🌟 AgeHappy Community Corner : Meet Richard 🌟

Celebrating Positive Ageing in our Community!

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Meet Richard!

He is a Brunswick East local who is the epitome of positive ageing!

I have been supporting Richard for more than a year now and he may well be the most proactive person I have ever worked with.

Richard is managing multiple neurodegenerative conditions (Parkinson’s Disease and severe Peripheral Neuropathy), however, he refuses to relinquish his independence or surrender his quality of life.

Richard does absolutely everything in his power to compensate for the physical impairments his conditions impose. He walks around Princes Park each day with his lovely wife, he completes 2 x supervised gym sessions / week, plus our weekly physio visits where we challenge his dynamic balance and neuromuscular coordination.

And it is not just the physical domain where he demonstrates adaptability. As a former Deputy Principal and aspiring novelist, Richard has always loved writing. Unfortunately, due to reduced dexterity in his hands, he is no longer able to use a pen or his computer keyboard. Instead of succumbing to this potential barrier, Richard simply found a way to overcome it. He is currently utilising carer support to complete a manuscript of his personal memoir, by dictating as they type. How amazing!

It was wonderful to see his hard work pay off recently, when Richard reached his goal of visiting his son’s family in Townsville after a long period. No mean feat when you consider the daily personal care support he requires plus the walking involved while travelling. Without his consistent efforts to maximise his functional capacity, there is no way a holiday like this would be possible.

Not to mention, Richard is currently the ‘Member of the Month’ at his local gym! Talk about Thrive, don’t just survive!

Richard is a prime example of what we are all about at AgeHappy. Positive ageing isn’t reserved for those blessed with perfect health, nor is it determined by genetic fortune or pot luck - positive ageing can be an aspiration for us all. It is about acknowledging your current circumstances, calibrating expectations, accepting appropriate support and doing your very best to control what is in your control!

Remember, no matter your age or current health status, you always have the potential to be better than you were yesterday.