Elaine Dixon’s adaptability and positivity have enabled her to get the best out of life as a resident at Heritage Northcote.
Seeing the best in people
Elaine Dixon is 84 years ‘young’. Having transferred from our Chomley House residence last July, she’s been in full-time residential care for up to four years. In talking to Elaine, it’s clear that at any age, in any situation, she sees the best in people and possibilities. Her affirming smile, bright eyes, and qualities of humility and adaptability have always enabled her to meet challenges and grasp opportunities.
Appreciating the value
Elaine likes the variety and diversity of staff at Heritage Northcote and has made friends with many of them since transferring to the home. “I’m very happy here,” she says. Smiling, she adds, “I’m very adaptable.”
It’s clear Elaine gets the best from life because she also appreciates its value. She understands the challenges of dementia, for example, given her daughter developed the brain disorder at just 54 years old.
Hills and Skye
Elaine talked to us about growing up in Leongatha in South Gippsland, Victoria, a pretty corner of the country. As one of five sisters and growing up in a happy home, she was free to explore the countryside and think about her Celtic ancestors roaming the wild country of Skye, Scotland. A car accident when she was young, in Australia, held Elaine back for a while, but she bounced back in time, ready for life’s next adventure.
With two daughters, two granddaughters and her family, sisterhood has been a continuing theme in Elaine’s life. It’s given her a strong sense of independence and perspective. “I don’t want to go on and on,” Elaine says, “but I look forward to every day and what that will bring in my new home here in Northcote.”
Elaine loves the standard of care at the home, the quality of the residence, and its proximity to shops, amenities, and cafes in the Northcote area. She’s proud of her room (pictured) and the privacy it provides when she’s not interacting with residents and staff, taking part in lifestyle activities, or being with her family.
A person-centred approach to residential care at Heritage Northcote
Elaine was very happy to learn she’d secured a place at Heritage Northcote. It smoothed her transition from Chomley House, especially as she was very close to her sister who was also at the home but sadly passed away there. Helped by her positive, cheery disposition, Elaine has thrived in the Northcote residence since July.
At Heritage Care, we help residents like Elaine meet their specific care needs through a person-centred approach that harnesses the skills and experience of our staff, technology, Lifestyle activities and education, and clear and empathetic dialogue. Heritage Northcote offers permanent residential care, short-term respite care, dementia care, and palliative care, all within a safe, welcoming community.
Learn more about Heritage Northcote
Heritage Northcote is a stunning, completely renovated state of the art 75 bed residential home perfectly placed in a close-knit pocket of the inner north a short 6 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD. Our residents benefit from a home with stunning natural light, enchanting outdoor spaces and a vibrant lifestyle program. Heritage Northcote offers a number of tailored care options to suit your needs including short term respite care, permanent care, dementia care and palliative care. We provide a safe, welcoming community and have introduced world-class sleep-sense technology to further increase our resident’s safety.
We understand that each person’s lifestyle needs are unique, and that’s why each resident has access to our Waiter Table Service where you have a choice of meal at every mealtime. Be pampered exactly how you choose at our onsite Hair and Beauty Services and stay physically and mentally fit with our range of activities in the dedicated wellbeing room or participation in our daily lifestyle program. Our community empowers residents to retain independence with facilities like the library and landscaped gardens for quiet reflection, or the onsite private dining room area to celebrate those special family occasions.
Other key home features include our tea and coffee making facilities, a residents-only barbeque area, raised garden beds, an alfresco area and balconies. Moments from your front door is access to transport, art, music, shops, leafy parklands, the historic Westgarth Cinema, and the lively cafe and restaurants scene Northcote is famous for.
Start your new Northcote life with us.