Diana Isaac Retirement Village
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Summer edition 2018
Spectacular concert Rebecca Nelson wowed the crowd at our village
Meet Pamela
Quiz afternoon
Musical interlude
Greetings from Diana... Hello and welcome to the summer edition of Diana’s Journal.
of The Nutcracker. We loved our Nutcracker themed activities during October and November.
I am thrilled to announce that the next newsletter will be penned by our new Village Manager, Cath Swain. Cath comes to us from Anglican Living where she has been working as a village manager at several of their facilities for over nine years.
Finally with the Christmas season coming up we are looking forward to celebrating this special season with you.
Prior to this Cath managed other aged care facilities in Christchurch where she started her career as a registered nurse. Cath’s nursing background is evident in her caring and kind nature. I know you will join me in giving Cath a warm and heartfelt welcome to our Ryman family when she arrives in early December. We are also looking forward to the Ryman Healthcare and Royal New Zealand Ballet season
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the reception team. Kind regards,
Diana Hanafin Regional Operations Manager
Talking about the heart During October, Aaron Coull, a heart transplant recipient gave a very informative presentation at the village. Aaron described his experiences and the process of getting a new heart as well as the side effects of the procedure. It was a very impressive and interesting afternoon. Right: Aaron speaking to residents. Adrienne and Lynne
Adrienne Todd & Lynne Bretherton Sales Advisors Ph: 03 385 3518 Talk to Adrienne or Lynne for information about independent apartments, townhouses or serviced apartments.
Diana Hanafin Regional Manager Ph: 03 386 3018 Call Diana for general enquiries, or information about resthome, hospital and dementia care.
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Rebecca Nelson Residents were very happy to welcome back the fabulous Rebecca Nelson for another fantastic performance in the village centre. With special anecdotes of her travels during each song, Rebecca kept her audience spellbound. Several residents of Welsh descent loved it when Rebecca flawlessly sang the Welsh Anthem; Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
course, got the opportunity to speak to the singer herself. We can’t wait to welcome Rebecca back for another performance! Above: Rebecca entertained the crowd. Right: The residents were delighted by the performance and can’t wait for the next concert.
The classical singer also graced everyone with a truly special rendition of Hallelujah during which she performed a verse in Maori. Afterwards residents gathered for an afternoon tea, and of
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RYMAN E H T
H E A LT H C A R E S E A S O
If you notice the Christmas decorations going up a bit earlier in our villages this year, it’s to celebrate our partnership with the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s season of The Nutcracker. We know our residents will enjoy being immersed in the whimsical story of the Nutcracker as our villages are transformed – think sugar plum fairies, gingerbread houses and toy soldiers. There will be a range of activities on offer – from appreciating Tchaikovsky’s beautiful
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musical score, to having a go at making themed-decorations for display. The ballet will be touring throughout New Zealand, opening in Wellington on 31 October, and finishing in Auckland on 15 December.
Want to see a show near you? Contact your village reception for exclusive Ryman discounts on tickets!
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Ryman chefs take top prize At the recent New Zealand Hospitality Awards, our in-house Chefs; Steve Iraia and Paul Korunic, took the top two prizes.
also pleased to go one better than last year. “We’ve got the two top positions in the country, which is a brilliant result.’’
Steve has been the chef at Princess Alexandra village in Napier for 10 years. He was named the winner in the senior lifestyle section.
Steve and Paul had 75 minutes to cook meals for eight people consisting of four hoki loin dishes and four dishes featuring beef cheeks.
Steve came second in last year’s competition.
Ryman Hotel Services Manager Andrew Gibson said he was proud of the chefs, as the dishes they prepared had to be practical and suitable for Ryman menus.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic, it was a bit like taking care of some unfinished business.”
Village chefs serve up more than 10,000 meals a day to our residents. Chefs prepare the food fresh on-site, with three main course choices, including a vegetarian option.
Both Steve and Paul’s classic recipes feature in Ryman Delicious menus. Paul, Chef at Anthony Wilding village in Christchurch for the last four years, was
myRyman rollout crosses the finishing line Our myRyman electronic care system has been rolled out to all our villages in New Zealand. myRyman is a robust electronic care system located in each resident’s room. It allows nurses and care assistants to view the full care profile of each resident at the touch of a button. Information is recorded in real time, dramatically reducing paperwork. In 2015, Chief Operations Officer Barbara ReynenRose went looking for an electronic care
system but couldn’t find one she liked, so Ryman decided to build its own version.
“It makes us excited about what’s possible, and where we can take it next.” Chief Executive Gordon MacLeod said the project would keep Ryman Healthcare at the forefront of aged care. “What we have achieved is very, very rare. To take a concept that involved a complete change in how people work and make it into a system that is operable 24/7 in a care operation is incredible. “It makes us excited about what’s possible, and where we can take it next.’’
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Resident Profile
Meet Pamela
who was an apprentice doing a trade in carpentry and joinery. We married four years later in 1958. We had four children but sadly our only daughter Jane died of cancer aged 49 years old. I have three sons; one is married to Glenys who works here at Diana Isaac. Glenys encouraged me to move into my serviced apartment here two years ago after my husband died. When my youngest son was eleven years old, I went back to work and worked for a further twenty years. This enabled my husband and I to have some wonderful trips overseas, the last being on a cruise around the Caribbean islands.
I enjoy the activities, trips out in the van, cards and Happy Hour, where we solve all the problems of the world. Hello, my name is Pamela Popenhagen and I was born in Christchurch in 1937, the eldest of five sisters. I attended the local primary school and went to Christchurch West High School. On leaving high school I worked in an office for a large building company where I met my future husband Bill,
My sons John and Paul live close by and Geoffrey has a lifestyle block at Swannanoa. My family has been very supportive over the last two years. My sisters also live in Christchurch and we see each other on a regular basis. I enjoy the activities, trips out in the van, cards and Happy Hour, where we solve all the problems of the world. My cat Barnaby also enjoys visiting the neighbours and has been seen learning to play bowls on the green. Thank you, Diana Isaac, for all you are, I am very content.
Mid-winter solstice During July we celebrated the mid-winter solstice in style. This year we decided on a rustic red and silver look for the table decorations and everyone loved the look of it. The serviced apartment residents enjoyed a delicious Christmas style lunch consisting of stuffed turkey, glazed ham, baby carrots, peas and potatoes.
For dessert the residents had a choice of plum pudding with custard or a pavlova and cream. It was a great way to celebrate the solstice. Right: Residents enjoyed the spectacular feast in great company.
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Quiz afternoon
50s up band
During June, the independent and serviced apartment residents held a combined quiz afternoon, with over 80 residents competing. It was very challenging with strong competition between the teams!
Our annual 50s Up Brass band event returned to perform their medley of wonderful tunes. The polished performers provided an afternoon of entertainment to our independent and care centre residents. Later they mingled with our residents while enjoying refreshments.
Above: The winning team were delighted with their performance and are already preparing for the next quiz!
Above: A grand performance which delighted our residents.
Staff Profile
Introducing Donna
In my spare time I enjoy gardening, reading, walking and watching movies.
Hi, my name is Donna Dungey and I have worked at Diana Isaac since January 2013. As a housekeeper I enjoy assisting residents and like the family atmosphere of the village. I was born in Lincoln and grew up in Christchurch. I participated in athletics at school and represented Canterbury. I specialised in 400 metres, but also enjoyed long jump, high jump and sprints. After finishing school, I worked two jobs, as a clothing
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machinist and night cleaning for a truck firm. In 2005, I married my husband, Daniel, and together we have two children, Malia and Jack. My husband travels throughout the Pacific Islands for work and we have joined him on two occasions in Suva, Fiji. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, reading, walking and watching movies. I look forward to continuing my journey at Diana Isaac and meeting more great residents over time.
Diana’s choir Our village is fortunate to have some very good singers and recently our choir, consisting of townhouse and independent apartment residents, performed at the village. The village lounge was packed to the rafters and rang with a great medley of songs. The audience loved the performance and afterwards there was a well-deserved afternoon tea. We are very proud of our choir and can’t wait for their next performance. Above: The choir gave a stunning performance that our residents loved.
Upcoming events NOV
NOV
22
27
Stroke Foundation presentation
Christmas market day
NOV
DEC
29
7
Mairehau Pharmacy Talk
Wine tasting
1 Lady Isaac Way, Mairehau
www.dianaisaac.co.nz