Tony Zappia MP supports Helping Hand’s request for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

On Monday December 9, Mr Zappia joined staff and residents at the Mawson Lakes care home for high tea and to formally present them with the requested flags and a new national flag.

When preparing for this year’s Remembrance Day service, Natalie McCarthy, Acting Wellness Program Manager for Helping Hand, discovered there was no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flags at Mawson Lakes care home. It was an omission she was determined to fix.

“I believed it was very important to obtain them,” she says. “There is an Aboriginal resident in the Mawson Lakes care home and plenty of staff who also wanted these flags available to include in cultural events.”

Mabel is a Kaurna elder who has been a significant figure in Australia as an Aboriginal rights activist. Her grandfather was an Anzac who died at war, and her father was born on 25 April 1915 (the first Anzac Day) and was named Anzac. The family is now up to five sons named Anzac, including Mabel’s grandson.

Natalie put her head together with Lifestyle Assistant Magda and decided to reach out to MP Tony Zappia’s office to request the flags. The response from his receptionist Anne was both immediate and positive.

“Anne was incredibly helpful and asked if we would like Tony to present the flags to the care home.  We discussed this offer with the residents, and it was agreed that we should put on a high tea for Mr Zappia, as well as family and friends to formalise the occasion.”

The occasion was attended by around 25 people. Mabel’s son John performed a beautiful Welcome to Country and Mr Zappia explained the significance of each flag.

The new flags will be proudly hung up and displayed around the care home during future events.

Helping Hand would like to thank Mr Zappia for his generosity and time.

First, they prepared to say goodbye. Next, they wrote a screed to the doctors and hospital begging to bring him home. Now, about a year later, Daryl’s family is in awe of the health improvements brought about through Helping Hand’s Allied Health services. Daryl is living at home with his beloved wife Sue and regaining strength and capability.

Not long before the first of four medical episodes, Daryl had undergone a medical assessment for work. As usual, the report was essentially ‘fit as a fiddle’ which made the sudden decline in his health incredibly difficult for everyone to comprehend. As his stepdaughter Chelsea explains, ‘he was the one that could do anything and who would do anything for anyone’.

‘Daryl was always “Mr Fix It”. To see him change was incredibly challenging because in many ways he lost his identity. But he never lost his spirit or his character. To see his strength increase, and to see him at his easel painting again, is the most heartening thing for all of us. My Mum is now a 24/7 carer. Her life has also changed completely. Daryl improving means that her life is also a little bit easier and that’s a huge relief for me.”

When Sue first met Daryl, it was at the swimming pool, a location that featured heavily in Daryl’s life. Growing up, he was more interested in sport than school and diving was his passion. He left school early, much to his parents’ disappointment, and got a job packing shoes. That ended quickly due to him getting caught taking time off to go diving. His talents were significant. He earned himself a sports scholarship and eventually a worldwide reputation as a coach, judge and competition manager. He is responsible for setting up a successful diving community in Singapore. Daryl didn’t only make a splash in the diving world (a small one in the pool, of course) he also became South Australia’s first ever male house mother, having completed a diploma in social work.

He’s also a painter and in keeping with his rich and interesting existence, Daryl found out at age 54 that he had been adopted and he is Aboriginal.

Daryl is most likely to claim meeting Sue as one of his greatest achievements. The day she brought her daughter Emma across town for a competition, laid eyes on Daryl and subsequently fell in love, both their lives changed for the better. Sue talks about their shared life with much joy and pride.

‘When I met Daryl, he’d spent eight years raising three boys on his own. We became the Brady Bunch after a while and have had a wonderful life. We both became involved with diving and after we retired in 2013, we lost our hearts in Cambodia. We got involved in a small rural community, relishing the chance to do something to help. While we were still being flown back to Singapore to help run diving programs, we would add on a trip to Cambodia and spend six months there volunteering.’

Such is their commitment and kindness that both received Order of the Medal of Australia in 2019 for services to diving and Cambodia.

Unfortunately, in 2020 Daryl’s health meant their packed bags would go nowhere. He experienced two strokes, brain seizures, time in a coma and a lengthy stint in ICU. His recovery was slow and emotionally challenging. He was often cold and listless and disheartened by his inability to do things such as connect brush to canvas even with ideas at the ready. Thankfully, he was living closer to town (at the request of his children) when hit by another episode of brain seizures. Two months later, after the family demanded he come home from hospital, he was assessed and awarded a Home Care plan.

Daryl is a big fan of his Exercise Physiologist Harry Beresford and very grateful for all the treatment and support he receives through the plan.

‘The team has been fantastic. I see them twice a week and do my exercises for strength and standing. The change is unbelievable. I can shut my eyes and stand and not fall.’ Which Daryl does while explaining his progress, grinning from ear to ear as he stands and sits repeatedly.

‘I can’t believe how well I’ve got in such a short time. I can go back to painting. I can put clothes on. It’s just so good that I can do so many things. Exercises have helped with coordination and my brain is getting better too.’

Both Chelsea and Sue credit Helping Hand’s Allied Health team for the huge turn around in Daryl’s quality of life. Sue will admit that she was a bit reluctant to hand over control at first but that the change is immeasurable.

‘Daryl’s now going back uphill as opposed to backwards. And the help I get is massive as I’m now having to do the stuff that Daryl used to, like cooking.’

Sue and Daryl get house cleaning and gardening help. Every six weeks Sue sees a podiatrist and she also has her own physio sessions which is excellent for preventative health. No services are outsourced and there are more they can access as required which makes Chelsea, a Helping Hand staffer herself, feel exceptionally proud.

Sue says Home Care is ‘just as the word says. It cares for you and allows you to stay home and live your best life.’

Then Daryl chimes in, wrapping his arms around both Chelsea and Sue, exclaiming with tears in his eyes how he couldn’t live without them helping him too.

And Daryl’s right, family support means a lot. The interview may have taken place over Facetime, but the love and care in this family is still palpable. In fact, by the time you read this, the extended family will have escorted Sue and Daryl back to Cambodia for a visit, as their own team.

Story by Kate Holland

The Albanese Government’s continued investment in aged care will enable Helping Hand to significantly upgrade and expand our residential care homes in Whyalla, providing more quality care for local residents.

Helping Hand Chief Executive Officer Chris Stewart praised the Albanese Government for their $17.2m funding boost.

“This funding means more Whyalla residents will have access to quality care locally and be able to spend their final years close to their family and community,” Mr Stewart said.

“The investment will allow us to expand our services to make sure no one has to leave in order to get the care they need.

“With the support of the Albanese Government we will be able to upgrade all shared rooms to individual rooms with private ensuite bathrooms and increase capacity at our Yeltana residential care home. We will also be able to increase capacity and improve the amenities for our residents at our Copperhouse Court home.

“Developing facilities to meet modern day standards and expectations comes at a significant cost. The traditional hostel model of aged care, with share rooms and amenities does not deliver on dignity, safety and privacy. Rightfully, residents expect to be able to move into a private room with a private ensuite, which is why funding like this is crucial.”

The Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells said the government was committed to supporting aged care services in regional Australia.

“The Albanese Government continues to provide more than $600 million in grant funding to support building and upgrading aged care services for First Nations, regional, rural and remote communities. When the time comes, older people in Whyalla want to access aged care services in the community they know and love and be close to their families and cultural connections. This funding will support that to happen.

“Our investment directly supports aged care providers operating outside the major cities to build, modernise and improve their services so older people in Australia can have access to better quality aged care services where they need them.”

The recent Aged Care Taskforce report found Australia’s aged care needs are increasing as the population ages, and expectations of quality improvements are high.

“Residential aged care will always have a place in the community, and as the population of older South Australians rises, we need to make sure we keep up with improving the quality of the care available in regional communities,” Mr Stewart said.

Since acquiring Kindred Living in November 2022, Helping Hand has been determined to build on the legacy created by Whyalla locals to assist older and vulnerable people to remain living in their community as they age. Aged care services in Whyalla were established by the local community, and since first being invested into in 1968 have continued to grow.

“At Helping Hand, we take the responsibility to honour this history, and to continue this legacy, very seriously. We’re delighted that we have been able to secure this funding to develop and enhance the aged care services available to regional South Australians.”

The funding will help provide:

Yeltana

• A new wing of ten rooms;
• An upgrade of all shared rooms to individual rooms;
• Private ensuite bathrooms for all rooms;
• A new dining area and multi-purpose activity space;
• An upgrade of electrical systems;
• Improved back of house entry and external areas; and
• Additional two rooms for new residents.

Copperhouse Court

• Six additional rooms;
• A flexible multi-purpose space for activities;
• An upgrade to rooms and amenities including electrical systems like nurse call and security; and
• Landscaped and sheltered external areas.

(pictured above L-R: Chris Stewart, Helping Hand CEO; Graham Harding, Helping Hand Whyalla Residential Services Manager; Phill Stone, Whyalla Mayor; Melinda Richardson, Helping Hand Executive Manager Residential Services)