Transitioning from living at home to residential aged care is a major life-changing event and can be an incredibly challenging time for the older person experiencing the change, as well as their family. This period is often accompanied by feelings of extreme anxiety, grief and loneliness, along with a very real fear that boredom will take over.
That’s where our Leisure and Lifestyle team step in. Our residential aged care facilities across Queensland offer an inclusive Leisure and Lifestyle program full of engaging and meaningful activities tailored to meet the individual interests, needs and diverse requirements of the people we support.
From live musical entertainment, exercise classes, mini-Olympics, arts and crafts, and animal-assisted therapy, to movie nights, soirees, visits from nearby school children, lolly trollies, market days, special days of celebration, gardening, and much more, we offer a range of activities to boost cognitive function, improve physical health and coordination, and give residents a sense of belonging and connection to community.
Jennifer Storey, Leisure & Lifestyle Lead at Nudgee, firmly believes there is no age limit on having fun and staying healthy and active.
“Our team works hard to further elevate the leisure and lifestyle program. And we’ve had some amazing wins over the past 12 months – especially with our footy tipping, where we’ve seen previously disengaged male residents get involved, have a flutter and socialise.
“Simple changes often make a big difference. For example, we know that musical interaction and music therapy is calming, fosters social interaction and has been scientifically proven to promote positive well-being.
“With this in mind, we’ve introduced a program of classical music as well as live weekly musical performances where residents can relax, socialise over a glass of wine or nibble on cheese platters, just like they would at home.”
Residential aged care has come a long way, especially here at Mercy Community where we adopt a person-centred approach to care and promote dignity, compassion and a high-quality of life.
We extend a big thank you to our Leisure and Lifestyle team across all our Mercy Community sites for the work you do each day to help make our residential aged care facilities a home away from home for all our residents.
If you’re a Registered Nurse or Personal Care Assistant, and you would like to help enrich the lives of our residents in Rockhampton, visit our website to find out more about the roles and the exciting incentives on offer:
