Live the way you desire

The goal of all our residents is to continue living independently in their beautiful apartments for as long as they desire. To help them achieve this, Aura Holdings has a partnership with in-home services provider, Five Good Friends.

Saskia Eussen, a highly qualified registered nurse, is the Five Good Friends Concierge at the Kingsford Terrace Corinda retirement community in Brisbane. Saskia has worked within the village for a year and sees her role as an advocate for residents, providing information about the support services available and guiding them through the maze of government home care support and services. She can help determine a resident’s eligibility for support services or help prepare for an ACAT assessment towards a home-care package.

Saskia Eussen, Five Good Friends Concierge

Saskia recommends that residents plan ahead for possible government entitlements. “It can take time to navigate the process, so it is important to have an understanding of the system before things change. Many residents aren’t aware they could be eligible for some form of government assistance.’’

She says everyone over 65 can register for My Aged Care even if they are a self-funded retiree. “It’s easy to do and worth doing at the same time as applying for your Seniors Card,’’ Saskia says. “You get a My Aged Care number as you do a Medicare number or a Tax File Number. You then store it away with your paperwork until you need it. That number stays with you and is used when accessing any service through My Aged Care.’’

Saskia says some residents became aware of the benefit of registering for My Aged Care when they wanted to access the free delivery services offered by supermarkets during the Covid-19 crisis. A My Aged Care number was required for eligibility to the service.

In six months, Saskia has helped around 25 Kingsford Terrace residents to access some form of support service. “Several residents who hadn’t accessed support before are now receiving entry-level support such as domestic services in their apartments. This is a government service that many people are unaware they can access. Often just getting the bathrooms done, floors mops and vacuumed is all that people need at home to keep on top of things.’’

Saskia aims to remove the assumption that life in a nursing home is inevitable. “Everyone’s objective today is to sustain living at home. You can manage to live well in your own home with support coming to you. People’s health can improve to the extent that they can leave a nursing home and live in a supportive retirement village with in-home services.

“It’s important that residents while younger gain the knowledge of what might be available to them if or when their needs change. The knowledge empowers them to make informed decisions – knowledge is power.’’

When Covid-19 distancing restriction are lifted, Saskia looks forward to resuming her popular brain training sessions for Kingsford Terrace residents and interested members of the public.

To find out about more about Five Good Friends services, contact us on 07 3397 2930 or visit fivegoodfriends.com.au