Residential aged care operator takes residents go karting
A Tasmanian aged care home has taken residents to the race track to prove that you’re only as old as you feel, continuing its track record of novel seniors’ experiences and excursions.
Nine residents from OneCare Umina Park in Burnie, a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, headed to Kart Magic Entertainment Centre at Latrobe, earlier this month, donning their helmets and putting pedals to the metal.
Caption: Pete Williams, OneCare CEO
OneCare CEO Pete Williams said the idea came from the residents themselves.
“One of the things we’re really focused on is ‘reablement’ of older people,” Pete said.
“Many residents can’t drive anymore, and they really miss it – so why not get them back behind the wheel in a way that’s safe and appropriate?”
Pete acknowledged the left-field idea took a little more planning than a regular aged care outing. The participants were all aged 80 years and above, with varying levels of mobility.
“When the residents suggested go karting, we weren’t sure we’d be able to make it happen. But then we did our risk assessments, discussed with families, and were assured the karts’ speed could be limited. We had a great team of OneCare nurses and carers along for the ride,” he said.
“We had our first trip in autumn. The residents absolutely loved it, and we knew we had to come again. Everyone can gain confidence at their own pace, from Sunday drivers to rev-heads!
“The response from families and the community has been fantastic. We can’t thank the team at Kart Magic enough for taking such good care of us. We are certainly not your average group of racers, but they’ve been so welcoming and made sure everything was adapted to our needs.”
Pete said boundary-pushing excursions like go karting align with the new national Aged Care Act, which comes into force in November.
“The new rights-based legislation puts older people at the centre, enshrining their imperative to make decisions about things that affect their own lives. This includes the right to take risks, just as you would outside an aged care setting,” he said.
“The Statement of Rights means active, self-determined, and meaningful lives for older people. We plan our excursions and activities together, which gives residents choice and independence – and in this case, an adrenaline rush!”
Caption: Mark and Bev marry.
Umina Park made international headlines last year when two of its residents, Mark Catlin and Bev Martin-Catlin, met and married at the facility. The couple took part in the first go karting trip - riding in a tandem kart.
