Hills District Independent August 2020 #62 August 2020 | Page 25

SENIORS
Honouring our family and celebrating our memories
When the Bracken family approached
the team at Moran Kellyville following the
passing of their mother, June Bracken, the
team found the perfect opportunity to join
them in honouring June’s life.
The home’s July High Tea was
dedicated to the memory of June who
had been part of the community at Moran
Kellyville. Residents were joined by June’s
son, Peter, his wife Karen, and their
children who shared many memories of
their mother’s life before she moved to
Moran Kellyville.
The family also shared stories of June’s
love of life whilst living at Moran Kellyville
- especially the bingo, food and other
special events.
It was an emotional gathering, but a
treasured time as well.
June was a single mother of three
children, a hairdresser by trade, who later
In appreciation of the care June
received whilst living at Moran Kellyville,
the Bracken family donated a beautiful
tapestry which was handcrafted by June.
The three-part tapestry features familiar
Australian pioneering scenes, reflecting
the artwork of famous Australian
impressionist artist, Frederick McCubbin.
June’s tapestries now hang proudly in the
Bessie Rouse Room at Moran Kellyville
and complement the historic displays
which adorn the home’s gallery.
A plaque that accompanies the
tapestries reads: “Tapestry completed by
June Bracken, 19/10/1929 – 24/5/2020.
Donated by her family in appreciation
of the care she received while she was a
resident.”
worked at the Formica factory where she
was part of the social club (who were
lucky enough to at one stage share in
winning half a million dollars in the Lotto!)
She was also involved in her children’s
activities, particularly with the Pennant
Hills Rugby Club, where she made many
friends and spent most weekends helping
in the canteen.
June, like many women of her time,
was good at handcrafts and when her
neighbour opened a tapestry studio next
door, she joined the local ladies creating
many beautiful pieces.
Unbeknown to June, her son Peter
even entered one of her tapestries in the
Castle Hill Show, for which she received a
proud ‘Highly Commended’ award.
June’s son, Peter, speaks fondly of
her sense of humour (even likening their
relationship to that of Ruth Cracknell and
Beautiful three-part tapestry by June donated
by her family.
Garry McDonald in the 80’s
TV series Mother and Son!),
and her community spirit.
She lived her
retirement years with Peter
and his family, and never
wanted to move to an aged
care home. However, after
trying out Moran Kellyville
for respite care June was
surprised how much she
enjoyed it, especially
the company of other
residents. So, she decided
to stay!
June was vision
impaired in her later years
and was supported by both the staff and
other residents so she could still enjoy
lifestyle activities such as playing bingo
and dining.
Kiana Gohar, Moran Kellyville’s
Community Engagement & Wellness
Manager, remembers June very fondly
“On Mother’s Day we had special gift
bags for all the ladies living here and since
June could not see, I explained the gift bag
to her in detail; the colour, the fabric …
she wanted a pink bag and she got pink!
It makes us feel very special to be able
to help with individual needs like June’s.
With June’s passing, the Bracken family
will still be visitors to Moran Kellyville,
we are now one family,” Kiana told The
Independent.
If you’re thinking about moving into
residential aged care, we invite you to
come and see the community at Moran
Kellyville for yourself. We have respite care
available which is suitable for most care
June with family members at Moran Kellyville.
needs including dementia support.
Whilst deciding to move into aged
care can be a little daunting, choosing an
aged care home just got a little bit easier
with the introduction of the Government
Compliance Rating System on 1 July.
Every aged care provider is required
to meet government regulations and
standards.
This protects and maintains the safety,
health, wellbeing, and quality of life for
residents. ‘Compliance’ ensures providers
meet these requirements.
You can check the rating of an aged
care home with a new online tool, www.
myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider.
Homes are rated by a ‘dot’ rating
system; four dots indicate a home with a
good compliance record.
If you’d like to find out more about
what Moran Kellyville can offer, please
contact our Resident Liaison Team on
9881 4222.
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT www.hdinews.com.au ISSUE 62 // AUGUST 2020 25