After 30 years on the board of Mudgee's Pioneer House - much of the history of the facility - Bruce McGregor has stepped down.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Having already lent a hand - along with wife Doreen - prior to joining the board, Bruce said that when the opportunity arose in late 1989 to step up, he reflected on the significance of the facility.
"Doreen was volunteering, doing hair-cutting because her grandmother was there, and I did a couple of odd-jobs at working bees," he said.
"The then-chairman Alan Little asked if I would join the board. And I thought that aged care is one of the most important facets of our community.
"So I made the decision to do it."
For three decades he was on the board that enacted significant growth at Pioneer House. And Bruce said that during this time the wider industry also "evolved" markedly, which is a process that never stops.
"30 years later we've seen millions of dollars in improvements take place and moved from 52 beds to over 80," he said.
"One of the things I was very proud of - in the early days - was that we developed the dementia-specific Braeholme Wing, and we were one of the first country facilities to do that.
"It was really important, because as our community ages more at home and lives longer, it's an industry that's evolving all the time - and we'll see more evolution too, because we're learning more too.
Now I really think that it's important for the younger generations to start getting involved in community services.
- Bruce McGregor
"One of the most important parts of any of the aged care facilities is respite, because quite often the partner and family members struggle if someone goes down hill quickly. So that's something we'll be seeing more in the future as a factor in how we handle the number of people coming into nursing homes.
"It can sometimes be tough for people in their twilight years and hopefully we've provided them a home away from their previous home.
"The decision making process [when it comes to using aged care] is always difficult and there's always elements of doubt and people need to decide what's best for everybody.
"And now I think the facilities and care really provide the kind of service that we'd like our elders to have."
Having also volunteered on a number of other community groups and boards - including the last six years on establishing the Holtermann Museum - Bruce has decided to step back.
However, he encouraged others to give back to help ensure the future of the local region.
"I really think that it's important for the younger generations to start getting involved in community services," he said.
