Over Sixty Spring 2022 Digital

16 YOURMONEY ISSUE 2 | 2022 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU architecture at university in South Africa and then became a water colourist and illustrator with a successful gift stationery collection. The Grey family moved to Australia in 2008. Six years ago, Elise’s husband was di- agnosed with dementia. Sadly, he is now in permanent care in a nursing home, which was a huge adjustment for Elise. “In the early years I wanted to care for him myself,” she says. “He was my best friend, we have been married for more than 50 years and I love that man. But it was the physical challenges that made it so hard. In the end he couldn’t get up and fell off the bed a few times, he was disorientated and confused and it became a full time job. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to put him in a home, but I had to. And then came the guilt.” While this dramatic change to her life cir- cumstances has been challenging, the many facets of Elise’smodelling career have helped to keep her motivated, engaged and full of purpose. She manages a busy Instagram page (@elise.grey), maintains a healthy diet, and exercises nearly every day. “I eat rather healthily and I’m an exercise fanatic, I have always been, it helps me sleep better and most of all hopefully live longer to enjoy our four children and eleven grand- children,” she says. Modelling has also pushed Elise out of her comfort zone. Once, she was asked to model a bra, and a huge poster of her in her under- wear appeared at her local shopping mall. “We walked in and my husband, a church minister, saw it,” says Elise. “He looked at it and said ‘That’s you!’ He was so proud.” HELEN SIGNY YOUR MONEY W ith her floppy hat, impeccably styled clothes and smoky make-up, it looks like model Elise Grey has been walking the catwalk her whole life. But modelling was not something Elise had ever considered until age 69, when her daughter told her about Lyn Slater, an Amer- ican associate professor who became a fash- ion icon in her sixties. Unbeknown to her, Elise’s daughter had sent her photo to Silverfox Mgmt Group, a specialist agency for models over 30. “She sent random everyday photos of me with my grandchildren on my hip – and to my surprise the CEO of Silverfox invited me for an interview,” says Elise, now 74. Silverfox sent her for initial training inMel- bourne, and her first shoot was for an adver- tisement for a retirement village in Canberra. “All I and the other model had to do was walk a dog in the park and just look pretty. I loved it!” Elise says. Since then, she has been on numerous shoots and travelled widely throughout Aus- tralia. She has made close friends with peo- ple she has met on photoshoots, and regu- larly catches up for coffee or lunch with her group, the ‘Foxy Moxies’. Mature age modelling has never been more popular, says BrigitteWarne, co-found- er and CEO of Silverfox Mgmt Group. Never too late for a new career Silverfox was established in 2016, when the mature age modelling industry started to boom overseas. With brands increasingly moving to reflect real-life consumers in their marketing, the demand is continuing to grow. “We have just had our busiest year ever,” says Brigitte, whose company now repre- sents more than 500 models across Australia and New Zealand. “There’s been a huge shift over the last three to four years. When we started, our clients were mainly retirement villages and superannuation funds; now we are working with the biggest fashion and beauty brands in Australia.” Anyone can sign up to be a mature age model. Models come in all ages, from 30 to 90, and in all shapes and sizes. It’s not just looks that appeal to clients – it’s confidence, creativity and willingness to take direction, says Brigitte. “We’re looking for different people all the time, and the market is constantly chang- ing. What our clients really want is someone relatable,” she says. Lack of experience is not an issue, in fact, almost all the models on Silverfox’s books had no experience when they signed up. Although Elise had never modelled be- fore, she had always loved fashion and styl- ing. Originally from Zimbabwe, she studied “What our clients really want is someone relatable” Elise Grey is leading the charge of mature age models, after being signed up to Silverfox Mgmt Group Photos: supplied YOUR MONEY  Protecting against financial elder abuse Continued from page 15 Elise Grey started a new career as a model just five years ago If you feel compelled to give this to a family member, make sure you back it up by having a good solicitor and ideally a good financial planner in place to provide oversight to what is actually happening to your funds. They will be able to alert authorities if the person holding your power of attorney over- steps the mark and starts treating your assets as if they actually own them, rather than have the care of them on your behalf. Always ensure you open your own mail if you have a family member living with you This is particularly important if you still re- ceive printed statements regarding your bank accounts and other investments. Likewise, if you are receiving statements via email and access your investments on- line, don’t allow access to your computer. These might sound like small steps, but they can make a big difference, particularly if you have a loved one who is feeling under financial pressure. Not being guarded about your affairs makes it easy for someone to take advantage. Be very careful who you give access to your bank accounts and credit cards It is very tempting to hand over a credit card, or an access card, to a family member and let them pay, say, for groceries on your behalf. Be very careful if you do this. Keep a close eye on every transaction and don’t be afraid to quiz a family member if you are unsure why a certain amount appears to have gone missing from your account or a strange charge is incurred. If a familymember become defensive, take steps to stop them accessing your accounts. You are entirely within your rights to be con- cerned over where your money is spent, and it is up to them to explain their actions rather than for you to justify yours. Finally, if you feel you are a victim of elder abuse, don’t hesitate in reaching out for help and the sooner you do, the better By being proactive, you will nip this problem in the bud before it becomes a big problem. In doing so, you are more likely to main- tain the relationship with a loved one. It will make them think twice before they try again and if the amount involved is relatively small, it can be quickly put in the past. Note: This is general advice only and you should seek advice specific to your circumstances. Elise Grey is loving every moment of her new career “Isn’t it enough we tip well? Must we also like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter?” Cartoon: Chris Wildt