All in the spirit of fun for Mercy Place residents

Fright night became a ghoulish afternoon when residents at many of Mercy Health’s residential aged care home stretching from Mercy Place Cairns (Bethlehem) in Northern Australia to many Mercy Place homes in regional Victoria donned their creepiest costumes to celebrate Halloween.

With spooky punch and spine-tingling tunes setting a devilish backdrop, All Hallows’ Eve saw wicked witches, dreaded demons and ghastly ghosts take over aged care homes in a Halloween parties to beat all others.

After the occasion, Mercy Place Cairns (Bethlehem) General Manager Precinct, Zubair Coovadia, said residents and staff looked forward to transforming their everyday persona into something a little more offbeat.

“Most of our residents didn’t celebrate Halloween when they were children, because it has only really become popular over the past decade in Australia,” he said.

“So it was a chance for our seniors to experience some of the magic of dressing up and trick or treating, as well as joining in with some themed games and enjoying some party food.

“At Mercy Health, we think it’s important to create opportunities for both our staff and residents to have some fun and joviality in an inclusive way, and I think it’s fair to say that everyone really enjoyed the occasion.”

Mercy Place Colac Lifestyle manager Mandy Dawes said the event was always a fun occasion.

“Our residents don’t mind having a laugh at their own expense.

“The costumes are a little crazy but they always put a smile on the faces of our residents,” Mandy said.