Generations connect over juice and scones

After watching the show ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds' we looked at how we could do something similar in our community. We knew that many of our families had grandparents who lived a long way away and they would benefit by having that intergenerational connection.

Chee changes everything for Yvonne

“To have someone as good as Chee, that’s a miracle,” says 78 year old Yvonne who receives in-home support from CatholicCare Community Support Partner.

Peter trains his brain to read again

Attending Brain Games classes at CatholicCare’s Memory Innovations Centre (MIC) provided the momentum Peter needed to return to reading.

The life lessons we have learnt from seniors

The NSW Seniors festival runs 11 - 24 March 2024. To mark this significant event, we asked some CatholicCare staff to share what they have learnt from working with seniors. Their insights are profound and inspiring.

Reconnecting isolated seniors with the outside world

When 99 year old Oi Mei first met Winnie, she finally had someone she could share stories in her native tongue. As a fellow Cantonese speaker, Winnie was able to appreciate and resonate with Oi Mei’s experiences in a special way.

Memory Innovations Centre fills gap in services for seniors

Exercise … we all know it’s good for us and, if we’re honest, we do feel better for doing it. After all, exercise bumps up the production of our brain’s ‘feel-good’ hormones called endorphins.

Lynette’s Story

"She saved my life,” Lynette says, looking gratefully at her Activity Support Partner, Gayle. Once a fortnight, Gayle supports Lynette in the community as part of her Commonwealth Home Support Program package.

A desire for independence

In many ways Jan and Joan, who participate in weekly classes at the Memory Innovations Centre (MIC), are like chalk and cheese. “I love socialising,” says Joan, who has coffee every morning with friends.

Small things make all the difference for Stephen

For Stephen, who is retired and lives on his own, visits from his CatholicCare Activity Support Partners are the highlights of his week, “I have no family, so I really appreciate the company of my two CatholicCare workers.”

Thank you Penelope and all our incredible volunteers

Penelope Kerr’s volunteering journey began over 16 years ago when her father was living in a nursing home in Canberra. “During my visits I’d notice the names of Dad's visitors in the sign-in book.

Reach out to the seniors in your life

Over the years, relationships have changed, especially those young people have with their grandparents. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, in the late 1980s, people had much stronger connections with their grandparents. These connections were marked by grandparents often taking on the role of caregiver to help out the mother in times of need or to give her a break.

Please say hello to Tereza – 83 years young

At 83 years of age and living alone since her husband died several years ago, Tereza loves it when her CatholicCare support workers come to visit to take her on walks or outings. “I’m a people person!” she says. “I just love seeing people and talking to them.”

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