THURSDAY 10 MARCH - Sydney and Hammondville

On arrival at Sydney after my 90 minute flight from Brisbane I was met by Dr Stephen Judd, CEO of Hammond Care. Stephen very generously gave up his day to guide me on a visit to the extensive retirement community of Hammondville in a suburb to the South East of Sydney. Hammondville has grown and developed over the past 40 years as one of the largest retirement communities in Australia with a particular specialist expertise in dementia care. Stephen showed me round the site accompanied by Hammond Care Head of South Western Sydney Region Keith Morgan and the managers of the specialist units.


Stephen has been studying dementia care for many years and has collaborated in publishing books on the subject with international colleagues including Professor Mary Marshall of Stirling University. The Hammond philosophy of personalised care within discrete households has been developed over many years and it was reassuring for me to see many of the detailed care and support strategies and design considerations that we are pursuing in Somerset Care are working well at Hammondville. There are scale, density and climatic differences in the Australian context but otherwise many similarities.








Over lunch I was able to discuss my special interest in the arts and older people, storytelling, activities and constructive diversional therapies for people living with dementia with Hammond Care's specialist Occupational Therapist Danielle McIntosh.


Following a drive through the city and over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge Stephen delivered me to the suburb of Forestville and to the home of my friend and host for my remaining time in Sydney, Judi Tucker. It was Judi who originally sparked my interest in digital storytelling when she was supporting her parents, and our much missed Somerset next door neighbours, Ron and Kate Tucker. It was a great pleasure to catch up with Judi, to cool off in her pool and to meet her exuberant labradoodle Abbie.

Location:Sydney