By Di Sneddon
Sitting down having a chat and a cuppa with residents at Alroy Aged Care last week felt the same as sitting in anyone’s lounge room.
The cuppa was great, the company entertaining and the atmosphere relaxed.
Resident Marie Walters is a friend. We worked in the same Singleton building, me in my dental assistant days and Marie worked in an accounting firm. Our friendship goes back 30 to 40 years.
It was just lovely to see Marie so happy.
We started the conversation as a promotion for Alroy’s activities. They took part in Clean Up Australia Day within their own grounds, not that there was much litter to collect.
Marie, along with a new bestie, Sheila Pinniger, craft every day and they have made baskets full of Easter Eggs to raffle. Tickets are $2 each or three for $5 and will be drawn on April 3 at Alroy House. All funds support activities and special experiences for the residents.
The craft is key to the success of the annual Alroy – Elizabeth Gates fete. It will be on September 12 and they are bringing back the Christmas puddings. You can order a small or large pudding ahead of the fete so that can be one thing ticked off early for Christmas.
But back to Marie. She has called Alroy House her home for five years, her anniversary on March 10.
Moving into residential aged care followed a stint in hospital where the discharge team encouraged her to make the move and she is grateful for the support of family members who helped her through the process.
When she first arrived she was unsure if she could walk the distance to her room.
“I felt like it was 100 metres, that’s a football field but I did it and I will say after five years walking up and down that corridor I am much healthier now, not just because of the walking but the food is so healthy,” Marie said.
She later had to go back to hospital for another health issue and couldn’t wait to come home and home was Alroy.
“I love it, I wanted to be back home, my extended family is here, I still do outside activities, I go to Ladies Probus and my message to others coming into this situation is just embrace it, I feel safe, well looked after and I go to sleep feeling safe and secure,” Marie said.
Alroy and Elizabeth Gates have an amazing outlook over Bridgman Road towards Singleton and it is a view from every room facing east. On the opposite side is the well-cared for gardens and porches where residents can take in the autumn sun.
There are plenty of pets that call Alroy Home and the residents take pride in caring for them. There are donkeys, ponies, rabbits, much-loved caboodle Ozzie Dog, chickens, fish, birds, lambs and alpacas.
The veggie garden is another area offering a home-like activity where residents are welcome to contribute.
Kitchenettes dotted along the corridor offer 24/7 snacks where residents can help themselves to a cuppa or cool drink anytime they want.
Marie’s mate, Sheila is relatively new to Singleton and she and husband Maury, moved to Alroy 18 months ago.
They were living at Brisbane at the time and were severely impacted by the 2022 floods and moved back to Singleton.
Sheila said she didn’t care less where she lived so long as she was with Maury, her husband of 68 years.
Together they moved into Alroy but Maury sadly passed away. Sheila moved to a new room downstairs and it has been craft and the friendships that has kept her motivated, fulfilled and happy.
The home has plenty of visitors but can always do with more. You can call Alroy to enquire if you are interested.
Regulars include the Generate Church band and students from Little Treasures Preschool, Singleton Heights Preschool and Singleton Heights Public School among others.
One of the regular volunteers is Denise Burley who spends around three hours every Friday with the craft ladies or ‘happy hookers’ as they humorously refer to themselves.
She enjoys the company but a bonus is the ‘hookers’ are happy to share their knowledge.
“I learn so much from the ladies,” Denise said.
Denise said she was lost when her husband passed away and volunteering at Alroy has given her an outlet, lovely conversations, new skills and a fantastic friends.
Marie says life is busy, just the way she likes it and her comforts of home are delivered with love by the caring staff and volunteers that will only get better when people purchase a raffle ticket or come along to the September fete.
Would Marie sell her room? Not on her life.
