Category: Village Voice

The Victorian Seniors Festival is a month-long program recognising and celebrating senior Victorians. This year marks the 40th anniversary of this wonderful event. The evolution of Seniors Week into a month-long festival focusing on positive ageing and the passing last month of the Queen, who was still working and performing official duties at 96 years of age, prompted me to reflect on the capacity of people to continue to accomplish remarkable things well into their senior years.

Continue readingVillage Voice: October 2022

This week I was in the final stages of agreeing to an implementation program for a new program we will use to manage our policies, procedures and information management systems. The program will support our systems to remain compliant as we move through this period of huge post Royal Commission change in aged care laws and regulations.

Continue readingVillage Voice: September 2022

It has been a cold start to most mornings of recent weeks with frosts covering roof tops and grassy nature strips. Winter is my very favourite time of year. In late July I arrived at work and was greeted with the most beautiful pink glow to the pre-dawn sky – it brought a smile to me and I hope it does to you as well.

Continue readingVillage Voice: August 2022

The human need for certainty is a very strong influence on our lives. For some people when they are feeling that this need is not being met in a way that they prefer, they will get worried and anxious, others will respond proactively and seek information, some will choose to create rumours or become angry. The closure of the Lodge is an event that has created some uncertainty, and although we have provided written information, verbal information at Resident meetings, I have responded to telephone calls and people calling in to ask questions in person. I am aware that there is still some level of worry about what the closure of the Lodge means for them as individuals. I want to provide all Residents with more reassurance that we will continue to provide the same kinds of care that we always have.

Continue readingVillage Voice: July 2022

As I write this, I am sitting in my study working from home, after more than 2 years of successfully avoiding Covid, I am one of the 68,426 Victorians that have registered a positive Covid test in the last week. The pandemic has seen huge change in working from home arrangements for office based staff and now, with my office phone diverted to my mobile, the ability to directly log into the servers at work and access all of my files online, having Microsoft Teams open to video or real time chat with staff and hold meetings and the staff to be able to see if I am active at my workstation or away from my desk, it has made working from home a very productive option for times this like.

Continue readingVillage Voice: June 2022

There is so much uncertainty in the world right now, I have pondered for several days trying to choose a topic for this month’s cover that would still be relevant by the time it goes to print next week and decided that I can be sure that all 4 of these topics will dominate the news in April.

Continue readingVillage Voice: April 2022

This is the theme for this year’s global celebration to mark the United Nations International Day of Happiness. It is coordinated by Action for Happiness, a non-profit movement of people from 160 countries, supported by a partnership of like-minded organisations.

Continue readingVillage Voice: March 2022

There are three documents that will make an enormous difference to how much control you have over your life and assets if an event arose and you were unable to express your choices and wishes yourself. Recently we have had situations arise in both Villages where Residents did not have these documents in place and it has caused enormous distress for families who were faced with many privacy related and legal roadblocks in trying to work through financial, care or estate issues.

Continue readingVillage Voice: February 2022

As I wondered what to say to welcome 2002, my mind kept wandering back to the movie Mary Poppins, and Dick Van Dyke singing:

Winds in the east, mist comin' in
Like somethin' is brewin' and 'bout to begin.
Can't put me finger on what lies in store,
But I feel what's to happen all happened before.

Continue readingVillage Voice: January 2022