Part 1 The Calos-Clark Family
1.1 Introduction to the Calos-Clark family
Jennene Greenhill and Anna Foster
Family genogram
Introduction to family and community
This part provides a series of case studies about an older gay couple, named Jay and Giani. They moved to northern New South Wales soon after they met to establish a lifestyle that suits their values and enhances their wellbeing. They set up a beautiful home in an inclusive community and were very actively involved in social and community events.
This part illustrates how both men experience life changing health concerns and the challenges they face in navigating the health system in a regional area. The part begins with a section outlining family background, history and relationships, with a brief overview of their lifestyles as they transition to retirement. This is followed by 4 case studies including: 1) a total knee replacement, 2) complex issues in equity and inclusion, 3) dementia, and 4) climate emergencies affecting health outcomes.
The Calos-Clark family
Giani Calos (56) and Jay Clark (62) are cisgender men in a same-sex relationship who met 16 years ago at an event hosted by mutual friends in Sydney. At the time of their meeting, Jay had recently left his marriage to his wife Jules, whom he had been with since he was 25. Jay had felt for some time he was gay and had come out to Jules resulting in tension and eventual separation. When he met Giani, who was originally from Ecuador, it was his first real same-sex relationship. He says he found his soulmate when they met at a music festival in Sydney. On the other hand, Giani thought Jay a bit boring at first and took several weeks to warm to him. They are now a deeply loving couple and strongly committed to each other.
Shortly after getting together, they felt called to have a sea-tree change and make the move to a more rural setting. They each felt a bit burnt out by the Sydney scene and moved to Brunswick Heads in an area known as the ‘rainbow region’ of northern NSW. Upon moving to Brunswick Heads, the couple developed a block of land on Riverside Crescent, originally purchased by Jay and Jules. Now owned solely by Jay, it has a beautiful view of the Brunswick River and the forest that surrounds the block. They brought in a Queenslander house they had saved from demolition in Beenleigh. They had it lifted to create storage and covered parking underneath for their primary vehicles and Jay’s vintage car. They lovingly restored the house to its original 1930s federation style condition, and it is now their pride and joy.
Giani and Jay are extremely happy following the move to Brunswick Heads. Giani became a spiritual healer following a life changing retreat in the Byron Hinterland 10 years earlier. Jay retired from teaching music in high schools about 3 years ago, and since then, he and Giani have opened Natural Rhythms, a business that offers private music lessons and spiritual healing. They are very popular in the area and have c