Ashburn House Autumn 2016 Newsletter ~ Christadelphian Aged Care

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Christadelphian Aged Care A U T U M N N E W S L E T T E R

ASHBURN HOUSE

Address: 20-34 Ashburn Place, Gladesville Phone: (02) 8876 9200

Come, said the leaves to the wind one day, Come o’er the meadows and we will play.

Put on your dresses

Scarlet and Gold For Summer is gone and the days grow cold.

- George Eliot nnn

“God makes everything beautiful in its time” Ecclesiastes 3:11

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Email: admin@chomes.com.au

Manager’s Message

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Welcome to Ashburn House

Dear Residents, Families, Friends and Staff, I hope you had a great festive season as we moved through Christmas and the New Year and just recently the Chinese New Year. Thank you for all the cheer and laughter you brought to our celebrations.

Regarding our building maintenance, I'm happy to confirm the painting inside Ashburn House has now been completed.

As we head into the cooler months and cold and flu season approaches, please sign and return the flu vaccination consent form that was sent out with your January account. This form should be given to Admin, Management or the RN. As flu season approaches, please remember not to visit if you're feeling sick or have any symptoms of a cold or flu.

A reminder to all friends and families, although we encourage home cooked treats for your loved ones, please know if you bring any cooked food in, it needs to be consumed within 24 hours or it will have to be discarded.

Please remember to buy clothing labels from reception and attach them before giving them to us. We have lost property displays in Lower Ground Activity Room on the first Friday Sunday each month and we encourage family to have a look.

I would also like to remind visitors not to open the door or let any residents out of the facility. Pleases ask staff for help if any residents ask you to take them out.

The schedule of Residents/Relatives Meeting is displayed on notice boards on the ground floor and level 1 and the next meeting is 19th May at 10:30am in Cronulla Theatre. All are welcome.

Regards, Yan Li

News & Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH

APRIL

MAY

1 Lillian M

1 Ba G

1 Mary N

4 Mollie L

2 Lesley A

1 Johanna K

4 Colleen L

6 Donald C

4 Janice W

9 George W

6 Veena A

6 Ruth T

10 Evelyn D

9 Barry M

7 Nancy G

10 Patricia G

15 Gay W

11 Jeanne L

12 Italia C

17 Don S

11 Mary I

18 Alma R

23 Barbara H

12 Bill V

24 Richmond G

14 Barbara B

26 Diana D

26 Marian D 27 Barry K

Aging is not loss, it is a time to add spiritual substance to the soul

MARCH 17th - St Patrick’s Day Lunch 18th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 21st - Wheelchair Bus Trip 24th - Easter Celebration

APRIL 15th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 18th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 24th - Anzac Day

MAY 6th - Mother’s Day Tea & Pamper 13th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 16th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 19th - Relative & Resident Meeting

Activity Reviews Hello Residents, Staff, Family and Friends, What a wonderful end of 2015 and start to 2016 we’ve all seen!

We held 3 wonderful lunch Christmas Parties for residents last year and I think we all agree it couldn’t have been more beautifully decorated than it was by Sherene, our new Pastoral Care & Volunteer Coordinator. We had entertainers and a delicious feast prepared by the kitchen staff - thank you Polash and your team.

Facility photographer extraordinaire Stephen, also captured so many beautiful pictures which are featured in this newsletter. Biggest thanks to all our residents and their loved ones for joining in bringing us such wonderful Christmas cheer.

We were also lucky last Christmas to be visited again by our local National Bank branch with their “Adopt a Grandparent” project.

A Christmas wish list was written and Santa’s little elves later visited with treats and boy, were our residents spoilt, with such generous gifts.

This is also the time of year we have the Christadelphian Activity Assistants join us through December to January. This year, we saw Sophie, Zoe, Daniel and Naomi join us in our activity program throughout the facility. Friendships were made, laughs were shared and memories created.

It is priceless, the wonderful contribution their presence brings. This issue’s ‘resident story’ was even written by Sophie!

continued over page

Activity Reviews continued As the New Year kicked into full swing, we’ve managed to do so much already.

Australia Day was celebrated in true Aussie style with a BBQ , Beer and Sunshine. Australian Open was not missed either, with the Noble family in to guide us through all things tennis with a wonderful workshop. Now we all know what tennis racket strings are made off !

We also had a small reunion with Hunters Lodge residents who bused across for a morning tea with some old friends here at Ashburn.

The new Masterchef Cooking Class has also been popular with Vietnamese spring rolls and Pancake Day cooking sessions.

Our armchair travels have continued around the globe Paris our latest adventure destination.

A thank you lunch was also held for staf f with KFC goodies. Yan sends out a big thank you to us all for the hard w o r k and love we’ve put in through this silly season and beyond.

Next on the bill is a Dementia Garden Working Bee. Set for the end of February, we will have volunteers joining forces with staff in creating a interactive, fun, sensory based garden. We all are very much looking forward to this project and the warmer days still ahead.

Happy Summer and hello Autumn.

- by Tara P

Photos from Activities

Resident Story - Coral De Belle Ball Coral grew up locally in the Gladesville/Hunters Hill region and attended the local primary school, Gladesville Public School. Later she attended Riverside Girls High School in Huntleys Point which she enjoyed, and Coral even returned to the school for its 80th anniversary as a special guest. In 1952, she married a local boy Donald, and moved into his family home in Gladesville. The area offered her opportunity for shopping, which she enjoyed and she also joined the Hunters Hill Ladies lawn bowl club as a relaxing hobby. When the club unfortunately closed, she moved to Henley Bowling Club where she formed some very good friendships with some of the other bowlers.

Coral worked in a variety of interesting jobs. She started working as a milliner, which involved making an assortment of traditional women’s hats from materials such as felt, velour and occasionally even straw. She also worked at a doctor’s office, which included reception work, however one of her fondest careers was her work at Christchurch Preschool, on Victoria Road. She loved spending time with the children and hearing them laugh, so much so that she stayed there for 12 years!

Unfortunately, the preschool eventually closed, but the local newsagent, whom she regularly bought preschool supplies from, heard about it and offered her a job at the newsagency, which she happily accepted. She enjoyed the variety that the job offered, from stocking the shelves to talking with customers, and stayed there for 5 years.

Travel has also been a cherished element of Coral’s life, and she recalls her trip to Tasmania with Donald for their anniversary, which they both loved. Sadly, Donald became rather ill as a result of being a childhood polio victim, but Coral lovingly dedicated her time to care for him at home. A year after Donald’s unfortunate passing, she was grateful for a memorable holiday with her only daughter, Lyn, her husband, and their daughter, Lori. They travelled to America, and even visited Disneyland!

Despite being an only child, Coral developed a lovely relationship with her sisterin-law and the two travelled together after her husband passed, which strengthened their friendship. Coral fondly remembers the holiday, which included a trip to Tasmania as well as New Zealand. Later, she revisited New Zealand with a close friend to spend time on both islands, as previously she had only visited one.

Since moving to Ashburn House three years ago, Coral has enjoyed partaking in activities such as the physio exercise classes and bingo. She previously enjoyed gardening in her family home, and now likes to spend time in the garden and courtyard areas of Ashburn House. Coral goes on regular outings with her daughter Lyn, which she thoroughly enjoys.

Written by Activity Assistant – Sophie O’Toole

Staff Profile - Sherene Noble Hello! I’m Sherene Noble, the Volunteer and Pastoral Care Coordinator here at Ashburn House. I’ve been part of the Ashburn staff since September last year.

After 9 years of raising children (mine were the mini volunteers teaching tennis to our residents for Australia Day celebrations), I am thoroughly enjoying being back in the workforce! It has been a pleasure getting to know the staff, volunteers and pastoral carers here at Ashburn and I am very grateful to be surrounded by such nice caring people. It is, however, the residents who have really touched my heart! I have the pleasure of listening to many of our residents, hearing their amazing stories and golden gems of advice - what a gift it is for me to be able to be a comfort for them in these last years of life!! I am touched by each and every one I meet and find I receive much from my interactions with them all.

I have a very busy few months ahead of me with lots of Volunteer and Pastoral Care projects coming up to improve the lifestyle and wellbeing of our residents. I will be making sure I get around to visit as many of our residents as I can.

If you, a family member or friend could benefit from some extra care and or a pastoral visit please contact me. I have also started a support group for family members and carers of our residents here at Ashburn which is on the first Friday of every month in the Library at 10:30am.

Please join us for a chat, tea or coffee and some morning tea. Thank you all for being so welcoming I look forward to spending more time with you all in the coming months.

Brand New Library This January, our Activity Assistants, with Sherene’s guidance, were busily working away reorganising and decorating our Library. Books were culled and reorganised. Shelves were moved, couches and arm chairs added and, to make it even more cosy, the visitor Tea & Coffee Station was relocated into the space.

Please come visit at your leisure. The door is always open with a comfy nook and book just waiting for you.

love

1 John 3:18

Pastoral Care

Let us not with word or speech but with actions and in truth

AN EXTRA DOSE OF PATIENCE

Have you ever noticed the number of times we need to wait… and it’s the little things that require this. Like going to the doctor. If my appointment says 10am, I’m fairly certain I won’t be walking through his door at 10, usually it will be 10.15 or later. Or you wait for that tradesman who said he’d come at 2.00. For some, it’s no big issue. For me, it’s quite a challenge, as I get impatient. I am bound by times, which can often be frustrating.

There is a lot of waiting in life. What about when a woman is to give birth to her baby? No-one can tell the exact minute her child will be delivered. As children we wait to start school, and the little boy or girl looks forward to that first day of adventure. In fact, when you think about it for a moment, life is full of waiting. We wait to find our first job. We stop at the traffic lights, annoying when we’re in a hurry. We wait in line at the supermarket. And, if we’re honest, we dislike it. Patience is needed in life, but few virtues are harder to come by than patience. It’s a real struggle. Two of the great laws of life we must eventually learn are: 1) Many circumstances we have in life are uncontrollable 2) Things don’t always go as planned: – Life just doesn’t always go the way we want – Many things in life are beyond our control Especially 3 times in our life we need an extra dose of patience. Let’s take a look at them…

1. When circumstances are uncontrollable.

We like to be in control of everything that happens - relationships, work, circumstances. But that’s not really what happens. “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.” – George Bernard Shaw What we need to remember is that my circumstances do not define me.

When circumstances are uncontrollable, we often lose our peace. Much of life is beyond your control. You sit in gridlock traffic for hours and miss an important event. A couple keeps trying desperately for a baby, and it just isn’t happening. When these things - big or small - happen, we get frustrated and lose our peace of mind.

Did you know God has promised peace of mind, because it’s a fundamental need of your life. One of the Hebrew names of God is Jehovah Shalom. “Shalom” means peace. “Jehovah Shalom” means “I am the God of peace.” If God says, “I’m offering you a gift of peace,” he means it. It’s not something you work for. It’s not something you deserve. It’s not something you try for. You don’t beg for peace. You don’t plead for peace.

Isaiah 26:3-4 says “The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. So always trust the Lord because He is forever our mighty rock”. But here’s what Jesus says to us: “I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27 NLT) 2. When people are unchangeable, we tend to lose our peace. People naturally resist change. And they resent it when we try to change them. The quickest way to lose our peace of mind is to try to change somebody else, because most people are just not going to change. We can’t change people – we can try to influence them. But that’s about all…

3. When problems are unexplainable, it’s easy to lose our peace.

We know that life is not fair. But who told us it would be ? A lot about life doesn’t make sense. Not everybody has a happy ending. Things don’t always turn out right. That’s when we need a special dose of patience.

4. What makes it more difficult is that we are not always going to know why. And when we don’t know why, we tend to get anxious, nervous, and stressed, and we lose our peace.

God has promised peace of mind, because it’s a fundamental need of your life. One of the Hebrew names of God is Jehovah Shalom.

“Shalom” means peace. “Jehovah Shalom” means “I am the God of peace.” If God says, “I’m offering you a gift of peace,” he means it. It’s not something you work for. It’s not something you deserve. It’s not something you try for. You don’t beg for peace. You don’t plead for peace.

Peace has nothing to do with problem-free living. It is simply a gift that you must accept, and it’s available to you today. - By Chris Witts

Bereavements

Our deepest sympathies have gone out to the families who have lost their loved ones over the Summer period.

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Volunteer Corner It has been a busy few months here at Ashburn House.

Towards the end of 2015 we held our memorial service to remember those residents we sadly lost throughout the year. This was a very moving experience for all the staff, volunteers, family members and residents that were able to attend. Before morning tea our facility manager, Yan, released live butterflies into the garden in memory of our dear residents, the butterflies could be seen flying around the Ashburn gardens for weeks afterward.

This was followed by our very busy Christmas and New Year celebrations. We had some lovely handmade cards made and delivered by volunteers, and some merry carol singers, along with lots of visits over this time. January went flying along and some mini volunteers came by to teach us all how to play tennis with the perfect back swing and forehand.

As the year continues to race along keep your eye out for some new volunteer roles like our Library cart which will be coming to the resident rooms soon!

If you are interested in joining the Volunteer program, please do not hesitate to contact me: Sherene Noble on 0435 496 184 or snoble@chomes.com.au Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator

Volunteer Corner SPOTLIGHT ON A VOLUNTEER Geoff Cordner It’s been my great pleasure to serve as a volunteer Bus Driver for Ashburn House residents over the past 4 years.

Back when I started driving the bus in early 2012, a member of my wife’s family, Marianne Crane, was an Ashburn House resident, which is how I came to see an advertisement seeking volunteers in the monthly newsletter. The timing was right, as I had been thinking for some time that I would like to give something back to the community in some small way but just hadn’t worked out quite how to do that.

There were 3 main reasons that motivated me to do some form of volunteering work. The first was the fact that I had seen my Mum support the Meals on Wheels organisation for more than 40 years, delivering food to the elderly and invalid until she was more than 80 years old herself !

The second was that I wanted my 2 sons (presently aged 18 and 20) to see that giving of yourself to others is its own reward – hopefully one day they will be inspired by what I am doing, just as I have been by my Mum’s efforts over all those years.

The final reason, and possibly the most important, is that life has delivered me a wonderful family, good health, financial security and a host of incredible experiences and opportunities – and being a volunteer seems as good a way as I can think of to express my thanks for all of that amazing good fortune.

I have a brother and 2 sisters but all of them are at least 5 years older me. When I was a child growing up, I would often find myself participating in my parents’ social events because all of my siblings were off doing their own thing, and I was still too young to be left on my own. I think perhaps this is one reason why, for most of my life, I have felt very comfortable in the company of people many years older than I am.

As a result, spending time with the residents on our bus trips is a really enjoyable experience for me, particularly when I get to hear about their lives before Ashburn House. Some days a place we visit or a story I tell will trigger a resident’s recollection of a special event from their past. It is a great thrill for me to see their eyes light up or to hear the excitement in their voices as they recount a treasured memory and remember happy times from their past.

Sadly, Marianne Crane passed away about 18 months ago. But I am happy to say that I have made many new friends at Ashburn House over the years since I responded to that ad in the newsletter and I look forward to making many more in the years ahead.

International Year of Pulses 2016 The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2016 to be the International Year of Pulses (IYP).

IYP 2016 aims to raise public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition.

Pulses are an annual plant that is part of the legume family. They yield one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and colour within a pod, and are used for food for people and feed for animals. The term “pulses� is limited to crops which are mainly harvested solely for dry grain. The term excludes vegetable crops harvested green for food, crops used mainly for oil extraction, and leguminous crops that are used exclusively for sowing purposes.

Pulse crops such as lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas are a critical part of the general food basket.

Pulses are a vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids for people around the globe.

They should be eaten as part of a healthy diet to address obesity, as well as to prevent and help manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary conditions and cancer.

Pulses are also an i m p o r t a n t s o u rc e o f plant-based protein for animals.

The pulse plant itself has nitrogen-fixing properties which can contribute to increasing soil fertility and have a positive impact on the environment.

The United National website at http://www.fao.org/ pulses-2016/en/ is to be the main platform to share information and relevant resources about pulses, including recipes from various countries around the globe.

Read, Rest & Relax!

I'm the life of the party - even if it lasts until 8 pm.

I'm very good at opening childproof caps - with a hammer.

I'm usually interested in going home before I get to where I am going.

I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a thing you're saying.

I'm very good at telling stories; over and over and over and over…..

I'm not really grouchy, I just don't like traffic, waiting, crowds, lawyers, loud music, unruly kids, barking dogs, politicians and a few other things I can't seem to remember right now.

7. I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.

8. I'm sure they are making adults much younger these days, and when did they let kids become policemen? And, how can my kids be older than I feel sometimes?

9. I'm wondering, if you're only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 150?

10. I'm a walking storeroom of facts - I've just lost the key to the storeroom door.

Yes, I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life.

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Anzac Slice

• 1 cup plain flour

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats • 2/3 cup raw caster sugar • 2/3 cup desiccated coconut • 125g butter, chopped • 2 tablespoons golden syrup • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda Makes 15 Pieces HISTORY: Anzac biscuits were developed for soldiers in World War I. Oats were chosen because of their high nutritional value and other ingredients for long shelflife properties. For crunchier biscuits allow to cool on the tray. For chewier ones remove from tray and place on a wire rack to cool. You can store biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan-forced. Grease an 18cm x 28cm (base) slice pan. Line with baking paper, extending paper 2cm from edge of pan.

2. Combine flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Place butter, syrup and 2 tablespoons cold water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until butter has melted.

Remove from heat. Stir in bicarbonate of soda. Stir butter mixture into oat mixture.

3. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon, press mixture evenly into pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Cool completely in pan.

Cut into pieces. Serve.

CROSSWORD He is not here. He has risen!

Words taken from John 20:1-18 (NIV)

Disclaimer: All photos and stories have been published with consent of relatives and residents involved. Thank you for your submissions.