Celebrating Seniors and Their Dedicated Volunteers

International Day of Older Persons on Tuesday 1 October will be a special time for residents at Mercy Place Edgewater.

The not-for-profit aged care home will be celebrating its seniors and the contributions they have made to their communities, while at the same time recognising a number of volunteers for their commitment and dedication to the residents with whom they spend time.

Dorrit De Nooy is one of the home’s long-term volunteers who has been visiting residents for over five years to chat with them, share a cuppa, and quite often just enjoy a game of Scrabble.

“When my mum went into an aged care home in Holland a few years ago, I would speak to her regularly and she would tell me about the volunteers who came in every week to socialise and spend time with her. It was something I wasn’t able to do because I was so many kilometres from her living in Australia,” explains Banksia Grove local Ms De Nooy.

“I was so grateful to the people who enriched my mum’s life that I decided to even things up a little by volunteering myself, and that’s how I began to regularly visit residents at Mercy Place Edgewater every Thursday and Friday afternoon, after work.

“I find it extremely rewarding! I’m a scientist by profession and so it took me a little while to hit my stride and work out what are the most relevant topics of conversation, but now I really look forward to my time at Mercy Place Edgewater. It’s so different from my day job and I enjoy spending time with the seniors immensely.”

Mercy Place Edgewater Service Manager, Alison Devonport, says that International Day for Older Persons gave the Mercy Health team a perfect opportunity to come together and celebrate seniors, as well as the volunteers that enrich their lives.

“The International Day for Older Persons gives us the chance to not only celebrate the seniors in our small community, but also to acknowledge and thank the incredible volunteers who regularly visit our residents to spend time with them, which can often be the highlight of their day,” she says.

“Age is certainly no barrier to living full, enriched lives, and this is something that our whole team here at Mercy Place Edgewater is committed to, that is ensuring our seniors remain living lives that are happy and fulfilled, and our committed volunteers are incredibly supportive in helping us in this way.”

The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Older Persons is celebrated annually on 1 October to recognise the contributions of older persons and to examine issues that affect their lives.

Find out more about Mercy Health.