Southhaven Hostel Winter Newsletter 2014

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Christadelphian Aged Care W I N T E R N E W S L E T T E R

SOUTHHAVEN HOSTEL

Address: 11 Queensbury Rd, Padstow Heights

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Phone: (02) 9782 6030

Email: admin@chomes.com.au

Managers Message

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Welcome to Southhaven Hostel

Hello to all,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

Wow! What a busy time we have had in the Hostel, building works is in full swing. All residents and staff are now located on Ground and Level 1 and the builders have now started to renovate Levels 2 and 3. It seemed like I was no longer out of my office and they were in there demolishing it - I am now located on Level 1.

Even though I no longer have a door, it is always open. If you have any concerns please come and see me. I am always happy to meet with you to discuss any issues.

Bye for now, Kim Howard

nnn DONATION NEEDED We are after a strip of red carpet to act as a bridal aisle and a strip of green carpet for a bowling green.

Please give to RAOs - Thank You

Gal 5:22-23

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others�

- Philippians 2:4

Message from our CEO I would like to thank the residents of Southhaven Hostel, Casa Mia and Maranatha for their patience and understanding as the renovations at those sites continue. Whilst our staff do as much as they can to minimise the disruption to our residents, inevitably, given the scale of the refurbishment being undertaken, residents may become unsettled. Please speak to the facility manager if you have any particular concerns or suggestions as our staff continue to deal with day to day practicalities.

Due to the nature of the equipment used and constant movement of people, care facilities suffer significant wear and tear and the renovation works at these 3 sites will revitalise the environment and amenity for our residents.

In the next few months we will be commencing some painting and re-flooring at Ashburn House, Ridgeview and Chamberlain Gardens. Shortly we will advise residents and families of start dates. This work does not involve major construction so any disturbance to residents should be of a minor nature.

1st July is the implementation date of the new funding arrangements and other provisions of the Living Longer Living Better legislation. The legislation introduced by the former Government brings significant change to the aged care sector with an expansion of Home Care services and funding changes for Residential Care which will impact both consumers/residents and facility operators.

Information regarding these changes can be found on the Living Longer Living Better website.

Alternatively, specific information relating to Christadelphian Aged Care is available on our website.

The existing arrangements for most residents who have entered into care prior to 1st July are "grandfathered" under the legislation.

It is a privilege for Christadelphian Aged Care to look after all those who choose to live in our Homes, and I would like to once again acknowledge the dedication of all our staff and volunteers in providing the best possible environment and care for our residents.

Regards, Ross Peden

UPCOMING EVENTS

JUNE Cheese Tasting

JULY Chritmas in July

AUGUST Dunking Donut

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

24 June S

7 Margaret B

4 Ernie E

24 Marie C

21 Lola W

8 Moya S

22 Rita S

31 Shirley H

Activity Reviews MARCH

Harmony Day

This was an organised day to celebrate Australia’s diversity. Southhaven celebrated Harmony Day by participating in various activities which brought all residents together and gave them a better understanding of several different belief ’s and customs.

Many staff and relatives performed different dances and activities for our residents. The theme colour was orange; staff and residents wore orange on the day and the dining room was also decorated with pictures from all over the world. Each resident and staff cut out paper doll shapes and pasted a photo of themselves on the faces and the walls were decorated with these. They were joined together by the dolls hands so all the residents and staff became one long line together in unity; a really beautiful experience.

We enjoyed tasting several different dishes from around the world.

A wonderful and very happy day was had by all. Thank you to all who participated and made the day so enjoyable.

Activity Reviews contd BUS OUTINGS

Maroubra Beach - at 1km in length is the longest beach in the eastern suburbs.

Maroubra Beach at 1km in length is the longest beach in the eastern suburbs. It’s located in Maroubra Bay, an east-facing 1.8 km wide bay bounded by the northern Mistral and southern Magic points. The beach occupies the centre of the open bay and apart from the very southern end receives the full force of the Tasman Sea, producing an exposed rip-dominated beach. This is the surfing beach for the eastern suburbs, with consistent reef and beach breaks.

When we arrived there were a lot of surfers in the water and other surfers joining them, every minute.

We had a beautiful morning tea, sitting and watching surfers, swimmers, dog walkers, mothers and kids, there was a little playground nearby. One resident even got a kiss on the cheek by one toddler.

There was even a discussion on beaches.

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Steel Park - features a fun playground and a water play area

amongst lots of shady trees. A picturesque part of the Cooks River flows by, with a bike track alongside. The playground features large and small slides, a climbing frame, swings and a seesaw, and the star attraction, a large flying fox.

Apparently the water play area is designed to be eco-friendly, using recycled water collected from the roof of a nearby sports centre, which is then treated and recycled again. Kids can wade through a shallow spiral stream, and run through water jets, with each feature designed to reflect the natural world.

While we were having our morning tea, one resident said “this is one of those hidden gems in Sydney.”

FLORAL ARRANGING Residents were able to be very creative with this activity. Beautiful arrangements were created and then everyone got to enjoy them after they were placed in the dining room.

Activity Reviews contd APRIL

Easter Hat Parade

Residents and staff had a great time decorating and than modelling their Easter hats.

ST PATRICK’S DAY

Volunteers make a

difference!

Can you spare a few hours or even a whole day?

Christadelphian Aged Care facilities are seeking volunteers to help bring a smile to the elderly in our community.

We provide varied activities and opportunities to involve you.

You can choose an activity to suit your personality, skills and time preferences.

No Experience Necessary - Just give it a go!

For more information, please contact: Cathy Strachan – Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator (Mon - Fri) m e w

0435 814 411 cstrachan@chomes.com.au www.chomes.com.au

Resident Story - Edith M Edith Montgomery (Monty) was born in Dulwich Hill NSW on the 14th May 1910, the youngest of four children. She attended Dulwich Hill Public School. The family left Dulwich Hill and purchased various businesses such as a Dairy farm, Poultry farm, a Bakery and a mixed business. Monty worked hard in all of these endeavours. After the death of her mother she became the carer for her father and brother and continued to work in the various shops.

Monty opened her own bookshop in Carlton, Sydney which was beginning to flourish when her father and brother purchased a mixed business in Kogarah and could not manage without her. Putting her own ambitions aside, she left her shop and once again worked with them and cared for them both.

On the retirement of her father they moved to Chamberlain Rd, Padstow Heights. It was then that Monty decided to go out to work for a paper bag manufacturer in the city.

When her father and brother passed away, she sold the property in Chamberlain Rd and moved to “Fairhaven Homes” in Villiers Rd, Padstow Heights at the age of 63.

Being a strong believer in the Christian faith, Monty worked hard raising money for the work of the Lord. In 1978, she travelled to England and after exploring the British Isles boarded the Oriana on an extensive cruise across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans stopping off at many places.

On returning home she continued to support the Church until becoming too frail to even attend Church Services. She loves reading the Bible, playing cards, Scrabble and still enjoys her crosswords.

She has lived to see two World Wars and many changes in our land.

On the 10th March 2010, she moved to Southhaven Hostel where she has just celebrated her 104th Birthday. Monty is much loved by her extended family.

Thank you Monty for sharing your story with everyone at Southhaven.

Monty’s 104th Birthday

Staff Profile - Kanchan Dragonkar I was born in Mumbai, India, where I grew up and was educated.

Eventually I studied to become a physiotherapist. At the age of 25 I moved to Australia to further my career and to make my parents proud. I arrived in Adelaide and spent 3 years their practising in my chosen profession, while also learning about and embracing the Australian culture and lifestyle.

Through mutual friends, I met my husband Neeraj in Adelaide, but he lived in Sydney and so I moved to New South Wales to be with the most adorable man, and there we courted then married. To date we have spent two and a half wonderful years together.

I feel it is an honour and a privilege to be working for Christadelphian Aged Care. I love the residents, I like helping them walk, handing out heat packs, and giving them massages.

T he hostel is undergoing a renovation, the ground and first floor are completed and I absolutely love it. Everything is very new, very different and very modern. What a big and welcome change.

My hobbies are dancing and most sports. I also love participating in hostel activities, for example dancing in Indian clothing for 'Harmony Day’.

Poem -A Mother’s Love A Mother’s love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain.

It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may, For nothing can destroy it or take that love away.

It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, and it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking.

Harmony Day was held on the 21st March and is a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home – from the traditional owners of this land to those who have come from many countries around the world. By participating in Harmony Day a c t i v i t i e s, we c a n l e a r n a n d understand how all Australians from diverse backgrounds equally belong to this nation and enrich it.

It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns, and it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems.

It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation, and it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation.

A many splendored miracle man cannot understand and another wondrous evidence of God’s tender guiding hand.

- Helen Steiner Rice

Boot Camp with Kanchan

Pastoral Care BRINGING COMFORT Life has a habit of causing disruptions and we face difficult times. And then we need to face up to loneliness, being weary in mind or body, separation from friends or family, and the loss of someone close to us, sickness and pain. And the list goes on. Sorrow is a universal emotion common to all people. For example - an old man in his mid 80's said one day to his son "What good am I now? Why does God leave me here? I feel so useless". Or a lady who just lost her husband after 45 years of marriage. She wrote in a note "I miss him so much after all these wonderful years. I cry a lot. Is it wrong to weep and feel such sorrow?" These are real issues, and maybe you can relate to them personally today. These are examples of real life experiences. In these times, we need someone who can bring help and comfort. There are times in all of our lives when we experience loss and need to be comforted. We may lose our job, or a relationship, or a dream, or a loved one. During any season of loss and grief we may feel afraid, powerless and alone. What we need most during these times is to be comforted. We need the strength and hope that come from knowing deeply that we are not alone - from knowing that the God of all comfort has promised to be present with us in times of loss. God's very name is Comforter, or ‘paraclatos’. God stands beside us, with us, listening to our complaints in the middle of the night. Listening to our quiet rage and frustration and despair, God speaks softly and says, "I am with you. I will help you. Is my arm too short that I cannot reach down to earth and help you up? Is my arm too short that I cannot help you stand again?" Our God is a God of comfort. God stands beside us and pulls us up when we are down.

Psalm 34:18 says "The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope."

Life begins and ends with comfort. A tiny little baby is born and this new born baby is startled by the newness of life, and the new born baby cries out. That baby is then comforted and cuddled by an attending nurse, trying to calm that baby down. The years fly by far too quickly, and that little baby becomes a dying grandma or grandpa, and at that point, that elderly baby needs to be comforted as he or she prepares to die. And so life begins and ends with comfort. And every day and every month and every year in between, human beings are designed in such a way that we need to be comforted and also give comfort to others. Our God is a God who comforts. Our God is a God who stretches his hand from heaven to pull us up when we are down. God comes to us when we are down and out, washed out, tired out, worn out. God comes down to us and comforts us just by listening to us; just by listening to the howling of our aching hearts.

A favourite author Henri Nouwen once wrote about the need to have a friend who understands and helps us and brings comfort to our lives. This is what he says: When we honestly ask ourselves which people in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is the friend who cares (book Out of Solitude).

Our deepest sympathies have According to the Bible, God is the "Father of compassion and the God gone out to the families who of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles" (II Corinthians 1:3-4). have lost their loved ones over God is a God of comfort who actively seeks to comfort us. To receive the Autmun period. comfort from God is to let God be present with us during our times of distress. It is to let God sit next to us and listen to whatever we need to say; it is to let God hold us and remind us that we are loved, we are valued and we are not alone. "Letting God be God" means letting God give himself to us as our Comfort in times of loss and distress.

Sometime read Matthew 11:28-30. Allow yourself to hear this direct invitation from Jesus to come with your burdens. "If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle nnn and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy and this burden is light”. - By Chris Witts

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Bereavements

Volunteer Corner Hi Everyone, There are some extremely loyal and dedicated people who give generously of their time to South Haven. A few have sadly retired, but we have been blessed with some students who are working in the community and it’s wonderful to see people happy and fulfilled in caring for our residents.

The government has generously given us a computer to teach the residents about technology and it’s connected to the internet for their use at any time – to email or skype family or “google” something. The volunteers are encouraged to share their skills with those older people who haven’t had the opportunities that the younger generations experience everyday. Just this month we “googled” a resident who had been an artist and she was amazed to find herself and her art work on the Net! The second week of May each year is National Volunteer Week and 2014 is 25 years since Australia has been recognising the value of volunteering and contributions that are made so generously.

The theme this year was “Celebrate the Power of Volunteering”.

Christadelphian Aged Care took the opportunity to invite all our volunteers to lunch to thank them for their time, care and commitment to our facilities and more especially to our residents. We had a lovely lunch together at Sans Souci – a beautiful setting, delicious food and great company. It was wonderful to hear some touching stories from the different facilities told by the volunteers about the work they do and what they get out of contributing to others.

“Blessed is the influence of one true loving soul on another” - George Eliot So, a big thank you from me personally, to all the wonderful people I am so privileged to work with. You are an inspiration to me to give of myself in the care of others.

Love and best wishes for a warm and happy winter,

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Cathy Strachan, Volunteer & Pastoral Care Coordinator 0435 814 411 “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves” - James Barrie

Volunteer Photos Thank You Lunch

Read, Rest & Relax!

TOP 4 RELAXATION TECHNIQUES FOR ELDERLY 1. Muscle Relaxation - In this technique, participants are encouraged to focus on tensing up and then releasing and relaxing the muscles in their main muscle groups, including their shoulders, arms, fingers, legs and toes.

2. Visualisation - This technique involves participants imagining partaking in their favourite activity in a beautiful place, such as relaxing on a sandy beach in the Mediterranean, standing on the top of a mountain in the Alps or swimming in a crystal clear lake in the Caribbean.

3. Gentle Exercise - Non-strenuous exercises, such as Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi, are popular amongst the elderly, allowing them to gently stretch and strengthen their bodies while focusing on their breathing techniques.

4. Listening To Calming Music - Soothing music can help to ease fear and anxiety in the elderly.

FUNNIES - The Importance of Walking • • • • •

• My grandpa started walking 5 miles a day when he was 60.

Now he's 97 years old and we have no idea where the heck he is!

• I like long walks, especially when they’re taken by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

Every time I hear the dirty word ‘exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Lemon Delicious

• 100g unsalted butter, extra to grease • 1 cup caster sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Grated zest of 2 large lemons, plus juice of 3 large lemons • 4 eggs, separated • 1/2 cup self-raising flour • 2 cups milk • Icing sugar, to dust • Blueberry compote, to serve

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Serves 8

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 28cm x 20cm baking dish.

2. Place the butter, caster sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in an electric

mixer, and beat until thick and pale. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.Fold in half the flour, then fold in the milk. Fold in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, then fold in the lemon juice (don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled at this stage). Set aside.

4. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the lemon mixture, then pour into a prepared dish.

5. Place the dish in a large roasting pan and add boiling water so it comes halfway up the sides.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden and set on top.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with blueberry compote.

Winter W e ather 1

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18 www.CrosswordWeaver.com

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ACROSS 3 The process by which snow or ice changes to water.

7 A period of very cold winter we ather that damages 8 11 12 14 16 17 18

plants.

Intensely cold temperature.

The temperature felt by the human body when wind makes it fe el colder than the actual temperature.

Mildly cold fe eling.

Bright with sunshine.

Snowfall that is so he avy one can se e little or nothing on the horizon.

Ice crystals on a froz en surface; " Old Jack _______."

A large mass of snow that slides down a mountain.

1 A standardiz ed me asure of how hot or cold it is

outside.

2 R ain that fre e z es as it falls.

4 A tool used to me asure the temperature.

5 W ater that falls to the e arth in the form of rain, hail,

mist, sle et, or snow.

6 Pieces of ice falling from the sky.

9 A solid form of froz en water.

10 A storm with he avy snow, strong winds, and severe

cold.

13 C overed with snow.

14 A mixture of snow and water.

15 Precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals

that form inside clouds.

17 Thick water vapor that makes it hard to se e.

W O R D B A N K : Avalanche, bliz z ard, cool, fog, fre e z e, frigid, frost, hail, ice, melt, precipitation, sle et, slush, snow, snowy, sunny, temperature, thermometer, whiteout, windchill.

Autumn Newsletter Word Search Solution:

The hidden TV show is: THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW

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