It’s a fact that older people face challenges which younger people can’t fully appreciate until they reach similar maturity and experience similar issues. It’s also true that feelings about the direction of life can impact positively or negatively on health and well-being. Unfortunately, research suggests people laugh a lot less as they get older.
New publication Seniors Happy Life says it’s been designed address these and other issues faced by many seniors. The publishers say they’re doing this in a very simple, straightforward, affordable and practical way, through an initiative created solely for compassionate reasons, not commercial gain.
Seniors Happy Life describes itself as an innovative new national publication that promises ‘100% Enjoyment’ for seniors right across Australia.
One notable difference to many other publications is Seniors Happy Life carries no business advertising.
It’s produced in newspaper format and contains 40 full colour pages of inspirational stories, laughs, puzzles, sentiment, nostalgia and more, all designed to make readers feel good. Because the publication has seniors’ special needs in mind, it’s printed in LARGE PRINT.
Seniors Happy Life can’t change people’s circumstances, but it can certainly help change the way they feel about them, especially those contending with loneliness, isolation, boredom or low morale. Helping with these issues is a step in the right direction in caring for older people.
New approach
The director of Seniors Happy Life Pty Ltd, Bob Holland, says there’s never been a publication like it.
‘Most publications aimed at seniors tend to target those seniors whose lives have not been impacted in the same way as those who now find themselves on their own, restricted in what they can do, and often very reliant on care through aged care facilities, or by visiting care and service providers.
‘Seniors Happy Life is nothing like these publications and doesn’t set out to be,’ he said. ‘We have very clear and different objectives and are aiming at filling what we see as a type of void in many seniors’ lives.
‘We have set out to produce an old-fashioned hard copy publication, with no business advertising, simply packed with 100% enjoyment so, if it does nothing more than bring our readers a small amount of pleasure and enjoyment each month, we will have succeeded,’ said Mr Holland.
The idea for Seniors Happy Life arose when Mr. Holland’s wife was diagnosed with a rare but fatal brain disease. She died in February 2022 at 72 after two years of care at home.
This experience and the grieving period that followed caused Mr Holland to appreciate the plight of people in similar circumstances much more. He says he’s since committed the remainder of his life to trying to improve the quality of life for older people and Seniors Happy Life is part of that process.
The pilot issue is currently available with regular monthly issues commencing in February.
You can read the first issue and find more information about Seniors Happy Life at: www.seniorshappylife.com.au.
