Living a life that is pain free and being mobile enough to do the things that enhance everyday living are Dora’s personal mountains to climb.  Luckily, she isn’t alone.  

Dorothea (Dora) Zorbas has no ambitious plans to go hiking or take up competitive sport.  “It just makes a difference to sleep at night without pain,” she explains. 

She’s got a whole team of Allied Health professionals at Uniting AgeWell’s Bundoora Community Hub on her side.  They cheer her on at every step and make sure she’s climbing safely. 

At the peak, are activities that are not only necessary but bring her deep joy.  Like being able to bend over and pick up her one-and-a-half-year-old grandson.  Or driving her car to the shops and being able to look both ways as she crosses the intersection.  

These things can so easily be taken for granted, until you lose them.  For Dora arthritis was the start.  Now she has made incredible progress with a tailored exercise and wellbeing program; she’s not going back. 

“Despite the arthritis, I can do these things now that I have been going to the gym,” says Dora.  “I feel so much better, my neck is improving and so is my back.” 

She now attends  the newly opened state-of-the-art Community Hub in the Unit Hill Town Centre in Bundoora.   It offers even more support and choice for older Australians in Victoria’s North.   

“I moved with Uniting AgeWell from the previous site in Northcote,” Dora says firmly.  “Why wouldn’t I?   It’s the same wonderful caring staff but with better and more modern equipment.” 

Dora used to go every week, but now she is stronger she goes every third or fourth to maintain her mobility levels.  She enjoys chatting with the other ladies.  Like many in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs, they were born in Greece, like Dora. 

This is the other aspect of attending the Community Hub Dora didn’t count on.  The community.  Exercise bikes or weights aside, it’s conveniently situated in the popular shopping centre known for its wonderful cafes and shops.  And as Dora knows, when the coffee comes out things aren’t so different to church or the villages that are often the subject of shared memories. 

“It’s so handy,” says Dora.  “I go to the Community Hub and then can do a spot of shopping in the centre.” 

Uniting AgeWell’s newest Community Hub is now open at Unit Hill in Bundoora and offers a diverse array of services to help you live well and feel strong at any age. Come and try sessions will be hosted throughout August and September to launch the new space.