Bob seeks to improve the quality of life for older people in aged care by addressing the crucial element of “feelings” through initiatives such as the Seniors Happy Life magazine.
“Feelings”, that’s a crucial element we need to keep in mind when loving and caring for people in the twilight of their life, especially those who for one reason or another, now face life alone.
Am I right, or wrong, in saying that?
For me personally, that’s what I’ve come to realise, but only after now finding myself very much among this group. How I got here is not important, what is important, is what am I going to do about it. If so, what CAN I do about it? Of course, the answer to that is as in every situation, there are ALWAYS things we can do to improve (almost) anything. All it takes is for one person to have the necessary passion and desire to fully work on a problem and then see it through. I hope I’m one of those people.
Let me now briefly share what I’ve learned over the last twelve months, and then what I’m doing to try and make a difference in the lives of older people, based on what I’ve discovered.
Loneliness is no fun!
If you look deep into the eyes of people who live alone, you’ll often see that there is a difference in them, sort of a deep-rooted touch of sadness. To those looking on, it probably won’t be obvious, and most no doubt, put on a good front, but since joining that group, I see it, probably because I now have a much better appreciation of how they may be feeling. I describe it like now having two halves to my life, one half being a massive void in my life, the other being a massive excitement about what I can still do to make a difference. Living between the two halves is not easy, at least not for me at this early stage of my new circumstances.
Living on your own brings with it a lot of emotions and feelings, and many more responsibilities, quite different from those when you have someone close to you to share life with. One has to be much more disciplined in many areas, with looking after oneself properly a main priority. If my experience can be used as a guide, I’ve noticed that everyone is different and each has to find their own way of dealing with whatever circumstances they face. There’s no one method that fits all, or so it seems to me.
There’s obviously much more to it than just this, but this is not the place to go into that. What I will say, however, is the challenge that I want to help address is in that area of “feelings” I mentioned. Put simply, I’m of the belief that anything that can be done, ANYTHING AT ALL, no matter how small, that can help older people feel better, more loved and appreciated, well that’s a step in the right direction, and that’s the area of service where I want to put my energies from here on.
There are many ways this can be achieved and some of them are mentioned in a new National magazine that I’m involved with called Seniors Happy Life. The magazine sets out to help those in the twilight years of their life to fill in time, be entertained, reflect on happy times, provide incentives for engaging in conversation with others and much more.
Seniors Happy Life contains 100% enjoyment and is just the starting point in my quest to improve the quality of life for older people not just locally but right across Australia. If you have a heart for older people, please cheer me on, and help me spread the word about Seniors Happy Life magazine, right across Australia! Let’s see if we really CAN do better for those among us whom we affectionately call Seniors.
Bob Holland is 75 years old, he lost his wife to a very rare and fatal brain disease in February 2022, after 52 years of marriage. He cared for her personally in their home for her final two years, after she was given as little as 4 months to live. In the 12 months since, Bob has seen the plight of older people in a new light and has devoted the rest of his life to trying to improve the quality of life of older people, many of whom now have little to live for. He is now on a quest to fulfil that commitment and is hoping that people, at all levels, will view what he is trying to do in the right light and wherever possible, help fan the flame by encouraging conversations that will bring about better outcomes for those battling old age and all its challenges.
