IRT

How to decide: retirement living, home care or residential aged care?

Michael Appleford — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 22:57:53 +0000

"It's never too early or too late to start thinking about aged care."

There’s no doubt when it comes time to find a retirement village or aged care service that suits you, it’s difficult to know where to begin your search.

The Australian government website My Aged Care, says “talking about aged care doesn’t mean you can’t live an independent or active life and you’ll be more informed to make your own decisions when the time comes, and be in control of your own future.”

So which solution is right for you?

IRT’s ‘How can we help?‘ tool lets you find the right solution based on your needs.

First select whether you’re looking for service for yourself or a loved one. Then you can choose from a number of scenarios, such as:

Are you feeling isolated and want to be part of an active community?

Are you having difficulty maintaining your home?

Do you need a little extra help in your own home?

Are you struggling to look after yourself?

This will help us understand what you, or your loved one, is looking for.

The tool will then suggest services that best suit your needs and circumstances.

From there, you can learn more about the suggested IRT service:

IRT home care to help you stay living in your own home for longer;
An IRT retirement village, where you can continue to live independently in a community of like-minded people;
An IRT aged care centre, where you’ll experience professional care and feel proud to call home;
Or, a combination of these services uniquely suited to your lifestyle.

Finally, select whether you would like to find a new home in a community of like-minded individuals or continue to live in your own home.

Keep in mind that no two people are the same, and while your situation may be similar to someone else’s, the perfect solution will be individual to each person.

Likewise, your circumstances may change more quickly than expected. That’s ok too – we’ve got a solution to make your life easier, personalised to your new needs.

Try to think of the retirement and aged care landscapes as a spectrum of solutions.

It's not a series of boxes that you have to fit into.

The ‘How we can help?‘ tool will also provide you with the latest news, stories from our customers and industry updates for your suggested service. This keeps you up to date with as much information as possible.

Whatever your situation, IRT will take a look at your personal set of circumstances, and tailor a solution thats just right for you. And we’ll keep tailoring that solution over time as your needs change.

So, get started and find out how we can help you plan for your future.

The post How to decide: retirement living, home care or residential aged care? appeared first on IRT.

The world from a different view

Brodie McDonald — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 04:03:04 +0000

Sitting in the driver’s seat of a car at Eastern Creek Raceway Lynelle McMillan grabbed the wheel. Instantly the driving instructor knew Lynelle had been blind from birth.

The tell-tale sign was the way she had grabbed the wheel. “I had my hands down the bottom,” she recalls.

Lynelle, a Howard Court at IRT Pioneer Place resident, jumped at the chance to take a spin around the famous Sydney raceway some 22 years ago when offered the opportunity by Vision Australia.

“I was excited more than nervous,” she says of the experience. “It was something I had never done and wanted to do it . . . I got told to take my foot off the accelerator because I was going too fast.”

Peter Brock, the late motor racing driver, was there too and also took her for a lap.

Lynelle hasn’t let being blind stop her from doing anything she’s wanted to do in life – from driving a car to travelling abroad and working.

“I was born a bit over two months premature and that’s what caused my blindness,” she says.

She boarded at a school for the blind in Sydney from a young age, and she found it hard being away from her family in Wollongong.

“But I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t have gone there,” she says. “They taught us to look after ourselves and they taught me to get around, like get to the shops, cook meals, how to sew and how to make a bed . . . I didn’t do any good at school but I can look after myself and that’s probably more important.”

Lynelle

Lynelle was 15 when she left school and her first job was looking after the children at the blind school where she boarded. She smiles when recalling the story of bathing a child and sending them to school with the chicken pox.

She then got a job working for a company which made chairs and her job was to assemble the chairs’ castors – a job which she held for almost 20 years – and has plenty of fond memories of her working life. She lived in her own unit in Sydney for 30 years before making the move back to Wollongong some three years ago to be closer to family. “It’s very good moving down here in this time of my life.”

She’s still learning to get around Wollongong and has learned to get to a few key places – such as The Illawarra Brewery, the shops and how to catch the bus.

Technology plays a big role in Lynelle’s life – assisting her to get around, telling her what colour something is and to communicate.

The most useful piece of technology for Lynelle is her phone.

“Technology is very good for me but you’ve got to learn to use these things and it only took me 12 months to learn how to use the phone,” she laughs. “It takes you longer to learn it as an older person, a kid would pick it up straight away – it’s all foreign to me.”

Lynelle has a very clever pen, which helps her to identify household items. By simply using her voice to record what an item is and a special label on the item, when the pen is held to the item’s label, the pen identifies it. For example, she uses it to record use-by dates on food.

“I was introduced to these by Vision Australia, they showed me all these things. I’ve got a talking jug that tells me when the water gets full, talking bathroom scales that tell me my weight, and a liquid level that tells me when I get to the top of the cup when I pour a cup of coffee.”

She’s currently waiting for some new technology to arrive – one which will help her identify locations when she’s out and about and another to alert someone if she’s had a fall.

Her greatest achievement in life so far is being able to travel. “I’ve been to Europe, America and Canada, New Zealand and the Northern Territory.” She’s also travelled to the UK and all of Australia’s capital cities.

She’s been on organised tours with family and friends, as she explains it’s hard to travel by yourself as a blind person.

“The guides, when I’ve travelled overseas, they have taken me everywhere . . . they’d open up cases for me so I can feel things.”

Lynelle has a very pragmatic approach to being blind, saying that there’s nothing she can do to fix it. “I just accept I can’t see,” she says. “I think I’ve got a very warped sense of humour being blind. I don’t take it seriously not being able to see.”

The post The world from a different view appeared first on IRT.

Western Sydney’s first career expo for mature workers coming to Penrith

Sarah Crutchley — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 23:34:59 +0000

Minister for Ageing and Member for Mulgoa Tanya Davies and Minister for Western Sydney and Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres officially launched Penrith’s first Career Check-Up Expo for Mature Workers today.

The Expo, hosted by IRT Foundation and the Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce, will be held at Penrith Panthers on 20 February 2019, thanks to a Liveable Communities Grant from the NSW Government.

IRT Foundation Manager, Toby Dawson, said the Expo will be a one-stop-shop for people aged over 45 looking for advice on career planning, education and training, financial planning and job seeking services.

“If we enable Western Sydney’s over 50s to work for longer, the region can benefit from a large group of older workers who still have much to offer the growing Western Sydney economy,” Mr Dawson said.

“This in turn can lead to an improvement in wellbeing, as research clearly shows that flexible and fulfilling work can enhance our quality of life as we age.”

Minister Davies said that by 2031, one in three people in NSW will be aged 50 or over.

“The key is ensuring we manage the challenges and maximise the opportunities being created by the ageing population, and for many this includes having the opportunity to continue to work or to re-enter the workforce,” Mrs Davies said.

“As the NSW Minister for Ageing, I am delighted to support such a wonderful initiative.”

Minister Ayres said he was thrilled to bring this fantastic opportunity for our local seniors and the business community to Penrith Panthers.

“Older people still have so much to give and bring a wealth of experience into their careers, and the NSW Government is committed to tackling ageist attitudes by working with the business community to remove barriers to continued participation among older workers,” Mr Ayres said.

According to a 2016 report by National Seniors Australia, people over 50 who fail to plan for the next stage of their career are more likely to end up jobless, but the majority of older Australians don’t believe career planning is relevant to them.

“This is where IRT Foundation’s Career Check-Up Expo for Mature Workers can help, with a wealth of knowledge and information about planning an encore career all in one place,” Mr Dawson added.

President Simon Gould said Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud and excited to partner with IRT Foundation to bring the Career Check-Up Expo to Penrith.

“This event provides our members with a unique forum to present themselves as potential employers to a determined and skilled workforce, and is an opportunity for local seniors to explore potential employment options closer to home,” Mr Gould said.

Attendance for mature workers is free and registrations for employees and exhibitors are now open.

For more information, or to register, visit eventbrite or call 134 478.

The post Western Sydney’s first career expo for mature workers coming to Penrith appeared first on IRT.

Second chance at love

Melissa Michie — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 04:04:18 +0000

IRT William Beach Gardens residents Jess and John met and were married at the community
They first met playing cards
Jess and John were overjoyed to find each other
IRT Group CEO Patrick Reid was a wedding guest

Love found IRT William Beach Gardens’ residents John Smith and Jess Lewis, who were married in 2018.

“We’re happy, we are. Life is too short not to be.”

John Smith

Jess Lewis and John Smith, two IRT residents, were married in the very place they met – the hall at Akuna Cottage, IRT William Beach Gardens. The couple met in late 2017 and were married on 17 August 2018.

Their first meeting was around the card table when they joined two other residents in a game of cards. This turned into a daily event and they now play every day, except for Christmas Day.

After a few weeks of their daily card games John plucked up the courage to ask Jess on a date.

“I remember walking down the hall with Jess to her room and I said to Jess ‘would you like to go for a cup of coffee?’ and Jess said, ‘don’t you hit on me’. ”

After this false start John upped his game and called Jess every day to chat when she went to visit family in Newcastle for Christmas. His persistence paid off and Jess loved their daily chats.

“He called me every day and we would talk for ages,” says Jess, remembering the time fondly. “It just went on from there. We fell in love.”

The couple have an easy camaraderie with each other, they joke together but you can clearly see the affection they have for one another.

“We joke a lot but coming down to the nitty-gritty, we love each other,” John says.

It seems like these two lovebirds were meant to meet. One day Jess was showing John some of her favourite photos and he recognised someone very familiar in the background of one of her shots.

The image was taken six years ago at the local yacht club and is of Jess sitting by herself smiling at the camera with only one person in the background – John.

“I couldn’t believe it when he pointed it out,” Jess recalls.

When asked what it’s like to fall in love at this stage of their lives they both say that although it was unexpected, they are both overjoyed.

“We’re happy, we are. Life is too short not to be,” says John.

“As long as we’re both happy, that’s the main thing,” Jess agrees.

IRT Group CEO Patrick Reid also attended the couple’s special day.

The post Second chance at love appeared first on IRT.

All aboard the transport review

Melissa Michie — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 05:06:53 +0000

IRT William Beach Gardens hosted a customer transport review.
Numerous aged care providers were involved.
The review enables IRT to better understand the needs of customers, care workers and bus drivers.
IRT is working to source buses to suit all users’ needs.

IRT has a solid understanding of our bus users’ needs following a customer transport review.

“It created the opportunity to look at the needs of all parties...”

Patrick Reid

IRT Group CEO

A customer transport review day was held in May 2018 at IRT William Beach Gardens to help develop an understanding of what to look for when buying a bus for an IRT community.

On the day, eight manufacturers demonstrated buses with aged care transportation features, and these were reviewed by IRT residents and employees. IRT also invited a number of aged care providers to take part in the review, so everyone has a better understanding of options and needs.

IRT Group CEO Patrick Reid says the review has enabled IRT to develop an informed understanding of the needs of our customers, care workers and bus drivers.

“The review brought together the providers, vendors, drivers, employees and residents,” he says. “It created the opportunity to look at the needs of all parties and compile the data.”

The day included engaging our customers to climb in and out of the buses to better understand their restrictions, how the design impacts care workers and their needs, and the positives and negatives of each bus design.

“None of the buses off the rack meet our needs,” Mr Reid says. “But we can buy a bus chassis and build a bus to transport our residents safely, and avoid injuries for almost the same cost.”

Further to this, the Group Head of Health Wellness and Safety and the Group Head of Procurement visited a number of vehicle interior installation companies, and endorsed a high top, long wheel base bus as the preferred option for IRT’s aged care centre customers.

For our retirement villages we will be working with a company to provide buses with low-back seating and a special access step.

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Men’s shed welcomes new members

Melissa Michie — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 01:10:48 +0000

Aged care centre residents have access to men’s shed
Residents were after something just for them
Extending the invitation has been a great success
The Shed provides a place to work and socialise

The men’s shed at IRT Kangara Waters has welcomed aged care centre residents – a move which has been a great success.

“It also creates a place where people have group discussions and solve puzzles, have a chat and reminisce about various tools used in the past.”

Gaurav Kumar

Lifestyle Officer

IRT Kangara Waters men’s shed now welcomes residents from the community’s aged care centre and the move has been hailed a success.

Lifestyle Officer Gaurav Kumar says the original men’s shed, known as The Shed, opened some nine years ago, but now men from the aged care centre have been using the space since mid-2017, after they requested activities specifically for them.

“The men were asking for activities to do and it was suggested they get involved with the men’s shed,” he explains. ACT and Eurobodalla Business Manager Margaret Thornton also made that suggestion, and discussions between lifestyle staff, volunteers and residents followed, and the invitation was extended to residents in the aged care centre.

Gaurav says extending the invitation to more residents has been a great success.

“It’s a social gathering and it’s something just for them,” Gaurav says. “The members work on projects like fixing furniture, toys and tables. They’ve also made a rocking chair and a rocking giraffe.”

Gaurav says all the aged care centre men’s shed members are really enjoying The Shed. Residents from the retirement village also go to The Shed when the aged care centre residents are there and work with them. “They are very excited about The Shed and the space,” he says. “It’s keeping them busy. It also creates a place where people have group discussions and solve puzzles, have a chat and reminisce about various tools used in the past.”

He explains when the men from the aged care centre are busy in The Shed it creates a sense of calm and a relaxed feeling too.

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50 Faces of IRT – Eileen’s new home

Ashley Hally-Burton — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 01:57:37 +0000

As IRT celebrates 50 Years, we’ve dug into the archives to share stories of some of the faces that make up our family – past and present
Eileen Hansell was the first resident of IRT William Beach Gardens’ care centre when it opened in 2005
Until her new neighbours moved in, she enjoyed the undivided attention of the centre’s staff

We've dug into the archives to share the story of Eileen Hansell - the very first resident to move into IRT WIlliam Beach Gardens' care centre when it opened in January 2005

“I am hoping that some of my new neighbours, when they arrive, enjoy a game of cards or a cross word as much as I do as I am looking forward to the company. In the meantime I have got all these caring staff to myself and I intend to enjoy their undivided attention as long as it lasts.”

Eileen Hansell

14 years ago, IRT opened the doors of its newest aged care centre – a 120-place development at IRT William Beach Gardens.

Eileen Hansell was the very first resident. At first, she had the place all to herself. But that quickly changed when her new friends and neighbours moved in.

Eileen passed away several years later in 2008, but the courage she showed to leave her home and become a valued member of the IRT family has not been forgotten.

Today, a new group of residents call IRT William Beach Gardens home. They are a vibrant community of like-minded people that ensure Eileen’s tenacity and passion for life lives on.

We’ve dug into the archives and found a copy of the IRT Newsletter announcing this special milestone.

Excerpt from “IRT News – February 2005, Vol. 14 No. 1”:

The first resident has moved into IRT’s newest residential care centre. The 120-place development at Kanahooka is an extension to the site’s existing village William Beach Gardens.

Eileen Hansell, 82, was the first resident to take up occupancy on January 17. Mrs Hansell moved from her family home of 55 years in Fairy Meadow due to her ongoing health care needs.

“Although I was reluctant to leave my home I believe that the time has come to accept help from others to better manage my individual needs. I consider myself very lucky to be able to call William Beach Gardens my new home. I have my own room with bathroom facilities, which is located in a modern house-style building.”

Sadly, Mrs Hansell lost her husband back in 1981 and has since mourned the passing of both her son and daughter in recent years. She has many good friends and a number of hobbies including cross words, reading, knitting, gardening and playing cards.

Built at a cost of $17 million, the development is one of IRT’s largest aged care centres built in Wollongong for many years.

The official opening of the residential care centre at IRT William Beach Gardens was held six months later in July 2005. Over 200 guests gathered to witness the then Minister for Ageing, The Hon Julie Bishop MP officiate over the proceedings.

When it was opened, the care centre was the largest in the Illawarra region and provided the community with one of the newest and most modern aged care centres in Australia.

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Volunteering with a difference | HARS Air Museum

Brodie McDonald — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 04:23:27 +0000

The Historical Aviation Restoration Society, or HARS, is a volunteer-led organisation that runs one of the biggest air museums in Australia.

The HARS Air Museum is based out of a working hangar where the exhibits are restored to working condition and even flown by some of the members. The HARS team boast that they’re one of the few museums that not only allow, but encourage visitors to get into and touch the exhibits.

"[HARS] Makes me feel Worthwhile."

Ian Squires

Retired pilots, stewards, engineers, and even those with no background in aviation are amongst their volunteers, and in speaking to them about why they do what they do we found that Volunteering with HARS can be life changing.

Jim Thurstan, a recent recipient of the Grand Masters Australian Medal, says about HARS, ‘In retirement, it’s a good deal”, whilst standing in front of his latest restoration project smirking proudly. One particular volunteer who is living with Parkinson’s Disease says that volunteering at HARS, “makes me feel worthwhile”.

HARS Aviation Museum

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Sheilah has a story to tell

Melissa Michie — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 05:24:10 +0000

101-year-old Sheilah Barrie is a home care customer with IRT.
She’s travelled with former Prime Minister John Curtin to Melbourne.
Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam went to the same school as Sheilah.
She is an original member of the Ainslie Football Club.

Sheilah Barrie shares some insights into her life with The Good Life.

“I sat in the back and John Curtin sat in the front. He and David talked about politics.”

Sheilah Barrie

From a long-distance car journey with a serving Prime Minister to going to school with a future Prime Minister, Sheilah Barrie has a story or two to tell.

The Canberra resident, who is 101, receives home care from IRT.

On turning 100 last year (2017) Sheilah laughs when asked what’s the secret to a long life? “You just get there, you have no option,” she says.

Born in Marrickville, Sydney in 1917, Sheilah is one of five children. The family moved to Canberra when Sheilah’s father Jack took up the job of Sir John Butters’ chauffeur – Sir John was the Director of the Federal Capital Commission.

Sheilah has fond memories of growing up in old Acton, right on the Molonglo River. “All around was bush,” she says. “They were good days.”

Sheilah remembers having cream and butter from the cows, and plenty of fresh vegetables – and thinks her diet may have contributed to her longevity. Her older sister Jene lived to 100, but sadly her brother John died just before his 26th birthday while serving in the Korean War.

Sheilah went to Telopea Park Public School – where former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was also a student. “He was just one of the kids at school,” she reflects.

She got her driving licence when she was 16 but made the decision to stop driving at the age of 96. “I do miss it,” she says. “But the IRT people are wonderful and they all have cars, so they take me to the shops or they go for me.”

As her father felt that girls didn’t need an education, Sheilah left school at the age of 14 and got a job as a waitress at Gorman House in Canberra. But her real passion was dressmaking – and she loved making clothes. “In those days it was cheaper to make clothes than to buy them,” she says.

Sheilah was in her early 20s when she married her late husband David, who, after talking with his father-in-law, became a ministerial driver. Sheilah recalls one story where she accompanied her husband on a long road trip to Melbourne – taking then Prime Minister John Curtin. “I sat in the back and John Curtin sat in the front,” she says. “He and David talked about politics.” She remembers at one point the Prime Minister asking how she was travelling and telling her that they’d stop for coffee soon.

She is an original member of the Ainslie Football Club and remembers the club starting with just a tin shed.

Sheilah and David had two children – Bruce and Lyn – and today Sheilah has five grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

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In the picture

Melissa Michie — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 22:28:29 +0000

Home Care customers are getting creative at IRT Peakhurst
The art therapy class is proving a hit
It’s about getting creative and making social connections
The artists are enjoying the opportunity

Home Care customers living at IRT Peakhurst have embraced the opportunity to get into painting through an art therapy class.

“I have never painted in my life and I thoroughly enjoy it every week. Good company and a good teacher.”

Maureen Falconer

Home care customers living at IRT Peakhurst have embraced the opportunity to get creative through an art therapy class.

Home Care Team Leader Julie Trpeski says the art class has been a great success and the residents, who were initially a little hesitant, are now enjoying the weekly class.

She explains that an opportunity presented itself when a former visual arts teacher, Cindi Abou Haidar, did work placement at IRT Peakhurst. Cindi is now a care worker at the community, and runs a two-hour painting class every Thursday morning.

“We’d been looking to get the residents into something creative,” Julie explains. “I spoke to four residents, who were also receiving home care, about getting involved in a regular painting class. Now they are absolutely loving it. They all underestimated themselves.”

When The Good Life spoke to Julie the classes had only just begun and so far the participants had done classes on landscapes, portraits and places.

Julie says all the participants are in their late 80s and early 90s. “They enjoy each other’s company. They also want [to do] more. It’s just encouraging. It’s something that takes them out of their [comfort] zone.”

Some of the artworks have been hung in the Home Care office and the IRT Peakhurst community is seeking artwork from the class too.

Cindi says every week she is pleasantly surprised with the wonderful work that the ladies produce.

Here’s what some of the artists think about their class:

“I am really enjoying it. I haven’t painted in so long.” – Lois Kroehnert

“I have never painted in my life and I thoroughly enjoy it every week. Good company and a good teacher.” – Maureen Falconer

“I love it and we have so much fun.” – Molley Eltoft

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