Classes & Activities
Thursday 14th March, 2024
Emotional and Mental Well-Being
Petrea King is CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation which she established in 1989 after a series of personal traumas stretching back to childhood. Petrea established the Quest for Life Centre in Bundanoon in 1998. The Quest for Life Centre hosts 32 5-day residential programs and dozens of workshops in rural, regional and remote Australia each year.
Petrea is a best-selling author of 9 books and a dozen meditation practices. She is a frequent keynote speaker, a facilitator, teacher and trainer and, for the past 24 years has been a monthly guest on ABC Sydney’s Midweek Conference with Richard Glover where they discuss the challenges of living well in challenging situations.
Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award, Citizen of the Year and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the year each year since 2003 as well as being a NSW finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2011. In 2003 she was celebrated on Channel 9’s This Is Your Life and has been featured twice on Australian Story, Compass and many other television and radio productions.
Petrea King - Quest for Life Foundation
Move it or Loose it!
Anthony Patruno - Refined Moves
Anthony Patruno is a physiotherapist and martial artist living in the Southern Highlands with his wife, youngest daughter, an old grouchy Rhodesian Ridgeback and 2 cute but brainless toy cavoodles. He began his physiotherapy career in 1989 and spent the next 35 years working in the area of musculoskeletal physiotherapy and aged care. He was a senior physiotherapist and clinical educator at the Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick from 1993 until May 2023. As well as working as a clinical physiotherapist he has been involved in teaching and training thousands of currently registered and practicing physiotherapists. In mid 2023 he stopped the insane commute to Randwick and started Refined Moves Physiotherapy and Tai Chi right here in the Highlands. Refined Moves combines Anthony’s lifelong loves: Physiotherapy, Tai Chi, teaching/empowering others.
Refined Moves provides the Southern Highlands with mobile physiotherapy (treatment in your own home) and Yang Style Tai Chi tuition. Anthony loves teaching and in addition to treating physio patients he teaches weekly community-based Tai Chi classes at Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale and Bundanoon as well as classes at Annesley Bowral, Anthem Care Bowral, The Wingecarribee Adult Day Centre, Mittagong PCYC and Vinnies Creative Space Bowral. Anthony has been involved in martial arts practise and instruction since 1984. (Yes, he has a black belt or two!) Anthony’s time in healthcare has taught him that people can do a lot for themselves if they are empowered. They just need to be shown how, understand why, be encouraged, supported and set on the right course. His life mission is to help people make their lives better. The tools of his trade are his clinical wisdom, his hands and his empathetic heart.
Living Connected
Helen is Professor of Information Systems (IS) in the Australian Health Services Research Institute at the University of Wollongong. Living Connects helps the respected elders of our community, learn to use their digital devices such as smartphones, laptops or tablets. Living Connected focusses on what they want to achieve with technology: sort out all those digital photos, come to grips with online banking, installing or removing apps, connecting with family overseas or interstate – all the tasks that are becoming hard to do if you are not online.
Living Connected services are delivered in small groups in community centres, in the comfort of persons own home, or online when required. In all settings clients will receive individual help from a trained mentor in a friendly and supportive manner.
Most of Living Connected services are free, including a first home visit from one of our helpful mentors. Subsequent home visits incur a reasonable charge with a discount for those on a pension. You may also be able to pay via your home care package if you have one.
Professor Helen Hansan - Living Connected
Woke Words
Written by Alyssa McCrow and Presented by Ellen Melrose-Rae
Alyssa is former School Captain of Moss Vale High School and is current first year at Sydney University. Ellen is currently in Year 12 at Oxley College. Together they worked on the presentation explaining current and acceptable usage of pro-nouns as well as gender and sexual identity. The aim of the presentation was to provide the participants with language and knowledge that would be used by their grand children.
Friday, 22nd March
Nutrition and Diet
Hi, I’m Fofe*, the principal Accredited Practising Dietitian** and nutritionist at Bowral Nutrition. I pride myself on having a common-sense approach that complements my scientific training.
My eldest child is a neurodivergent NDIS participant. He was diagnosed with ADHD at age six, and autism and ODD three years later. However, the ‘Oppositional Defiance’-labelled behaviour did not last long thanks to some dietary changes. These made an enormous difference to his quality of life, inspiring me to return to university and study to become a nutrition scientist. Working in the disability sector further inspired me to undertake postgraduate study and become an Accredited Practising Dietitian focusing on digestive or gut health (including the link between ‘Food and Mood’ or the ‘gut-brain axis’), food intolerance, neurodivergence and ‘picky eaters’. As a regional dietitian, I welcome clients of all ages with nutritional needs, and urge you to contact me for an obligation-free chat.
I identify as neurodivergent (AuDHD), and Bowral Nutrition is a neurodiversity-affirming practice***.
* Fun fact about me: My name rhymes with ‘coffee’ – my favourite beverage!
Fofe Vrettos - Bowral Nutrition
Navigating Aged Care
David Fleming - Lorraine Poulous and Associates
David holds extensive experience in both Government and Non-Government sectors, focusing his expertise on aged care. He has worked at all levels, dedicating himself to the well-being of the elderly. Proficient in training and development, David boasts a strong track record in shaping public policy, ensuring quality compliance, and strategic planning, particularly within aged care. Understanding the complexity of the aged care system is vital to successfully access your best option for ageing well. David present information on the the Aged Care system, how to navigate the Aged Care system and what staying at home with Home Care support entails.
Warrigal Care
Warrigal isn’t just an aged care provider; they’re an award-winning, not-for-profit organisation and an essential part of our community. Their mission is to serve older people, their families, and caregivers with a comprehensive range of top-quality services, that include home care, respite services, residential aged care, and vibrant retirement living communities throughout the Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Queanbeyan, and Canberra.
They’re here to connect with you, actively listen, and understand your unique needs. Their goal is to guide you through the process of entering aged care, ensuring you’re fully informed about your options and how everything works.
For nearly six decades, they’ve been committed to nurturing communities that inspire, support, and cultivate connections among older people.
Douglas Langley Rouessart
The Final Check List
Local resident and author Lyndal Guiliano, presents “The Final Checklist”. Supported by Groundswell Australia, this project aims to build communities that respond compassionately around end of life.
For our communities to take action, we must socialise the conversation about death, dying and bereavement by providing opportunities for the community to re-develop a shared language for talking and planning for end of life using local resources and information. This helps to build people’s death literacy and connects people to one another, where they live and online.