By Tanya Faulkner
Mental health has been the forefront of conversation this month, as communities have come together to ask ‘R U OK?’
In the Hills, it was a busy weekend to mark R U OK day on 16 September, with several events taking place to bring locals together.
One of those events was held at Arcare Aged Care in Ferntree Gully, bringing an ice cream truck for their community, staff and locals to enjoy over conversation.
Lifestyle Assistant at Arcare Knox, Daniel Dell’aquila said it was a big and exciting day.
“It attracted a lot of attention, and I don’t think any staff members wanted to miss out on an ice cream.
“Most importantly, it was a great way to bring our team together on a gloriously sunny day and have some social time with their colleagues,” he said.
The staff were presented with information flyers on how to access mental health services, and pamphlets on relaxation techniques and mindfulness, but Mr Dell’aquila said as a team they know there is more that can be done to promote mental wellbeing in our community.
R U OK day was widely accepted in a positive light by Arcare staff, with several members of the team mentioning they were pleased the day was being acknowledged.
Mr Dell’aquila said generally, the first conversations you hear when we start putting up the decorations and posters is that of people joking around and colloquially asking each other “Are you OK?”, but by the end of the week most people had learnt something new about someone else, and hopefully this is the start of more important conversations.
“This year we had the idea of bridging a connection between staff and residents by asking residents for any words of wisdom for staff on how to look after themselves and their wellbeing.
“It was a very popular activity amongst residents who felt helpful and knowledgeable providing advice to staff,” he said.
Aged care workers play a hugely important role in our society, taking care of the loved ones of thousands of Australians.
Mr Dell’aquila said it can be a very taxing job, both physically and emotionally, particularly will more full-on carers and those in end of life care.
“I think most of us are aware that the nature of aged care work can generate a substantial amount of stress, which in turn makes aged care workers more vulnerable to mental health issues.
“The mental health of all health care workers, especially after the pandemic, should be a priority for the organisations they are placed,” he said.
The goal for Mr Dell’aquila is to see more mental health professionals be present in aged care, as we would see other allied health teams.
“This support should be available to both staff and residents.
“It’s ok to not be ok” and there is always support there for anyone that needs it.
“It really is true that a conversation can change a life,” he said.
Alongside Arcare’s R U OK event, members of Ferntree Gully came together to mark the official day over the weekend.
Ferntree Gully CFA Captain Seamus Smith said the day had a really encouraging vibe about it, with people starting conversations full of empathy and compassion for each other.
“We had a lot of positive interactions amongst the community members who attended, and really positive feedback about the event,” he said.
The day was said to have had a real festival atmosphere, with many local families and individuals coming along to participate in the various activities on offer including, a petting zoo, face painting, hula-hoop workshops, writing notes for our RUOK? Tree
Ferntree Gully Rotary Club were also amongst the event, serving up free snags in bread and drinks to keep everyone refreshed and fuelled.
However, the highlight of the event for many was the keynote address by Chelsea Frawley from the Danny Frawley Foundation.
Her encouragement was described as being clear and profound.
“Have the conversation. It’s hard but mental health needs to be talked about and we need to be better equipped for difficult conversations,” she said.
Big thank you’s are being wished to all of those who came together in the community to ask R U OK? and celebrate the normality of mental health conversations in the Hills.
