Who loves surrounding themselves with flowers? It’s a joy when we receive flowers as a gift, however it can be even more rewarding when we have flowers in our own home or garden. Those delicate blooms have the power to uplift us and those around us. The act of gifting flowers and plants goes beyond being a mere physical gesture; it holds the potential to offer emotional support and strengthen connections. Colourful blooms evoke positive emotions and lift our spirits and infuse joy and happiness into our living spaces*. ECH Social and Therapeutic Horticulturist, Dean presents three compelling reasons why the presence of flowers brings about a sense of wellbeing. By incorporating flowers and plants into our lives, we can easily enhance our overall state of happiness and contentment. 1. Dopamine is triggered by an unexpected reward, such as a rare bloom, a gift of flowers. 2. Oxytocin creates a feeling of trust and group solidarity i.e. feeling friendship when receiving a lovely bunch of flowers. 3. Serotonin can stimulate a sense of pride in the vision before us of our own efforts by growing flowers. The act of caring and receiving gifts can create a sense of belonging, reminding us that we are cherished and not forgotten. Nature’s beauty can be calming and tending to plants encourages a simple daily routine in your life. Easy flowers to grow in pots • Petunias • Pansies • Marigolds Easy flowers to grown in the garden…

As our winter turns to spring, the desire to embrace the outdoors grows, but so do our pollen allergies! There are ways to stay active and exercise without exposing yourself to pollen. ECH Exercise Physiologist Bridget highlights some of her simple indoor exercises that allow you to make the most of the season while avoiding pollen discomfort. So, shed those winter coats and get moving inside for a pollen-free spring experience. The following exercises are all designed for you to do in your own home and will help you stay fit and healthy. Remember, incorporating movement into your daily routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming! If you start your day with a simple routine well before daily plans get in the way, you are sure to get more out of life from the healthy benefits. Prepare your environment  Before you dive into exercises, start by making sure your indoor environment is suitable. It’s a good idea to clear some space in where you can comfortably move around. A big stretch  Kickstart your mornings with a gentle stretching routine. Stretching helps improve flexibility, releases muscle tension, and enhances blood circulation. Move with simple exercises Sit to stand from a dining chair or seated recliner Side stepping at kitchen bench High knee marching at kitchen bench Shoulder rolls MEET BRIDGET ECH Exercise Physiologist, Bridget graduated from Flinders University in 2019 with a specialisation in Sports Science. She enjoys seeing her clients reach their goals…

Having a little patch of earth to call his own has always been the key to happiness for ECH resident David. No matter where he has lived – from a Stirling house with an expansive garden, to a courtyard home in Frewville, and now at ECH Clutterbuck Lodge, in Lockleys, with “a little patch” – David has maintained his avid interest in gardening since his early 20s. “I’ve always had a range of vegetables, and I’m a keen fan of European and North Asian plants, camellias and hydrangeas,” David says. “When I lived in Stirling, I had more than 70 azalea plants. They like acidic soil, so the soil in Stirling was perfect for them. “Now at Clutterbuck Lodge, I have a little patch; it’s small but manageable and I have that all to myself. I have a mixture of plants such as annuals, three different groundcovers that flower and new miniature Bougainvilleas climbing on the brush fence, and I plan to experiment with baby tomatoes.” David’s love for gardening has extended beyond his little patch in Lockleys to the Henley Beach Community Garden, which he stumbled across in an edition of Keep Connected. The Community Garden is located at the front of ECH Day Program Henley Beach, 1/11 Laidlaw St, Henley Beach. ECH Clutterbuck Lodge resident David at the Henley Beach Community Garden “I’m learning so much from the team who tend to the garden; I pick up all kinds of information,” David says. The community garden…

Barbara and Jeannette’s contribution has seen them nominated and recognised by an Australian Government Volunteer Award. Here is their story: It is with their generosity of time and effort that ECH can deliver activities such as art, crafts, music, cooking and recreational pursuits such as indoor bowls. And it is as beneficial for the volunteers as it is for the recipients – they get just as much joy out of the experience. So say ECH volunteers Barbara and Jeannette. A few years after Barbara moved into her unit at ECH Lewis Court, in 2007, she wanted to give something back. “With ECH, I’m very grateful for being accepted into the village and I felt I wanted to do something for ECH because they have done so much for me” says Barbara. ECH Lewis Court resident and volunteer Barbara Barbara joined a program, where for two years she took clients out for a weekly coffee or walk at the beach, providing them with company and a friendly face. Four years ago, she became involved in the weekly activities at the Cumberland Park Community Centre – or life, and I think if you’re reasonably lucky in life, you should give back to the community. Being at The Cumby every week has become part of my routine, it feels like a family atmosphere,” she says. Just like Barbara, Jeannette feels a sense of purpose and community spirit when she volunteers for the Life Stories as it is affectionately known…

We celebrated Senior Care Coordinator Constance’s 20th anniversary in July – marking an incredible achievement. Keep Connected sat down with Constance to learn more about her two-decade career at ECH. Tell us about your career at ECH  In 2003, I started working at the Henley Beach Wellness Centre as a receptionist on a part-time basis. At the time, my youngest son was a toddler and now he works with ECH in our call centre, Member Connect. Over time, I increased my hours and took on occasional projects, helping our home services and day program teams. Then I moved to the role of Senior Administration Officer overseeing administration services across five wellness centres, before spending a year in Retirement Living selling ECH units. My next role was in the Member Connect team, in early 2017, where I progressed to a Member Connect lead role. Most recently, I moved to be a Home Care Packages Care Coordinator in 2021 and I am now a Senior Care Coordinator. What does your job entail as a Senior Care Coordinator?  I provide support to my manager and I have a team of five Care Coordinators who I oversee. Our role is to coordinate the services that meet each client’s needs and goals. I also provide induction for new Care Coordinators, including training, mentoring and coaching. I support the team in ensuring our clients are receiving the support they need to continue to live safely and as independently as they can in their own…

It has been a wonderful 12 months at ECH and it has been a privilege to meet many of our clients, residents and team whilst visiting our sites and hosting ECH events. What is evident across the entire organisation is the passion, purpose and commitment that drives us all. Since commencing, I have been focused on listening to your feedback and ensuring that as a team we are responding. Our home care client survey, which was recently distributed, ensures that we are celebrating the wonderful work our team does as well as focus on improving areas like our responsiveness and call wait times. We are implementing a number of solutions to address this and your feedback is greatly valued. To coincide with National Reconciliation Week and as part of ECH’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) we launched our Bush Tucker Garden at Encore Apartments in Modbury. The garden and event gave our clients and residents the opportunity to explore the garden, learn about edible native flora and the importance of these plants. ECH designed the garden with Leanne Williams, local Aboriginal woman and horticulturist, to ensure that we are learning and walking beside Aboriginal people. You can view photos of the garden in our Community News. In July, our team members gathered for the first time in several years at our Employee End of Year Dinner, to celebrate the achievements of our team. As I was also marking my first year as Chief Executive, it was the perfect time…

Our body is our temple, but we still need to fill it with the colours of the rainbow to make sure it receives the nutrition for good health that it needs – even more importantly as we age. Good nutrition is especially helpful for people who have specific dietary restrictions or requirements. For example, people with diabetes or food allergies. Telling signs for you to know when your body isn’t receiving enough nutrients include when you have a reduced appetite, unintentional weight loss, or you are feeling tired. This may lead to getting ill often, and taking a long time to recover, poor concentration or feeling cold most of the time (even in a warmed sunny winter room). ECH Dietitian Deepti frequently works with people to help them select and eat the foods they need. Deepti shares that it may be that a person loses their appetite, finds it hard to swallow, or may have chronic diseases or take medications that affects their diet. Being isolated and lonely, with failing health, depression and grief can all affect people’s diets too. You can encourage someone (including yourself) to eat by adding herbs and spices to bland food or by exercising to boost appetite. If the cost of food is an issue, you could consider drawing up a budget, buying food on sale, or splitting the cost of bulk purchases with a friend or neighbour. The key to eating well is to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from each of the…

Bush Tucker Garden ECH is proud to be an inclusive organisation and is committed to the continued reconciliation, capacity building and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. As part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, a new Bush Tucker Garden was developed at Encore Apartments in Modbury to expand our cultural knowledge while learning about the health benefits of native flora. To mark National Reconciliation Week, the Bush Tucker Garden was formally opened on 1 June with a multisensory tour of its edible natives and bush foods by horticulturalist and Bunganditj woman Leanne. Leanne shared with clients, residents, staff and guests the rich history and cultural significance of the plants as well as the supplementary flavours they can add to culinary dishes. Afterwards, guests enjoyed an Indigenous inspired afternoon tea. All are welcome in the garden and signs placed throughout the garden detail the history and benefits of the plants for visitors. To learn more about the garden and our commitment to reconciliation, visit ech.asn.au/about-us   Mesmerising Masterpieces The South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival is a state-wide festival of visual art, which promotes and celebrates the many talented visual artists in South Australia including a few ECH clients. Husband and wife duo, Terry and Virginia, have been creating and sharing several beautiful paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures with SA art lovers in this year’s SALA festival from their outdoor studio. The couple started their art journey after retirement when…

Our Keep Connected magazine has been put together to help clients, residents and volunteers stay connected to ECH and the broader community. It is packed full of useful community stories, information and advice on how people can stay connected, exercise and nutrition tips and much more! If you would like to share your story with us, please email keepconnected@ech.asn.au…

2 – 8 OCTOBER  ACTIVE AGING WEEK Active Aging Week encourages adults over the age of 50 to take advantage of all that life has to offer. During this week ECH has a number of free physical activities on offer for a life of better health and wellbeing. For more information on these activities, visit ech.asn.au/events 16 OCTOBET – 15 DECEMBER  YOUR SPRING INTO SUMMER ADVENTURE Are you ready to make this spring unforgettable? Get ready to learn new skills and create new and meaningful social connections by Summer! Whether you love art, singing, craft, writing, trivia, gardening or are just keen to learn a new skill, our small group ‘Get Connected’ programs offer something for everyone. It’s not just a series of events – it’s a journey to rediscover the joy in every moment, and celebrate the beauty of active aging. We believe that life gets even more vibrant as we age, and this spring, we’re bringing you a line-up of unforgettable activities that will make you feel more alive than ever by Summer! For more information, visit: ech.asn.au/spring-summer-adventure 23 SEPTEMBER SA SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL Nestled between the Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills, the picturesque town of Mt Pleasant will once again host the annual SA Spring Garden Festival. The festival features a full program that includes very special guest speaker Hannah Moloney, a large variety of plant and garden stalls, garden themed workshops, talks, activities and free Nature Craft activities for the kids.

Our Keep Connected magazine has been put together to help clients, residents and volunteers stay connected to ECH and the broader community. It is packed full of useful community stories, information and advice on how people can stay connected, exercise and nutrition tips and much more!   If you would like to share your story with us, please email keepconnected@ech.asn.au…