Amana Life no 48

AMANA LIFE NO 48 AUTUMN 2014

KEEPING YOU INFORMED OF AMANA LIVING NEWS, VIEWS AND EVENTS

CONTENTS Future-proofed housing for Cottesloe..........................2 Rotary youth join residents 4 Over 65s get out and about...............................4 Australia Day Club get-together......................5 Residents assist with nurse training............................5 Dorothy Genders Hostel: end of an era.....................6 Animal magic.....................6 Wheelchairs in the ocean....7

CEO Ray Glickman outside Amana Living’s Cottesloe facility, which is likely to be the site of an innovative over-55s housing development.

Photo courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group

The changing landscape Housing and residential care for older people are going to change dramatically over the coming years.

CEO Ray Glickman explains how Amana Living is embracing the challenge to stay one step ahead.

impacts on traditional service patterns, particularly small residential facilities, which have often served people with low care needs. This means that some tough decisions have to be made about the future of those facilities.

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There is considerable change afoot in terms of both government funding priorities and older people’s housing and care preferences. The impact of this is that more and more people now and in the future will receive care and support at home, whether that be in the family home or in a retirement community.

People are therefore tending not to enter residential care until they have significant care needs.

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This trend is generally positive. It means that those with increasing care needs who want to remain living close to friends and family will be able to do so for longer. However, we are also seeing

Unfortunately, this effect has been felt on our Dorothy Genders Hostel in Mosman Park. We have found ourselves in a position where we couldn’t guarantee the level of care needed for the future due to the increasing clinical needs of residents.

We have therefore been working with the current residents, and their families, to find more suitable care placements over the longer term, most of them in other Amana Living facilities. The Dorothy Genders retirement village remains unaffected by the hostel closure, and we are looking at how we will re-use the hostel site in future for a new service for older Western Australians.

Autumn’s ways: a message from our Senior Chaplain...........................7 Lava lamps and fishing reels................................8 Sensory cushions enrich lives.................................8 ECO Team drives change.....9 New appointments.............9 How we are recognising our staff.................................9 Staff Profile.....................10 The Staff Giving Fund........11

continued over...

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On a more positive note, we are very excited about developing the former Sundowner site in Cottesloe.

It has been good to see positive publicity about this forward-looking development, and you can read more about it below. We have selected architects who can help us deliver a high quality complex that will blend individuality and independence with a strong sense of community and connection. The plan is to provide another meaningful option for those looking to remain living ‘at home’ while coping with the extra challenges that ageing brings.

In the face of ongoing change, we at Amana Living recognise the increasing need to help older people find the mix of housing and support that best meets their needs and desired lifestyle. To this end, we are well advanced now in developing a new service entry. This

will include smarter online and phone support that will help people to navigate the array of solutions available to them, and to plan effectively. Look out for the first stage – our new website – which is due to launch later this year.

In these times of change, Amana Living is working hard to provide the most appropriate range of services to people from all walks of life. This means developing new flexible housing and care solutions, which can be sustained into the future.

Ray Glickman, CEO

Future-proofed housing for Cottesloe Plans are underway to create new high quality apartments for over-55s on the former Sundowner Hostel and Village site in Cottesloe. We talked to Eugene Marchese from architectural firm Marchese Partners, who will be creating concepts for the new development.

Why were you keen to be involved in Amana Living’s proposed Cottesloe development?

When we met with Amana Living, we could immediately see the synergy. Our philosophy is ‘esprit de vie’, or ‘spirit of life’, which aligns very much with Amana Living’s motto, ‘Living the second half of life’.

Our research has told us that there is a common theme in seniors’ housing around the world – a desire for reconnection with communities. This is another example of alignment with Amana Living, as expressed by CEO Ray Glickman, who aims to ‘blend individuality and independence with a strong sense of community and connection’.

Many over-55s complexes have been built away from urban areas and are proving unsuccessful for this reason.

Urbanisation of seniors’ housing is therefore on the increase, enabling access to existing communities and services, including doctors, hairdressers and so on. We believe in creating housing that is not only connected to a wider community, but has facilities that are open so that communities can blend.

Ageing in place is important too – something that Amana Living is increasingly focused on. We need to be looking

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at developments for active seniors, but also for those needing increasing levels of care, which can be delivered into their apartments so they can stay put for as long as possible.

As specialists in housing for over-55s, what changes do you foresee over the next 20 years?

We are seeing the rise of the baby boomer generation, which means a massive shift in psychographics. Baby boomers have a completely different outlook on life from the post-war generation, who tend to have a tolerance for a lifestyle that baby boomers simply won’t tolerate.

The notion that you’re going to grow old in a pseudohospital environment is out the door, and the word ‘resort’ is being used more than ‘facility’ nowadays in relation to over-55s housing. New retirees now want something more akin to a four- or five-star hotel. There is a challenge here in making the financials add up!

The reality is that most housing for over-55s was designed for the older generation. We now need concepts that are future-proofed, so that they have longevity, not just for baby boomers but for the upcoming X generation too.

What are the key challenges in creating housing of this sort?

Mobility is a huge issue. The spaces must be accessible whilst encouraging movement, so we create spaces that have squares, plazas, retail precincts. It’s about making sure residents are comfortable but not dormant.

We need to deliver facilities and activities that residents will be able to access daily, and enough residents to create a sense of activity. We also want families and friends to be able to use the facilities. So the Cottesloe apartments will need to have some height and scale. At the same time, we are cognisant of the homes around the site, and issues such as overshadowing. So the challenge will be to achieve the right scale while respecting the amenity of the neighbourhood.

Do you envisage there being any aspects of the development that might be regarded as unique?

The WA climate, particularly sunlight and the control of sun penetration, will have a major impact on the design.

The notion of outdoor living means incorporating terraces, balconies, big overhangs, lots of glass, and lots of light

in all spaces. This will all help to create a unique and contemporary feel.

What particularly excites you about being involved in this project?

We are currently working in every capital city in Australia except Perth, and we feel that the Perth market is ripe for these new housing concepts. In particular, the notion of community engagement with this sort of housing is new for Perth and in fact has only just started on the east coast.

We love creating paradigm shifts in how people are living, and working with providers such as Amana Living who have the same vision. This has the potential to be a benchmark project for Perth, and even for Australia.

These images of the Waterbrook development in Sydney, designed by Marchese Partners, demonstrate the quality that is proposed for Amana Living’s Cottesloe site.

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Rotary youth join Camillo residents Residents and staff at Thomas Scott Hostel in Camillo welcomed 32 lively young people for morning tea and gardening chores in January.

The group were attending a Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) training camp, and asked if they could visit the hostel for two hours, to interact with residents and carry out some gardening jobs.

The local Rotary International District 9455 has been running the RYLA camps for over 30 years. The 32 young people all aspire to develop their leadership skills and help in their community.

They were certainly a big help at Thomas Scott Hostel, and their company was very much enjoyed by the residents, who shared their life stories and quizzed the young people about their own lives.

Over-65s get out and about with ‘Kites’ Amana Living has relaunched a service that helps over-65s to make new connections.

Older people are among those most likely to be socially isolated, often leading to deterioration in their physical and emotional health. This in turn can make it more difficult for them to get out and about. Amana Living Kites is a social support group that can help prevent this downward spiral.

“Older people need to stay socially involved, and to keep making new connections as they become less mobile or old friends pass away,” said CEO Ray Glickman.

Clients are matched with others of similar age, interests and abilities for day trips and short breaks to suit tight budgets. Popular day trips include Hillarys Boat Harbour, Fremantle, Toodyay, the Swan Valley, Araluen Botanic Park and Kings Park. Short breaks of up to four days can be arranged to destinations a little further afield.

The Amana Living Kites program is funded by HACC (Home & Community Care) to enable over-65s still living at home to maintain health, wellbeing and social contact.

Eligibility for the program and associated costs are determined by HACC.

“We all want to be part of a community – even if it’s just a small circle of friends – and this remains important if we are to stay happy and healthy as we age. The ability to socialise can become difficult for older people though, and we need to be mindful of this.”

Frances Jones is among a growing number of over-65s benefiting from Kites, a recently relaunched group with a new, comfortable van for outings and short breaks, helping like-minded people stay active and connected.

“The day trips are very important to me – without them I would be house-bound,” said Frances, who has enjoyed a river cruise, lunches and movies. “But more important is the company of people around my own age. On every trip there is laughter.”

Amana Living Kites enables over-65s to get out and enjoy life with like-minded people, with the peace of mind that assistance is on hand if they need it.

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Amana Living Kites Support Worker Kathleen Scudds (centre) with clients Allen Petersen, Frances Jones and, in the background, Phyllis Hay, Joe Cooper and Soma Ranasinghe.

Photo courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group

Australia Day Club get-together Clients from our three day clubs got together on Australia Day weekend for a ‘good old shin dig’.

Amana Living Lefroy Day Club Coordinator Arlene Tucker invited clients from all three day clubs to celebrate with carers and relatives on Saturday 25 January.

“We decided to have a good old ‘shin dig’, with dancing, sing-along and toe-tapping,” said Arlene, who, in true Amana Living spirit, believes in going the extra mile to make sure those attending the dementia-specific centres get to enjoy life.

Clients from Catherine King Day Club in Osborne Park and Kinross Day Club joined Lefroy Day Club in Bull Creek for the event.

Music for the knees-up was provided by The Hog Hill Boys, and clients were treated to a sausage sizzle lunch and afternoon tea.

Clockwise from top left: May Tuson, Frank Jankowski and John Griffiths, Steve Clay and Bev Smith, Colin and Joan Finlay.

Residents assist with nurse training Residents in Parry Village are doing their bit to help nursing students learn about older people and health.

Amana Living is facilitating a program in partnership with the Central Institute of Technology (CIT), which sees enrolled nurse students visiting residents every two weeks.

“The REACH program essentially provides enrolled nurse students with an opportunity to look into the retirement sector and practise their learning in a real situation,” said Amana Living Operations Manager, Greg Scroop.

“The aim is to provide a positive learning experience for the students when dealing with the older person,” said CIT lecturer and registered nurse Tracey Newman.

Each resident is booked with one student, and a questionnaire is completed in the participant’s home.

A health check is also performed, and morning tea is provided to allow students and participants to enjoy one another’s company and encourage further communication.

“The program has proved to be extremely positive for both participants and students,” said Ms Newman.

“Residents are often waiting for the students to arrive, and have expressed their pleasure in helping the future nurses with their training.”

Parry residents Bridget (top) and Joan with nurse students Cyrelle (top) and Teagan.

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Dorothy Genders Hostel – end of an era The Amana Living Board has regretfully made the decision to close Dorothy Genders Hostel by 1 July this year.

lack of appropriate staffing and facilities. To ensure the continued wellbeing of our residents, we needed to act before we reached this ‘tipping point’.”

The Mosman Park hostel was designed as a low care facility with a small number of beds (28). Due to the funding changes that have occurred in residential care in recent years, and the trend towards in-home care, the majority of residents coming to the hostel in recent months have had higher care needs.

A team of on-site care managers have supported the residents and their families during the transition period, assisting in a smooth transition to alternative facilities that are better able to meet their individual needs over the long term. The majority have moved to alternative Amana Living facilities, where further support has been provided to help them settle into their new homes.

“The hostel size limits the level of care that can be provided for residents with higher dependency needs,” said Chief Operating Officer Suzi Cowcher. “It is difficult to staff a small hostel adequately to meet acute clinical needs without the economies of scale offered by larger homes.

“As needs become more acute, we were approaching a time when residents would have been at risk due to

Human Resources support was provided for our staff in finding alternative, comparable positions. We value our staff highly, and have endeavoured to place them all within other Amana Living facilities wherever possible.

The Amana Living Board has regretfully made the

Animal magic When an Amana Living resident was grieving the loss of her husband, staff encouraged her to be responsible for Bindi, a dog belonging to carer Isobel Clews.

A story on the Wearne House pets is to appear later this year in Medical Forum, a magazine for WA health professionals.

“She would walk around the block with Bindi on the lead talking with people she’d meet along the way,” said Amana Living Service Manager Sharon Maitland. “This had the added positive effect of linking her with the wider community.”

Isobel brings her dog into Wearne House in Mandurah regularly so that residents can enjoy the contact, caring and activity. At times of loss, animals can play a particularly important role, as in the case of the Wearne House resident.

Sharon sees a number of benefits in having pets around at Wearne House. Residents are often encouraged to feed the animals and, if they’re able, to walk any visiting dogs.

“Apart from Bindi, we also have Jonesy the parrot and a budgie named Elvis. Sometimes staff members bring in their own pets and they stay the whole day. The hairdresser at Wearne House has a farm and she brings her miniature pony to visit.

“It’s a bit of extra work setting up the pet program but it’s well worth it! These animals provide a real level of companionship and evoke memories of beloved pets.”

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Isabel Clews and Bindi with Wearne residents Geoff Giles and Amy King.

Photo courtesy Mandurah Mail

Wheelchairs in the ocean On Tuesday mornings in summer, Amana Living residents venture up to Hillarys Boat Harbour for a swim. Nothing unusual about a beach trip, you might think – until you witness this one.

Lynn says the residents benefit from the exercise and movement, the opportunity to mix with different age groups in the community, the sensory experience, and the reminiscences.

Without the beach swim program coordinated by Physiotherapist Lynn Rathbone at Lady McCusker Home, these residents would probably never again feel sand between the toes or float in the ocean. All who take part have very low mobility and need high nursing care.

“The beach swim has been going for many years,” said Amana Living Service Manager Stephanie Steensma.

“It works really well, thanks to great teamwork from our staff. It’s always worth the effort and rewarding for everyone because the residents absolutely love it.”

Specially modified wheelchairs enable staff to push the residents down ramps onto the sand and right into the ocean. The residents are then ‘floated’ off the wheelchairs into ‘noodle’ seats, which allows them to relax and paddle to their hearts’ content.

“We invite four of our residents to the beach each week,” said Lynn Rathbone. “Once in the water, we encourage the residents to kick their legs, move their arms and generally enjoy the freedom of movement in the water.”

Janet Pengelli enjoys the freedom of floating, with Physiotherapy Assistant Vicki Bell’s support.

Photo courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group

Autumn’s ways The Reverend David Atkinson is retiring from his role as Senior Chaplain after nine years in order to take up a part-time position as Priest in Charge at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in East Victoria Park / Bentley. We are delighted that he will remain with Amana Living in a part-time chaplaincy role. David has nurtured a strong chaplaincy team during his time as Senior Chaplain, reinforcing the Anglican Essence of Amana Living and representing a clear voice on the Leadership Team. This is David’s final Amana Life message as our Senior Chaplain.

In the southern parts of Australia we are surrounded by mixed messages about autumn.

Deciduous trees and plants from the northern hemisphere live alongside our own natives and some imported trees, which are evergreen.

We see in a wonderful way the hand of God in nature. The leaves of the deciduous trees bring a beauty as they change colour before they fall in preparation for winter. If you are one who worries about it, there is the sweeping up to think about! But left where they fall, the leaves add to the richness of the soil for the trees themselves.

Losing their leaves enables the trees to survive the harshness of winter and thrive in the ensuing spring and summer.

For the evergreens it is different. It will be the end of a long hot summer where life-giving water is less available. The bush is tired, and autumn is a season of hope. The rains are not far away and the temperatures are dropping. There are beautiful days in autumn, bringing the promise of freshness.

It’s like that for all of us at times. Even organisations like Amana Living have their seasons: the lushness and growth of spring, the restorative rains of winter, the heat and fun of summer. We have seen some autumn days recently too, with the closure of Sundowner Hostel and Village and imminently of Dorothy Genders Hostel. It’s at times like these that it may help us to remember that autumn comes for a reason, and brings with it preparation and hope for the gifts of the other seasons.

May our God always guide us through the seasons, and may we always give thanks for His grace.

David Atkinson Snr Chaplain

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Lava lamps and fishing reels Paying attention to the individual needs of residents with dementia is an important focus of the Amana Living dementia services team.

One way of doing this is to provide specific activities that reflect the past roles that residents with dementia have fulfilled over their lives.

The challenge of finding items that bring back memories led Dementia Specialist Louise Jones to the Amana Living Corporate Office. Staff here are a step removed from the care environment, which means they jump at the chance to be involved with residents and clients when they can.

Louise put out a request for staff to donate nostalgic items that reflect familiar tasks and activities, such as sewing kits, fishing tackle, baby clothes or jewellery boxes. She was overwhelmed by the response, and was able to supplement the donations with items from op shops, resulting in activity boxes with various themes.

“I have got very excited about the donations, especially the lava lamp, the pile of baby clothes for our lifelike doll, the very expensive baby stroller in perfect condition that I picked up from a roadside collection, the wooden cotton reels (when did you last see one of those?), and the fishing reels and tackle box.”

Amana Living’s Peter Arney Home in Salter Point was the first to benefit from the boxes. The facility’s occupational therapy staff use them to provide experiences that enhance residents’ wellbeing and connection with those around them. Staff then record in the residents’ care plans which activity boxes they find enjoyable.

Louise aims to empower staff at all the dementia-specific sites to create and use their own activity boxes.

Sensory cushions enrich lives Amana Living has received a gift of more than 40 ‘sensory cushions’ for older people living with dementia.

across Perth, including in Kinross, Osborne Park, Bull Creek, Duncraig, Bayswater, Salter Point, Coolbellup, Lesmurdie and Camillo.

The cushions were lovingly created by members of the Stake Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, following information gathered from Alzheimer’s Australia WA. After ten months of crafting the elaborate sensory items, members of the society presented them to the Amana Living Manager of Dementia & Restorative Services, Louise Hancock, and Dementia Specialist Louise Jones. Cushions were also donated to residents of Baptistcare.

“These cushions will be a wonderful way to help our residents and clients living with dementia to connect through tactile and visual stimulation, especially those who are no longer able to communicate verbally,” said Amana Living CEO Ray Glickman. “They may also bring back memories for those who used to enjoy craft activities in their younger days.”

Several volunteers who are active within the Relief Society have at some stage in their lives been involved with caring for those who live with dementia, according to the Society’s president Linda Burns.

“It is very dear to our hearts to give service in this area,” she commented.

The cushions have been distributed to Amana Living’s dementia-specific residential care and day club facilities

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Louise Hancock and Louise Jones accepting the gift of over 40 sensory cushions from Jeni Winslow, Linda Burns and Dora Tan of the Dianella Stake Relief Society.

ECO Team drives change Amana Living’s ECO (Environmentally Conscious Organisation) Team is driving a culture change to encourage our caring staff to care for our planet.

Chaired by our CEO, Ray Glickman, the ECO Team includes our Business Analyst, who monitors and reports on energy and water usage across all sites; our Sustainability Coordinator, who motivates staff to pay attention to the little things that add up to a big carbon footprint; and our Property Manager and maintenance staff, who are the key to sustainable change. They are the ones who notice broken reticulation, under-used recycling bins, lights left on, dripping taps and so on.

“Often it’s a matter of just being aware,” said Sustainability Coordinator Linda Mortimer. “For example, we are trying to help staff understand the impact of having air conditioners set below a very comfortable 24C in summer; or ignoring a leaking cistern, which can waste a litre of water a minute.”

The team has implemented a grant system, enabling facilities to apply for funds to carry out projects that reduce our carbon footprint. First to receive a grant was Parry Hostel in Lesmurdie.

Two projects were identified by Maintenance Officer Andrew Floyd, who is a keen ambassador for the ECO Team. Lighting in Parry Hostel’s communal walkways has now has been replaced with fuel-efficient LED lighting, reducing electricity use, and water run off during the monthly fire suppression system test is now recycled back into the fire tank. Previously, the test involved flushing the lines and pumping around 2,000 litres of water into soak wells.

Our thanks go to Chubb Fire for supporting this project as a commitment to sharing the responsibility of watersaving in the community.

New appointments Amana Living welcomes the following Service Managers: Freeman Figgins, Hale Hostel Freeman comes to us with a varied range of experience in aged care, including a leadership position in a dementia specific facility and managing the day-to-day activities in a nursing home setting.

Ivy Hoyle, James Brown House

Ivy is a Registered Nurse with wide experience in general, mental health and dementia-specific nursing; she has held teaching and clinical management roles in both nursing home and dementia-specific settings.

Stephanie Steensma, Lady McCusker Home Stephanie has extensive aged care experience, is a Registered Nurse, has previously held senior leadership roles and has been responsible for managing large teams of staff.

How we are recognising our staff We are inviting residents, clients and their families, our staff and volunteers to tell us about staff members who have made a real difference to their lives, simply by doing the right thing in the right way.

We want to recognise staff who have really made a difference by living this philosophy every day, and our new recognition scheme aims to do just that. The person recognising the staff member simply fills out a slip and drops it into a box or posts it back to us.

The ‘right thing’ means turning every encounter into an opportunity. We expect all our staff to respect our residents and clients as individuals with their own personal preferences and their own life story to share.

They try to make everyday activities special, so that simple things like showering, cleaning or chatting become opportunities to really communicate and have some fun.

Staff receiving recognition will be acknowledged at staff meetings, with rewards being given out to outstanding staff each month. Those who receive rewards will automatically be nominated for the ‘Spirit of Amana Living’ Award, to be presented at the annual Staff Ball and Awards Night.

The ‘right way’ means pitching in with a smile, having a positive attitude, helping one another out and just making work an enjoyable experience.

If you wish to recognise a staff member in this way, ask for a recognition slip at one of our facilities, or obtain one from your Home Care Worker.

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Staff Profile Garry Jacobs, Volunteer Coordinator We were delighted to welcome Garry to Amana Living in 2013, after a long search for the right person to fill this vital role. Garry quickly worked out what needs to be done to increase our volunteer pool, to match them with suitable sites and activities, and to ensure that they are well supported.

What attracted you to the role of Volunteer Coordinator at Amana Living?

A few years ago I decided to aim towards working in the not-for-profit aged care sector. I wanted to work in an area that allowed me to give back to people in need. I’d spent 40 plus years in retail and distribution, so I thought a complete change of direction would be stimulating and interesting – and it is.

How has your previous career led you to this point?

needy and in many cases to their own families. Mostly, they get involved in volunteering to make their own life richer and more rewarding and to positively impact on the lives of others.

What changes do you hope to bring about?

Early this year we will introduce a training program that will improve volunteers’ understanding of aged care facilities and ensure they have adequate manual handling and safety knowledge.

We want to keep in touch with our volunteers more regularly, keeping them better informed of changes in our world.

But the biggest change I am working towards is to ensure our entire community understands, appreciates and values more greatly the work of our volunteers.

I spent over 20 years in the Co-operative movement and being involved in Rotary International. In many ways members of Co-ops and Rotary are very similar to people working in aged care. They have clear visions, and they regularly do things for the good of others. They share problems and work together. It has been a good training ground for working in the aged care industry.

Can you explain briefly why Amana Living needs volunteers and describe the difference they make?

Volunteers make all the difference! In a busy business like aged care, volunteers take the time to do the little things, the things that change a mood, lift a spirit or just engage a person to do something they love doing. Our culture, our reputation and how people view Amana Living are significantly affected by the time our team of volunteers devote to assisting our residents. All of our sites benefit greatly from the diverse group of volunteers we have and

the activities they engage in.

Garry Jacobs

What are the key challenges of your role?

I’m working to expand the number of volunteers and to broaden the areas where they are able to assist.

Encouraging compassionate and caring people to realise that volunteering can make an enormous difference to people living the second half of their lives is a top priority for me.

We are keen to find more volunteers who can assist our male residents in areas like men’s sheds, outings and fishing. Finding volunteers with a special interest that we can match up to a resident with the same interest is also a challenge that comes to us from time to time.

And what are the rewards of working in this area?

It’s great! I get to help people helping other people. All the volunteers want to give back to the community, to the

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Volunteers wanted We are constantly looking for caring compassionate individuals to volunteer at Amana Living. We need gardeners, drivers, men’s shed helpers, talkers, walkers, shopping trolley or wheelchair pushers.

Whatever your area of interest, we will try to match you to a facility that suits your location and availability.

Contact Garry on 0477 722 411 or gjacobs@amanaliving.com.au You really can make a difference by volunteering at Amana Living!

The Staff Giving Fund Winston Churchill once said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

The Amana Living Staff Giving Fund is a way for our employees to give while they earn – helping to enrich the lives of our residents and clients.

Staff are offered the chance to opt into the Staff Giving Fund, which entails making a regular contribution from their salary to the Amana Living Foundation.

The purpose of the fund is to pay for projects that would not otherwise be possible, which enrich lives in the areas of greatest need.

The Amana Living Leadership Team recently invited senior staff to outline projects that they would like to see come to fruition. Contributors to the Staff Giving Fund were given the opportunity to vote on the projects, and those votes were taken into account in the decision-making process.

The list of proposals was long, and choosing the ‘winners’ was a very difficult task. They include site-specific projects, such as new library shelving at Wollaston Court retirement village in Albany, and funding for services, such as therapeutic tools for Dementia Services.

“Wollaston Court residents would like library shelving and new large print books to be provided in their community room,” said Maria Davison, General Manager, Home Care & Housing.

“There are a number of residents who find it difficult to get to the local library, and there is no mobile library service in Albany. We felt that providing a small in-house library would be a great way to enrich the lives of these residents.”

Zenith Zeeman, General Manager, Clinical Services, welcomes funding for the Dementia Services tools.

“Therapeutic tools, such as robotic pets and ‘fiddle’ cushions, will be extremely useful in assisting residents and clients to settle, reducing their anxiety and agitation,” he said.

Louise Hancock (left), Manager, Dementia and Restorative Services, will soon have new therapeutic tools at her fingertips thanks to the Staff Giving Fund.

Photo: Leon Shaffer

Thanks to our sponsors Amana Living relies on the generous support of sponsors. This enables us to hold enrichment events and run programs that go beyond standard care, including our annual Residents’ and Clients’ Party and our McCusker Nurse Service for the carers of those living with dementia. We are extremely grateful to:

McCusker Charitable Foundation

CEO Ray Glickman said he is grateful to staff for their generosity in contributing to the fund.

“As a not-for-profit organisation operating in a challenging economic climate, we are always looking for ways to fund projects like this, which enrich the lives of our residents and clients,” he said.

“The Staff Giving Fund enables us to carry out projects that would otherwise be difficult to fund, and those contributing to the fund get the satisfaction of seeing their donations well spent.”

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