Rita's Reflection Summer Newsletter 2018

Rita’s Reflection Rita Angus Retirement Village • Summer edition 2018

Sign Language Residents had fun learning to sign words for Language Week

Meet Jill

Flower arranging

Bake off

Greetings from Tracey...

Hello and welcome to the summer edition of Rita’s Reflections.

I had a wonderful time away and I would like to thank Lynne Peirse for looking after you and the village.

and stunning pieces of art have been added to the walls. New furniture is due to arrive soon to help finish off the spaces beautifully.

Refurbishment has started in the village atrium with the installation of new down lights.

Our residents have been keeping busy with activities and events, but it is also the weather we have been keeping an eye on. After a lovely start to spring with some warmer temperatures, Mother Nature has continued to play tricks on us by sending us a couple of bone chilling polar blasts!

Allan has also been busy in the gardens tending to the flower beds, and we’re seeing gorgeous pops of colour as a welcome to spring.

The village has been spruced up throughout the independent apartment areas. New coats of paint

TTracey SSprott Village Manager

Kind regards,

Bowls tournament Spring has sprung, and another bowls season is upon us! With our ongoing support for local clubs, I was delighted to attend the opening of the Lyall Bay Bowling Club season. We also held the Rita Angus Triples Gala at Island Bay Bowling Club.

Lynda

Tracey Sprott Village Manager Ph: 04 387 7626 Call Tracey for general enquiries, or for any information about resthome and hospital care.

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Lynda Dean Sales Advisor Ph: 04 387 7625 Talk to Lynda for information about independent or serviced apartments.

Showing our signing skills

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Language Week Independent apartment and serviced apartment residents had so much fun during Language Week.

We decided to have residents put their language learnings to the test; they were challenged to spell out our village name!

Residents learned greetings from 15 different languages, including New Zealand Sign Language. Other languages included some that are prominent in our village, and some not so common.

We had great fun spelling out Rita Angus, with lots of laughter as we all gave it our best shot.

A favourite to learn was Sign Language. We covered the alphabet, some common phrases including “hello”, and residents learned how to say their name.

Pictured: Spelling out the village’s name in Sign Language: Pam Oakley (with an R), Joan Bradley (I), Terry Barrett (T), Margaret Cenek (A), Dot Doherty (A), Verna Moore (N), Rob Mitchell (G), Maria Shutlar (U) and Edna McCarthy (S).

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RYMAN E H T

H E A LT H C A R E S E A S O

If you notice the Christmas decorations going up a bit earlier in our villages this year, it’s to celebrate our partnership with the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s season of The Nutcracker.

We know our residents will enjoy being immersed in the whimsical story of the Nutcracker as our villages are transformed – think sugar plum fairies, gingerbread houses and toy soldiers.

There will be a range of activities on offer – from appreciating Tchaikovsky’s beautiful

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musical score, to having a go at making themed-decorations for display.

The ballet will be touring throughout New Zealand, opening in Wellington on 31 October, and finishing in Auckland on 15 December.

Want to see a show near you?

Contact your village reception for exclusive Ryman discounts on tickets!

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Ryman chefs take top prize At the recent New Zealand Hospitality Awards, our in-house Chefs; Steve Iraia and Paul Korunic, took the top two prizes.

also pleased to go one better than last year.

“We’ve got the two top positions in the country, which is a brilliant result.’’

Steve has been the chef at Princess Alexandra village in Napier for 10 years. He was named the winner in the senior lifestyle section.

Steve and Paul had 75 minutes to cook meals for eight people consisting of four hoki loin dishes and four dishes featuring beef cheeks.

Steve came second in last year’s competition.

Ryman Hotel Services Manager Andrew Gibson said he was proud of the chefs, as the dishes they prepared had to be practical and suitable for Ryman menus.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic, it was a bit like taking care of some unfinished business.”

Both Steve and Paul’s classic recipes feature in Ryman Delicious menus.

Paul, Chef at Anthony Wilding village in Christchurch for the last four years, was

Village chefs serve up more than 10,000 meals a day to our residents.

Chefs prepare the food fresh on-site, with three main course choices, including a vegetarian option.

myRyman rollout crosses the finishing line Our myRyman electronic care system has been rolled out to all our villages in New Zealand. myRyman is a robust electronic care system located in each resident’s room. It allows nurses and care assistants to view the full care profile of each resident at the touch of a button. Information is recorded in real time, dramatically reducing paperwork.

In 2015, Chief Operations Officer Barbara ReynenRose went looking for an electronic care

system but couldn’t find one she liked, so Ryman decided to build its own version.

“It makes us excited about what’s possible, and where we can take it next.”

Chief Executive Gordon MacLeod said the project would keep Ryman Healthcare at the forefront of aged care.

“What we have achieved is very, very rare. To take a concept that involved a complete change in how people work and make it into a system that is operable 24/7 in a care operation is incredible.

“It makes us excited about what’s possible, and where we can take it next.’’

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Resident Profile

Meet Jill

bonding with class mates was a panacea for the sheer hard work that we endured.

After three and a half years and a graduation we had a further six-month course in maternity care.

Following our study, two of us went to Rotorua and became thoroughly immersed in Māori culture. We hired bikes and explored all over.

We were always hungry, missing meals through the pressure of work, so frequented the chippie nearby. We managed to stop for a quick bite, and to bathe our tired feet in the local hot pools.

Our plan to go to Australia was temporarily thwarted by a watersiders strike. When I made it to Sydney I worked mainly in aged care, and also picked raspberries in Hobart.

I really enjoy my life here at the village.

Back in Melbourne, I met my future husband, Neville.

Hello, my name is Jill Pankhurst. I was born at home in Wakapuaka, Nelson in 1922.

Following college, I spent two years as a chairside nurse in a dental clinic while waiting for my call up for nurse training. I also worked as nurse aid at Dunstan Hospital in Clyde.

In 1942, I started a nursing career at Wairau Hospital, Blenheim. Living in a nurses’ home and

We returned to New Zealand and were married in 1953. Soon we built our first home and raised two sons. When our youngest boy started school, I worked part time at a public hospital. I then became the first practice nurse in Nelson, and stayed in that career until my retirement.

My husband sadly passed away in 2015 and I moved into my serviced apartment. I really enjoy my life here at the village.

Maypole dancing The celebration of spring events included a maypole dance organised by our activities team.

The team’s fabulous performance, highlighted by the colourful spring dresses worn, was spectacular. The decorations throughout the resthome lounge and the music were also wonderfully done.

Residents had fun clapping and moving their feet, in an afternoon full of enjoyment.

Later the village bar opened, and everyone had a chance to enjoy their favourite drinks and nibbles.

Pictured: Activities staff at Rita Angus show off their maypole dancing.

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Recycle Runway!

Recycle Runway showcased the talent of residents and staff. The trashion-fashion show had the audience toe-tapping to the music and cheering for their favourite ensemble. Judging was strict, with checks being made on composition. No sewing was permitted, and resident judge and fashionista Beverley Benton was making sure every garment complied with the rules.

The overall winner was the hospital’s Sunshine Gown made from yellow supermarket bags.

The audience loved the serviced apartment’s cheeky little spring number and the independent apartment’s Merino Mayhem team confided that it had been hard work collecting all those wine bottle tops, but they gave it their best shot!

Pictured: Resident Jill Pankhurst modelled the fantastic Merino Mayhem outfit.

Staff Profile

Introducing Alayne

Hello, my name is Alayne Finlayson, and I’m a housekeeper here at Rita Angus.

My boyfriend and I have moved to New Zealand on a working holiday visa. I’m Scottish and he’s Italian, but we met in Edinburgh!

We love travelling and spent two months driving around Europe and wild camping as much as we could.

I’m grateful to be working here. I enjoy coming in and seeing everyone’s smiling faces.

I’d wanted to visit New Zealand for a while and I’d heard a lot about the retirement villages they have over here.

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I had always worked in care back home, in day centres, care homes and house visits, but we have nothing like this in the United Kingdom.

I was so amazed as soon as I walked through the doors of Rita Angus. I want to remind people how lucky they are to be here.

I’m grateful to be working here. I enjoy coming in and seeing everyone’s smiling faces.

Everyone has made me feel so welcome.

Village bake off The whole village had a chance to watch something unprecedented! The village manager and assistant manager became rivals in a ‘queen of the kitchen’ bake-off.

The theme brought plenty of smiles as the participants were wearing the costumes to ABBA’s Dancing Queen.

Upcoming events December

January

Capital Choir Christmas concert

Enduring Power of Attorney presentation

January

February

Garden tour & high tea

Carl Doy

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The reality-style show included excitement, a war of words and masterful performances.

The jury was still out on whether Tracey’s lemon cake or Rebecca’s chocolate cheesecake was the better result, but it was great tasting experience!

Pictured: The bake off saw Activities Coordinator Sue Coventry, Assistant Manager Rebecca Fieldhouse and Village Manager Tracey Sprott tastefully take on a Dancing Queen theme.

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concert

66 Coutts Street, Kilbirnie

www.ritaangus.co.nz