11 minute read
Ask not what you can do for a pet but what a pet can do for you
They say dogs are a man’s (and lady’s) best friend – but in retirement, the same can be said for any companion animal of your choice.
Whether you are a self proclaimed “dog person”, “cat person” or something in between, there is undoubtedly a perfect pet out there for you.
Pets are loyal, protective, goofy and will always be ready to lend a listening ear! Studies have shown that owning a pet leads to greater life satisfaction and can even help to reduce blood pressure and stress!
Our companion animals love to be close to their favourite humans and the unconditional love and companionship they provide will ensure you are never lonely.
DOGS will help to make sure you are getting your daily exercise needs – even when you are finding every excuse not to! How could you resist that wagging tail and loving eyes?
They can even provide you with a social outlet. Dog owners love to strike up conversations with other dog owners on walks or at the local dog park and daily or weekly catch ups are common place. You may be surprised at how many people stop you on your walk just to say hello to your furry friend!
Dogs love to love… either curling up at your feet, or on the lounge right next to you, while playing with a ball or even while having their belly rubs, your dog will always make sure that you are feeling loved
CATS while still providing endless love, are quieter, more independent
companions for those who prefer to lead a more low key lifestyle.
While not having the need for daily walks, cats can still help you stay active while tending to their needs or having a game.
With the nights now starting to grow a little chilly, cats love to curl up with you and cat owner’s report that a cat’s gentle purring can be very soothing to their human friends.
Of course there are a whole world of pets in between, such as birds, rabbits
and fish, with each one bringing their own benefits to your home. But what if you feel that the time isn’t right to bring a pet into your life, but love spending time with animals?
Have you considered volunteering? Here at Central Coast Animal Care Facility, we have an amazing group of volunteers of all ages and abilities and we welcome you to join us.
We hold inductions on a Wednesday and Friday at 11am. This induction will teach you all you need to know about the facility and the animals and once completed, you are then more than welcome to come and go from the facility whenever it is best suited to you. We have some volunteers who come 2 or 3 times a week and some who come once a month – the choice is yours!
Volunteers at the facility provide an amazing support for our staff and can be involved in wide range of activities, not just dog walking! Other activities include: Dog ba thing and brushing Spending time with the cats at the facility Playing with puppies and kittens Sitting with animals who may be recovering from surgery or who are stressed or timid Laundry T ransport Photogr aphy Gardening G eneral maintenance and even fundraising
We have lots of ways to keep you busy and appreciate everything that our volunteers do for us.
If you are in the market for a new family member, here are just some of our dogs who are patiently waiting for their furever home.
Take back control
and get your continence back!
Does bladder leakage stop you from doing the things you love? Well you certainly aren’t alone, over 5 million Australians have some form of incontinence.
It’s World Continence Week on 17th – 23rd June and an opportune time to tell you all about the “Wave Chair” and the fantastic results our patients are experiencing.
This breakthrough technology builds strength and endurance back into the pelvic floor muscles. Recuperation can be as simple as sitting in a chair, fully clothed.
What is the ‘wave chair’? The Wave Brilliance Pelvic Floor Therapy System, aka Wave Chair is a non-surgical therapy for the treatment of stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence. For patients whose difficulties stem from a weakening of their pelvic floor muscles, Wave Brilliance can offer unique therapeutic benefits. Unlike other therapy options the Wave Chair exercises all the muscles in the pelvic floor to rebuild strength and endurance and restore bladder and bowel control. The ‘wave chair’ embraces ExMI™ Pelvic Floor Therapy System, a non-surgical therapy for the treatment of stress, urge and mixed incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain.
How does it work? The process is a bit like pelvic floor exercises or Kegel for the pelvic floor. While conventional pelvic floor exercise can help to restore continence, patients often perform the exercises incorrectly, incompletely, or inconsistently. With ExMI™, the system produces highly focused pulsed magnetic fields and performs the exercises for the patient in a more complete and effective manner than the patient could do on their own. No active participation by the patient is required.
What happens on the ‘wave chair’? During treatment, a patient sits fully clothed in a specially designed chair that has the ExMI technology embedded in the seat. The treatment is painless and takes approximately 20 minutes, involving a series of sessions, typically performed twice a week. A complete course of treatment may take eight weeks or more, depending on the condition of the pelvic floor muscles when therapy is started.
What are the results? Studies have shown that rebuilding the pelvic floor muscles with ExMI is effective in helping patients regain continence. In addition, patients treated with ExMI have reported significant improvements in their quality of life.
The wave chair – helping you get your continence back
Dr Farag’s clinician Gosford is one of the few providers on the Central Coast to offer Wave Chair treatment for patients.
Do you suffer from incontinence? You may be suitable for treatment using Dr Farag’s clinics accredited pelvic wave chair. Non-invasive and painless, “The Wave Chair” is available and operated by experienced team members who will ensure you are comfortable and informed throughout the entire process.
Get your continence back and try the wave chair for yourself today.
www.drfarag.com.au
Mental Health Telehealth and Telepsychiatry now available
Brisbane Waters Private have partnered with health funds to provide over-the-phone and virtual telepsychiatry and mental health group or individual therapy programs!
Adjusting our lives amid
COVID-19 can be challenging – social isolation, social distancing and managing day-to-day life, generally, may make it difficult to cope. In these difficult times, we’re here to help with extended, accessible mental health services and support.
At Brisbane Waters Private Hospital we have partnered with private health funds to now provide mental health telehealth group therapy or individual programs– over-the-phone and in the comfort of your own home.
In conjunction with group therapy programs, we are pleased to offer telepsychiatry appointments to our patients during this time.
Brisbane Waters Private Hospital has an experienced team of psychiatrists now available for telepsychiatry appointments via Medicare Item rebates for privately-insured patients.
This means you can access mental health consultations over-the-phone, safely and in the comfort of your home.
For more information, contact Brisbane Waters Private Hospital by phoning 02 4341 9522. To arrange a telepsychiatry appointment, a GP referral is required: Call us on 1800 814 226
Visit our website www.centralcoastclinic.com.au and ‘search for a specialist’. To find out more call us on 1800 814 226 or contact your private health insurer today.
Our team of Psychiatrists, Medical, Nursing and Allied Health professionals provide expert care to manage and treat an array of mental health disorders.
Pozieres House Peninsula Villages’ new name for ageing in care development
As we commemorated ANZAC Day last month, community-owned residential aged care provider, Peninsula Villages paid tribute to a sacred moment in ANZAC history, naming its new $30 million development in honour of the battle that defined the bravery of our World War I (WWI) Diggers.
Waged in 1916, ‘The Battle of Pozieres’ is perhaps the Australian Army’s most sombre triumph, claiming 23,000 casualties that included 6,800 deaths in just six weeks of fighting.
As a result of this incredible sacrifice, the name of the tiny French village has become part of Australian folklore, replicated on many street signs around the country.
Among them is Pozieres Avenue, Umina Beach, home of Peninsula Villages’ soon to be opened 114-bed ageing-in-place development.
When Peninsula Villages recently finalised a competition to name the three-storey building, it seemed fitting the most popular name gave a respectful nod to tradition, ‘Pozieres House’.
Pozieres House will set a standard for aged care not seen before on the Central Coast. Specialist aged, palliative and dementia care units will all be housed within separate hubs and accommodated on separate floors to ensure continuity of care between staff and the residents. The new building will replace the existing amenities at Jack Aldous House, with all rooms to include a private bathroom.
Peninsula Villages Chief Executive Officer, Shane Neaves said the competition to name the building canvassed the views of residents, staff and the local community.
“The name ‘Pozieres House’ was submitted multiple times – and it’s easy to understand why,” said Shane.
“Our residents and this community have an extremely deep respect for history. They are always enthusiastic about paying tribute to Australia’s past heroes.
“The name of our new state-of-the-art residential aged care development, Pozieres House, continues that theme, making it a stand-out choice that our Board was very proud to endorse,” he added.
The Pozieres House development is not only a huge boost for aged care on the Central Coast, but also for the local economy and labour market, creating more jobs.
“If you combine the Pozieres House construction project and our recently approved DA for affordable housing at our Springwood site, Peninsula Villages is self-funding a $30 million investment in aged care for the Central Coast region,” concluded Shane.
Under construction since late 2018, Pozieres House will soon join independent living units across three sites as well as Don Leggett House and Pam Palmer House care facilities at the award-winning Peninsula Villages. The development is scheduled for completion in late 2020.
For more information please visit peninsulavillage.com.au or phone 4344 9199
Central Coast Council supporting our local Seniors
Online Library Service Central Coast Council Library Service is here to support the community’s learning and recreational needs. Even though library branches are temporarily closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect community health, there is a superb collection of free online services are available anywhere, anytime! People of all ages can continue to connect, relax and learn while practicing social distancing with free access to eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines, music streaming and family history resources. Our range of online items and resources are available for people to view on Council’s website at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/elibrary.
Our new Click and Deliver service offers library members the opportunity to borrow a wide range of items and resources which are delivered to your door.
Members can borrow individual items or a bundle of 5 pre-selected books, accessed via a members online account, by email, phone and the Library app.
Reserved items are quarantined between deliveries and staff are taking extra precautions through the use of hand sanitiser and gloves before handling items when making deliveries.
This service means we can continue to support our communities learning and recreational needs with contactless connection to maintain community safety and promote mental health and well-being.
Delivery times are currently estimated to take approximately 2 weeks.
For history buffs, the Library now has online interactive puzzles featuring photographs from local history of the Central Coast. Enjoy the fun of completing a jigsaw while learning about our past! www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/ council/news/our-elibrary-always-open. Also, Ancestry.com and Find My Past are temporarily accessible from home. Contact the Library for more information on how to access these services.
Whether you need help with family history research, or a way to keep your mind active, there is something there for everyone.
If you have any questions or need help our library staff are available via phone and email to step you through the process.
Services for older people
My Aged Care Providing aged care packages to older people over the age of 65. Ph: 1800 200 422
Meals on Wheels Delivery of nutritious meals, social interaction and a friendly check on people’s wellbeing (Central Coast) Ph: 4357 8444 (Swansea) Ph: 4971 3673
Red Cross TeleCROSS and TeleCHAT Ph: 1300 885 698
Healthdirect Ph: 1800 022 222 Healthdirect provides free, trusted health information and advice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Woolworths Priority Delivery Ph: 1800 000 610 The Priority Assistance service is for customers include seniors, people with a disability and those with compromised immunity or who are required to self-isolate.
Access to the full range of eResources is FREE for library members – Sign up online to become a library member and get instant to these incredible resources centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/jointhelibrary
Local branch phone numbers and updated opening hours are listed on our website at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/ourbranches or enquiries can be emailed to library@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/council/ news/helpful-information-oncovid-19 for the latest information on interruptions to Council events and Services.
