Christadelphian Aged Care 2 0 1 6 / 1 7 S U M M E R N E W S L E T T E R
ASHBURN HOUSE
Address: 20-34 Ashburn Place, Gladesville
Phone: (02) 8876 9200
Email: admin@chomes.com.au
Manager’s Message Welcome to Ashburn House Hello All, Welcome to the last newsletter of the year. The warm sunny weather has appeared and is welcomed. I would like to remind all families to bring light and summer clothes to their loved one living in Ashburn House for the upcoming hot summer. Our allied health team, such as podiatrist, dentist, optometrist etc, visiting schedules are posted on notice board in both lifts. Our residents’ Christmas Lunch has been set with festivities starting at 12pm. Ground floor residents will celebrate on Tuesday, December 6 and Level 1 residents Monday, December 14. To ensure seating, please RSVP no later than December 1. For family and friends taking residents out this year on Christmas Day and New Years Day, if you require a wheelchair, please give us notice as we have limited numbers available. Our Leisure and Lifestyle team are asking family and friends for donations of any suitable, unused presents to Ashburn House for our bingo prize trolley in the new year. I would like to say a big thank you for everyone’s understanding, patience, cooperation and assistance during our flu outbreak time. It’s important that we remember that all family, friends and staff should postpone visits to the Home if they have any symptoms of a cold, flu or gastro. Also, a reminder to families and visitors to seek assistance from staff if anyone asks to open the front door or tries to walk out with you. We have a number of residents who present well but are confused, so to ensure their safety please check with staff if you are unsure about a person trying to leave our Home. The new year ahead holds some exciting change for us here at Ashburn House, as the renovations are due to begin in February. Wishing everyone a very happy and safe festive season. Kind Regards, Yan Li
News & Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
7 Margaret Snashall 5 Joan Bartlett
5 Liese-Lore Spring
7 Valerie King
13 Bozo (Chris) Bencic
23 Nicolas Vlahos
12 Jessie Leo
16 Sook Ling Ho
25 Beverley Hudson
23 Greta Smith
21 Roy Barnes 22 Margaret Pooley 23 Beulah Dahl 24 Huw Gethin-Jones 24 Josephine Bunyon
JANUARY
26 Joan Revitt 26 Betty West 30 Michel Roser Christadelphian Aged Care
1st - Henley Long Day Care Visit/Concert 2nd - Entertainer: Dale Ryan 6th - Ground Floor Residents Christmas Lunch 9th - Uniting Carol Service at 11am 13th - Entertainer: Roseanna Gallo 13th - Anglican Carols (roaming) at 5pm 14th - First Floor Residents Christmas Lunch 15th - Staff and Volunteers Christmas Party 1.30-2.30pm 23rd - Christmas Celebration
2017 Calendar Residents at all our Homes and Villages recreated a favourite movie for photos that have been printed as a wall calendar. All residents will receive a copy for Christmas.
If family or friends would like a copy, please see Reception.
5th - Entertainer: Ben Little 13th - Entertainer: Eleni Kokkinos 20th - Entertainer: David Mason-Cox 27th - Entertainer: Selwyn King
FEBRUARY 3rd - Entertainer: Chris Joret 10th - Entertainer: Mike Tsama’s Elvis Show 14th - Valentines’ Day Event 24th - Entertainer: Marienne Shepherd
Activity Reviews ASHBURN HOUSE 10TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION On September 17, we held the Ashburn House 10th Birthday Celebration (of the building). The weather was a beautiful Spring day and the event presented as a lovely garden party. We had a jazz musician named Selwyn King who really gave the day a great vibe. Some of the residents enjoyed dancing to the music, whilst others sat back and got great pleasure from a traditional sausage sizzle with BBQ sauce! You will notice from the photos (see photo page) that the families treasured the event as good times spent with loved ones! Thank you to all the organisers and volunteers who gave their time to make the day a huge success.
ENTERTAINMENT We have had a few new entertainers this last six months. We enjoyed having Charles the Dance Tutor who actually dances with the residents. Marienne Shepherd came to sing for us and nearly brought the house down. She is a mezzosoprano singer and really comes dressed as the part. On more than one occasion, the residents have played our percussion instruments and been very impressed. So if you are free on a Friday afternoon from 1.30pm, why not join us! We would like to see resident family members at these concerts held in the Cronulla Theatre. Please check our monthly calendar of events as some Fridays we have a bus outing instead.
MELBOURNE CUP DAY EVENT On Tuesday November 1, we celebrated ‘the race that stops the nation’ or Melbourne Cup Day! The week before, we were busy making our very own fascinators with the residents. This proved to be a success due to how lovely the ladies looked on the day. From 2pm in the Cronulla Theatre the room was a buzz of excitement and we had the race on the big screen! We all enjoyed canapés and a glass of champagne from Australia! Libby and Rhonda (volunteers) ran a whole lot of sweeps which ranged from $10 to $1 so everyone had the chance to be involved. Jean Ballerum was lucky enough to draw #17 in the $10 sweep, which fetched a nice prize. There were also five or six lucky door prizes for those who attended the race in Cronulla Theatre. And if you didn’t win a thing there is always next year!
Ashburn’s 10th Birthday - Photos
Melbourne Cup Day - Photos
Resident Story - Thomas Duffy
to be an invasion of Europe”. (sourced from Wikipedia) After two visits to Australia during the war years, Thomas talked his fiancée Cathie into immigrating to Sydney in 1953. They married in October that year and had four children; Christine, Katherine, Maureen and John. Tom worked as a fireman at night and roof tiler by day to save for their first home. In 1962, they whole family moved to Concord West. In 1994, after the passing of his wife, Cathie, he decided to move into a unit in Ryde. He lived there for 22 years until he came to Ashburn House in May 2016.
Thomas Duffy was born in Coatbridge, Scotland in 1923. He joined the British Merchant Marines when he was 14 years old. During WWII, he worked on the mine sweepers in the English Channel. He was actually on the landing ship in the engine room at “D” Day in France at the end of WWII. “D-Day is important for World War II because it was the main Allied invasion of continental Europe. It was this invasion that allowed the Allies to finally defeat Germany. In order for the Allies to defeat Germany, there would have
Staff Profile - Mikhael Elias PHYSIOTHERAPIST Mikhael is an enthusiastic physiotherapist who has had a passion for health and well-being since a young age. Mikhael's fascination with the human body and its movement fuelled his passion towards sport. "I chose physiotherapy as an occupation as it allows me to combine the two things I enjoy most; sport and healthcare�, he said. Since completing his Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Australian Catholic University, Mikhael has developed himself within the wide spectrum of physiotherapy. Having worked in a variety of fields, Mikhael has gained extensive experience and knowledge in private practice setting. He has been exposed to a large caseload of work-related and sport injuries, which has developed his skills in diagnosing and treating all areas in the body. He uses a combination of manual therapy, dry needling, corrective and protective taping techniques alongside prescribing personalised exercise programs tailored to each individual to provide quality care on the individual’s road towards recovery and achieving their goals. Mikhael has also gained experience within the community and aged care sector of physiotherapy. He understands his duty of care and enjoys keeping the elderly and wider community active as well as providing them with pain relief, comfort and better quality of life. Physiotherapy is a new study with ongoing developments and discoveries in treatment. Mikhael is always looking forward to expanding his knowledge further by keeping up to date with developments in studies and applying evidence-based treatment to his patients. Mikhael is ambitious, takes pride in his work and looks forward to further developing his career within the aged care field. Over the last six months at Asburn House, Mikhael has enjoyed getting to know the residents and their families, and supporting them to remain mobile.
love
1 John 3:18
Pastoral Care
Let us not with word or speech but with actions and in truth
GRIEF: COPING WITH SPECIAL OCCASIONS Birthdays, Religious Celebrations, Anniversaries, Holidays You may experience an unexpected increase in your feelings of grief on special days that are important and meaningful to you and your family. For example - birthdays, anniversaries (especially the anniversary of the death), Christmas or Easter, or any other special family traditions. These feelings can also be triggered by other occasions such as hearing a meaningful song, smelling a particular perfume, or visiting places that bring back memories. It is normal to feel this heightened sense of loss with this type of reminder. It is common to wonder why you are experiencing increased feelings of loss and not understand the cause, only to realise that a significant date is approaching or has passed. It can be useful to plan ahead for these days, realising they may be difficult. Depending on the individual, you may like to spend the day alone or with friends and family, or keep yourself occupied in some other way. You cannot change the circumstances but you can change the way you approach these occasions. Religious celebrations are supposed to be a joyous time and most people spend them with family. Again it will be normal to experience increased anxiety and heightened grief when anticipating the first occasion without your loved one. Be prepared for this to be a time of intense grief and sorrow, as family traditions at these times can bring painful reminders of your loss and loneliness. It is difficult to smile and pretend everything is okay when inside your heart is breaking. It is your choice whether you wish to continue with your family traditions as they were or change things – for example: go somewhere different for your family holiday, or change the seating at the Christmas table, or open gifts at a different time. Perhaps you could start new traditions in memory of your loved one like sharing fond memories or donating to a special charity. Difficult feelings may come and go or be mixed with happy feelings and memories too. Don’t feel you’re not coping as well as you should. It is very important to realise that you are unique and you will grieve in your own way and in your own time. There is no right or wrong way. The grief doesn’t end, but it does change and will become less intense as you adjust to a new world without your loved one. You could: Plan what you want to do or do not want to do during the special occasion Accept that your distress is normal Do something to honour your loved one – plant a favourite tree, hang a special ornament on the Christmas tree… Recognise that the absence of your loved one will cause pain no matter what you do. It is often a time of bittersweet memories. Sharing these reminiscences with friends and family can be helpful. Give yourself permission to have fun and be happy in the same way as you allow yourself to mourn. Feeling happy is not a betrayal, and neither does it mean you have forgotten your loved one. Tell people what you might find helpful. Sometimes others are unsure of how to help. Take it slow and easy. Rest if you feel tired and don’t over commit yourself for that occasion. By Cathy Strachan, Pastoral Care Coordinator, Casa Mia
Bereavements Our deepest sympathies have gone out to the families who have lost their loved ones over the Spring period.
Volunteer Corner Regular volunteers are such a blessing and we are very thankful to all who give their time. One of these is Tiana, who helps out with a library cart each week, spending time helping residents choose from a range of books, magazines and movies. At the end of September, we had the St Ignatius students for the first week of the holidays only, as unfortunately the flu hit again during the second week. Before the volunteers were unable to visit due to the flu, there was time for the boys to help celebrate Roy’s birthday. We were also lucky e n o u g h t o h av e a group of singers return for their second time. The ‘Keep It Simple Singers’ (KISS) entertained with lovely songs that we could all sing along with. Last newsletter mentioned the celebration the reopening of Ashburn House 10 years ago. After being re-scheduled, it was great to finally celebrate on September 17. Of particular note was the presentation of a small gift to Mary who has been a volunteer at Ashburn House for the full 10 years. We also had a great group of volunteers running the barbecue and helping to serve the residents the fantastic birthday cake. I would like to acknowledge and thank Shirley Johnson and team for the work they did initially setting up the volunteers and the café here at Ashburn. Many of the things we still enjoy doing today came from the great ideas of our first group of volunteers. If you are interested in joining the Volunteer program, please do not hesitate to contact me: Nerida O’Neill on 0434 946 184 or noneill@chomes.com.au Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator
Volunteer Corner SPOTLIGHT ON A VOLUNTEER Helen Lochlin Helen has been volunteering at Ashburn House for a few years, helping with the monthly Anglican services as well as visiting individual residents. Helen’s story: I was born in Sydney, the second of four children. The family left Sydney to live in Port Moresby, Papua for nine years when I was five years old. Dad then transferred to Rockhampton, Queensland where I completed my schooling and started nurse training at Rockhampton Base Hospital – the last group of a four year nurse training there. I was the first of the children to leave home, coming back to Sydney to do my second certificate at North Ryde Psychiatric Centre. I worked at the Children’s Hospital at Camperdown, then after a long break with my children, went to the Royal Rehabilitation Centre for about eight years. I’m married with two children and am now blessed with three grandchildren, a five year old boy and seven month old twin girls, all such a joy to us. Because I worked in the Dixson Unit at the Royal Rehab centre, I have an interest (well more than an interest), an affinity with aged care and when I found out Mary was coming to Ashburn House with Bible talks, singing hymns and praying, I asked if I could join her as part of the Anglican team. I came to believe in Jesus as my saviour later in my life, so it is a great pleasure and a privilege that I can come to Ashburn House to talk with people about our Lord and to pray with them. Mary and I also come around to say hi to the residents every second Monday.
Read, Rest & Relax! CHRISTMAS POEM Take a heap of child-like wonder That opens up our eyes To the unexpected gifts in life Each day a sweet surprise Mix in fond appreciation For the people whom we know; Like festive Christmas candles, Each one has a special glow. Add some giggles and some laughter, A dash of Christmas food, (Amazing how a piece of pie Improves our attitude!) Stir it all with human kindness; Wrap it up in love and peace, Decorate with optimism, and Our joy will never cease. If we use this healthy recipe, We know we will remember To be in the Christmas spirit Even when it’s not December. Written by Joanna Fuch
Chocolate Snowballs • 200g dark chocolate, chopped • 100g unsalted butter, chopped • 3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar • 3 eggs, lightly beaten • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1 cup (150g) icing sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. 2. Place the dark chocolate and chopped butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water over low heat (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water).
Stir mixture until melted and smooth, then remove the bowl from the heat and stand for five minutes to cool. 3. Using a wooden spoon, stir caster sugar into chocolate until dissolved. Gradually add eggs, stirring until well combined. Add vanilla, flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix until a smooth dough. Cover and chill for no more than 30 minutes to firm. 4. Use hands to roll two level tablespoons of the dough into a ball. Repeat until you have 14 balls. Sift the icing sugar into a dish, then dip each ball into the dish and dust heavily in icing sugar and place on the prepared trays about 2cm apart. Bake the snowballs for 10-12 mins until firm to the touch. Cool on the trays.
Makes 14
Disclaimer: All photos and stories have been published with consent of relatives and residents involved. Thank you for your submissions.