Meet Eric – Residents of Amaroo

At Amaroo, our Buckley and McMahon Caring Centres have been providing high quality care for over 40 years.

Every single resident who enters one of our Caring Centres comes with a unique story, and in our blog series Residents of Amaroo, we introduce you to the inspiring people who make Amaroo their home.

In this blog post, we introduce you to Eric.

 

Meet Eric

Eric was born in Lancashire, England in 1941.

Eric’s father was a miner, and although he dabbled in the industry himself, Eric later decided he wanted a job outside of mining.

At the end of his schooling, Eric discovered an airline company was recruiting for workers, and he seized the opportunity.

“A number of people could apply, so I put my name down for it. Then I got a letter for an interview, and I actually got the job.

We were taught about the planes and did odd jobs like tidying up.”

When it came time for the airline company to assign permanent roles to the new recruits, Eric was set on his goal of becoming an electrician.

“I wanted to be an electrician, but they said that I’d be whatever they told me, so I decided to leave. But I was never out of work, and I did several jobs throughout my life.”

 

Embracing adventure

A passion of Eric’s was exploring the Lancashire hills and mountains.

“I used to take people, mostly people I knew like friends and family, into the hills and be their guide.

We’d sometimes go out at 7 in the morning and get back around 9 in the evening!”

Eric travelled a lot and enjoyed being around people undeterred by language barriers.

He recalls attending a large gathering of his late wife Vanya’s family, who were of a different nationality to him.

“They had a habit of all speaking at once and I just sat and listened.

They stopped to apologise to me, and I said why are you sorry?

It’s your language and it’s yours to speak I don’t want to interrupt it.”

Eric has enjoyed life by not taking himself too seriously and treating people with respect.

“Everything I’ve done in my life has been funny. I’ve never been nasty to anyone.

I don’t believe in that, and I just ignore anyone if that’s what they want to do.”

 

Staying connected through volunteering

Following the loss of his wife, Vanya, Eric looked for ways that he could keep busy in the community.

He began volunteering at the Addie Mills Centre in Gosnells after seeing an ad in the paper for people who wanted to help with their day trips.

“At the time if you were a senior, you got free train travel so they [Addie Mills Centre] would organise trips.

I used to take people’s luggage off and assist those who needed help getting up and down stairs.

I never thought anything about it, I was having a whale of a time.”

 

Enjoying life at Buckley

Eric’s love for hiking is reflected in his current routine.

“Every morning once I’ve had breakfast, I put my walking poles on, and I walk up to Dot’s Café and across the Village and back.

I call it the exercise up the mountain.” Eric laughs.

“That’s what keeps me going more than anything else.”

He has no complaints when it comes to the care he receives from staff and is very pleased with his room upkeep.

“I go out [on his morning walk] come back and it’s all done. They fix it all.”

Eric is visited by his daughter and friends and enjoys catching up with them at Dot’s Café.

He also takes part in many of the activities and outings that Buckley has to offer.

“There’s a whole sheet of things that you can do. Throwing darts is one which is right up my alley.”

Eric is also a big fan of music and plays the electric keyboard so attending concerts at the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre has also been a favourite activity of his.

“I love to sing so I especially like to go on those outings.”

 

At Amaroo, our mission is to provide a positive and supportive environment for our residents like Eric, where their level of care changes as their needs do.

We understand that the decision to move into a residential aged care facility can be overwhelming and that’s why our friendly team are here to help you through the process.

Call us today on 1300 653 967 or book a tour with us here.