c M Laren’s Messenger
Bruce McLaren B M L R Retirement i Vill Village
•
S Summer edition 2018
Out & About A trip to the Warbirds Museum brought back many memories for our residents
Father’s Day
Meet Jan and Rodger
Back to the 80s
Greetings from Chantelle... Hello and welcome to the summer edition of McLaren’s Messenger.
us with magical songs from musicals. It was delightful to listen to her.
A warm welcome to all the new residents who have joined our vibrant community.
Finally, I would like to introduce a few new staff members to our team – Clinical Manager Riffy Jahan-Khan, Hospital Coordinator Michelle Lowe, Serviced Apartment Coordinator Artika Naidu and Gardener Aaron Brown. Welcome all!
I am excited to announce that the myRyman care app has been rolled out at the village. This is a great milestone for us. With a tablet in each resident’s room, paperwork is dramatically reduced, which means that our staff are able to spend more quality time with our residents in care. The village has been very busy over the last few months. Daffodil Day, Father’s Day celebrations and the Men’s Beer Tent are just a few of the memorable events. Personally, I loved the performance of Lisa Lorrell who entertained
If you have any questions or feedback, my door is always open. Kind regards,
Chantelle Hand Village Manager
Musical Interlude The Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery Band certainly was a great drawcard for the village. During July, 270 residents and guests squeezed into the lounge for a spectacular performance from the band. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Right: It was a feast for the ears during the performance from the seasoned Royal Artillery Band. Rose
Chantelle Hand Village Manager Ph: 09 535 0220 Call Chantelle for general enquiries, or any information about resthome, hospital or dementia care.
McLaren’s Messenger | 2
Rose Lawlor Sales Advisor Ph: 09 535 0225 Talk to Rose for more information about independent apartments or serviced apartments.
Father’s Day We celebrated Father’s Day in style! In the village atrium small tables and chairs were laid out, café style, ready for an Italian country beer garden. The atrium sparkled with fairy lights and mini chalk boards decorated the tables. Residents enjoyed fantastic beers selected from around the world, including craft beers from Germany, Ukraine, Thailand, Russia, New Zealand and Australia. Over 70 men from the village attended and the event continued long into the afternoon. Surprisingly, the biggest hit of the day was the Russian beer. We might need to stock up on it as many residents requested it. What a fantastic afternoon celebrating the fathers in our lives. Above: The residents raised a glass to a great Father’s Day! Right: Vic Cooper enjoying his choice of beer.
McLaren’s Messenger | 3
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
N OF
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!
McLaren’s Messenger | 4
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.” 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
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.
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 Office 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.’’
McLaren’s Messenger | 5
Resident Profile
Meet Jan and Rodger
In 1959, Rodger sailed to Wellington and started working in Whakatane at the Board Mill. Jan followed Rodger in 1961 and the couple married a week later at the Knox Presbyterian Church in Whakatane. When Rodger was not working he played soccer for the Whakatane club, which meant travelling every weekend to play. Their first son, David, was born in Whakatane, and after two years they moved to Meremere Power Station. Their second son, Andrew, was born soon after. Andrew’s birth came unexpectedly and Rodger had to play midwife at home. They soon welcomed a third son, Gordon, and a daughter Kristine.
Meeting and making new friends has meant that their move has been a happy one indeed. Fellow Scots Rodger and Jan Wood have fallen in love with their serviced apartment at Bruce McLaren. Rodger was born in Balloch while Jan came from Dumbarton. The couple met when the main entrance to their work was being repaired and Jan had to detour through the drawing office where Rodger worked, and they hit it off.
The family moved to Mangere Bridge and after the children flew the coop, Rodger and Jan moved to Howick where they lived for 25 years. They are now proud grandparents to nine grandchildren. Eventually the couple decided it was time to look to the future. They had watched the village being built and started looking into it. For Rodger and Jan, it was a tough decision but they are very pleased that they went through with the move. Meeting and making new friends has meant that their move has been a happy one indeed.
The blue breakfast During September, we held a Blue Breakfast to fundraise for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Residents dressed for the auspicious occasion and were wowed by the beautifully decorated dining room. The kitchen staff outdid themselves with a delicious breakfast, and afterwards spot prizes were
given out to random ticket holders. A grand prize was also awarded to the best dressed – congratulations to our winners Bill and Sandra Anderson. It was a very successful event with $1,400 raised for the foundation. Pictured: Residents Bill and Sandra Anderson.
McLaren’s Messenger | 6
Daffodil Day
Back to the 80s
For Daffodil Day the independent apartment residents celebrated and donated at a delicious Spring Lunch. Joe Fingers entertained and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. We raised over $830 for the Cancer Society!
Several serviced apartment and resthome residents visited the local Mission Heights Junior College for the Back to the 80s show. It was a fabulous show with a talented cast, choir and orchestra. The scenes and props were also fantastic!
Pictured: Residents Sylvia Crittenden and Betty Hayward dressed up for Daffodil Day.
Pictured: The residents loved the colourful show.
Staff Profile
Introducing Virpal
I was a nurse in India and my dream is to become a registered nurse in New Zealand.
Hello, my name is Virpal Kaur. I was born in Punjab, India and immigrated to New Zealand in 2015. I love living in New Zealand, the country has nice weather and fantastic, friendly people.
I enjoy working in aged care and look forward to meeting and learning more about our residents. We have a fantastic team working at Bruce McLaren and I love working in the friendly atmosphere.
I was a nurse in India and my dream is to become a registered nurse in New Zealand. I joined the team here at Bruce McLaren in 2017 as a Senior Carer and I am currently the interim Serviced Apartment Coordinator.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family. I also like to read, especially spiritual and selfimprovement books. I believe we should live life to the fullest and focus on the positive.
McLaren’s Messenger | 7
Warbirds museum Several independent residents recently visited the New Zealand Warbirds Association. They were met by a lovely team of volunteers who have flown many of the exhibition planes for air shows. Their wealth of knowledge was extensive, and some of our residents who were themselves pilots found common ground with the volunteers. A few residents saw memorabilia from their parents’ service in the wars. The afternoon concluded with a delicious lunch in the pilots’ café where the residents watched small planes take off and land. Above: Resident Gary Wardell enjoyed looking into the cockpits of the display planes.
Upcoming events November
November
Dementia presentation
Auckland Mandolinata Orchestra
December
December
Christmas in the Village concert
Colin Parris Christmas show
07
04
18
07
795 Chapel Road, Howick, Auckland
www.brucemclarenvillage.co.nz