At 105 years young, Laurence Grovermann enjoys bingo games, loves a singalong and even took out last year’s footy tipping competition at her Wirraminna aged care home.
The former postmistress and prominent community figure from Williamstown, South Australia, was visited by the CEO of the peak body representing aged and community care providers in Australia (ACCPA) last week.
Bearing a bouquet of flowers, ACCPA CEO Tom Symondson and Liz Behjat (ACCPA’s SA State Manager), were delighted to meet Mrs Grovermann as they toured the aged care home.
Mr Symondson was visiting South Australia for a State ACCPA conference and took the opportunity to visit ACCPA members in the Barossa and Murray Bridge regions.
“It was wonderful to meet Laurence, who recently celebrated her 105th birthday,” said Mr Symondson.
“Laurence has led an amazing life. As a child she experienced the dynamic decades of the 1920s and 30s, and the Great Depression years.
“She epitomises resilience, having survived rheumatic fever as a child, and going on to work tirelessly in various roles to eventually operating her own store and post office alongside her husband – all while raising a family.
“Meeting people like Laurence is incredibly humbling and keeps us focused on the things that matter most – caring for and supporting older Australians.”
Centenarians represent a growing cohort of older people leading the charge of Australia’s rapidly ageing population. According to the 2023 Intergenerational Report, the number of people aged 85 years or more is expected to more than triple and those aged over 65 will double in the next 40 years.
Demand for aged care will spiral.
“In the decades ahead, we will see many more Australians reach this remarkable milestone,” Mr Symondson said.
“Australians are not only living longer, but they also have greater expectations of quality care. Our sector is working hard to prepare for this.”
“It’s important that we continue to honour the achievements of our oldest residents and congratulate the dedicated teams of carers who work tirelessly to support them, like the excellent team at Wirraminna.”
Wirraminna Care Clinical Manager Lisa Manning said: “Some of our current Wirraminna residents, who are aged 80-plus themselves, refer to Laurence as ‘Mrs Grovermann’ due to her long history as a prominent community figure in Williamstown.”
“Laurence remains an active member of our Wirraminna Community.”
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