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Christadelphian Aged Care W I N T E R N E W S L E T T E R
SOUTHHAVEN NURSING HOME
Address: 11 Queensbury Rd, Padstow Heights
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Phone: (02) 9782 6010
Email: admin@chomes.com.au
Managers Message
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Welcome to Southhaven Nursing Home
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. nnn
Gal 5:22-23
Hi again, The winter chill is well and truly upon us and we have all had our Flu vaccination to help ward off that horrible flu. Please refrain from visiting if you have a cough or cold as this will help prevent the spread of unwanted germs. If you are unable to stay away please ask the staff to provide you with a mask. We would appreciate if you could bring in warmer clothing and take away the summer clothing as this will help prevent clutter in the rooms and wardrobes. Could I also ask that heavy items not be stored on top of the wardrobes as they can fall and cause injury. Your assistance with this would be greatly appreciated. I would like to thank you all for your patience and understanding whilst we have been installing our sprinkler system. I understand this may have been an inconvenience for some of you but we must commend the workmen for helping make it as painless as possible. The “Fitting Together” committee organised a fun Harmony Day on 21st March 2014. Staff, Relatives and Friends came together and put on a great show. Thank you to all who helped make Harmony Day so memorable and exciting. The committee is in the process of organising a Bridal Show to be held on 3 September 2014. If anyone has a bride or bridesmaid’s dress that can be worn on the day or displayed; wedding photos or other wedding memorabilia, please let us know and we will take extra care of them for you and return them to you after the day. If you have any concerns or issues please feel free to come and see me as my door is always open. Kind regards, Peter Jessing
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” - Philippians 2:4
Message from our CEO I would like to thank the residents of Southhaven Hostel, Casa Mia and Maranatha for their patience and understanding as the renovations at those sites continue. Whilst our staff do as much as they can to minimise the disruption to our residents, inevitably, given the scale of the refurbishment being undertaken, residents may become unsettled. Please speak to the facility manager if you have any particular concerns or suggestions as our staff continue to deal with day to day practicalities. Due to the nature of the equipment used and constant movement of people, care facilities suffer significant wear and tear and the renovation works at these 3 sites will revitalise the environment and amenity for our residents. In the next few months we will be commencing some painting and re-flooring at Ashburn House, Ridgeview and Chamberlain Gardens. Shortly we will advise residents and families of start dates. This work does not involve major construction so any disturbance to residents should be of a minor nature. 1st July is the implementation date of the new funding arrangements and other provisions of the Living Longer Living Better legislation. The legislation introduced by the former Government brings significant change to the aged care sector with an expansion of Home Care services and funding changes for Residential Care which will impact both consumers/residents and facility operators. Information regarding these changes can be found on the Living Longer Living Better website. Alternatively, specific information relating to Christadelphian Aged Care is available on our website. The existing arrangements for most residents who have entered into care prior to 1st July are "grandfathered" under the legislation. It is a privilege for Christadelphian Aged Care to look after all those who choose to live in our Homes, and I would like to once again acknowledge the dedication of all our staff and volunteers in providing the best possible environment and care for our residents. Regards, Ross Peden
UPCOMING EVENTS
JUNE 1st - Riverwood Christadelphian Concert 4th - High Tea: Queen’s Birthday Celebration 18th - Entertainment with Kane 25th - Rookwood Rockers
JULY 9th - Feathered Friends 23rd - Entertainment
AUGUST 6th - George the Entertainer 14th - Christadelphian Combined Concert 27th - Entertainment with Kane
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
10 Laurel M
1 Matti I
1 Alan C
17 John N
5 Sheila C
2 Santino G
26 Patricia P
10 Hilda S
9 Dorothy C
28 Sarah B
15 Mavis I
13 Catherine D
26 Maria D
15 George C
29 Joan B
16 John H 27 Maureen C 29 Joan O 30 Decie C 30 Allan P 30 Douglas R
Activity Reviews MARCH
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” Col 3:14
Harmony Day
The message for Harmony Day, held on Friday 21st March, was “everyone belongs” - a day to celebrate Australia’s diversity. At Southhaven Nursing Home, we celebrated Harmony Day by participating in activities which helped our residents to learn and understand how all Australians from diverse backgrounds equally belong to this nation and make it a better place. The day started with a group of our volunteers, staff and resident’s families from different backgrounds, performing a variety of amazing acts that made the day perfect for our residents. The official theme colour for Harmony Day was orange, so our staff and residents all wore orange coloured clothing and decorated our nursing home with posters and orange coloured balloons. Some of our staff wore hats showing their range of cultural backgrounds. Not to forget the cultural quiz that we shared with our residents that taught us all about different cultures that exists in Australia. On behalf of staff and residents at Southhaven, we would like to say a big thank you to our volunteers who gave their time and made a great effort to make this day an enjoyable day for our residents! “Happiness lies in harmony of thoughts, words, action and deeds”… Thankyou
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“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” - John 11:25-26
Happy Easter - Our residents at Southhaven Nursing Home
celebrated Easter, knowing that Easter is more than just eggs and chocolate, it is also about peace, love and family. It was so good to see our resident’s families, children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren coming to visit their beloved elderly to wish them a blessed Easter and spend quality time with them. It was so amazing to see our residents enjoying their Easter activities starting with the Easter cookie decorations where each resident decorated their own Easter cookies. Others enjoyed our Easter craft activities making wool Easter chicks and others decorating Easter bunny rabbits. Not to forget the fun our residents had on Easter Sunday where each enjoyed their chocolate Easter eggs that were given to them by the Friends of Southhaven. This was followed by a visit by our bunny rabbit who gave them chocolates as well. Easter brings God’s endless blessings and love on all of you. “The Lord came to earth with a life to give, so each one of us may continue to live”.
Activity Reviews contd MAY
““All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” - Abraham Lincoln
Mother's Day -
Mothers are the sweetest gift from God to us. There is no way we can ever really thank our mothers for all they do for us. That is why we need to remind ourselves of the various sacrifices they make. Mother’s Day is the best time to say in words how much we love and care for our mums. Southhaven Nursing Home celebrated Mother’s Day by having High Tea for our precious Mothers. The event was well attended with many of our residents enjoying their tea with fancy cup cakes. Also, we had special Mother’s Day craft where our residents enjoyed making lovely hearts and decorating them with all different kind of craft decorations. Not to forget the fun they had making special cookies for Mother’s Day each having the chance to decorate their cookies the way they like it. While they had a blast with their cookies, we held a Mother’s Day quiz which gave everyone a chance to remember many events from the past. Also on Mother’s Day each of our lovely residents received a chocolate heart and a flower. This blessed time is a time to love, kiss and thank the most precious creation of God – our Mums! DONATION NEEDED - We are after a strip of red carpet to act as a bridal aisle and a strip of green carpet for a bowling green. Please give to RAOs - Thank You
Staff Profile - Lenny DeFazio
I am the oldest child of 3, with two brothers, so I am a bit of a Tomboy. I was born in Laos in 1976 and came to Australia in 1983. I lived in Camden when I arrived and went to Liverpool Girls School. I was married and from that I have two beautiful children, Monisha and Tianna. They love to visit the residents during the school holidays. I started at Southhaven 10 years ago as an Assistant in Nursing and as years have gone by I was offered a position as a Recreational Activity Officer. I jumped for joy and was so excited that I was able to join the team. I loved to be challenged at work. My most enjoyable feeling about my job is walking in each morning and being greeted with
a smile by the residents and staff. I love it when the residents recognise me. I love being creative and involving the residents in activities that they enjoy. My hobbies are Yoga and Martial Arts. But my interests are Shopping to I drop and being a side line Mum at my children’s soccer games. I like to go on holidays to tropical destinations. I have recently returned from 10 days in Fiji. I loved it, the people, the atmosphere, the weather. My dream would be to retire somewhere on the South Coast between the beach and the bush or maybe both. Without my wonderful parents I wouldn’t be the person I am today. They are the best grandparents ever!! Thanks Mum and Dad.
Pastoral Care BRINGING COMFORT Life has a habit of causing disruptions and we face difficult times. And then we need to face up to loneliness, being weary in mind or body, separation from friends or family, and the loss of someone close to us, sickness and pain. And the list goes on. Sorrow is a universal emotion common to all people. For example - an old man in his mid 80's said one day to his son "What good am I now? Why does God leave me here? I feel so useless". Or a lady who just lost her husband after 45 years of marriage. She wrote in a note "I miss him so much after all these wonderful years. I cry a lot. Is it wrong to weep and feel such sorrow?" These are real issues, and maybe you can relate to them personally today. These are examples of real life experiences. In these times, we need someone who can bring help and comfort. There are times in all of our lives when we experience loss and need to be comforted. We may lose our job, or a relationship, or a dream, or a loved one. During any season of loss and grief we may feel afraid, powerless and alone. What we need most during these times is to be comforted. We need the strength and hope that come from knowing deeply that we are not alone - from knowing that the God of all comfort has promised to be present with us in times of loss. God's very name is Comforter, or ‘paraclatos’. God stands beside us, with us, listening to our complaints in the middle of the night. Listening to our quiet rage and frustration and despair, God speaks softly and says, "I am with you. I will help you. Is my arm too short that I cannot reach down to earth and help you up? Is my arm too short that I cannot help you stand again?" Our God is a God of comfort. God stands beside us and pulls us up when we are down. Psalm 34:18 says "The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope." Life begins and ends with comfort. A tiny little baby is born and this new born baby is startled by the newness of life, and the new born baby cries out. That baby is then comforted and cuddled by an attending nurse, trying to calm that baby down. The years fly by far too quickly, and that little baby becomes a dying grandma or grandpa, and at that point, that elderly baby needs to be comforted as he or she prepares to die. And so life begins and ends with comfort. And every day and every month and every year in between, human beings are designed in such a way that we need to be comforted and also give comfort to others. Our God is a God who comforts. Our God is a God who stretches his hand from heaven to pull us up when we are down. God comes to us when we are down and out, washed out, tired out, worn out. God comes down to us and comforts us just by listening to us; just by listening to the howling of our aching hearts. A favourite author Henri Nouwen once wrote about the need to have a friend who understands and helps us and brings comfort to our lives. This is what he says: When we honestly ask ourselves which people in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is the friend who cares (book Out of Solitude). Our deepest sympathies have According to the Bible, God is the "Father of compassion and the God gone out to the families who of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles" (II Corinthians 1:3-4). have lost their loved ones over God is a God of comfort who actively seeks to comfort us. To receive the Autmun period. comfort from God is to let God be present with us during our times of distress. It is to let God sit next to us and listen to whatever we need to say; it is to let God hold us and remind us that we are loved, we are valued and we are not alone. "Letting God be God" means letting God give himself to us as our Comfort in times of loss and distress. Sometime read Matthew 11:28-30. Allow yourself to hear this direct invitation from Jesus to come with your burdens. "If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle nnn and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy and this burden is light”. - By Chris Witts
! Bereavements
Physio Corner
BALANCE EXERCISES AT SOUTHHAVEN NURSING HOME Preventing falls is a high priority for staff at Southhaven Nursing Home. If a resident falls and sustains an injury it can have a major impact on their quality of life. Here, at Southhaven, we have a Falls Committee to review every fall that happens to work out the cause and how to prevent further falls occurring. Many nursing staff on each ward attend the Falls Committee meetings so they can contribute ideas to assist in falls prevention of individual residents. It is a team effort. Falls often happen due to decreased balance due to a decrease in leg strength. This can be due to lower levels of activity as we age, especially if we enter residential care. If you don’t use it you lose it! Beatrice M doing sit to stand exercises
Balance activities and exercises can limit the loss of leg strength and actually improve our performance. This can then decrease the risk of a fall.
We have started a Balance Program at Southhaven Nursing Home to assist in decreasing the falls of our residents. We are not only targeting people who are at high risk of falling, but also those who are at risk of falling in the future.
Barbara C and Leena, Physio Aide
As the Physiotherapist at Southhaven, I have developed the program and assessed the suitability of each participant. The program consists of strengthening exercises for the residents’ legs and hips. The exercises are done while standing with as little support as the resident can manage safely. They are done 3 to 5 times per week and are supervised closely by the Physiotherapy Aide either individually or in small groups.
We will monitor the number of falls residents had prior to and after the program to test its effectiveness.
Shirley R and Joan T
Our aim is to continue to improve the quality of life of the residents of Southhaven Nursing Home. - Lesley Gosling, Southhaven Physiotherapist
Volunteer Corner Hi Everyone There are some extremely loyal and dedicated people who give generously of their time to South Haven. A few have sadly retired, but we have been blessed with some students who are working in the community and it’s wonderful to see people happy and fulfilled in caring for our residents. The government has generously given us a computer to teach the residents about technology and it’s connected to the internet for their use at any time – to email or skype family or “google” something. The volunteers are encouraged to share their skills with those older people who haven’t had the opportunities that the younger generations experience everyday. Just this month we “googled” a resident who had been an artist and she was amazed to find herself and her art work on the Net! The second week of May each year is National Volunteer Week and 2014 is 25 years since Australia has been recognising the value of volunteering and contributions that are made so generously. The theme this year was “Celebrate the Power of Volunteering”. Christadelphian Aged Care took the opportunity to invite all our volunteers to lunch to thank them for their time, care and commitment to our facilities and more especially to our residents. We had a lovely lunch together at Sans Souci – a beautiful setting, delicious food and great company. It was wonderful to hear some touching stories from the different facilities told by the volunteers about the work they do and what they get out of contributing to others.
Volunteers
“Blessed is the influence of one true loving soul on another” - George Eliot
difference!
So, a big thank you from me personally, to all the wonderful people I am so privileged to work with. You are an inspiration to me to give of myself in the care of others.
Can you spare a few hours or even a whole day? Christadelphian Aged Care facilities are seeking volunteers to help bring a smile to the elderly in our community. We provide varied activities and opportunities to involve you. You can choose an activity to suit your personality, skills and time preferences.
No Experience Necessary For more information, please contact: Cathy Strachan – Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator (Mon - Fri) m e w
0435 814 411 cstrachan@chomes.com.au www.chomes.com.au
Love and best wishes for a warm and happy winter,
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Cathy Strachan, Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator 0435 814 411 “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves” - James Barrie
Volunteer Photos Thank You Lunch
Read, Rest & Relax!
TOP 4 RELAXATION TECHNIQUES FOR ELDERLY 1. Muscle Relaxation - In this technique, participants are encouraged to focus on tensing up and then releasing and relaxing the muscles in their main muscle groups, including their shoulders, arms, fingers, legs and toes. 2. Visualisation - This technique involves participants imagining partaking in their favourite activity in a beautiful place, such as relaxing on a sandy beach in the Mediterranean, standing on the top of a mountain in the Alps or swimming in a crystal clear lake in the Caribbean. 3. Gentle Exercise - Non-strenuous exercises, such as Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi, are popular amongst the elderly, allowing them to gently stretch and strengthen their bodies while focusing on their breathing techniques. 4. Listening To Calming Music - Soothing music can help to ease fear and anxiety in the elderly.
FUNNIES - The Importance of Walking • • • • •
• My grandpa started walking 5 miles a day when he was 60. Now he's 97 years old and we have no idea where the heck he is! • I like long walks, especially when they’re taken by people who annoy me. The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again. I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing. Every time I hear the dirty word ‘exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate. I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them. We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Lemon Delicious
• 100g unsalted butter, extra to grease • 1 cup caster sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Grated zest of 2 large lemons, plus juice of 3 large lemons • 4 eggs, separated • 1/2 cup self-raising flour • 2 cups milk • Icing sugar, to dust • Blueberry compote, to serve
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Serves 8
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 28cm x 20cm baking dish.
2. Place the butter, caster sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in an electric
mixer, and beat until thick and pale. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3.Fold in half the flour, then fold in the milk. Fold in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, then fold in the lemon juice (don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled at this stage). Set aside.
4. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the lemon mixture, then pour into a prepared dish.
5. Place the dish in a large roasting pan and add boiling water so it comes halfway up the sides. Bake for 40 minutes until golden and set on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve with blueberry compote.
Winter W e ather 1
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ACROSS 3 The process by which snow or ice changes to water. 7 A period of very cold winter we ather that damages 8 11 12 14 16 17 18
plants. Intensely cold temperature. The temperature felt by the human body when wind makes it fe el colder than the actual temperature. Mildly cold fe eling. Bright with sunshine. Snowfall that is so he avy one can se e little or nothing on the horizon. Ice crystals on a froz en surface; " Old Jack _______." A large mass of snow that slides down a mountain.
1 A standardiz ed me asure of how hot or cold it is
outside. 2 R ain that fre e z es as it falls. 4 A tool used to me asure the temperature. 5 W ater that falls to the e arth in the form of rain, hail,
mist, sle et, or snow. 6 Pieces of ice falling from the sky. 9 A solid form of froz en water. 10 A storm with he avy snow, strong winds, and severe
cold. 13 C overed with snow. 14 A mixture of snow and water. 15 Precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals
that form inside clouds. 17 Thick water vapor that makes it hard to se e.
W O R D B A N K : Avalanche, bliz z ard, cool, fog, fre e z e, frigid, frost, hail, ice, melt, precipitation, sle et, slush, snow, snowy, sunny, temperature, thermometer, whiteout, windchill.
Autumn Newsletter Word Search Solution:
The hidden TV show is: THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW
Disclaimer: All photos and stories have been published with consent of relatives and residents involved. Thank you for your submissions.