Meet John Singleton, who goes to the Wellness Centres within the new Burwood East Community Hub every week for his “wellness fix”.

He attends the gym to keep supple and build up his core strength and muscle mass under the close supervision of Lilita Laurins, one of the team of expert physiotherapists.

“Lilita is very helpful – but oh boy, does she check me over thoroughly or what!” laughs John. “She certainly knows her stuff. She checks out everything: how I’m walking, sitting, my posture and my strength. I can’t get anything past her! Then she gives me exercises to do every day at home until the next week.”

He also has a fortnightly back massage with massage therapist Meredith Spark which helps with his scoliosis. Then there are hydrotherapy classes with exercise physiologist Anika Mc Williams which John says are well worthwhile.

John and his late wife Shirley used to attend the gym at Uniting AgeWell Strathdon in Forest Hill, which has relocated its services to the brand new one-stop hub at the Burwood East Community Hub “It’s so bright and airy,” explains John. “The gym is very well equipped, and there are so many qualified kind health experts on hand to help. Shirley would have loved it.”

The home care services teams for East Melbourne are also based in the hub, which makes it easy for John to chat to a care advisor about his government-funded home care package.

The retired Telstra telecommunications technician lives on his own in his nearby family home and receives help with cleaning and has a personal alarm – as well of course as using his home care package to access the gym.

“My Care Advisor has been talking to an occupational therapist, and they’re also looking at using my home care package to buy a hi/lo electric bed which will make things easier on my back,” says John. “Nothing is too much trouble for them.”

Now he’s considering joining the Social Connections Group. “It would be nice to meet other people and go on the occasional bus trips and things like that,” he says.

Shirley passed away two years ago, and while John keeps busy, he misses her. They were married for 58 years. “I love reading, especially anything to do with history and I enjoy pottering around the garden,” says John.

He still drives and is very involved with the Hawthorn Presbyterian Church. He does his own shopping and cooking, and loves catching up with his family in Ballarat and Queensland.