Three aged care residents turn 100
Three residents at a Umina aged care home have celebrated their 100th birthdays.
Peninsula Village residents Ms Doris Wills, Ms Hazel Draper and Mr Allen Badman have joined six others at the village aged over 100.
Four of the others are 101. One is 102 and another 103.
This new year saw a total of nine centenarians welcome 2021 at Peninsula Villages, with the three newest additions joining Biddy (103), George (102), Dorothy, Joy, Phyllis and Edna (101) to all make up the '100 club'.
Peninsula Village chief executive Mr Shane Neaves said Ms Wills and Ms Draper enjoyed taking time to reflect on their lives and how much the world had changed over the course of 100 years.
He reported that Ms Draper said: "Life was much simpler for us when William and I were raising our two children.
"Technology was nowhere near as advanced, with just the radio and the odd 'talking picture' as entertainment.
"Time together was spent playing games and enjoying each other's company.
"Some of my fondest memories are of our holidays on the Hawkesbury River, swimming and fishing with the family."
Ms Wills said: "In the lead up to World War II, times were really difficult for many families and so I left school at 14 to help look after my younger sisters at home.
"I never returned to school, as supporting the family took precedence.
"Instead I went to work at the GPO in Sydney as a typist and stenographer where I was crowned the Mail Branch Queen at a ball they held."
Mr Neaves said that there were several factors contributing to more residents reaching their 100th birthday.
"We are seeing many more residents reach this milestone than we did 15 to 20 years ago due to advances in medical technology, more personalised treatment options and a subsequent improvement in the practice of medicine itself."
He said activities including movement classes, music therapy and social opportunities aimed at improving quality of life also helped.
SOURCE:
Website, 25 Jan 2021
Shane Neaves, Peninsula Villages