There’s a lot that Val Fell has accomplished for older people in her 93 years – and now she can add a Queen’s Birthday honour to her long list of achievements.
Val, an ambassador for Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), Dementia Australia and Council on the Ageing (COTA), as well as a member of the Aged Care Council of Elders, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to people with dementia.
According to OPAN CEO Craig Gear, Val’s contribution to aged care reform advocacy “cannot be overstated”.
“Val’s commitment to ageing well and refusing to accept what she has jokingly described as her ‘use-by date’ has been an inspiration to me and countless others.
“Val’s passion for improving people’s lives is a constant reminder that you’re never too old or too young to make a difference,” he said.
Val says this award in the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is “extra special” for her.
“I was there on the embankment to watch her coronation in 1953 so it’s a bit full circle,” she said.
That’s not all, though – Val is also Australia’s oldest uni student, taking a Bachelor of Dementia Care at the University of Tasmania “in her spare time”, and is participating in several dementia research projects.
“Research is necessary to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers,” she said.
If there was ever a long-overdue award, it’s this one.
