My sister and I were really lucky, we were blessed to have all four of our grandparents in our lives until our early 20’s. Those four people- Ken, Flo, Ella and Jack were a significant part of our lives. Their stories and sayings, their passions and characters, their qualities, their flaws- all were instrumental in helping shape the people we would become, what we valued, what we hoped for and who we were.
As life rolled on, I worked in large, multinational corporations as well as hedonistic, creative industries – Mushroom Records (loved it, I won’t lie) being one. They were key in providing an environment where I learnt important skills to build a solid career, but all had an underlying foundation where profit and company, shareholders and business objectives always came first. The goals and mission were always to build brands, image, reputation, increase market share and the like. There was nothing human about it. No empathy, nor compassion, no ‘for the good of your fellow man or community.’
So, when the golden opportunity arose to join the DailyCare Team, to be one of a small group of individuals passionate about caring for our elders in Australia, I was inspired to take it. To show older people and their families that they mattered, how they were cared for mattered, how they were treated mattered.
I remember back to the time I had taken my young daughters to visit my Nana Flo in an aged care facility when she was in her early 90’s. Flo was spritely enough, her mind quick, she still did crosswords and played the piano however many of the people around her weren’t so fortunate; dealing with various levels of cognitive and physical decline. Viv, only two years old, like a little ray of sunshine, flitted around to the people she could see, flopping her head so she could get eye to eye contact upside down. Their faces lit up, some went from looking barely awake to visibly smiling, ‘Come play!’ she would excitedly exclaim. I realised then, that even the smallest thing- the human things, even noticing someone exists, can have a huge impact.
I want to be a part of that.
We believe in the power of stories to illuminate and educate. Through sharing our experiences of getting older and caring for those around us, we can help each other navigate the challenges we will all face at some stage in our lives.
If you would like to share your story, email us at [email protected]. We have a team of talented writers who would love to talk to you, and help bring your story to life.
Photo by Rod Long
