Shuffleboard phenomenon brings joy to disengaged aged care residents
Rugby league Hall of Famer Steve ‘Turvey’ Mortimer has high hopes for the accessible sport he pioneered to do good in Australian aged care facilities.
Steve and his son Andrew Mortimer have brought shuffleboard to ten retirement homes so far, facilitating competitions to engage seniors including those physically impaired.
The residents of Carrington Centennial Care recently brought their best moves to the table, with Colin eventually taking home the trophy.
Click PLAY below to see Colin in action
In the new year, forty of the best players will come together for an inter-home tournament.
For Steve, the tournament is the result of a three-decade long love affair with the game.
“I just took it, and I thought this is going to be absolutely wonderful for my mother and father … as well as anyone else that’s well over 70 years of age.”
There are hopes the game could be expanded across the country, with the help of federal government funding and research by Western Sydney University, Andrew explained.
“Anecdotally, with the events we’ve run, we’ve had a lot of positive outcomes from people participating in shuffleboard that are otherwise not really participating in other activities in aged care.
“This is effectively a pilot program.”
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