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Notching up a dazzling 30-year career, Dr Gertrude Glossip has been a pioneer in sharing Adelaide’s vibrant LGBTQI+ history. As the alter ego of Will Sergeant, Dr Glossip was created for the Uranian Society, Adelaide’s forum for gay men’s culture, in 1993. Since then, she has been inspired and believed in the importance of showcasing the LGBTQI+ community’s stories – to each other and to a broader Adelaide audience, celebrating their resilience and identity. She has also achieved more than 50 walking tours, leading the Rainbow History walks at every Feast Festival since its inception in 1997. Topics ranged from the tragic death of Dr George Duncan in 1972 to modern issues like the impending revocation of the gay panic defence. Will marched in the inaugural Adelaide Pride Parade in 1973 and joined the first Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978. It wasn’t until 1997 that a small group of people from the 1978 events came together to plan the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Mardi Gras parade in 1998. This group became known as the 78ers and since 1998 has led each year’s parade. This year, as part of the Feast Festival, ECH is supporting Dr Glossip on her history anniversary walk. She will lead the walk which will retrace the route of ‘the proud parade’, hear tales of Gay Pride Week activism, and enjoy complimentary refreshments at the walk’s conclusion. This year marks Gay Pride Week’s 50th, Mardi Gras’ 45th, Gertrude’s 30th and Pride March Adelaide’s 20th…

Empowering older South Australians to live independently and confidently in the comfort of their own home as they age is the core value and purpose of ageing care provider ECH. As a leading profit-for-purpose organisation, ECH supports more than 15,000 clients across the state, delivered by a team of professionally trained staff. ECH home support workers not only cater to the varying needs of clients from daily routines, activities and quality of life, but they also arrive at their door with a warm and welcoming smile, ready for a chat. ECH Chief Executive Claire Scapinello says if older Australians can continue to take care of themselves and their households with support in place, their sense of dignity and independence is strengthened. “The ability to live independently empowers older individuals to maintain their sense of identity, control, and wellbeing as they age, contributing to a more fulfilling and satisfying later life,” Ms Scapinello says.   “Living independently often leads to greater emotional wellbeing as individuals can maintain their social connections and relationships, and that is what the ECH community aims to do every day.” ECH provides a range of services to people 65 years and over who qualify for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or a Home Care Package (HCP), alternatively, support can be received as a self-funded client. Obtaining at-home services enable clients to get more time to do the things they enjoy. But it doesn’t end there – ECH Wellness Centres offer a welcoming environment and a team…

Leading South Australian ageing care provider ECH (Enabling Confidence at Home) has been recognised in the 2023 Future of Ageing Awards, taking out the Community Engagement category with its Walking Footy nomination. The award recognises ECH for its extraordinary work and commitment in supporting older people with the program, which was launched in March 2020 after a successful pilot in 2019. A collaboration between ECH and the SANFL, the modified Australian Rules Football program is aimed at over 50s, promoting physical activity and social connections. Games are non-contact, with four 10-minute quarters in teams of six or more, held at SANFL venues. ECH Chief Executive Claire Scapinello said the national accolade was a great achievement and is testament to the extensive efforts the organisation undertakes in enabling older members of the community to stay active and maintain social connections. “Our clients remain our focus in everything we do, so to ensure their needs are met, the entire ECH team works tirelessly to deliver a range of services, which includes activities that promote social connections and a healthy wellbeing,” Ms Scapinello said.   “I’m so proud of the entire ECH team and we are delighted with the Walking Footy program that we have created in collaboration with the SANFL. It’s a fun way to meet people and get the heart rate up.” “We know the importance of staying socially connected so we will continue our promise in offering opportunities to older South Australians to engage in enjoyable activities.” SANFL Head of…

ECH has been a proud sponsor of the State Theatre Company South Australia since January 2022, and we are thrilled to once again partner with the Company in 2024. ECH has always been committed to enriching the lives of our clients and residents, and this collaboration with State Theatre Company South Australia exemplifies our dedication to providing diverse, engaging and immersive experiences. ECH Chief Executive Claire Scapinello says the sponsorship opens up opportunities for people to socialise and remain connected to their local community. “Over the past two years, our clients and residents have been fortunate to be given behind the scenes theatre experiences, work with actors and opportunities to go along and see performances, and attend exclusive events,” Ms Scapinello says.   “The performing arts has the ability to inspire and unite, so together, we aim to create memorable moments and artistic opportunities that foster creativity and cultural appreciation for the ECH community.” Watch our event pages, or sign up for marketing emails, to ensure you hear about our client offers from the State Theatre Company South Australia. Links ECH Events State Theatre Company South Australia…

Since February 2022, ECH has worked on an innovative partnership with smart clothing brand Goldilocks and The University of Adelaide to develop a range of smart garments that would support older people to remain living independently in their own home. The three leading experts joined forces to secure funding through the South Australian Innovation Challenge which aimed to create new solutions that propel the health, aged care and disability sectors. ECH Head of Customer Experience Carolyn Dawkins said the Goldilocks Smart Clothing Research Project presented the opportunity to collaborate with experts in technology, aiming to benefit older clientele. “Collaborating with Goldilocks and The University of Adelaide has been an invaluable experience,” Ms Dawkins said. “Working to adapt this type of technology to the aged care sector has been remarkable. This project has shown ECH’s commitment to empowering older people to remain living independently at home.” This, along with other ground-breaking projects, will be discussed at the Aged Care Innovation Exchange on November 13 at Stone & Chalk Startup Hub at Lot Fourteen, where like-minded professionals, thought leaders, and pioneers as we delve into the forefront of advancements (and challenges) in aged care. Links: Goldilocks University of Adelaide Aged Care Innovation Exchange Humanitix Event Poster…

For the past two years, ECH has worked on an innovative partnership with Lateral Vision and the University of South Australia, to develop virtual environments using 360-video conferencing technology. It’s been an exciting and insightful collaboration to enable people who cannot participate in social or community experiences in person to experience these events in a full interactive mode. ECH Head of Customer Experience Carolyn Dawkins said the experience saw many lessons learned and relationships built. “This partnership has allowed us to build on the current knowledge and adapt the technology to meet the needs of older people,” Ms Dawkins said. “It has been a pleasure to have worked closely with Lateral Vision and the University of South Australia as we reflect on the achievements and challenges we’ve experienced together.” This, along with other ground-breaking projects, will be discussed at the Aged Care Innovation Exchange on November 13 at Stone & Chalk Startup Hub at Lot Fourteen, where like-minded professionals, thought leaders, and pioneers as we delve into the forefront of advancements (and challenges) in aged care. Links: Event Registration Lateral Vision Website University of South Australia Aged Care Innovation Exchange Humanitix Event Poster…

ECH Occupational Therapist Chelsea Hastings is inspired every day by her mission to enable older people in the community to live safely and independently in their own homes. Mrs Hastings, who has been working for the South Australian retirement living and home care service provider for eight years, says as an OT she works with individuals on activities for daily living – everything from personal care to functional mobility and transfers to leisure activities – and while so many clients face challenges, being able to help maintain their independence is the most rewarding part. “I love working with clients and helping them live a good quality life and remain living in their own home. There is so much value and meaning in the work we do every day, and the clients are extremely grateful. I always feel a sense of pride in helping people,” she says. “I enjoy working for ECH. While it’s a big organisation they always show their appreciation for all staff. They celebrate their staff and it’s really nice to receive a thank you, and I feel ECH do that really well. “I strongly encourage anyone who is thinking about working in allied health to give it a go. It’s varied and there is huge demand all the time. If people are passionate about healthcare and helping others, then allied health is a very rewarding career path.” ECH knows how important it is to celebrate its own allied health community every day and put into practise this…

If Patrick Stewart can #MakeItSo, we believe you can too. However, writing a memoir isn’t for the feint hearted. It requires bravery, unflinching honesty, and the ability to turn your life lessons into universal truths. And, if you’re writing to document your life for future generations, how do present your life in a fresh, insightful, and authentic way? We believe you can with a few fresh adventures and laughs granted within this 8 week program.   Everyone has a book in them it has been said, however Sir Martin Amis, novelist, noted in his memoir Experience (2000), in fact what everyone seems to have in them “is not a novel but a memoir … We are all writing it or at any rate talking it: the memoir, the apologia, the CV, the cri de coeur.”     Memoirs are generally written to make sense of your life or to narrate a piece of family history. Writing in small sketches, tiny vignettes of a few sentences is so much easier than considering a whole book. When you think of your life, you could also examine it from the point of view of where you were on important days in history or of the accomplishments of which you have been the most proud. And don’t worry, the thought of writing a life retrospective can daunt even the most experienced writer, so it is small wonder that it…

Whether you’re a dab hand with a paint brush or you prefer knitting needles, there is always something new to try when we start talking “art and craft”.    If we put our historian hats on and go way back, craft was derived from the meaning “to make skilfully” and landed before the 12th-century to denote a form of work, involving the creation of physical objects, by the use of hands and brain, while art relates to the Latin word “ars” meaning, art, skill, or craft and came from around the  13th-century. Art is the expression of ideas and emotions through a physical medium, like painting, sculpture, film, dance, writing, photography, or theatre and uses elements such as line, shape, colour, value, texture, form, and space – to make meaning out of life and express a personal vision is an innate impulse.  “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”—Pablo Picasso    Arguably though, the oldest recognised technique of all time is pottery. It originated before the Neolithic period (10000 BC); with items such as ceramic vessels discovered in a cave in the Jiangxi province of China.  Crafting includes a variety of forms, from sculpture and metalwork to knitting and printing. These crafts can all be divided into five basic types based on their form and purpose: textile, decorative, paper, functional, and fashion crafts.  These days we may think of craft in…