VOCÉ
THE ‘LIVELY VOICE’ OF JUNIPER
SUMMER 2018-19
Christmas arrives at Juniper Gardens
Hilltop Blooms P5
Fruitful Partnerships P7
Juniper’s night of nights P 10-13
Crafty Christmas creations P 15
Viva Vocé is the “lively voice” of Juniper Inside you will find news from around Juniper, as we celebrate a good life for all our people!
About Juniper
Vision A good life for all our people.
Mission To enhance the independence, spiritual fulfilment and enjoyment of life of older people through care, accommodation and support services.
Values Juniper embraces core values to direct and guide our actions, and reflect the Uniting Church ethos. Welcome is being warm, friendly, gracious, empathetic to all, and open to new ideas. Respect is valuing people for their uniqueness and being just and honest in our dealings. Compassion is caring for others and responding to need using the highest standards to provide comfort and enable healing. Hope is looking forward with confidence and expectation.
Contact details Juniper Central, 313 Main Street, Balcatta WA 6021 PO Box 810, Balcatta WA 6914 t: 9240 0313 f: 9240 0329 e: juniper@juniper.org.au w: www.juniper.org.au
Juniper is a Christian, values driven, community benefit organisation that excels in social enterprise for the benefit of the whole Western Australian community. Our antecedents first welcomed residents in 1949 and we have now grown to more than 1,600 staff and 500 volunteers who work to enhance the lives of more than 4,000 Western Australians.
Have something to share? If you have a story idea or want to share your news, email vivavoce@juniper.org.au or write to: Viva Vocé, Juniper, PO Box 810, Balcatta WA 6914. Submissions may be edited for space or clarity and only photographs submitted by email can be reproduced. For more information, email vivavoce@juniper.org.au.
School Holidays Term 4 Break Friday 14 December - Sunday 3 February Term 1 2019 Monday 4 February - Friday 12 April
Public Holidays Christmas Day Tuesday 25 December Boxing Day Wednesday 26 December New Year’s Day Tuesday 1 January
If you wish to join our mailing list, please email us at: vivavoce@juniper.org.au. We respect your privacy. If you would prefer to not receive further material from Juniper, please call or email vivavoce@juniper.org.au. 2
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Australia Day Public Holiday Monday 28 January FRONT COVER: St Andrew’s residents, Beryl and Ivy bring the Christmas spirit to Juniper Gardens.
Christmas greetings and New Year wishes Summer brings much enjoyment and the opportunity to be outdoors after some many months of relatively chilly weather. And as we head towards Christmas many of us will take a welcome break from work and make the most of catching up with family and friends. Yet in the world of aged care, our operations continue around the clock, every day of the year. I sincerely thank our employees and our many volunteers who have contributed to advancing the important Mission of Juniper during the year, including those who work during holiday breaks and weekends. At this year’s Juniper Gala event, we took the opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of many individuals and teams. I also pay tribute to all our employees and volunteers who continue to provide amazing care and support to our clients and residents, together with support to their families and carers.
Thank you for your dedication and commitment. This colourful Summer edition illustrates some of this work and gives an indication of the level of exciting activity across Juniper that I trust you will enjoy reading about. Behind the scenes we continue to forge greater bonds with agencies of the Uniting Church, particularly the UnitingCare Network. Meeting in Kununurra and other places during the year, the group is making the most of this collaboration so we may share knowledge to the benefit of the people we serve. We have a busy and an exciting year ahead of us. Among many projects, we will complete Chrystal Halliday and Albany residential facilities projects for commissioning in the New Year, we are reviewing and updating our strategic plan and we are preparing for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. We are in the season of Advent which for many Christian
churches is a time of hopeful expectation as preparations are made to celebrate of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It also signifies the waiting for the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Traditionally, it is also a time of prayer and reflection as we look to the New Year with hope and confidence. In this spirit of great joy, I wish you, your family and loved ones a happy and blessed Christmas and a safe and wonderful 2019.
Chris Hall
Chris Hall AM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Local school choir brings back musical memories A chorus of young voices floated through Juniper Gerdewoonem when the Kununurra District High School choir came to perform for residents. Song requests from residents were taken in the months before the visit and the choir didn’t disappoint, performing old favourites such as ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘You are my Sunshine’. The latter was so popular an encore was performed with much enthusiasm from everyone!
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Pastoral Reflection I was sitting with a resident aged 101 years who sighed and said, “Life’s short.” I almost laughed in the moment but restrained myself when I realised that she was quite serious. I was astounded to hear that after 101 years of living that life was “short” and in the unfolding conversation I tried to enter into the world of this centenarian. How do we judge whether the passing of time is ‘short’ or ‘long’? Residents have commented that their days can be very long and in the next breath say that the year passes quickly. When we are looking forward to something, time can drag by, then when the long anticipated event arrives it passes too quickly. How are you feeling about Christmas this year? Is time passing slowly in anticipation? Or is time racing by as you think about what needs to be done between now and then? However we experience the passing of time to 25 December, it will arrive, ready or not. And when it does, I hope that you can suspend time and tasks for long enough to enter into the wonder of the birth of a child in less than ideal circumstances, be amazed by the assortment of shepherds and wise men who came to visit and receive the peace declared by angels into our hearts and lives.
When we are looking forward to something, time can drag by, then when the long anticipated event arrives it passes too quickly.
Adrienne Inch Team Leader Pastoral & Spiritual Care
Pastoral and Spiritual Care Week – 25 February to 1 March 2019 Look out for Pastoral and Spiritual Care Week at the end of February 2019. There will be activities and events to focus on pastoral and spiritual care and those who receive and give it throughout the Juniper community.
Wayne aims for Tokyo Paralympics Assistant Accountant at Juniper Central Wayne Phipps has scored an “Australian first” in competing internationally in the Japanese martial art of Judo. He took out ninth in the world in the lightweight division during the International Blind Worlds Sports Federation World Championships held in Portugal in November. “It’s really amazing and I was really quite happy with the result in the end,” he said. Wayne, who lives with a degenerative eye condition, has been a judoka since he was nine years old and now has the ultimate goal of competing in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. We wish Wayne the best of luck as he trains and competes towards that amazing honour. 4
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Wayne (right) with his judo sensei Carlo Knoester
Garden gurus at Hilltop The next time you pass by Juniper Hilltop in Bentley, take some time to stop and smell the roses – literally. The gardens in and around the Bentley facility are looking beautiful with an abundance of lush plants complimented by a colourful display of flowers in full bloom. Gardening enthusiast and Hilltop resident, Robin has undertaken much of the gardening work himself and can be found each morning tending to the plants and cleaning and filling the popular bird baths. Robin is particularly proud of his work in the Memorial Rose Garden, dedicated to past residents, which is on track to look beautiful next year. Robin isn’t the only green thumb at Hilltop. At 103 years old Nellie is still dedicated to caring for her special patch of greenery at the front of the facility. Nellie has lived at Juniper Hilltop for 10 years and has always loved gardening.
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Joyce nabs national win Another big congratulations must go to Juniper Elimatta’s Multi-skilled Carer/Supervisor, Joyce Ashworth who was announced as Employee of the Year at the National ACSA Aged Care Awards in Sydney. Joyce was recognised as Employee of the Year at the state-wide ACSA Awards earlier this year, going on to represent Western Australia in the National Awards Ceremony which took place during the ACSA National Summit in September. While Joyce has been a bit overwhelmed by all the well-deserved recognition, she still had our residents front of mind at the ceremony, thanking them first and foremost during her acceptance speech. Well done once again Joyce on this fantastic honour!
Joyce has worked in aged care for 50 years with 45 of those years served continuously with Juniper. She is loved and respected by her colleagues and her passion and attentiveness to residents has made a positive difference in many lives over the years.
This year marked the Centenary of the Armistice that ended World War I. Many of our facilities across the state conducted services to commemorate this significant event.
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Students and seniors create fruitful partnerships Now in its second year, Curtin University’s and Juniper’s Senior Citizen Partnership Program has proven to be very successful and Juniper Rowethorpe residents were thanked for their participation at a delicious afternoon tea in October. As part of the collaborative program, Juniper Rowethorpe retirement living residents were invited to sign up for regular visits from medical students attending Curtin Medical School. During the visits residents share their experiences of the health care
system and the challenges and opportunities that come with ageing. Senior Lecturer, Dr Ute Hauck said the residents’ interactions with students provide medical students with valuable insights into the ageing process, particularly the health issues and needs that come with age. Dr Hauck commented that the students really appreciate the opportunity to engage with the senior citizens. “Talking to the students, it is evident how much they are looking forward to their next visit and that it means more to them than just meeting a senior citizen but rather a friend with a wealth of life experience,” she said.
Students expressed their gratitude at the afternoon tea, with Kiera Sanders saying it was an experience she would hold close to her heart. “This program has helped me to learn and grow as a person as well as a student,” she said. Second year student James Leigh said he was grateful for Juniper’s residents’ participation in the program because it was helping them to be the best medical professionals they could be. “We are learning communication skills that cannot be taught in a classroom. It’s a holistic way of learning and the benefits will have massive flow on effects to come,” he said.
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A splash of colour in Bayswater The residents of City of Bayswater Hostel showcased their beautiful artwork at a Wine and Cheese Night on 12th September attended by family, friends and therapy staff. It was a very special red carpet-style event, with everyone wearing their best outfits and their warmest smiles. Occupational Therapist Amanda Filippou said residents had worked very hard over the eight weeks leading up to the showcase, to create their works of art. “They learned and implemented a variety of techniques including sponging, stripling, stencilling and freehand painting, all thanks to the help of therapy staff and committed Juniper volunteers,” said Amanda. Guests were invited to vote for first, second and third places while bus driver, Roy, drew the raffle and threw in a few jokes for fun!
Rowethorpe songwriter awarded Independent living resident Katelyn Newlands has taken out a national award for her song lyrics. “Dream Rewards” is about a farmer’s life and, like her poetry and books, it holds a message. Katie with her writing partner were recognised by the songwriters association at this year’s awards, which were announced in October.
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A brush with talent at Hillcrest Juniper Hillcrest residents showcased their beautiful works of art at their own art show held in October. Over cheese and biscuits the canvas pieces were judged by local art gallery manager, Debra Buckle from Art & Soul by the Sea. To close the art show everyone was treated to a performance by the wonderful Hillcrest Choir. Congratulations to the four winners Judy Doncon, Rose Milligan, the Hillcrest Abrolhos Wing and Maxine Howlett.
Pink is a hit at Ella Williams A new furry friend is making a great first impression with the residents at Juniper Ella Williams. Pink the friendly Greyhound x Borzoi loves her weekly visits with owner Sam and reliably greets all residents with a wagging tail and doggy smile. At four years old, Pink has lots of energy and love to give and is bringing much joy and laughter to everyone at Ella Williams. Pink’s visits are made possible by the Delta Society, a not-for-profit organisation that brings the “joys of animal companionship to those who need it most.”
Have a Go Day 2018 A big thanks goes to Georgie, Faye, Ashlee, Theresa, Fiona, Vince and Heidi from Juniper Community in making Have a Go Day so successful. The Seniors Week event draws thousands of people to the Burswood foreshore each year and is an excellent way to promote Juniper. Well done team!
Awards highlight community contributors Perth butcher Vince Garreffa and men’s advocate Grant Westthorp have been named 2018’s metro and regional Seniors Award recipients, proudly sponsored by Juniper. Vince has raised more than $3M for charity and Grant promotes men’s health in the regions. We sincerely appreciate all nominees and finalists for their efforts to advance the interests of seniors across WA.
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2018
a l a G r e p Juni or EXCELLENCE
AWARDS F
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SUMMER 2018-19
er Award Supervisor/Manag on ns bi Belinda Ro
Employee Award Heidi Grosse
Juniper Scorecard joint first place Juniper Housing & Rowethorpe Medical Centre
Team Aw ard Guwardi Ngadu Sta
ff
al orth Nation Joyce Ashw SCA f the Year, A Employee o ards ed Care Aw National Ag
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Innovation Award David Keefe
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Cycling Without Age Residents from Juniper Hilltop enjoyed a bike ride with a difference as they took a trip with ‘pilots’ from Cycling Without Age along the stunning Sorrento Beach pathways. Cycling Without Age is a movement born in 2012 in Denmark, when founder, Ole Kassow wanted to help older people get back on their bikes and out and about in the community. To overcome the issue of limited mobility, Ole used a trishaw, (a three-wheel bicycle incorporating two comfortable seats in front) and began offering free rides to residents of aged care facilities. Cycling Without Age grew to become an international initiative, with volunteer ‘pilots’ operating over 2000 trishaws across the globe, giving older people the opportunity to once again enjoy an invigorating bike ride. Therapy Assistant Lorraine Mitchell said residents had a wonderful time during their Sorrento Beach cycle. “They were like celebrities, chatting with passers-by and enjoying the wind in their hair,” she laughed. There are a number of Cycling Without Age operators in Perth. For information on how to access their services visit www.cyclingwithoutage.org.au/perth/
Finance team road trip For the first time in a big way the finance team from Central hit the road and visited our sites to see life and work inside residential care. Executive Manager Business Services David Fisher said his team saw directly the contribution they were making and heard from Residential Executive Manager Dr Michael Preece on life before and during aged care. “A great learning for us was an unannounced visit that showed us how our site teams go over and above to deliver,” David said. A big thanks goes to David, Michael, our site managers and staff, and our awesome volunteer bus driver for the day, Sam.
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And in other news, Finance Manager Petra (bottom centre) is pictured with the team’s Golden Abacus Award, with recipients Helen and Teresa. The light-hearted award is given to team members who go above and beyond. Well done ladies!
Guys Garage gets creative for Christmas The residents from Juniper Hillcrest’s Guys Garage were one of the 12 artists and creatives to be selected by the City of Greater Geraldton to transform three dimensional plywood trees into interesting and festive works of art. The City intends to create a ‘tree trail’ with the artwork for public display during the Christmas season along the popular Marine Terrace. Successful applicants were presented with a blank plywood tree to decorate and Hillcrest Therapy Assistant Lee-anne Robb, said the creation was a team effort with Guys Garage residents, volunteers and staff working together to create a design based on five scenes. “The top third of our tree is based on the style of a traditional Christmas tree and the bottom two thirds depict four scenes that represent life in Geraldton such as fishing, the beach, sunset in the bush and a sheep farm,” said Lee-anne.
“The end result is beautiful and we can’t wait to see our tree on display.”
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Hogging the Limelight There was an “oink oink” here and a “neigh neigh” there when a number of very cute and cuddly farm animals came to visit Juniper Hayloft recently and were a huge hit with residents.
Festival of Lights at St David’s The Hindu festival of Deepavali (Diwali) culminated with fun music and dancing with everyone joining in the celebration. Demonstrations of how to wear a sari and turban (which can use up to six metres of fabric!) and choosing a decorative forehead bindi were followed by much music, dancing and food. A big thanks to our team for organising this fun event!
Welcome to Juniper A warm welcome to all new staff members who have joined Juniper in recent months in a wide variety of roles. We’d like to introduce a number of new recruits who are also key contacts for you within the Juniper team.
Petra Salvage Juniper’s new Finance Manager Petra Salvage, is no stranger to the health care industry. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Petra emigrated to Australia from South Africa in 2012. She has previously held finance management roles with Life Healthcare, a large health care group in South Africa and more recently Joondalup Health Campus. Petra is enjoying working for a large and growing not-for-profit organisation with a strong values system. “Juniper provides a very important service to the community,” she said. “I am enjoying the friendly but fast paced environment and I am excited to be part of a growing business with such a strong customer focus.”
Christine Munday
a B n e z Fro
Christine joins us as the new Retirement Living Coordinator at Juniper RoseMount in Dianella, bringing with her 21 years of experience in aged care.
Starting as a kitchen hand in an aged care facility, Christine then became a carer, working her way up to supervisor and acting residential manager. She has also worked in community care, held a role as a support services manager and most recently a retirement village manager, looking after three retirement villages. “I was attracted to this role as I wanted to focus all my energy on one retirement village and continue to make Juniper RoseMount a happy place to live,” said Christine. “I am very much enjoying getting to know the residents and looking forward to selling our vacant units and achieving 100% occupancy.” Christine loves to sing so Juniper RoseMount residents may have a few karaoke nights to look forward to. “Once a microphone is in my hand it is hard to get it out of my hand!” laughed Christine.
Farewell Dave and Kerry Kerry Green and Dave Parker have spent the bulk of their working life working for Juniper over the last 25 years. Dave commenced in 1992 and Kerry in 1995, and by coincidence both departed late in 2005, Kerry moving to Port Macquarie to manage an aged care service and David to work in the disability sector. By an even greater coincidence both returned to Juniper in 2011. Kerry has taken on a range of leadership roles in that time culminating in establishing the Juniper Access Team while Dave remained in the Executive Officer role throughout, apart from a brief period acting in the General Manager Housing role. More coincidence! Both moved on from Juniper within a week of each other and a joint farewell morning tea was held at Juniper Central on 6 December.
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Health
Stay well this summer
t e b r o S a n na
a
Wellbeing
It feels like we’ve waited forever for summer to arrive but it won’t be long before we are sweltering through a heatwave or two and wishing for the milder Autumn weather! Extremely hot weather is uncomfortable for most of us but some groups are at a greater health risk than others during the harsh WA summer, including older people aged over 65 years, those living with long term health conditions and people taking certain types of medications. Here are some quick tips to help keep you well during warmer temperatures.
n e z o r F ana Ban bet Sor
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. This may seem obvious but it’s important to drink water even when you are not thirsty during summer, to avoid dehydration. Avoid too many sugary, hot and alcoholic drinks as they can increase the risk of dehydration.
BE PREPARED. Check the weather forecast and plan ahead if you are concerned the hot weather will affect you. Arrange to leave the house early if you are moving to a cooler location like a shopping centre. BE SUN SAFE. If you do have to be in the sun for a period of time, remember to wear a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.
STAY COOL. Keeping your body as cool as possible will help to prevent heat related illnesses. Stay out of the direct sun, drink cold drinks and eat cold foods such as salads and fruit. Take cool showers or baths if you feel hot and wear loose fitting clothes made of natural fibres. KEEP THE HOUSE COOL. Shutting blinds and curtains during the day can keep the house cool and if you don’t have air conditioning, consider escaping to a shopping centre, movie theatre or library to stay cool.
KEEP YOUR FOOD SAFE IN THE WARM WEATHER TO AVOID FALLING ILL. Defrost foods in the fridge rather than the kitchen bench and ensure you are properly storing foods that need refrigeration. For more information on staying safe during soaring summer temperatures, visit www.healthdirect.gov.au/hot-weather-risksand-staying-cool Source: www.healthdirect.gov.au
Cool off with this very easy and delicious fruity treat. Method Ingredients 3 ripe bananas - frozen
Roughly chop frozen fruit and place in the bowl of a food processor Process until fruit becomes granular. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and process again. Repeat 4-5 times until the fruit mixture is a smooth, thick and creamy texture. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately with fresh fruit, if desired.
* As a
variation, add 1½ tablespoons of cocoa to frozen bananas for a chocolatey flavour.
Source: www.livelighter.com.au
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A Happy Day at Elimatta Sometimes we have to remember to appreciate the simple things in life and Juniper Elimatta and Carramar Residential Care did just that when they celebrated a very special “Happy Day” in November. Staff and residents dressed up in bright happy colours and focused on all the things that made them happy. At Elimatta the theme for the day was “sunshine, laughter and joy” with a sea of happy face decorations hung throughout the facility and everyone wearing happy badges, enjoying a morning tea and celebrating a resident’s birthday. At Carramar everyone wore bright colours and big bow ties for the men and large hair bows for the ladies. A lovely morning activity on the meaning of happiness was held and a fun, feel-good movie was screened in the afternoon. Even the weather contributed to “Happy Day” providing the perfect sunny day for this joyful event.
Yes!
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Every year thousands of Western Australians depend on a high quality of care from Juniper. You can help Juniper deliver the best services to our residents and community clients by making a valued donation.
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Juniper 313 Main Street, Balcatta WA 6021 PO Box 810, Balcatta WA 6914 Telephone: (08) 9240 0313 Facsimile: (08) 9240 0329 Email: juniper@juniper.org.au Website: www.juniper.org.au
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