Stefan Bradley
Local staff, residents, and their loved ones from Wattleglen aged care home in Sale stepped out in style on Thursday August 22 – donning yellow in support of a very special cause: Daffodil Day and life-saving cancer research.
The fundraising event, which included a memorable morning tea, continued a busy period of fun-filled activities for residents of the Sale home, which is part of not-for-profit aged care provider Respect.
Across each of Respect’s homes, including Wattleglen, social care teams curate a wide range of regular events and activities which inspire participation, promote inclusion, and give residents an opportunity to stay connected with each other, as well as the community, in a fun and positive way.
Donna Quine, a social care co-ordinator at Wattleglen, said residents were excited to fundraise for Daffodil Day and welcomed their friends and family from the wider community into the home to join in with all the colourful festivities.
“Our residents were really excited about our Daffodil Day activities because they love giving back to the local community and making a difference to the lives of others. Nearly everyone knows someone who has suffered with a cancer of some sort, but the day was also a great way for our residents to feel like they were being part of a bigger community initiative,” Ms Quine said.
“We even had one resident who couldn’t be here on the day but who still donated $200 just because it’s a cause they wanted to support.
“A lot of our residents, prior to joining Wattleglen, loved to get involved with and support local campaigns. In the past, they would have cooked for stalls, got involved and helped out where they could, so for them to be able to still contribute to local fundraising through Daffodil Day… they are all feeling very privileged.
“This day is very important to them.”
Wattleglen resident Glenice Collins said Daffodil Day brought a happy and yellow side to the grim subject of cancer.
“Daffodil Day also reminds me of my dear mum, because we out for lunch every Daffodil Day,” she said.
“My dad died of cancer when he was only 40, and that was during the times of 1950 when (healthcare) was nothing like what we’ve have now.”
Ms Collins spoke about her own history with cancer. At age 52, she was told she would only live another six months because of cancer, but medical breakthroughs has ensured she was able to celebrate her 80th birthday recently.
Ms Quine said preparations for the home’s much-anticipated Daffodil Day activities began earlier in the week, with residents participating in special arts and craft sessions to make unique decorations and signage ready to welcome visitors.
“All week residents have also been discussing what they could wear on the day. We had one lady who lives with us who went out and bought crepe paper because the male residents don’t tend to get involved in dress-ups as much, so she is going to be making them yellow bow ties so they could join in on the festivities also.”
Research has long shown being part of a community can have significant health benefits, particularly for mental and emotional wellbeing. As a community-focused organisation, Respect said it recognised how integral a ‘sense of belonging’ and social connectiveness was to positive ageing.
“We believe that creating a robust calendar of activities and events go hand in hand with providing our residents with engagement, creative outlets, and opportunities to improve their health and wellbeing,” Ms Quine said.
“For some people, it isn’t always easy to transition to an aged care home and they can sometimes feel a bit isolated as they get used to such a big change. But our Wattleglen community loves supporting them, and we like to think having such an active and popular social calendar helps them fit in, get active and involved with others, and improve their social wellbeing.”
