Michael – 80, HCP client
Michael, now 80 years old, has always found a way to see the sunny side of life. Raised as an orphan in an all-boys home in Melbourne, with no family to lean on, he never let his circumstances define him. At just 18 years old, with only the clothes on his back and a sense of determination, he thumbed a ride on a semi-18-wheeler bound for Sydney. He was dropped off in Liverpool, Sydney, ready to start a new chapter in life.
Micheal learned to be independent at a young age. In a time when having a fixed address was essential to get a job, he often slept under houses, determined to find his footing. Over the years, he worked hart to support himself, taking jobs on a factory and a farm. He found purpose in his work, but life threw Michael some tough challenges along the way. He began losing his peripheral vision in his thirties, and over time, his sight faded completely, forcing him to leave his work. More recently, he’s needed hearing aids to stay connected to the world around him. Despite it all, his spirits remain positive. His knack for sharing a laugh has helped him maintain a positive outlook on life and brighten the days of everyone he meets.
Living alone in government housing doesn’t bother Micheal one bit. In fact, he’s well-known and loved by the other residents there, who admire his friendly and cheerful nature. He has two carers who regularly visit to support him: one to tidy up, help him read any letters, and check he has enough food and supplies, and another to take him for a stroll or a drive to the beach.
Michael is confident in asking for the help he needs. When he needs help, whether it’s the washing, changing the bed sheets or booking appointments, he knows he can count on Fran, his Care Consultant, and his carers, to be there for him. Micheal loves sharing a laugh with Fran, and she always looks forward to their chats. His playful nature and endless supply of jokes, like his latest gem, “Why did the coffee go to the police station? Because it was mugged!”, never fail to bring a smile to her face.
Michael is always up for a chat, and his care team at Your Side are only too pleased to oblige. He says with a grateful smile, “They do good things at Your Side. Thank you!”
Ken – 72, HCP client
Ken has always had a knack for cars. As a young man, he taught himself how to navigate an engine by tinkering away on his nephew’s vehicle, and he’s revved up by all things automotive ever since. Today, you’ll often find him proudly lifting the bonnet of his beloved Holden Commodore, making sure everything’s running like a dream.
Ken also has a fascination with model cars and airplanes. He builds and maintains them with meticulous care. These intricate projects keep his mind sharp and his hands busy, boosting his overall wellbeing. Recent research on people aged over 65 showed those with hobbies reported better health, more happiness, less depression, and higher life satisfaction. Hobbies are linked to creativity, sensory engagement, self-expression, relaxation, and cognitive stimulation, which promote good mental health and well-being.
When he was born, Ken suffered brain damage that affected his literacy skills. He also has peripheral vascular disease which caused circulatory problems that led to the loss of all but one of his toes. He had to give up his cleaning job because of his health problems some years ago. He was very close to his mother, but now she is gone Ken lives on his own in a social housing unit with very little contact or support from family or friends, so he can get lonely sometimes. As well as his collection of model cars and aircraft, his home showcases his love of animals, especially Australian native species, with pictures and ornaments all around.
Loneliness was starting to weigh him down, especially as he managed peripheral vascular disease (which led to the amputation of all but one of his toes), diabetes, and a birth-acquired brain injury that challenged his literacy skills.
Ken was initially apprehensive about accepting help, so his Care Consultant, Ann patiently built his trust and got to know him so she could help him use his Home Care Package to improve his life.
With Ann’s encouragement, Ken began to work with a speech pathologist who’s helped him improve his reading and writing. He also gained the support of a Chronic Wound Nurse for regular wound care and a care worker to provide social support, companionship, and assistance with shopping and appointments. One of the real game-changers has been a special scanner pen that reads his newspaper and mail. No longer relying on a care worker to read everything out, Ken has gradually built his skills to the point where he can now read entire novels, and he can even write the days of the week.
With the right support through his Home Care Package Ken can remain living in his own home safely and with confidence.
Aranka – 95, HCP client
At 95 years old, Aranka is one of our oldest clients, yet she can lift the energy of a room with her youthful spirit. She was born in Hungary and moved to Australia with her husband in 1957. For many years she worked as an assistant nurse in hospitals around Sydney, work that she loved and says she still misses. She left nursing to take a role managing her husband’s mechanics business. She answered the phone and looked after the books, so she knows a thing or two about customer service.
Sadly, since her husband and son passed away, Aranka has no family left in Australia. She enjoys attending Probus Club events and the community activities at her independent living units. She also stays active with swimming and walking.
Aranka doesn’t drive anymore, so her Care Consultant, Indira, helps her stay socially connected using her Home Care Package, with transport and taxis so she can get to the shops, her social events and medical appointments. Her Home Care Package also helps her get physio and massage treatments for pain associated with her arthritis and osteoporosis. Aranka keeps her home beautifully and is so independent, it took some convincing for her to accept some cleaning support with the more arduous tasks.
Aranka became a minor celebrity when she starred in the ABC TV series, Old People’s Home for Teenagers, in 2022. The program was designed to connect older people who live alone and experience loneliness, with teenagers who also struggle to make friends or feel a sense of belonging among their peers. Your Side nominated Aranka as a participant, because we knew she would not only benefit from the opportunity to make friends, but bring her joie de vivre, which is a positive influence on everyone she meets.
It was a wonderful experience for the participants of both generations, who learned a lot from each other. Aranka enjoyed it enormously and remains in touch with several of the young people she met, still texting them and meeting up in person.
She loves music and listening to the radio and will break out into a little spontaneous dance while talking with her Care Consultant, Indira.
Patrick – 87, CHSP client
Patrick’s youthful energy and charm belie his 87 years. Born in South Africa to a Dutch mother and Chinese father, he calls himself a “mixed bag.” Since moving to Australia in 2007, he has returned to South Africa only twice.
He started his music career in 1956 as a backing vocalist for a group called The Bel Aires. He played guitar in another band that was building success until the band leader bolted with their earnings. He then founded Liberty Sound and Vision, a disco and sound equipment company, which he ran from his garage for 15 years.
When Patrick came to Australia, he found work as a handyman until arthritis affected his hands. After joining a Seniors Club, he started performing again, leading to regular gigs and reviving his passion for music.
Patrick and his wife, Eunice, loved attending concerts by jazz legends like Englebert Humperdink and Michael Buble. Eunice now has dementia, and Patrick is her full-time carer. He says, “Your Side is the best thing that has happened to us. Otherwise, we’d just be sitting at home looking at each other.”
Despite arthritis and carpel tunnel preventing him from playing guitar, Patrick continues to sing accompanied by backing tracks. He finds joy in entertaining others and credits music for keeping him young at heart.
Mitos – 84, CHSP client
If there were ever a poster girl for ‘young at heart’, Mitos is it. Standing knee-high to a grasshopper, Mitos is a pocket-rocket of pure positive energy. She recently took a turn on the catwalk for Your Side, modelling in a campaign to show how ageing doesn’t have to mean fading.
Mitos has a very busy social schedule, juggling time with family with commitments to her various social groups. She has three grandchildren who she sees often. They used to all descend on her house for gatherings and she would cook, but now her sons like to host and let her relax. They recently marked her son’s 60th birthday, and all her grandchildren came to her house to celebrate.
She loves her Filipino culture and returns to Merville every year to visit family and friends. She remarks that in the Philippines, people are very open and friendly, always inviting strangers into their homes. When she migrated here in the 1970s she didn’t find Australians as welcoming and initially she mostly interacted with the Filipino community here.
This has not been the case for the last 16 years, since Mitos became a fixture at her local gym. She started going to improve her posture, as she was beginning to stoop. She was hesitant at first, seeing it was mostly young people who went. Soon enough, she was a fitness fanatic. She now gets up at 6am every day and goes to the gym to do Pilates, body pump and Zumba classes. She likes how it makes her feel strong, she can do lunges and hold a plank.
The Zumba class was where she found people opened up, the high-energy dancing naturally broke down barriers and everyone has a giggle together. Her friendships now span generations, she regularly lunches with women as much as 20 years younger than her after their workouts.
She and her gym friends always wear make-up and jewelry when they work out, they like to look their best. According to Mitos, she looks better now than she did in her 60s, because she is healthier. She likes to match her shoes to her outfits, so she has seven different coloured pairs of runners. Her photos for Your Side were not her first foray into modelling – she was featured in a promotion for her local gym’s Body Shape program on social media.
