By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
HIS motto is “I’m going to die happy” and for more than 10 years John Doutch has been spreading it all over Casey.
An ageing positively champion, Mr Doutch, 68, has been recognised in this year’s Victorian Seniors of the Year Awards taking home the COTA Senior Achiever Award on Thursday 1 October at Government House.
The Berwick resident of 16 years and avid volunteer said he was very humbled by the recognition.
“It may be a glass trophy with my name on it but it’s not about what I’ve got in my hand, it’s what it means,” Mr Doutch said.
Spreading his time between four volunteer-run organisations all based around ageing positively, Mr Doutch said the programs are about giving people the tools to deal with some of the challenges faced with ageing.
“We age from the day we are born but as we become more mature the number of challenges such as finance, health, self-esteem, loneliness and isolation increase,” he explained.
“As you grow older things can happen that you may not have expected, like caring for grandchildren and health conditions can change and you need to be able to manage them all psychologically.”
As the world trails behind the three W’s, Mr Doutch said the programs he is a part of are very much needed in Victoria’s ageing population.
“Things have changed and ‘if you want more information’ it always starts with w, w, w and people of a mature age haven’t been trained in that technology.
“Even though they are becoming more tech savvy, I can lead them to organisations that can assist with their needs instead of visiting a website,” he said.
Giving people a helping hand to remain independent, Mr Doutch said he may be 68 years old but he’s still young.
“Life expectancy is a lot longer in general which means there are more challenges to overcome and the older generation can be typecast and seen as a burden.
“I do what I do because I want to give back to the community I’ve grown up with and assist people to age in a positive sense,” he said.
Winner of the City of Casey Senior Citizens Award last year, Mr Doutch said it’s nice to receive a thankyou every now and again.
“It was a fantastic experience to be in Government House and be presented with an award in front of the Governor of Victoria,” he said.
