A warm Colombian welcome for aged care resident

Bolton Clarke Trevi Court residents are sharing empanadas and watching cumbia dancing during their Colombian-inspired day to welcome their newest resident to the home.

Growing up in the second-largest city of Colombia, Medellin, Nubia made the move to Australia in her early 30s and says the opportunity to share her culture with her fellow residents was unforgettable.

“We moved to Australia in 1979 in the hope that my children may have more opportunities here,” Nubia said.

“We were very happy in Colombia but we wanted to start a new life, learning English and finding work in Australia.  I still have everything in my life here as I did in Colombia.

“I am very happy and proud to be sharing my culture with the other residents.”

As part of the celebrations, Nubia’s daughter Angela and the team organised traditional Colombian dancers to show residents a big part of the country’s culture.

“The dancers that came are like family because they have known mum since they all came to Australia,” Angela said.

“The whole day was beautiful because some of our other family members decided to come as well, and it was just lovely to have everyone celebrating together.

“Mum plays a traditional Colombian dice game and we were raised Catholics so we do rosary every day together, so there are many things mum does to keep her connected to her culture.”  

As part of the home’s regular activities, Lifestyle Coordinator Eric was keen to highlight Nubia’s culture to not only welcome her but give other residents an experience they may not have had previously.

“We know that Colombian culture is rich and vibrant and Nubia has a beautiful connection to her culture," Eric said.

“We have a lot of residents with different backgrounds, particularly Italian heritage, so many of the residents and team members didn’t know much about Colombia at all.

“The residents loved it. We made a full day of it with the dancing, food, trivia and we even watched a documentary about Medellin.”