TriCare Aged Care residents and staff recently got their green and gold on from Brisbane to the Gold Coast to celebrate Australia Day! Never ones to take a good celebration lightly, our Lifestyle Teams excelled to ensure our residents had a flag-waving good time.
There was movement at the station…
At Labrador, residents got in on the Aussie pride early with a special themed art and craft session. They created beautiful native flower and koala decorations that were displayed around the facility to bring some summertime joy. Not to be outdone, Sunnybank Hills had Aussie flags a-flyin’ to decorate the café, while at Cypress Gardens, residents dressed in theme to celebrate the green and gold.
Come on Aussie, come on!
Australia Day wouldn’t be complete without some light-hearted sporting competitions, and our residents’ performances did not disappoint. Kawana Waters left nothing in the tank, enjoying an Aussie quiz, Guess the Aussie Sports Star, thong throwing, and lucky door prizes. Winners of the raffles were delighted with their prizes – two Aussie artworks created by resident and artist Joyce. At Cypress Gardens, thongs were flung with gusto, and competition hotted up for the egg and spoon races. The Lifestyle Team got in on the fun and added some animated commentary to the activities, which added to the excitement – Richie Benaud, eat your heart out! Stafford and Sunnybank Hills residents preferred a more cerebral approach. At Sunnybank Hills, residents enjoyed a themed word search competition, while Stafford residents expanded their minds with Aussie-themed trivia. Participants found it thoroughly entertaining, and everyone learned something about our amazing country.
You’re the voice!
It wouldn’t be a TriCare Aged Care celebration without a good singalong, and Australia Day provided the perfect opportunity for residents and staff to boogie on down to some homegrown favourites. Upper Mt Gravatt residents sang the afternoon away with a concert by favourite performer Mark Day, while at Cypress Gardens a series of afternoon singalongs had residents and staff tapping their toes. The playlist included classics by Slim Dusty, The Seekers, Peter Allen, John Williamson, and other local legends. Residents loved singing along to some of their favourite tunes and spending time together in the beautiful sunshine.
Happy little Vegemites
Australian gourmet classics were out in force for our Aged Care residents, with spreads featuring Aussie favourites enjoyed by all. At Sunnybank Hills, residents tucked into mini pavlovas, lamingtons, meat pies, and sausage rolls with some beer and wine for refreshment. Kawana Waters residents favoured XXXX beers, lamingtons and Tim Tams, while the team at Labrador really took the (sponge) cake with their foodie fare: the day began with a hearty continental breakfast, followed by a lunchtime BBQ, inviting residents outside to enjoy the warm climate, great company, and even some prawn cocktails, and for dinner, another Aussie staple: meat pie and chips with pavlova for dessert. The Labrador Lifestyle Team sure know how to turn it on for special occasions!
It’s plain to see that Australia Day resulted in some wonderful celebrations around our Aged Care Residences, and it was lovely to see our communities coming together and having a fabulous time.
