and pilling. Afternoon naps, here we come.
LIFT TO STAND CHAIRS
This Aspire Air Lift Chair is a powered armchair that gets you up and out…or puts you down and makes you comfy. The air system makes both the seat and footrest the best place to put your body parts. It is made of medical-grade Dartex upholstery – which is anti-microbial.
The lift system is smooth and quiet. And there are lots of rise and recline positions to choose from. The backrest is made from multilayer foam and fibre pillow sections. So it is a soft, breathable and supportive surface ideal for extended periods of sitting. The chair comes with wheels for mobility. Yes indeed Netflix and Chill just got a lot more comfy.
ASPIRE AIR LIFT CHAIR 3
ASPIRE DA VINCI LIFT RECLINER CHAIR
This is the Mercedes Benz of the lift recliner chair world. It is unrivalled for comfort and positioning from using its four separate adjustable motors. This lift chair can recline back with just the push of a button. Sleep is just a recline away. Then, it can bring the user to sitting position with another push of a button.
ASPIRE AIR LIFT CHAIR 2
When the user wants to get up and go to standing position, then with the touch of one more button, it will tilt the chair forward. It is a great adaptive tool for anyone having trouble going from sitting to standing due to mobility issues.
hilo-chair
It has independent headrest and lumbar functions. You can choose from four colour options in plush microsuede. It comes with a handset with integrated USB port. User can be up to 159kg.
CHRIS AND GINNY are just two examples of the growing number of retirees who have made the move into The Verge. One of the new vertical retirement villages by RetireAustralia. The vertical community is moments from the sea and has sweeping views over Burleigh Golf Course.
Vertical retirement villages are becoming much more common. Going vertical means that amenities that retirees love, like gyms, cafes, rooftop bbq areas and multipurpose rooms for community activities and social gatherings are just an elevator ride away. Also, seeing as we are living longer, more healthy lives than ever before in history, we have a clear need for fun for a lot longer. Living vertical means that these centres can be placed right in vibrant urban villages, near restaurants, good shopping haunts and cultural centres. The Verge is just three minutes from the beach.
The Verge Retirement Village at Burleigh Golf Course
Chris, who describes himself as independent, said he initially thought a retirement community would never be for him. But Ginny changed his mind. “I could see the fact that it was the right decision, I just didn’t want to let go. I think all of us only need to hear about someone else’s misfortune to see how difficult it becomes if you don’t make the decision yourself when you are able and healthy to make it.”
Ginny said it was absolutely the right choice to move to The Verge. “It’s not a nice thought, but if you get sick down the track or have a fall, someone else is making the decision for you. We’ve had the time to be able to think about it and for everybody to get used to the idea. Now, we have everything at our fingertips. It all makes sense.”
Not everyone may need assistance today, but The Verge is five steps ahead regardless. There are wide corridors, lots of storage, natural light, switches and power points at accessible heights, deep showers and reinforced bathroom walls to retrofit railings. These are all built-in without disturbing the aesthetic or sacrificing the comforts of home.
Now that the couple has settled in, they say they haven’t missed yard work and maintaining a house. Says Chris, “I absolutely love not having to mow the lawn. It was the right decision. It frees me up to do the things that really matter to me. And it’s nice to know help is there if we need it.” ■
Three Verge display apartments are available for viewing.
Nursing homes/care centres used to be a beige world of sitting down in front of the TV and eating boiled cabbage at mealtimes. But not anymore. The team at Silver Magazine did the tour of Odyssey Lifestyle Care Community at Robina, and we were ridiculously impressed. Here are all the things you can look forward to.
Odyssey Community
RÓISÍN MURPHY REPORTS.
I and my colleague from Silver Magazine walked into the Care Community at Robina, the first thing we noticed was the high ceilings. The architecture is beautiful in the reception area, and the décor is super-stylish. As we moved through the building, we realised that there were a lot of beautiful spaces. It was a great first impression.
INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM
As we were shown through to the restaurant/café area, we were delighted to see little kids from a pre-school nearby playing with the residents. There were board games happening, drawing was going on, there were rides on walkers. Both the littlies and the residents were having a really good time. The intergenerational program runs every two weeks and the residents love it. Also, the kids were lapping up the adult attention they were getting. Don’t get me wrong, they were playing those board games to win, the competitive spirit was fierce.
But they were loving the adult company. We have all seen documentaries where they show experiments with the generations from the opposite ends of the age spectrum…but seeing it in practice is just something else. We humans should have been doing this all along. Older people and little kids are such a natural fit. The older people have the time to lavish lots of attention, and the kids were thriving on it. Everyone in the room was having a really great time. What a win‑win. It felt happy.
High Tea at Odyssey Community
FOOD AT THE COMMUNITY
I and my colleague got even happier a minute after that when we were invited to sample the coffee and cake. Even though I say coffee and cake. I mean café‑style coffee was so good I snuck back and got another one. There were cakes such as mini danish and a choc caramel slice so tasty I saw my skinny sugar-avoiding colleague take two. This isn’t the image that comes to mind from a caring community. This is what you picture at a beachfront café that is full of trendy people with thousand-dollar prams and $250 boardies.
Odyssey residents are enjoying a wine and cheese afternoon with good company and great views!
The more formal restaurant and casual café area feel like an actual nice restaurant and café. You wouldn’t know you were in a caring community. And here is the best bit. Residents can eat chef[1]prepared food for just $15 a day. For this, they get two a la carte meals (lunch and dinner) and which can be chosen from a menu. That works out at just $7.50 for lunch and $7.50 for dinner. Not only that, residents can have family and friends meet them in the restaurant. Just make a booking and pay at reception. So if residents don’t want to cook for say, a mother’s day celebration, they can still have everyone over for a meal. Let the lunch parties roll on!
COMMUNITY LIFESTYLE
After we sample the food, we are taken to meet the Lifestyle Coordinator, Alison. Alison definitely has a fun job. She gets to take the residents out on seriously cool day trips. They flit around the Gold Coast and surrounds. In the days before we got there, residents told us they went to Yatala pie shop to get pies, which they thought was hilarious fun. They go to art galleries, they go on river cruises, they go up to Mount Tamborine, wine tasting.
FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT
They also go on shopping trips to surrounding shopping centres. But there’s cool stuff at home too. The residents do exercises in the morning. They have hand pampering sessions and get their nails done. They get facials as well. There are entertainers visiting all the time, anything from pianists, to harpists, to karaoke. Next on the activities planner is a wine-tasting session in the wine cellar on site. Everything about this place is wrapped in a little bit of luxury and sophistication. The top floor – storey seven – is a sky garden, where Odyssey held an experimental wine tasting night recently. The terrace had never been so busy. I think we are all ready to move in.
Chefs prepare all of the meals fresh daily, catering for a full range of dietary requirements.
STYLE
The display apartments look like something out of a home magazine. They are styled beautifully, and the layout is incredibly well-thought-out. This isn’t twee granny taste. This is sophisticated, stylish, and clean, with excellent storage spaces. There are designer appliances and finishes, and sensitive accessibility design. But the overall look is one of a modern and minimal haven. Residents can furnish their apartments however they want, from the interior décor to the colour scheme.
The Odyssey model is built around a resort-style environment. There will be 148 luxury apartments, a leisure centre, restaurant, piano lounges and several sky gardens.
TECH
When you take the tour of Odyssey you’ll understand just how cool the tech is (seriously do the tour, even to get an idea of what is out there on the market). The use of tech is now so impressive, I am sure we are all ready for the robots to take over.
The most impressive bit of the kit is the smart TV that comes with the apartment. The technology is provided by HSC Technology Group – it is a Set‑Top‑Box connected to the resident’s television, much like those you experience in high-end hotels.
Residents can use the TV to see things like weekly activities, and the restaurant menu.
Residents can use the TV to see things like weekly activities, and the restaurant menu. They can access social media on it, Google to their heart’s content, play audiobooks, play games. The TVs have cameras so that residents can use them to video call their friends and relatives. Residents have been using the TV during Covid to have a doctor’s consultation, without having to leave home. And of course, there’s Netflix and normal TV too!
There’s another tech that is very impressive. Odyssey has a sensor system that can map a person’s usual use of their apartment. If anything drastically changes, an alert is set off. They do this with just infrared sensors, rather than cameras so that the resident’s privacy is preserved. For example, if a person is on the floor in an unusual position, or if anything else is wrong, the sensors will detect this. The tech installed in Odyssey has the sole aim of being preventative rather than reactive.
EXTRAS
There are other really thoughtful extras at Odyssey. One of these is the transition room. This is a room, which looks exactly like a luxury hotel room. It is downstairs very close to the nurses’ office. If a resident goes through a bout of illness or has returned from a hospital stay, and they don’t feel confident to stay in their apartment, they can use this room until they are confident enough to return to their usual life. They are not charged to use this room and can use it for as long as it takes, maybe a couple of days, maybe a week. This room can also be used by a family member of a resident in some situations.
THE FINAL WORD
There are some new ways of thinking at Odyssey that make it really different to other offerings. The best part about it is that once you have moved in, you never have to move again if you don’t want to. Every level of care can be provided in every apartment.
When people move in, they may feel fit and active. It is hard for residents to picture at this stage that they might need help to shower or do other tasks. Then suddenly, a higher level of care is needed, and it is at this stage that nobody wants to be moving. The ideal scenario is while you’re still fit and well, you settle in, you make friends, and you feel at home by the time you need a high level of care.
At Odyssey, there’s the retirement village vibe, with lots of opportunities for friendship and company, plus a lifestyle care community. This is especially good for couples where one partner can still go out and do their own thing, knowing that Odyssey can look after the other resident.
Residents can also have a pet join them, invite grandkids for sleepovers and couples stay together. Residents can come and go as they like, and have visitors. It is a perfect balance.
Odyssey, from what we have seen here at Silver Magazine, is the best of both worlds between retirement and aged care. The peace of mind that this is your last move is an excellent selling point. I think we are all ready to move in and grab a spot in those wine tastings. An Mt Tamborine Cab Sav? Don’t mind if I do! ■
