N O R TH N S W CO N FE R E N CE N E WS
DEC
2013
The same safe places and life stories: Adventist Senior Living of its Adventist Senior Living public “brand.” “We have made the decisions to expand after prayerful and careful consideration of many factors,” says David. “Maintaining the Adventist identity and ensuring that people continue to come first have been the most important principles that have guided this process.” Under the public brand of Adventist Senior Living, all four villages are now called Lifestyle Communities, with the two new villages joining the Avondale and Alstonville Lifestyle Communities in providing quality aged care in excellent facilities, through personalised services and in key locations. David says Jewells and Wyee Point residents knew nothing about the Adventist Church, our beliefs and our practices until Adventist Senior Living took over the further development of their villages.
Set a group of men the task of making ukuleles in the Hobby Shed of the Avondale Lifestyle Community in Cooranbong — formerly known as the Avondale Retirement Village — and one creates a safe space where stories are shared and friendships are created. Kenn Duke, Chaplain at the Avondale Lifestyle Community who recently started the Ukulele Project, is passionate about discovering residents’ and community members’ life stories, as well as encouraging people to feel open to share about their life discoveries, including their spiritual beliefs. “I started the Ukulele Project as a meaningful hobby,” he says. “We plan to use the ukuleles to make music in our community and to sell to others in the future. This activity gives the men involved an opportunity to share and connect in a safe environment, and to make new friends. It’s exciting to be part of discovering life stories that go beyond someone’s work or career.” Rom, a man from the local community, comes regularly to the Hobby Shed to work on the ukuleles. The friendship Rom is developing with Kenn and the Avondale residents could not have been possible without this project.
“They now have a positive experience with the Church. We are quickly becoming friends and so fulfilling our aim to provide a ‘home among friends’ for all of our residents,” says David. Whether the safe places are created in the Hobby Shed at Cooranbong, at the Biggest Morning Tea at Wyee Point, at gardens in Jewells or during walks at Alstonville, one thing is sure: Adventist Senior Living is ministering to many. Adventist Senior Living has been in the aged-care industry since 1960, and operate four Lifestyle Communities in Cooranbong and Wyee Point (30 and 20 minutes north of the Central Coast), in Jewells (15 minutes south of Newcastle) and in Alstonville (20 minutes north of Ballina). — Jo-Anne Vint You will find more information about Adventist Senior Living in the February 2014 issue of NorthPoint. For more information now, please visit <www.adventistseniorliving.com.au>, call (02) 4977 0000 or email <enquiries@adventistseniorliving.com.au>.
“To me the Ukulele Project, although simple and only in its early stages, demonstrates again that at Adventist Senior Living, we put people first by recognising that each resident is unique and by thinking up ways of celebrating their uniqueness,” says David Knight, Chief Executive Officer of Adventist Senior Living, the “public face” of the Seventh-day Adventist Aged Care (NNSW) Ltd company. Adventist Aged Care in North New South Wales has experienced rapid growth this year with the purchase of two new Lifestyle Communities in Jewells and Wyee Point (you can read more about this in the March edition of NorthPoint), and with the launch
In this issue:
Page 2: From the President: A growing devotional life Pages 3: NNSW Conference Office team raises funds for Knocktober Page 5: Port Macquarie celebrates International Creation Sabbath N O RT H P O I N T // 1 Insert: NNSW Conference Big Camp 2014 application form
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