Laughter is the best medicine for Baptistcare Bethel Retirement Village resident
When Baptistcare Bethel Retirement Village resident Patricia Gammon made the move to retirement living, she had no idea that she would soon become a Scrabble star at the adjoining aged care facility.
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05 November 2019
News
| Retirement Living, Aged Care Homes
When Baptistcare Bethel Retirement Village resident Patricia Gammon made the move to retirement village living, she had no idea that she would soon become a Scrabble star at the adjoining aged care facility.
Wanting to give back to her community, the 84-year-old decided to volunteer at Baptistcare Bethel Residential Care and now spends two and a half days a week helping with arts and crafts activities and enjoying a game of Scrabble with the aged care residents.
“When we play Scrabble I make my opponent laugh and they make me laugh and we openly cheat. When they can’t make a word I’ll suggest we swap tiles so they can. We have a lot of fun,” Mrs Gammon said.
Mrs Gammon has been living at Baptistcare Bethel Village for the past year and is enjoying both the convenience and great sense of community on offer.
“It’s lovely here because the retirement village and the residential care facility are a real community, not separate at all,” Mrs Gammon said.
“And I just love my unit and living in the village. The view from my unit is just beautiful, I have good neighbours and management are really easy-going, nothing’s ever a problem.
“Everything is so close by, but it’s not all on top of you like in a city; you’re still in the country.”
When Mrs Gammon is not volunteering, she enjoys lunch or a movie with her friends, gardening, attending the social get-togethers at Baptistcare Bethel Village, and spending time with her daughter who lives nearby.
Mrs Gammon has had four heart attacks and several mini strokes but tells her doctors:
“You can cut out whatever you need to – just make sure you leave my sense of humour intact!”
Click here for more information about retirement living or residential aged care at BaptistCare.