Retirement Living
SwanCare Bentley Park retirement living resident, Lorelei Rose, has a passion and exuberance for life that defies her 69 years.
Lorelei has had several careers over the course of her life including being a stewardess in the Royal Australian Airforce, a nurse at the Shenton Park Rehabilitation Hospital, and in Carnarvon she was a support teacher, a carer as well as a taxi driver. She says she loved them all professions equally.
She also cared for her Mum for 10 years, before she went into an aged care home, which she said was a privilege to do so.
Lorelei is the proud mothers of 3 wonderful children, Tanaya, Michael, and John and has 3 grandchildren. She moved into SwanCare five years ago but has stayed very active in the community and said she is now enjoying the quiet life.
“We’re so lucky, all the people living at SwanCare, it’s so peaceful here and we’re really looked after. There’s a gorgeous sense of community here. It’s wonderful,” Lorelei said. “It’s a great place to live, you can be social when you want to and have your time alone when you need it.”
Once a month Lorelei attends an ex-servicewomen’s meeting at Anzac House in the city and says that there’s s special bond between people who have served.
As an ex-service women Lorelei says “You never forget your service number. There’s a very special bond that comes from being in the service together, you really are comrades for life, and you support one another through it all.”
Lorelei travelled to every state of Australia while she was in service, but always had a special love for Carnarvon, in WA’s Gascoyne region, a town she lived in for nine years.
“I really loved Carnarvon, it was such a special place to me,” Lorelei said. “I love the weather; it really is paradise there. I met so many wonderful people in Carnarvon. I worked as a multi-skilled carer in the nursing home there looking after Aboriginal elders, I was also a teacher’s aide, and I worked as a volunteer in the Carnarvon Space & Technology Museum on the weekends.
“It was such a wonderful town and I learnt so much about the Indigenous community there. It’s fascinating a culture. Being a taxi driver in town, I also met a lot of the local characters and basically knew everyone. It was a great time in my life!
“Unfortunately, after nine years I had to leave Carnarvon to come back to Perth to help my daughter with my granddaughter who needed a cochlear implant. I don’t regret being there for her at all, although I do still miss Carnarvon to this day.”
Lorelei has a twin brother Stephen, and she said they talk every day. She came from a big family of seven children and lost her dad when she was just six years old.
“My dear mum had to look after all of us on her own and she did a fantastic job of it, but it was such hard work and there wasn’t much money,” said Lorelei. “That’s why I felt so privileged to care for her for 10 years, she lived until she was 99 and I still miss her. I went to see her every day when she was in the nursing home.”
Lorelei has had a very enriching life filled with work, travel, love, and family. She is truly one of those people that is grateful for every day on this earth.
“I’ve had a very full life. I was married for 13 years to a hard-working Italian man and now I’m very happily living at SwanCare. Through all of life’s adversities, my moto has always been ‘Truth needs no defence’.
“I’m a bit of a homebody these days, but I have a lovely apartment and there’s plenty to do here if I want to. I think a lot of people here like their own space, like I do, but we can socialise when we want too as well. I do the exercise classes here often, there’s concerts, fish & chip nights, and we have a little community catch-up every fortnight, just so we can all check-in on each other.”
Lorelei is quite a busy person, but when she’s not socialising, you’ll find her doing hobbies that she keeps up with during her quiet time.
“I also paint, and I love my music,” said Lorelei. “Capital Community Radio’s ‘Swinging down the Lane’ program is my favourite. The music is from the 1920s to the 1950s and its such great music.”
Lorelei also has a passion for travel and has been to many different places during her lifetime but recalls her favourite trip easily with many happy memories attached.
“I’ve always enjoyed travelling, I went on a five-week cruise around Australia by myself in 2006 and I met some interesting people. The memories of that holiday will last me a lifetime.
Though holidays are lovely, Lorelei cannot speak highly enough about SwanCare and loves being at home here.
“Living at SwanCare honestly feels like being on a holiday, everyone is so friendly, I get delicious meals delivered to my door, all the staff are so helpful… what a privilege to live here, it’s the best in the west. I’ve lived here five years and I love it every single day.”
Thank you for spreading your positivity around the village, Lorelei. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you!
She also cared for her Mum for 10 years, before she went into an aged care home, which she said was a privilege to do so.
Lorelei is the proud mothers of 3 wonderful children, Tanaya, Michael, and John and has 3 grandchildren. She moved into SwanCare five years ago but has stayed very active in the community and said she is now enjoying the quiet life.
“We’re so lucky, all the people living at SwanCare, it’s so peaceful here and we’re really looked after. There’s a gorgeous sense of community here. It’s wonderful,” Lorelei said. “It’s a great place to live, you can be social when you want to and have your time alone when you need it.”
Once a month Lorelei attends an ex-servicewomen’s meeting at Anzac House in the city and says that there’s s special bond between people who have served.
As an ex-service women Lorelei says “You never forget your service number. There’s a very special bond that comes from being in the service together, you really are comrades for life, and you support one another through it all.”
Lorelei travelled to every state of Australia while she was in service, but always had a special love for Carnarvon, in WA’s Gascoyne region, a town she lived in for nine years.
“I really loved Carnarvon, it was such a special place to me,” Lorelei said. “I love the weather; it really is paradise there. I met so many wonderful people in Carnarvon. I worked as a multi-skilled carer in the nursing home there looking after Aboriginal elders, I was also a teacher’s aide, and I worked as a volunteer in the Carnarvon Space & Technology Museum on the weekends.
“It was such a wonderful town and I learnt so much about the Indigenous community there. It’s fascinating a culture. Being a taxi driver in town, I also met a lot of the local characters and basically knew everyone. It was a great time in my life!
“Unfortunately, after nine years I had to leave Carnarvon to come back to Perth to help my daughter with my granddaughter who needed a cochlear implant. I don’t regret being there for her at all, although I do still miss Carnarvon to this day.”
Lorelei has a twin brother Stephen, and she said they talk every day. She came from a big family of seven children and lost her dad when she was just six years old.
“My dear mum had to look after all of us on her own and she did a fantastic job of it, but it was such hard work and there wasn’t much money,” said Lorelei. “That’s why I felt so privileged to care for her for 10 years, she lived until she was 99 and I still miss her. I went to see her every day when she was in the nursing home.”
Lorelei has had a very enriching life filled with work, travel, love, and family. She is truly one of those people that is grateful for every day on this earth.
“I’ve had a very full life. I was married for 13 years to a hard-working Italian man and now I’m very happily living at SwanCare. Through all of life’s adversities, my moto has always been ‘Truth needs no defence’.
“I’m a bit of a homebody these days, but I have a lovely apartment and there’s plenty to do here if I want to. I think a lot of people here like their own space, like I do, but we can socialise when we want too as well. I do the exercise classes here often, there’s concerts, fish & chip nights, and we have a little community catch-up every fortnight, just so we can all check-in on each other.”
Lorelei is quite a busy person, but when she’s not socialising, you’ll find her doing hobbies that she keeps up with during her quiet time.
“I also paint, and I love my music,” said Lorelei. “Capital Community Radio’s ‘Swinging down the Lane’ program is my favourite. The music is from the 1920s to the 1950s and its such great music.”
Lorelei also has a passion for travel and has been to many different places during her lifetime but recalls her favourite trip easily with many happy memories attached.
“I’ve always enjoyed travelling, I went on a five-week cruise around Australia by myself in 2006 and I met some interesting people. The memories of that holiday will last me a lifetime.
Though holidays are lovely, Lorelei cannot speak highly enough about SwanCare and loves being at home here.
“Living at SwanCare honestly feels like being on a holiday, everyone is so friendly, I get delicious meals delivered to my door, all the staff are so helpful… what a privilege to live here, it’s the best in the west. I’ve lived here five years and I love it every single day.”
Thank you for spreading your positivity around the village, Lorelei. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you!
