Long-Term Care

In October Gladys will be turning 100, which is no mean feat, but considering what Gladys has achieved in her life, this is a mere drop in the ocean. And what an extraordinary life Gladys has had. Born in Singapore, Gladys married a singer who was compared to Peri Como and then Bing Crosby in later years. Travelling all over with his band she got to see so much of Asia. She also started her own business which was a coach company, selling tourism throughout SE Asia, London, and Japan.

Sadly, her husband died young and with the help of her mother-in-law, she took on three jobs to support the family. She also volunteered in the evening with the blind and visually impaired in Singapore as they did not receive any government assistance. Her children flourished under the care of her mother-in-law and her daughter went on to become Miss Singapore.

At 42 she met a member of the British Royal Airforce and moved to London, moving all of the children with her. She had another child with her new husband; however, this marriage was short lived, and it was a very difficult time for her. Escaping under the cover of darkness with her children, she returned to Singapore.

The President of Singapore appointed her to be the President of the Business and Professional Women’s Association and she stayed in Singapore for many more years, and it was there that she met her third husband Hans who she followed to Australia. Unfortunately, over the next few years, she lost her vision, but this did not stop Gladys from writing many books, the first “A Touch of Blindness”, all about the courage to continue without eyesight.

With the help of specialised computer software, Gladys has been able to write many more books and continues to this day. However, she is no longer independent and after Hans died, she moved into Estia Health Bankstown. Here she has regained her zest for living and renewed sense of self. She is a truly remarkable woman, and we are very lucky to have her living with us. Of course, there is so much more to Glady’s story, but we encourage you to read one of her many books to find out more.

Jodi and her grandmother Valma have always been very close and as Valma began needing more support at home, Jodi would visit and check in on her grandmother regularly and take her to her medical appointments. When Valma had a fall over the New Year Jodi realised her grandmother needed additional care and began the process of looking at residential aged care homes to see what kind of care they could provide.

Jodi asked Valma if she would like a holiday in the form of Respite Care while she healed from her fall, which she agreed to.

Jodi visited a couple of local aged care home but didn’t think they’d be a good fit for her independent grandmother. They had discussions a few times over the last couple of year about what may happen if Valma did need more help and could not live independently anymore and Valma was very clear about what was important to her if this situation arose.

Jodi visited Estia Health Morang and met Radmila, the home’s Client Services Officer, who took Jodi on a tour of the home before they sat down to discuss the process to move into the home, starting with a short respite stay while Valma recovered from her fall.

Radmila talked to Jodi about the available care options for her grandmother and explained the process to apply for respite care by completing an ACAT assessment, which when approved would allow Valma to access up to 63 days across the year.

Radmila also talked to Jodie about options for her grandmother to access permanent care if she felt this was the right step following her short stay for respite care. Radmila explained the different costs involved and presented scenarios in relation to their individual situation and following this, recommended Jodie see a financial planner for a more detailed discussion of available options to access and pay for permanent care.

Jodi spoke of the experience of her grandmother moving into the home for her respite stay ‘Radmila made the transition a positive experience as she guided us through the process with her gorgeous smile and genuine care of the residents’

Gordon is one of our residents at Estia Health Bankstown and he has only recently moved in. At only 65 he did not envisage himself living in an aged care home, yet he now feels happy, safe and comfortable. At first Gordon came to Bankstown for short-term respite, but after staying for a few weeks, he has now decided to live there permanently.

Unfortunately, Gordon recently broke his leg and shoulder and realised it was difficult to manage at home and after 40 years as an Engineer for Qantas, he had only recently retired. He was lucky enough to have travelled extensively with his job throughout Singapore, Nurita, Johannesburg and many more places, thoroughly enjoying everywhere he went.

Gordon let us know that he is thoroughly impressed with the level of organisation at Bankstown including the cleanliness and hygiene. Plus, he is particularly happy with the way the food is presented. He loves his single room and says that it’s bright, shiny, and large.

One of his favourite things to do is to learn how others live and with that, he regularly chats to all the other residents who enjoy telling him where they are from and hearing their stories. He regularly carries around an atlas, looking up countries and finding out as much information as he can. He has quickly become a favourite within the home.