Casa Mia Summer Newsletter

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

CASA MIA Address: 28 Alma Road, Padstow NSW, 2211

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Phone: (02) 8707 6010

Email: admin@chomes.com.au

Manager’s Message

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Welcome to Casa Mia

Dear Residents and Families, It is so nice to say goodbye to the cold weather and enjoy the warmer months. Our garden has sprung to life over the recent months and it is so lovely to see so many people enjoying it.

As Christmas approaches, please let staff know of any special arrangements that you are making for Christmas Day. This is to ensure that we have your loved ones ready for any special event or visit that you may have on this day.
 If you are intending on taking your loved one home for Christmas and need to book a wheelchair taxi, please see Reception staff ASAP and they can help you organise this.

I hope to see as many people as possible at our Christmas Lunch on Thursday 10th December. Please see any member of the RAO team to purchase tickets.

My staff and I wish all our residents, relatives and volunteers a peaceful Christmas and New Year and look forward to continuing to care for your loved ones in 2016.

Regards, Sharon Fletcher

News & Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

10th - Christmas Lunch

2 Audrey W

2 Dorothy S

4 Jane S

7 Marius B

11 Maisie P

5 Vernette M

8 Dana T

17 John B

6 Joan D

When: 2nd Wednesday of every month - 10:30am

19 Richard W

18 Guiseppe T

8 Guiseppe S

Where: Casa Mia Garden Gazebo

20 Flora R

21 William D

11 Marjorie C

Looking forward to seeing you there for a social chat and/or support if you need it.

25 Rachel M

31 Reg J

11 Albino M

29 Nancy H

Family and Carers of residents are invited to a FAMILY MORNING TEA

Cathy Strachan 0435 814 411 Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator

Resident Service Officers When friends talk to you about the frailty of their parents or grandparents, uncles or aunts, neighbours or other loved ones, you might like to share this newsle:er with them, recommending Christadelphian Homes as a “home away from home”.

Cathy Strachan, RSO, would love to hear from you and have a chat about the various individualised needs Casa Mia Aged Care can offer your loved one.

Call 1800 246 637 or email admin@chomes.com.au

Activity Reviews MEN’S CLUB Over the spring months, the male residents of Casa Mia have enjoyed a wide array of Men’s Club activities including a bus outing to Bunnings, quizzes, movie afternoons, ‘barber shop’ and remote control car racing. As the days have grown warmer, there has been more opportunity to participate in outdoor activities.

Once such activity has been ‘darts in the garden’.

Carlton and Sam assisted the men outside into the pergola, before setting up a magnetic dartboard (accompanied by blunt magnetictipped darts) on a stand that could be adjusted to the height and distance appropriate for each resident. The men were then offered a beverage of their choice (light beer or ginger beer) before beginning the darts game, thus setting up a ‘beer garden’ atmosphere!

Each resident started on a score of 391, with the aim of the game being to be the first to reach zero by subtracting the scores obtained by each resident’s dart throws from this score. The men went in turns throwing two darts apiece; with some getting very large scores early on and cutting down their points tally very quickly. However, it was a case of ‘slow and steady wins the race’, as Adam came from behind the frontrunners to snatch victory with some very precise throwing!

All in all it was a very fun afternoon at Men’s Club, spent in the spirit of friendly competition around drinks and good conversation.

Thanks to Carlton for his knowledge of darts scoring systems!

MELBOURNE CUP Melbourne Cup is always a fun day at Casa Mia but this year we excelled ourselves. From the time we started work, we began preparing our residents for the big race. The ladies had their makeup on and flowers in their hair and the men were sporting brightly coloured hats for the occasion.

The race sweeps had been going for days and it was up to Vicki (Jess’s daughter) to quickly draw the horses and get the lists on the wall so the residents knew which horse to cheer for during the race.

The kitchen had prepared a hot afternoon tea of special rosemary & lamb mini pies, curry pies, steak & pepper mini pies and mini quiches with a huge selection of drinks. Many of the residents commented on how tasty the food was and felt quite spoilt and happily these will again be enjoyed at our monthly birthday party lunch.

All the above appears to be quite normal for a Melbourne Cup Day but what really stood out on the day was a REAL horse (Scarlet) making a visit to Casa Mia. The horse did not stay outside but walked happily throughout the facility spending quality time with each of the residents and also the staff. The horse was a little Welsh pony and so well behaved - she even rested her head on Jess’s pillow as Jess patted her. Tom (who is blind) also got a bit of a shock when he patted Scarlet. He thought we were playing tricks on him until he felt her ears and said “she’s alive”!!

Congratulations to those lucky people who won on the races and a special thank you to all those who participated in making our Melbourne Cup Day such a special event. Photos on next pages

Melbourne Cup - Photos

Melbourne Cup - Photos

Activity Reviews MUSEUM IN A BOX Museum in a box has always been one of our popular activities. Every time we do a different box, we have more residents wanting to join.

The last 2 boxes that the residents seemed to really enjoy were the mammals and nature. Inside the mammal box was a lot of hands on items to feel and touch, such as soft shark’s puppets, life size replicas of sharks jaws and their teeth and inside the nature box was life-size replicas of bats as well as all different types of insects and what they would eat. The residents seem to respond better to items they can feel. The documentary movie afterwards always seems to go down well with our residents; it keeps them interested in the activity and always seems to have amazing pictures of the animals they are speaking about.

WISTERIA WALK PROGRESS - OLIVE EVANS Even though the weather lately hasn’t been the best, one thing for sure our garden out the front sure loves the raining overcast days. The one person I know that loves being outside in the garden on beautiful warm sunny days, was out of action for a little while. Olive didn’t mind too much, as she loved to watch the garden grow each morning from the rain the night before. Olive Evans has been a part of Casa Mia now for about 3 months and almost every other day Olive will be outside watering the garden but most importantly our Wisteria. Olive has such a passion for flowers and says she loves all the different colours more than their perfume.

Olive has done an amazing job keeping our Wisteria in action and soon enough we will be seeing the beautiful flower blossoming all over our arbors.

DEVONSHIRE TEA On Wednesday 14th October, the residents had a lovely afternoon with a Devonshire Tea in the dining room. We started in the morning with the ladies arranging flowers for the tables so we were already to go at 2pm. In no time at all, we had a full house and the residents were trying very hard to be patient as they waited for their scones, jam & cream. The china tea set is always a hit as we served cuppa after cuppa.

Thank you to Carol (Joyce’s daughter) who happened to be visiting and got roped in by the staff to help on the day. We are always grateful for the wonderful family members and their contribution to Casa Mia. We will endeavour to put on special afternoon tea once a month and all are welcome. If you don’t have a program check with the Activity Officers.

Activity Reviews MR WHIPPY As the warmer months have come upon us, Casa Mia has introduced a ‘Mr Whippy’ ice cream cart to go through the home every second Monday afternoon. Activity Officers Sam and Amy and Lesley and Doreen from the kitchen spruce themselves up in 1950s candy and ice cream cart attire, before setting up the cart with ice cream, cones, chocolate sprinkles and various flavoured sweet toppings. A Mr Whippy jingle will be played as the cart goes around the facility on the next occasion, which should add to the residents’ anticipation and give an ‘ice cream truck’ feel to the activity. The residents very much enjoy the ice cream cones and toppings and one resident remarked that ‘we should do this every day!’

While his enthusiasm may be dampened in the cooler months of the year, his exclamation reflects the eagerness of even the more reserved residents to come out and enjoy an ice cream and a chat.

Many thanks to Amy for looking after the costumes and to our kitchen staff for their help!

LADIES GARDEN MORNING TEA After what seems like a long winter, it was decided to finally get the ladies outside in the garden and give them a special morning tea. We couldn’t really get everyone excited as the weather changes so quickly and the event may have had to be cancelled but on the day the weather was perfect. We sat the ladies outside in the garden under the shade sales with a gentle breeze blowing. The colourful flowers completed the peaceful setting for our morning together.

It felt like ages since we have been able to spend time in the garden and the ladies wasted no time in tucking into the lovely cakes supplied by our kitchen staff and tea and coffee that always tastes better when sipped from china cups. Amazingly many of the ladies who don’t get participate in many activities surprisingly enjoyed the morning.

Resident Story - Brian Wolverson Brian was born in 1940 and lived in Merrylands. He went to South Granville Primary School before attending Canterbury Junior High School. He then left school at age 14 to help his mother, who was a widow, and became the ‘bread winner’ of the family. He also had a sister named Patricia.

Brian worked for A.W.A Forser in Lakemba as a welder’s assistant. He later married Irene when he was 16 years (and 9 months) old and they stayed together for 30 years before separating. They had 9 children together – 7 girls and 2 boys!

Brian’s favourite past time was going to the horse racing and trots and he also enjoys watching rugby league and cricket. Brian always has a cheery word for everyone he passes and regularly compliments the chef after every meal. He says, “My empty plate tells the story!” He is now in charge of our rain gauge, so we can keep track of the official rainfall for Casa Mia.

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Congratulations to Chi and M on qualifying as Registered Nurses. We are proud to have you as part of our team!!

—> We welcome Sue back for a few months as RAO while Colleen is off on Maternity Leave. Sue was very sad to leave all the residents at Casa Mia at the end of last year to have a knee replacement, so she is delighted to be back to do her Activity programs.

Cathy has been at Casa Mia for the past 2 years as the <— Volunteer and Pastoral Care Coordinator and has recently taken on the Resident Services Officer position as well, to help Sharon and Lily with admissions.

—> Ali has also recently joined the Casa Mia team as our Maintenance Officer. You may well have noticed him painting and repairing and replacing things. We are delighted to have him on the staff and hope he will be very happy here.

Paul is standing in as our Cook at Casa Mia. He is keeping up with the <— tradition of good, wholesome home-cooked meals that the residents enjoy so much. <— As some of you may already know, our wonderful RAO Supervisor Colleen has left us for a while to enter the big, exciting and challenging world of motherhood. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Madeline Rose on Wednesday 30th September 2015, weighing 3.6kg.

love

1 John 3:18

Pastoral Care

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

THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS It's that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas? For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some.

Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.

Luke 2: 4-19 says: "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.â&#x20AC;? When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

Why did He come? Why did God send His son to this sometimes cruel and hard world? He sent Jesus to us so that one day, He would grow up to become a very important part of history. His story (history) is one of truth, love, and hope. It brought salvation to all of us. Without Jesus, we would all die in our sins.

Jesus was born so one day the price could be paid for the things we have done that are wrong. The Bible says that all have sinned. We are all born with a sin nature. We do things that do not please God. Through the sins of Adam and Eve, we have all inherited that sin nature. We need to have that removed. The only way is through Jesus.

Jesus came so He could die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we can ask Him to come into our hearts and forgive us. Then, we are clean and made whole.

Bereavements

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

"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." I John 1:9 We can truly be happy at Christmas! No matter what may be happening, we can know that we are His children. We then become sons and daughters of God. Look at Christmas in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus into your heart. You will then have a "Merry Christmas." The joy and peace you will receive will last all year as you look to God for all your needs to be met. - By Martha Noebel

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Volunteer Corner “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” - Ghandi We have 2 fabulous students volunteering at Casa Mia at the moment: Hannah and Bianca. They are working on a project involving the five senses, and spending time with each resident asking them about their likes and dislikes, and their favourite things. Once they’ve collected all the information, they create a poster celebrating all the Resident’s preferences which is out up in their bedroom.

The idea behind this person-centred approach is to help the staff and visitors communicate with each individual about things that interest them. It also enables us to show our care in appropriate ways that the individual appreciates, rather than what the staff prefer. The residents are loving the posters, and Hannah and Bianca have put in a lot of effort to make them meaningful. A very big thank you to both ladies for all their time and effort.

We have also recently had Warren join our team of volunteers.

Warren does an interesting activity with the residents – he brings in his own equipment and runs “The Radio Show”, which includes old radio plays, music, live broadcasts from bygone eras and old radio commercials. Warren has worked for many years in Aged Care doing his shows as well as care work, and has an easy way of communicating with the residents. He will hopefully be coming in fortnightly to entertain the residents.

Two of our regular volunteers who come in at east twice a week to play Bingo with the Residents are husband and wife team: Ces and Di. There’s always If you are interested in joining the Volunteer lots of nonsense program, please do not hesitate to contact me: and laughter Cathy Strachan on 0435 814 411 when these two or cstrachan@chomes.com.au are around.

Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator

Read, Rest & Relax!

Laughter is the best medicine

An elderly man was having hearing problems and went to see a specialist. The doctor fitted him with some hearing aids that brought his hearing back to full strength.

After a few weeks the man came back to make sure the new equipment was working properly, which it was. The hearing specialist said, “It all seems perfect. Your family should be delighted you can hear everything now.”

“Oh no,” the man responded. “I haven’t told any of them. I just sit quietly, listening carefully. I’ve changed my will four times.”

Christmas Trifle

• 4 x 85g packets strawberry jelly crystals • 2 1/2 cups boiling water • 1/2 x 800g light fruit cake, cut into 3cm cubes • 2 tablespoons brandy (optional) • 2 cups Pauls Double Thick Vanilla custard • 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries • 125g fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced • 300ml thickened cream • 1 teaspoon icing sugar mixture, sifted • 50g white chocolate, grated fresh raspberries and hulled, quartered strawberries, to decorate Serves 6 Tips: You could use leftover fruit cake or pudding in this trifle and replace brandy with orange juice

1. Place jelly crystals in a heatproof bowl.

Add boiling water. Stir to dissolve crystals.

Stir in 400ml cold water. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until just starting to set (it should have a thick, syrupy consistency).

2. Arrange cake in a 13 cup-capacity serving bowl. Drizzle with brandy, if using. Spoon half the jelly over top. Top with custard. Sprinkle with raspberries and strawberries. Spoon remaining jelly over top.

Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold through chocolate. Spoon mixture over trifle. Top with raspberries and strawberry quarters and grated chocolate.

Serve.

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