Royal Freemasons

12/11/2025

🎁 We are delighted to be running our Christmas Gift Appeal again this year! 🎁 Did you know that a third of people living in residential aged care are socially isolated and rarely receive visits from family and friends?

At Royal Freemasons, there are a number of people in our Residential Aged Care homes and In-home Support services without family or loved ones, and Christmas time, when feelings of separation are heightened, is especially lonely for them.

Our dedicated staff do a wonderful job of making sure they feel cared for, but we want to go above and beyond and surprise them again year with a generous, personalised gift.

Will you help us?

In last year’s appeal, more than 60 of our aged care residents and In-home Support clients were all delighted to receive a specially chosen gift, just for them.

Emma, a Lifestyle Assistant at our Footscray home, says, “When the residents receive the gifts, their reactions are always heartwarming. Many are very surprised that someone took the time to think of them — you can see the joy on their faces. Some even tear up.”

“The Christmas Gift Appeal really makes a difference in the residents’ lives. It brings a real sense of connection and belonging. For residents who are on their own, receiving a gift reminds them that they are part of a caring community.”

There are many people in our care who will spend Christmas without family and loved ones, but with your generous support we can buy them a beautiful, personalised gift to remind them they are thought of, special and loved.

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11/11/2025

This Remembrance Day, residents at our Centennial Lodge home in Wantirna South joined the rest of the nation in observing a minute’s silence to remember those who served and sacrificed their lives for our country.

The day is particularly meaningful for resident Bruce who was in the Army Reserves, and Bob who was a Major General in the Army and served in the Vietnam War.

Lest we forget. 🧡

31/10/2025

👋🏻 Meet John, who has been a resident at our Springtime Residential Aged Care home in Sydenham for four years and loves every aspect of it — the staff, the residents, the care, the homely atmosphere, and the many opportunities to get involved.

“If people are looking to move into aged care, I don’t think you’d find a better place,” says John. “The staff here are very helpful, and not just the caring staff but also the ancillary staff are all wonderful people. If you’re thinking about aged care, consider Royal Freemasons… you’ll be very, very happy.“

To find out more about our Residential Aged Care services, visit royalfreemasons.org.au or call 1300 623 642.

28/10/2025

The country came to our Springtime home in Sydenham last week with a special visit from Parklands Mobile Animal Farm! 🐑

Residents were delighted to meet and greet rabbits, chickens, baby goats and sheep with lots of cuddles and pats.

The animals also made a special visit to residents in their rooms.

15/10/2025

This National Carers Week (12-18 October) we honour and recognise the 3 million carers who provide countless hours of care to the people they love.

If you know a carer, here are some helpful tips to support them.

🧡 Check in regularly – having someone to talk to alleviates the mental strain of caring.
🧡 Offer a break – even just a couple of hours break can make an enormous difference.
🧡 Acknowledge and appreciate – remind them what an amazing job they are doing.
🧡 Initiate support – Ask them how you can be of help.
🧡 Encourage self-care – Remind them to prioritise their own physical and mental health.

12/10/2025

On Thursday 2 October, Royal Freemasons and Freemasons Victoria came together for the President’s Lunch — a celebration and strengthening of the shared values between the two organisations.

For more than 157 years our organisations have upheld and embodied the values of compassion, service, and integrity every day and we are committed to upholding them well into the future for the people we serve.

👉 Read more: royalfreemasons.org.au/royal-freemasons-presidents-lunch-strengthening-ties-and-shared-values/

24/09/2025

We can help you get a higher level of support at home as your care needs increase over time.

Call our In-home Support team today on 1800 756 091 or visit royalfreemasons.org.au/in-home-support/ to register your interest.

15/09/2025

With her interests in music, languages and family history, Betty had lived a full and independent life before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2021.

The signs of the disease had been showing themselves in the years prior in the form of general forgetfulness. Susie, Betty’s daughter, says “I noticed mum couldn’t organise her own tablets in her dosette box and couldn’t understand why they were necessary. There were many other memory-related incidents.”

After a fall in 2023, Betty moved into residential aged care at our Coppin centre home in Melbourne.

“I find the care at Coppin Centre very good,” says Susie. “The activities program is really good, and mum goes to the art class on Thursday and bingo on Tuesdays. The people who run those programs are very kind.”

Susie is no stranger to the difficulties of dementia, with her husband passing away from vascular dementia just a few months ago but knowing her mother is getting good care is a big weight off her shoulders.

Susie says the social support from her friends also gives her respite and relief from the mental intensity of the situation.

“I have lots of friends who are happy to do social things and that makes a huge difference because dealing with dementia is very mentally tiring. People have been so kind and supportive. I also have family — my brother and his wife are very kind.”

This Dementia Action Week (15-21 September) and World Alzheimer’s Day (21 September) we encourage everyone in the community to reach out and support someone impacted by dementia because nobody can do it alone.

Dementia Australia

11/09/2025

We proudly recognised and celebrated R U OK? day today. 💛

The day is an important reminder for us all to check in on loved ones and colleagues any day of the week and ask, "R U OK?"

You never know, heaving a meaningful conversation could change a life.

09/09/2025

101 reasons to celebrate! 🎉🎉

Happy Birthday to Gwen who turned 101 over the weekend!

Before becoming a resident at our Elizabeth Gardens home in Burwood, Gwen lived independently with her family until her late nineties.

When asked what the secret is to her long life, she says, ”Good nutrition as a child; I always ate lots of vegetables.”

07/09/2025

We welcome the Federal Government’s announcement to bring forward the release of 40,000 home care packages by the end of this year, with 20,000 being made available immediately.

We are glad that the more than 200,000 people in the community waiting for care will be able to access in-home support they need.

Our In-home Support team stand ready to provide the care our seniors need to continue living independently and safely at home.

Call our In-home Support team today on 1800 756 091 or visit royalfreemasons.org.au/in-home-support/ to register your interest.

07/09/2025

Happy Father's day to the fathers at Royal Freemasons and everywhere! Thank you for the wisdom, kindness and strength you share.

A big thanks to Jack, Bruce and Linsley from our Centennial Lodge home for sharing their fatherly advice. 💙💙