Ashburn House Winter Newsletter 2016

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

ASHBURN HOUSE

Address: 20-34 Ashburn Place, Gladesville Phone: (02) 8876 9200

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Kindness is like snow It

beautifies

everything it covers

Wash me, and I shall be

whiter than

snow - Psalm 51:7 -

Email: admin@chomes.com.au

Manager’s Message

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Welcome to Ashburn House

Hello to all!

Christadelphian Homes have purchased another facility in North Parramatta. Yan (Facility Manager) is managing that home at present until they find a new Facility Manager. In the meantime, I am managing Ashburn House while Yan is away.

Judith Nyoni, one of our senior RNs is acting Care Manager.

Judith and I will continue to work together to give the best of care to residents at Ashburn.

Winter is fast approaching but it seems that summer wants to linger on a bit longer, as we are still experiencing some warm weather.

In preparation for the winter flu season, a flu vaccination program has been implemented. I advise family and visitors that if you have symptoms of flu to refrain from visiting your loved ones. But if you need to see your loved ones urgently, I ask that you speak to the staff. There is hand wash gel at the entrance of the facility and hand washing sinks in every corridor. I recommend using them when coming and leaving the facility.

We farewell two staff members; Tara Plaisance, our Diversional Therapist, who will work as a DT coordinator for the whole organisation and Sherene Noble, our Volunteer Coordinator, who was transferred to Courtlands in North Parramatta. We thank Tara and Sherene for their valuable contribution to Ashburn House.

We would like to welcome Meryl Christian who replaced Tara as our new DT and Nerida O’Neill who will be our new Volunteer Coordinator.

Best Regards, Cora Inzitari Acting Facility Manager

News & Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

8 Coral D

3 Barry L

1 Ruth S

10 Betty H

10 Johanna G

4 Cecelia O

10 Con E

17 Asterios M

5 Jeanette T

17 Gretta M

19 Mary Bu

6 Hilda H

17 Cecil S

30 Betty B 100th

9 Elene B

18 Eileen J

30 Catherine B

10 Mary O

24 Catherine L

13 Margaret H

26 Gwenneth H

20 Trissia W

28 Thomas D

26 Raffaele G

28 Joan B

27 Lila S 29 Luise M

JUNE 3rd - Russell Lynch 9th - A Royal Celebration 10th - Miss M 14th - Roseanna Gallow 17th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 20th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 23rd - High Tea Club 23rd - Minnamurra Movie 24th - Ben Little 28th - Armchair Travel: Disneyland

JULY 1st - Peter & Marie 8th - Jazz Kingdom 12th - Roseanna Gallow 15th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 22nd - Dale Ryan 26th - Armchair Travel: Brazil 28th - Minnamurra Movie 29th - David Mason-Cox

AUGUST 5th - Olympic Games start 5th - Russell Lynch 9th - Roseanna Gallow 12th - Gerry Kirk 15th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 19th - Wheelchair Bus Trip 23rd - Minnamurra Movie 25th - High Tea Club 26th - Ben Little 30th - Armchair Travel: Hawaii

Activity Reviews Autumn started with a busy March. We held both St Patrick’s Day celebrations and Easter celebrations at Ashburn House. Libby was the best dressed staff member in her bunny onesie and joined the team in giving out chocolate treats disguised as healthy carrots. St Patricks saw a delicious pie with mash and gravy and Guinness beer to match. Dining rooms were at the end of each rainbow and much green was to be found at Ashburn House on the day.

Anzac Day was held on the 26th of April with an in-house service lead by the Leisure and Lifestyle Team.

Lest we forget.

We also were lucky to have the St Ignatius students join us during their community student program over 2 weeks. It is always a pleasure and one group were able to join us for our first Men’s Club.

A friendly game of strike bowling and a few beers was our first Men’s Club activity, seeing Don as our strike bowls champion.

M o t h e r ’s D a y was celebrated at Ashburn with a pink concert and a Devonshire tea for all in our theatre.

A big thank you also goes out to all our nurses and care staff as on the 12th May it was International Nurses Day. A special lunch and sweet treats from residents were shared with our nurses. Thank you for all the caring you give!

UPCOMING EVENTS The Summer Olympic Games start on 5th August. The city of Rio de Janeiro has been elected host city. Portuguese is the local language, however, there are some 180 different languages spoken in Brazil (South America) in total.

Samba – The national dance of Brazil has to be the hot sultry Samba which is especially evident come Carnival time. With the Rio Carnival - the biggest and boldest carnival in the world - we can expect some lively entertainment from both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the games!

Photos from Activities

Activity Reviews INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY - by Cora Inzitari, Acting Facility Manager Around the world people celebrates nurses day on 12 May each year. This is the day we show our gratitude to all nurses that chose to work to care for the sick and the most vulnerable members of society.

At Ashburn House, we started with freshly baked muffins delivered by our Care Manager at 7am during the handover to catch up with the night staff.

The residents went around to distribute lollipops to nurses and this was followed by a sausage sizzle in the Cronulla Theatre. During the sausage sizzle, door prizes were drawn to lucky nurses.

Four deserving nurses were recognised for their good performance in their role as care staff and RN; they all received a $50 gift voucher.

Residents made Nurse’s Day cards with messages written by residents and were given to deserving staff members.

My message for the nurses; “May all the care and kindness you give to others come back to warm your heart.”

New Diversional Therapist Hi my name is Meryl Christian and I’m the new Diversional Therapist (DT) at Ashburn House. People often ask me how I became a DT and what is a DT. I happened to do a BA in Leisure Management as a mature age student and continued to work in tourism. At one point, I managed conference tour desks and ran day tours for international tourists. Later in my career, I went to run a social program for the aged in a local community centre. Beyond that, I went to work in an aged care facility and here I am.

All I have ever experienced came together and I immediately loved entertaining the residents with activities, interesting day trips and professional entertainment. I’m up for a challenge so if you have any requests please let me know and we will see if your dream can be a reality. I look forward to meeting the families, as well as getting to know the residents better, so please come and say hello!

Resident Story - Ruth Sellick

Ruth was born and grew up in Australia as one of seven children. Her father was Mayor of the Canterbury Council so when she was quite young Ruth worked for the council doing small jobs such as running errands and messages and making tea for the other employees.

Ruth also worked in Cohens and then Crow’s, which were both retail showroom companies that sold ‘basically everything’. She worked at Ruth and some of her sibling. There was still 2 more to be born! Crow’s for many years.

In 1945, Ruth married Richard (Dick) Sellick who worked for the British navy. After they married, he had to move back to England for the navy but Ruth wasn’t allowed to go because she was pregnant with her first child. However, she was granted passage after she joined the navy, so she also moved to England 6 months after her husband. Shortly after, she had a son named John.

Ruth and her family lived in Bristol, England for 2 years with Dick’s parents.

They travelled back to Australia on the HMAS Victory on the top HMAS deck and lived in Manly after arriving. Soon after, Ruth had her Victory second child, a daughter Barbara.

The family lived in Blaxland Hotel (a pub) so Dick could work at the pub. Ruth says she found it hard to live there with 2 young kids but her mother helped look after them. Ruth says the most exciting part of her life was kicking Dick out! It was during this time when he was working at the pub, because she didn’t like his drinking habits. They remained in contact and eventually got back together.

Ruth and her children moved to a house on land in Belmore.

Ruth loves dogs and she has owned several, as many as 5 at one point. She wanted the land particularly for the dogs, but also because the doctor recommended that getting outdoors more would help her asthma, which thankfully it did. During this time, Ruth worked in a cake shop in Belmore, making and selling cakes and pies using large mixing and pastry-making machines. She also packed the company’s delivery van with cakes and pies that people had ordered. Ruth says she enjoyed working there.

Ruth and her family also owned a Ruth with her sisters Jo and Deidre 22 foot yacht which they took out sailing on weekends. They would row out on a dinghy to where it was anchored off-shore and have their afternoon tea while on it.

Both of Ruth’s children have recently passed away, but she now has 4 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. One of her grandsons looks after her dog Sasha.

Written by Activity Assistant – Naomi Van Leeuwen

Ruth’s dog Sasha who visits her now at Ashburn with family

Staff Profile - Stephen Bradley Stephen arrived on Australian shores in 1997, a year of changes and a year to remember. After years of nursing in Ireland and England, Stephen fancied a change of lifestyle so a decision was made and almost 20 years later, he lives in Australia permanently.

His background consisted of working with children with profound intellectual and physical disabilities in his early nursing career, so entering Aged Care was on the other end of the spectrum.

Every couple of years or so, he gets very homesick for the Emerald Isle, so Stephen packs up the necessities and heads back to Ireland to “reculture himself with the motherland". Most of Stephen's family reside in Ireland, with a scattering of cousins in Adelaide and Queensland.

Stephen's passions are travelling, photography and animals. He has reduced his animal collection over the years, currently owning two cats - Cosmo and Maggie and a beloved new addition to the family Ruby, a beloved Maltese terrier. Stephen often states he finds animals much less complicated than humans. Perhaps more animals may join the family, time will tell.

Stephen worked directly with the residents in direct patient care for over a decade but for the last few years has worked within an Administrative Role, assisting families with placement of their loved ones, working with the Financial side of Aged Care and works full time at Ashburn House as a Resident Service Officer.

Stephen has worked at Christadelphian Aged Care for over a decade and one day wishes to set up his own Aged Care Facility… but this time with a difference. Stephen's Aged Care Facility will only accommodate animals and birds… and perhaps some native reptiles. As Stephen previously mentioned, animals are much less complicated than humans!

Volunteering at Ashburn House - Helen Russell A couple of times a month I have fun making coffee and tea and serving in Bronte Café at Ashburn House. Hopefully the coffee is good and the service friendly. As a volunteer, I wish to add a happy atmosphere for the residents and their family and visitors. As a by-product, I have lots of fun and get to know a variety of people.

In 2002, my mother was a resident of the old Ashburn House so my contact for many years was as a family member. From 2002 to 2008, I watched with interest the moving of residents to Ryde while the new Ashburn House was built and the move back to the beautiful new buildings. Mum enjoyed good care and the benefit of volunteers, some of whom she had known from their youth!

When I retired from teaching 8 years ago, it was a natural progression to volunteer at Ashburn and for a short time volunteering and visiting Mum coincided. At the time I started at the Café, it was all volunteers including my brother Andrew who taught me to be a barista better than the course I completed! Part of what I enjoy is that it is very different to my paid employment - learning new skills and talking to adults instead of teenagers. As much as I loved teaching teenagers, it was a pleasant change.

A typical day volunteering means a 40 minute drive from home, then setting up the café ready to open at 10am.

Usually I work with Alison and she prepares food while I take orders and make coffees. There is usually time for chatting with each other and “customers”. At 2.30pm, we pack up and I head home. Volunteers are always needed and there are many other roles that can be filled with volunteers but I feel I’ve found the one that suits me.

love

1 John 3:18

Pastoral Care

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

ONE DAY AT A TIME

A frail, elderly woman fell and broke her hip. The doctor set the bones as best he could, but he knew that she would have a long and uncomfortable recovery. The next day when he visited her in the hospital, he found her in great anxiety. “Oh, Doctor,” she asked, “how long am I going to have to stay in bed?” He thought about her question and then with great wisdom and kindness said “Only one day – one day at a time”.

And that was a good piece of advice, something we need to think about. Very often we worry about life and feel we can’t cope with too much. Not like the committed Christian lady who had learned a lot about life. She said “I’ve had a lot of trouble in my life - and most of it never happened!” It was imaginary, like so many of our worries.

You may know the story about Sir William Osler, the great doctor and teacher at John Hopkins University. His medical students were getting tired and stressed out, and he said, “Learn to live in day-tight compartments.”

What is a day-tight compartment? You know what a water-tight compartment is. You put some water in a jar, screw on the lid, and when you tip it over the water doesn’t leak out. Osler instructed his students to circle each twenty-four-hour period and live within that period, with their full focus and energy. If a day seemed too overwhelming, he suggested circling an hour and coping with that hour.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow; God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time” (Living Bible). It seems to me that Jesus is saying to us this is the way we should live – live in bite sized pieces in 24 hours segments.

We each have got the present time. That’s all I have. That’s all I have to give to this world. Not next hour or next month but right now. That’s the gift that God has given to me so I ought to use it. Just because the future is uncertain and unsure and brief, doesn’t mean you get all uptight and get paralysed with panic and worry. It’s the motivation to trust God more.

You put your trust in God. That’s how you face the future. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” That’s what counts. David said in Psalm 35:15 “Lord, my days are in your hands.” In Psalm 37:5 we read “Let the Lord lead you and trust Him to help” Writing to the Christians of Ephesus nineteen centuries ago Paul says, “Make the best use of your time.”

Ephesians 5:16 There are two reasons why we should do that: 1. It is God’s time each day that we are using and enjoying, or wasting and letting slip by. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NIV) 2. Kipling had the idea in his famous poem “If ”. “If you can fill each unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run…” There is so much we can do for God, and so much God has given us to enjoy, that to waste time is like throwing a precious gift out the window.

3. But there is a more sombre thought: Today could be your last day in this earthly life. That is a possibility no-one wants to think about, but which nobody can deny. That very practical Christian, James, wrote: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.” James 4: 13-14 (NIV) If this were your last day on earth, how would you use it?

There was a commercial years ago on TV that said “It doesn’t matter how long you live if you’re not doing anything with your life.” We worry about the duration. How long are we going to live. God worries about the donation. What are you doing with it. Am I making my life count or frittering it away on non-essentials, things that aren’t going to count? God says, Make your life count - do it now! - By Chris Witts

Bereavements

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

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Volunteer Corner During April, we had the pleasure of having boys from St Ignatius come and volunteer during their school holidays. The boys were paired up and spent time in each of the lounges meeting the residents and listen to their stories. One lucky group were also gathered in by our volunteer singing group “Dolcie’s Singers” to sing along!

May 9-15 is National Volunteer Week, a great time to say thank you to all our fantastic volunteers and celebrate their contributions. A lunch was attended by over 100 volunteers from NSW Christadelphian Aged Care facilities; 16 from Ashburn House. We had a lovely lunch and won a few of the lucky door prizes. There was much laughter and the bus trips there and back were certainly not quiet! It was great to meet so many people who are happy New Volunteer and Pastoral to give up their time to Care Coordinator help others.

Nerida O’Neill The Sunday non-denominational I have joined the team at Ashburn services are commencing again from House (taking over following Sunday 15th May.

Sherene’s move to Courtlands) and am enjoying getting to know the residents, volunteers and staff.

My grandmother was here before the redevelopment and I then volunteered in the café 8 years ago. Now I am here 5 days a week and look forward to being able to contribute to making Ashburn House a home.

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 Juliet Bishop I’ve been volunteering in the café since I retired (about 4 years). I currently help Ali every second Tuesday (when I am not away travelling with my husband) and usually make the coffees or drinks. It’s a lovely spot for residents and their families to come and has a peaceful atmosphere with the garden and fishpond outside.

When I was about to retire, everyone kept asking me what I was going to do - so I put together a list to keep them happy, but in fact not much of what was on the list Juliet wearing her Easter show hat in has been done. However, I did complete a short Barista March with Claire (2 mths) course and then saw an advertisement in the local library which said people were needed at Ashburn.

My first job was as a PE teacher but when I sustained an injury to my knee playing netball, it meant that wasn’t a very good career path. Whilst I was recovering from surgery, I did a shorthand and typing course which was how I sustained myself for a couple of years in England in my early 20s. The typing proved invaluable when computers featured in my life.

It was a wonderful time living with other young people in London and travelling to the continent whenever something exciting came up. When I returned to Australia, it wasn’t long before I followed a different pathway; training to work with Blind or Vision Impaired people. I worked for the Guide Dogs Association until the birth of my first child, teaching individuals to use a long cane and learn how to navigate without vision. After my daughter was born, I worked part time for various agencies supporting both children and adults, but maintained my ties with Guide Dogs by serving on their Board for 25 years. It wasn’t until my youngest son (my third child) was in High School that I completed additional qualifications and went back into the workforce full time. I eventually ended up as a Teacher Consultant for Students with Vision Impairment in South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE where I assisted students and teachers with specialist educational provisions. (Stuart Muir was the College Manager at one of the colleges I supported!)

I’ve always been interested in people from all walks of life and of helping out where I can. I used to help out in the canteens at the primary and high school my children went to. At Fort St High School, I was the convenor of the Instrumental Music Program for a few years.

Since retirement, I have helped out at the Royal Easter Show (4 years) and at the Apia Tennis (3 years). I also belong to a knitting group making rugs for charity. My greatest joy though is helping with my 2 granddaughters - just turned 3 and around 4 months. As you can see, I like to keep busy and try to keep the brain and body fit.

Read, Rest & Relax!

Creamy Corn & Bacon Soup • 20g butter

• 1 leek, pale section only, coarsely chopped • 2 bacon rashers, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 4 corn cobs, husks and silks removed • 1 brushed potato, peeled, coarsely chopped

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the leek and bacon, stirring, for 5 mins or until leek softens. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 min or until fragrant.

2. Use a large sharp knife to cut down the length of each corn cob to remove kernels.

Add corn kernels, potato and stock to the leek mixture. Bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 mins or until potato is tender.

• 4 cups (1L) chicken stock or vegetable stock

3. Carefully use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Stir in cream. Season.

• 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream

4. Ladle soup among serving bowls. Top with chilli and thyme.

• Finely chopped red chilli, to serve

Chilli popcorn: Toss 3 cups freshly popped popcorn with a mixture of 2 teaspoons icing sugar, 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes and a pinch of sea salt flakes, then process in a food processor until chopped.

• Thyme sprigs, to serve • Chilli popcorn, to serve (see ->) Serves 4

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