Office for Ageing Well Acting Director, Cassie Bouyer-Sanderson (l) presents Kalyra Woodcroft Aged Care CEO Sara Blunt (r) with the Office for Ageing Well Tackling Ageism Award 2023.
Kalyra Woodcroft Aged Care has won the Office for Ageing Well Tackling Ageism Award 2023.
Kalyra, which operates in Belair, is an innovative residential aged care home in an intergenerational partnership with the Southern Montessori Middle School, co-located on the grounds of Kalyra – an Australian-first.
The Office for Ageing Well Tackling Ageism Award recognises Kalyra Woodcroft Aged Care’s interface between older South Australians and school students, promoting learning and discovery with a healthy dose of fun.
Kalyra revealed a great understanding of ageism, globally and locally, and a matching mindset, highlighting that ‘staff are trained to see the person, not the age’.
Residents and students joined in activities such as reading, cooking, music and using technology, breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions, and overcoming challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic along the way.
The Award recognises the sustainability of Kalyra’s intergenerational initiative, which as they said, ‘aims to sow the seeds of a future where ageism no longer exists’.
Office for Ageing Well has offered the Tackling Ageism Award since 2020 to recognise those in the community who not only speak up against ageism, but also take action to help create a society that values its older members.
It underlines the need for everyone to educate themselves to recognise ageism and call it out for what it is – prejudice and discrimination – that must not be tolerated.
Office for Ageing Well congratulates all 13 Award nominees, including the other finalists, Fatma Mahmoud, Meals on Wheels SA and Noarlunga Downs Primary School.
They are some of the many diverse organisations and individuals that recognise older South Australians for their role in our society and enable them to continue contributing.
Office for Ageing Well is committed to shifting attitudes and building a more inclusive society, moving beyond ageism, as outlined in South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025.
The Office for Ageing Well Tackling Ageism Award 2023 was presented on Friday 10 November at the South Australian Community Achievement Awards.
For more information, visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/tacklingageism.