Not many seniors move into an aged care home after they turn 100: Olive is an exception
The average age of women moving into residential aged care is 85 years.
But Brisbane woman Olive Crawford was 103 when she recently made the move to Carinity Hilltop in Kelvin Grove, an inner northern suburb, 3km from the city's CBD.
One of four siblings, Olive was born in the coastal town of Southport on 1 May 1921. She lived on the Gold Coast with her younger brother and sister until her mother sadly died.
“My mother passed away when I was six years old, and I ended up as a Ward of the State,” said Olive, who had tuberculosis when she was a child.
“I moved to New South Wales when I was young, and I then joined the army. That is where I met my husband.”
Olive married Robert Crawford in September 1944 and they lived in Sydney following the end of World War II. The couple had two sons.
“After I got married and left the army I worked in a hospital. After this I worked as a dressmaker and made clothes for my children,” Olive said.
Olive was also a maid who studied massage. Her son, Robert, recalls people were always coming to the family house to get their back cracked.
Olive, who has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, has been inducted into the Carinity 100 Club for centenarians. She is one of two centenarians living at Carinity Hilltop who turned 100 after moving into the residential aged care community.
They are amongst 10 centenarians currently living in Carinity residential aged care communities in Brisbane and Ipswich.
