C h ristadelph ian A ged Ca re
2017 AUTUMN NEWSLETTER
SOUTHHAVEN Address: 11 Queensbury Rd, Padstow Heights
Light breeze colourful leaves bare trees it must be Autumn nnn “God makes everything beautiful in its time” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Phone: (02) 9782 6010
Email: admin@chomes.com.au
Manager’s Message Welcome to Southhaven We made it through a very hot summer in one piece. From one extreme to another, we are heading into the colder months so now is the best time to get the flu injection. Southhaven will order the flu vaccinations and they will be given to residents who have an authorised consent form. Please ensure you get the form back to us as soon as possible. If you have a cough or cold, refrain from visiting until you have recovered or if you are unable to stay away, please ask the RN on duty for a face mask. Hand washing on entry and when exiting the Home is also a great way to prevent spread of illness. I also ask that you ensure adequate warmer clothing be provided for your loved one as this time of year the weather can be unpredictable. We are getting very close to the completion of the Link Building. Builders have now stated that it should be ready for use in March 2017. This has been a very long process and I thank you all very much for your patience and understanding during this time. We look forward to the ease of access to Treetops and Riverside through the link. The café will be a great place to take your loved ones as you will be able to enjoy a snack and beverage whilst overlooking our beautiful surrounds. I have been informed that the driveway will be re-laid within the next 12 months. This will provide separate pedestrian and vehicle access. I think they want to give us a break from builders for the time being. David Bridgens, our Volunteer and Pastoral Care Co-ordinator, has commenced monthly spouse morning teas. Please keep an eye out for a text on your mobile phone for dates and times. The morning tea is a great support network that gives you an opportunity to speak with other spouses who are sharing similar experiences to you. It is with great sadness that we farewell one of our Activity Officers, Janet Barnes. Janet has been with the company for 38 years. We wish her all the very best in her retirement and thank her for her great contribution to Southhaven Aged Care. If you have any concerns or issues please feel free to come and see me or Jane Burton, as our door is always open. Kind Regards, Peter Jessing
News & Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS Treetops
Treetops
Treetops
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
16th - Canterbury Club Outing at 9am 17th - St Patrick’s Day Celebrations: Irish Dancers - 1.30pm 22nd - Easter Healing Mass Father Debono - 10am 28th - Cabravale Club Outing - 9am 29th - Entertainment with Ian Blakeney- 1.30pm 31st - Birthday Lunch - 12pm
12th - Bell Singers - 1.30pm 17th - Easter Celebrations 1.30pm 20th - Canterbury Club Outing - 9am 25th - Cabravale Club Outing - 9am 26th - Entertainment with Ron Ashton - 1.30pm 28th - Birthday Lunch - 12pm
3rd - Entertainment with Neil Anthony - 1.30pm 12th - Mother’s Day Celebrations: High Tea - 1.30pm 16th - Dog Therapy with Velette - 1.30pm 18th - Canterbury Club Outing - 9am 26th - Birthday Lunch - 12pm 30th - Cabravale Club Outing - 9am
Riverside
Riverside
Riverside
MARCH
7th - Entertainment with Ian Blakeney - 11am 17th - St Patrick’s Day Celebrations - 1.30pm 21st - Entertainment with Ron Ashton - 11am 22nd - Easter Healing Mass Father Debono - 10am 28th - Cabravale Club Outing - 9am 31st - Birthday Lunch - 12.30pm
APRIL
7th - Entertainment with Ray Perrone - 11am 17th - Easter Celebrations 1.30pm 18th - Entertainment with Kane - 11am 20th - Canterbury Club Outing - 9am 25th - Cabravale Club Outing - 9am 28th - Birthday Lunch - 12pm
MAY
9th - Entertainment with Ian Blakeney - 11am 12th - Mother’s Day Celebrations: High Tea - 1.30pm 17th - Entertainment with Ron Ashton - 11am 18th - Canterbury Club Outing - 9am 26th - Birthday Lunch - 12pm 30th - Cabravale Club Outing - 9am
H a p p y B i r thd a y MARCH
Margaret Auckett, Donald Cook, Marian Keane, Elmar Liepins, John Mahony, Norma Smith, Islet Theodore, Martin Wallace, Margaret Williams, Christina Zevgiti
APRIL
Judith Halloran, Margaret Hopwood, Adrian Hotson, May Jacka, Kenneth Montague, Shirley Redhead
MAY
Mavis Beale, Rita Brasington, William Gatherer, Barry Harris, Margaret Last, David Maberly, Doreen Morris, Margaret Pratt, Doreen Sanson, Judith Wise, Gerhard Zarth
Activity Reviews VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS Valentine’s Day is a time for all kinds of love and is not just reserved for lovers, but is about spending time with those we care about. In our home at Southhaven, we started our day playing love songs that our residents can connect with. They also had a great time doing a quiz trying to answer questions about St Valentine and who he is. Not to forget the special afternoon tea prepared by the kitchen staff. We then had our beautiful flower arranging which our residents really enjoyed! We have a few married couples residing together in the Home, so we get the couples to sit together and encourage them to create their own flower arranging to share together with love and joy. Our residents really enjoyed this special occasion. They love the fact that they are made to feel special and appreciated. Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!
Husband and wife Angus and Gloria celebrating Valentine’s Day
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS We all love Christmas! After all, it is a festival when we all come a little more closer to our families. At Southhaven, the day started with our residents enjoying themselves listening to a variety of Christmas Carols. They watched staff prepare and decorate the tables for their special Christmas lunch which they shared together and with our amazing volunteers while socialising and enjoying the Christmas spirit. Not to forget their happy faces when Santa entered the place and gave out gifts and chocolates. From our home at Southhaven, we hope everyone had plenty of Christmas cheer and love during the joyous Christmas season.
Resident Story - Nellie Renshaw Nellie was born in July, 1934 in Riverwood, NSW which was known as Herne Bay back then. Herne Bay became Riverwood because of the unsavoury reputation from the nearby housing commission huts which previously housed the US soldiers. She was a twin in a family of five other siblings. They all had their duties to attend to and Nellie had to collect eggs and milk the cows from a young age. They had several horses, some of their names were Dolly, Jacky Petal, Coy and Durbin. Nellie and her twin sister Betty would often ride their horses bareback around the paddocks and streets of Riverwood. As a young child, Nellie loved to spend time with her grandmother who lived nearby at Salt Pan Creek. Her grandmother always made her and her siblings feel special and spent time with them, taking them to the zoo, Ramsgate Pool and other places. The family never had much money, but Nellie and her siblings had a beautiful mother who always made sure they had a good Christmas and did the very best she could to make their childhood special. Nellie went to work after her third year at high school at 14 years of age at the Berlei factory and helped her mum by giving her part of her wages. Nellie met Des Renshaw on a blind date and they were married in February, 1952. Nellie gave birth to a son, Alan, in 1952 and a daughter, Sue, in 1953 and later had two other daughters. Kim was born in 1960 and Linda was born in 1962. After living in a few places such as a caravan and backyard garages, Nellie and Des rented a house at Sandy Point in NSW in 1955. They were the first family in the area to get a television and sometimes Nellie would walk into her lounge room and, to her surprise, it would be full of her neighbours who had walked in and sat down to watch TV! Des Renshaw loved the bush and living in Sandy Point at that time was right up his alley, however with bushfires and snakes and with young kids, the situation was not ideal. The housing commission happened to visit on one occasion when there was a snake on the front step and hence they got approval to buy a house at Dundas Valley. Nellie lived in Dundas Valley until around 1995 and then moved to Panania to be Keep updated with all the closer to her family. Her husband Des passed away in 2003. latest news and photos by “liking” us on Facebook! Nellie has four children, nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great great facebook.com/christadelphianagedcare grandchild.
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 Exciting times are ahead. Shortly, we will be opening our café here at Southhaven. If you can spend a few hours a month volunteering in the café, then please get in touch with Volunteer Coordinator Dave Bridgens at Southhaven on 0400 016 809. The work of the volunteers is invaluable and makes a huge difference to the residents. We recently had our first volunteers morning tea. This is an opportunity for the volunteers to get to know one another a little better and to chat about the work they do at Southhaven. And another quiet, behind the scenes kind of help which we greatly appreciate are those who help with raffles and sale days! We are looking forward to lots of cultural fun this Year of the Rooster with our residents, families and volunteers. If you are interested in joining the Volunteer program, please do not hesitate to contact me:
Dave Bridgens on 0400 016 809 or dbridgens@chomes.com.au Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator
SPOTLIGHT ON A VOLUNTEER Hi, I’m Joan. I have a long history with Christadelphian Homes as I have had five family members who stayed in Strathfield and Padstow Homes throughout the years. My brother Ray was transferred to Southhaven from the MS Centre at Lidcombe and my husband and mother were also residents at one time. All were treated with dignity and care in their time of need. I volunteer partly because I want to give back to the homes that cared for my loved ones, but also because I want to make a difference and help to break up the long days for the residents with fun activities and conversation. I call bingo every Thursday and I love to see the smiles on the residents’ faces and the greetings that I receive when I arrive each week. I enjoy seeing the little thrill that the residents get when they win a small prize and absolutely love hearing their interesting life stories. I do a Bible reading once a month where I can share God’s uplifting words with the residents. We all need to be reminded of our Heavenly Father’s love and purpose and that He is always there for us. All we have to do is ask and believe.
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.