C h ristadelph ian A ged Ca re
2017 AUTUMN NEWSLETTER
CHAMBERLAIN GARDENS
Address: 53-67 Chamberlain Rd, Wyoming NSW 2250 Phone: (02) 4329 8000 Email: admin@chomes.com.au
Light breeze colourful leaves bare trees it must be Autumn nnn “God makes everything beautiful in its time” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Manager’s Message Welcome to Chamberlain Gardens
Welcome to our Autumn 2017 newsletter – I can’t believe that Easter is just around the corner! As I look back at the time since our last newsletter, a lot has happened. Here are the highlights: Our busy Christmas season is just a memory but the residents enjoyed their Christmas lunches and the PreChristmas Nibbles Night was well attended and enjoyed by all, including the children who were able to line up for face painting, which was a special treat for them. Thanks to our staff and volunteers who assisted to make the evening great and to the catering staff for the wonderful food they provided. We’ve welcomed new staff, including a new educator, Debbie, and a new bus driver, David. As you can imagine, the residents are just thrilled to be going out of the bus again after a long break and they all love David. We’ve also employed new nursing staff as we aim to provide great care for the residents. Our RAOs continue to provide a variety of activities for the residents to enjoy. There have been some issues with providing residents phones in their rooms but I am pleased to say that the IT department at Head Office has just appointed Alex Young and he is busy working to resolve the issues. For the greater protection of our residents, Christadelphian Aged Care have introduced a new drug and alcohol policy. As always, I’m available if you want to see me and I look forward to seeing you all during this Autumn season. Kind Regards, Sue Thacker
News & Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH
APRIL
MAY
Coastal
Coastal
Coastal
3 Joyce Pudig
10 Ann Olyslager
1 Betty Mitchell
10 Russell Hayes
21 Bill Lucas
14 Jean Kelman
MARCH 27th - Zoomobile at 10.30am
APRIL 9th - Vintage Bike Club Visit & Morning Tea - 10am
23 Yvonne Cheney 24 Les Byrne
MAY
28 June Hackney Garden
Garden
Garden
25th - Biggest Morning Tea starting at 10am
2 Agnes Davidson 2 Gordon McCullah 15 John Fortune 7 Mary Brown
9 Betty Roebuck
8 Betty Mitchell
17 Paul Jung
24 Mervyn Englert
26 Hunter Welsh Horizon
Horizon
Horizon
1 John Avis
1 George Blake
13 Robyn Beatty
9 Noela Dixon
11 Joan Tilley
13 Gwenethe Cane
19 Rita Lane
13 Evelyn Byrne
13 Monica Barlow
Keep updated with all the latest news and photos by “liking” us on Facebook!
Bjelke 19 Thelma Russel 17 Jeanette Peterson 28 Frances Fitzpatrick 18 Daniel Massey
20 Keith Casley
facebook.com/ christadelphianagedcare
Activity Reviews DECEMBER The month started with the RAOs decorating the Home, which is a mammoth job, but worth the effort. A memorial service was held to remember residents who had passed away the last six months. Families are invited along to the service, as well as residents and staff attending. We buy and plant a tree/shrub as a living memorial. This service gives us all closure and a time to reflect. Saturday, December 3 we had Lowes come to the Home to set up a stall so the residents could buy clothes. There was little choice for the women but the men were well catered for. Over the school holidays, we are very lucky to have a group of young adults from the Christadelphian faith come and work as Activity Assistants. They help with activities, feeding at meal times and spend quality time with the residents. We would like to thank Koa, Phebe, Harry, Peter, Hailey, Hamish and Tabby for all your hard work over the holiday season and we wish you all well with school and university. On Monday, December 5 the residents were entertained by an old favourite Evan Haswell. Evan has been coming for a number of years and sings all the old songs, some Irish tunes and some John Rowles, which gets everyone humming along. Wednesday, December 7 was the beginning of the Christmas Parties with Coastal and Garden both having their Christmas lunches and then a concert in the afternoon. Once again, lunch was beautifully presented by the kitchen. The residents had a choice of wine, beer or soft drinks and Santa paid a visit. The RAOs and volunteers had decorated the tables beautifully, and the rooms looked very festive. The Minstrels - a group belonging to the Gosford Musical Society - entertained. Thursday, December 8 the children from the local primary school Valley View Primary visited the residents and put on their Christmas concert. This is always enjoyable and the residents just love the children visiting. Wednesday, December 14 we held Horizon’s Christmas Party and the residents were entertained in the afternoon by Greg Dimmock. Greg plays a number of instruments and tours Australia putting on concerts at remote schools for the Education Department, and once worked at Old Sydney Town for those that remember it!
Activity Reviews DECEMBER Monday, December 12 we had a Christmas lunch for our volunteers. Our volunteers are a very important part of our team here at Chamberlain Gardens and this is a way of saying thank you for everything they have done through the year. Santa paid a visit and each volunteer was given a gift.
Tuesday, December 20 was the Residents and Families Christmas Drinks and Nibbles. What a huge night - this just gets bigger and better each year. We had a face painter for the children, a visit from Mrs Claus and her helper, Julz entertained the masses and once again the kitchen catered with trays and trays of beautiful finger food. A big thank you to all that helped on the night: our volunteers, kitchen staff, Activity Assistants, staff who made sure the residents were looking their best, staff who sold raffle tickets and took photos, Chris the maintenance man who must have been called on the hour with annoying requests! Lastly, a big thank you to the RAOs who work extremely hard to ensure the night went off without a hitch. It was a fabulous night, lots of new faces which is nice to see and lots of families with three generations. The smiles on everyone’s face makes it all worthwhile and it is a good night for families to get acquainted with staff. We had had some scorching hot days leading up to this night, but were blessed with a lovely night. Wednesday, December 21, Management put on a beautiful lunch for all staff and Mark Wheatley entertained. It was a boiling hot day and the lunch was held outside so staff grabbed any shade they could find. On Christmas Day, many of the residents went out for the day and many were visited by family. Each resident was given a Christmas present from Management and staff which was a “Santa’s Wish Angel”, which is a beautiful keepsake.
Coastal Christmas Lunch - Photos
Horizon Christmas Lunch - Photos
Activity Reviews JANUARY After a hectic December, January is always a lot quieter, as many of our regular entertainers have gone away for the holidays or have the month off. Wednesday, January 11, Mark Wheatley was back to entertain the residents. Mark is very popular; he plays the guitar and sings a medley of country and classic Australian songs. Mark says he enjoys coming to Chamberlain Gardens as the residents always look like they are enjoying themselves and he loves hearing them sing. Monday, January 16, Evan Haswell was here with one of his very loud shirts, which the residents have become accustomed to him wearing. Tuesday, January 17, all the RAOs went down to our Home in Parramatta, Courtlands, for education and a meeting with all the other RAOs from the other Christadelphian Homes. These days are very beneficial as we exchange ideas and it’s never too late to learn something new to keep our programs interesting. We are just all grateful we do not have to commute there on a daily basis! Wednesday, January 18, we had the Men’s Combined BBQ and as the day was one of those horrible 40 degree days, we served lunch upstairs in the Horizon activity room. Sharon and Elissa cooked the barbecue outside in the heat and nearly melted! The barbecues are a good way for the men to get together, have lunch, a beer and a chat. Wednesday, January 25, we had the Antiques Road Show come and entertain. They are two men who sing and play the guitar. They were a hit and we will be having them back again. Much of our craft and quizzes were based around Australia Day, with staff dressing up on both Wednesday, January 25 and Thursday, January 26. The staff looking very patriotic and the Home was also decorated. The residents were given lamingtons for morning tea and lunch was pie, peas and mashed potato. Dessert was pavlova, so you can’t get more Australian than that! Many of you may not have realised that our bus driver Mark retired late last year. Mark has been at the Home for a number of years and his mother was originally a resident, before Mark became a volunteer then the bus driver. Mark and his wife are hoping to spend their retirement travelling around Australia. Mark is sorely missed by both residents and staff and we wish him well. We now have a new bus driver David, who is getting himself familiar with the residents and our quaint ways. David only recently moved to the Central Coast, so is feeling his way around the area. We welcome David and wish him well. On Wednesday, January 15, Singing Hands entertained our residents. For those of you who are new to our newsletter, Singing Hands are a group of ladies who sign to music and encourage the residents to sign along. Thursday, January 16, was World Read Aloud Day. Most people enjoy being read to, especially those who are no longer able to read. The different areas read short stories, poetry, newspapers and discussed what they had heard.
Pet Therapy with Winston
Activities - Photos Painting in Garden
Putt Putt
Resident Story - Jean (Thelma) White Jean was born on January 11, 1917 to parents William and Alice Archer. She was one of seven children, having four sisters and two brothers. Jean attended primary school at Lawson Public School and then went onto Katoomba High School. Jean said she loved school and would have loved to have studied to be a school teacher but her mother thought Jean should be out earning a living. Jean worked helping elderly people with their domestic work, running them around, and helping the elderly; she saved every penny as her boyfriend Tommy had said he would marry Jean when she turned 20, as he was nine years older than Jean. Tommy and Jean married on January 14, 1939 in Kyogle, near Grafton. They had two girls, Margaret and Heather and after they married they bought a dairy farm in Comboyne. Jean said she loved working on the farm and was very good at milking. Jean had a cow that she loved called Satin and showed her Jersey cows which won many ribbons. Sadly, Tommy died after 20 years of marriage and Jean had to sell one of the farms and put a share farmer on the original farm as it got too much work for her. Jean and the girls moved back to the Blue Mountains to be closer to her family and ended up looking after her mother, with the help of her sister Nel, until her passing. Jean and Nel ended up living together in their family home before moving to a Mayflower Uniting self-care unit at Pendle Hill. Jean became very involved with helping people in the community. She organised and ran bus trips, with the profits made donated to various charities in the district. In 1994, Jean was given a Minstrel award for her services to the community and to the croquet club. Jean was very sporty and was a very good tennis player and croquet player. Jean is a life time member of the Hazelbrook Croquet Club. Margaret, Jean’s daughter, said her mother is very competitive and if a man said that they could beat Jean, Jean would give it her best to beat them! Jean is a mad Swans supporter. Jean bought herself a Vanguard after Tommy had died, she said it was a vehicle he had always wanted. I asked Jean if she had ever thought to remarry; Jean said she never looked at another man after Tommy. She said Tommy thought the sun shone out of her, and she thinks about the lovely times they had together. I asked Jean if she ever thought she would get to 100 years of age and she laughed and said she thought it was funny, and that she still can’t believe it. I asked her what advice the 100 year old Jean would give the youth of today and Jean said “Do the best you can”. Jean said she has only one regret in life; and that was losing her husband so early in life, but is blessed with seven grandchildren (two deceased) and nine great-grandchildren.
Staff Profile - Reah Pascoe Reah was born in Dagupan City, Philippines in 1960. Reah is the fourth child among 10 children, comprising six girls and four boys. Reah went to school at Lyceum Northwestern Educational Institute, where English was taught as a second language. After leaving school, Reah worked in a large department store, then she moved to Manila and stayed with her aunty until she went travelling abroad with a Philippine Orchestra as a cultural dancer. Reah travelled with the orchestra to Bagdad in Iraq, Lagos in Nigeria, Athens in Greece, Cyprus and then back to the Philippines. Reah moved to Sydney, Australia in 1990 and married George Pascoe, whom she had met while travelling. While living in Greystanes, Reah worked for the Villawood Smith Family in quality control for more than seven years. During that time, Reah had a son she called Marios. In 1995, Reah moved to Bateau Bay and commuted to Sydney by train before gaining employment at the Diggers Club at The Entrance for two years. Reah bought and owned the New Zealand Ice Cream shop in The Entrance, which she had for six and half years. After selling the shop, Reah studied and completed her Certificate 3 in Aged Care and gained employment at Chamberlain Gardens in 2011. Reah said she loves the people here and enjoys looking after the residents and getting to know them and their families. When Reah is not working, she plays Ten Pin Bowling and loves anything to do with fashion and makeup. Reah travels home once a year to visit with her family, but calls Australia home.
Aged Care Rap
- Poem by Lyn Poulton
We're all getting older and it's rather hard to know, Should I remain in my home, If not, where do I go?
As we all reminisce, Of times that have passed, We've helped to change the future, Let's toast and raise a glass.
Times are getting tougher, Expenses are quite high, I've paid all my taxes, The pension makes me cry.
We're all getting older, Let's celebrate our lives, We live for the future, Taking control, we will survive
We're all getting older, no kids on our hands, Time to see the outside world, See old country bands.
love
1 John 3:18
Pastoral Care
Let us not with word or speech but with actions and in truth
DEPRESSION AND DEMENTIA Depression and dementia are both very daunting terms. Each can seem overwhelming and leave us all at a loss as to how to help. There are difficulties to face, but thankfully there are also some things that we can do to bring some comfort. Depression can also be linked with dementia, with feelings of frustration and loss being a natural result of the effect of dementia on a person’s abilities. Studies indicate that in 30% of cases, those diagnosed with dementia will also suffer from depression. Group activities such as art, music, exercise and religious services can all help to lift a person’s mood by focusing on ability and memories while creating situations for social interaction. Tapping into activities enjoyed during childhood can bring a renewed sense of self, alleviating feelings of depression. Simple personalised things such as hand holding and singing can also be very effective. The happiness felt, or the relief of depression, may only last a short time. Carers should take comfort from knowing they were able to help for that period of time. Much of caring for a person with depression may be simply making the most of each moment, of being present with them. As Elijah had to learn – God is in the small voice, and this is often the most effective. A friend or family member visiting when they are able can lift the mood for a little while and obtain that small smile that accompanies relief. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Reminders of God’s creation help to stimulate all our senses, and give us an opportunity to appreciate what is around us. If possible, walking in gardens or being taken outside to sit in the sunshine gives a great change of scene and can help lift depression. The different outdoor sounds also help to stimulate our minds and can lift people’s spirit – both those of the affected and those of their carers. If, in the later stages of dementia or at a time when depression is so great that they refuse to go outside, then a bunch of flowers can be a similar trigger to stimulate the senses. Finally, remember as a carer to take care of yourself also. Those looking after people with depression have an increased chance of developing it themselves, and all carers need to maintain an awareness of their own health as they meet the needs of others nearby. By Nerida O’Neill, Pastoral Care Coordinator, Ashburn House
Bereavements Our deepest sympathies have gone out to the families who have lost their loved ones over the Summer period.
Volunteer Corner It’s February already and I would have to say, I am looking forward to Autumn and the cooler months ahead after what has been a very hot and humid summer. The volunteers enjoyed a beautiful Christmas Lunch here at Chamberlain Gardens on Monday, December 14. It was well attended with even a visit from Santa. This lunch is a time for Management and staff to thank the volunteers for all the hard work and commitment over the year and to let them know how blessed we are to have them as part of the Christadelphian team. It is a regret that Liz McKay has left us and for the interim, I am filling in as acting Volunteer Coordinator. We currently have 20 wonderful volunteers who have been with Chamberlain Gardens for a length of time, but have had a few volunteers move on due to gaining employment or having family commitments, so are looking for more volunteers to help with the following positions: Library, reading to residents, taking residents for a walk, Bible class. If you can spare an hour or more, we would be happy to have you on board. Our volunteers are a very important part of the team here at Chamberlain Gardens, they make such a difference in the day-to-day lives of our residents and we are very grateful for their contribution and the love and care they show to our residents. Best Wishes, Sharon Mesic If you are interested in joining the Volunteer program, please do not hesitate to contact us - 4329 8000
SPOTLIGHT ON A VOLUNTEER - Lyn Crighton Lyn was born in Parramatta and attended school at East Parramatta Public School and Macarthur Girls High. Lyn’s first job on leaving school was working at Lumleys in the city as a mail girl. Lyn then moved onto work for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals at Parramatta in the office. Lyn’s final workplace was working for F.T. Wimble and Company at Rydalmere as a switchboard operator. Lyn has been married twice and has a two grown children - a boy and a girl. Lyn moved to the coast in 1991 and lives in Wyoming; she enjoys gardening, listening to music, craft and sewing clothes. Lyn is partial to leopard print and her glasses case, umbrella etc are in leopard print. Lyn travelled to America three times because she liked the country and the people, but now wishes she had maybe visited Europe. Lyn said she enjoys volunteering because she likes to give back. Lyn said she has a thing inside her that likes to give. Lyn had been her mother’s carer before her mother moved into a Home. Lyn volunteered at Woodport for a year and currently volunteers for Salvation Army fortnightly and comes to Chamberlain Gardens every Wednesday, where she spends time in Garden. Lyn said she enjoys the residents’ company and making a difference in their day-to-day lives.
Read, Rest & Relax! INTERESTING EASTER FACTS 1. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion. 2. Eggs have been seen as ancient symbol of fertility. Christians consider Easter eggs to symbolise joy and celebration, new life and resurrection.
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3. The traditional act of painting eggs is called Pysanka. 4. Egg dyes were once made out of natural items such as onion peels, tree bark, flower petals, and juices. 5. The name Easter owes its origin from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolises hare and egg. 6. The first story of a rabbit (later named the “Easter Bunny”) hiding eggs in a garden was published in 1680. 7. Easter is celebrated at different times by Eastern and Western Christians. That’s because the dates for Easter in Eastern Christianity are based on the Julian Calendar.
Hot Cross Bun Pudding • 1/4 cup white choc bits • 1 1/2 cups milk • 1 1/2 cups thin cream • 1/2 cup caster sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/4 cup dark choc bits • 2 tablespoon slivered almonds • 6 hot-cross buns • 6 eggs Serves 8 1. Grease a 22cm cake tin and line base with non-stick baking paper. Cut each hot cross bun into four slices.
Line base of tin with half the slices, fitting snugly. Sprinkle with white choc bits. 2. Whisk milk, cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large jug. Pour half the mixture over buns. 3. Top with remaining slices, pour rest of mixture over. Stand 30 mins to soak up liquid. Preheat oven to 160C or 140C fan-forced. Top with dark choc bits and almonds. 4. Stand cake tin in a baking dish and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the side. Bake for 1 hr until set and browned (it will rise when cooked, but sink on cooling). 5. Remove tin from dish and cool completely Run a knife around edge of pudding, turn onto a plate. Remove paper and invert pudding onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges to serve.
Word Scramble The Easter Bunny decorated some of his eggs with words, but when he delivered them, they got a little scrambled. Can you unscramble the words and find the answer to his favourite riddle?
Disclaimer: All photos and stories have been published with consent of relatives and residents involved. Thank you for your submissions.