SOCIAL
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2025
HELLO FRIENDS
Dear Residents, Families & Friends
Welcome to our first edition for 2025! We wish you all a Happy New Year.
I would like to begin my notice by welcoming the newcomers. Kind reminder to all families to please bring two days’ worth of clothing, marked with your name on Admission, and hand it into Reception with the clothing form previously provided.
Please do not place unmarked clothing in the wardrobe and always hand your new clothing to the Reception staff with the Clothing & Linen Labelling form, in order to avoid any items being lost. We look forward to having you join us this year.
As we reflect on the last few months, lots has been happening during this festive season. Santa Claus paid us a visit, Christmas Carols were sung, and Christmas parties were happily held.
The Christmas Lights Bus Trips also provided an opportunity for the residents to see how the Perth CBD has changed in the last year while soaking in the Christmas spirit around them.
We have some exciting new additions and positive changes to our Social Engagement Calendar for the year ahead, such as the exciting ‘SwanCare Games’ which will be held in August, and the resuming of our monthly ‘Coffee Connections’ sessions held inside the Bentley Park Swan Centre.
The 2025 events calendar is ready, and it will see its official start with our Australia Day celebrations including the ‘Reds Zoo’ native animals encounter and the Rob Royall’s concert.
2024 brought us lots of excitement and of course, a few challenges, but nothing that could not be resolved in the optimistic and excellent ‘SwanCare way'!
Last, but not least, I would like to give a big Thank You to all our supporters, from both the retirement village and the residential aged care centres, for your ongoing contributions.
Warm regards,
Nilla Curia
Nilla Curia
GREAT MOMENTS 1
Melbourne Cup is always a favourite among our residents and 2024 did not disappoint!
Dressed up with colourful and fancy fascinators, all the Social Engagement staff provided their residents with exciting, themed activities that would lead to the live telecast of the “Race that stops the Nation”.
Sweeps were made with some very happy winners obliged! Fashion Parades, with complimentary prizes for ‘Best Hat’ and ‘Best Dressed’ were facilitated and awarded, as well as a mouth-watering two course lunch, with ‘Bubblies’ in tow, served.
As the afternoon took its place, and the residents started feeling the rush of adrenaline subside, themed quizzes and movies, such as ‘Phar Lap’, were provided.
At the conclusion of a very bustling period, it was a day to remember in the years to follow!
GREAT MOMENTS 2
All four residential aged care centres celebrated the Christmas season in style across several separate occasions. We undoubtedly had few hiccups, with COVID as an uninvited guest on some of the floors, but it didn’t dampen our morale.
‘Four Tunes’ performed for our residents at The Club in the village, with an acapella style performance, delighting the ears of all residents present at the function. Adding to the musical events was our Quality and Compliance Coordinator Rikke Wallace who sang some beautiful Christmas carols along with her quartet.
Another one of our major events was the Christmas Lights Bus Trips which saw our residents gallivanting from suburb to suburb into the city in search of the best light displays.
Other highlights included our Head Chef Satish and his Hospitality team supplying our residents with an array of scrumptious food; and Santa Claus, chaperoned by April from the Cannington Bunnings who paid SwanCare a visit bearing gifts. All in all, a good reason to be jolly!
KINGIA FAMILY
SwanCare Kingia residents had a lot going on for Christmas with backto-back concerts and back-to-back food treats which started with our Hydration program. This saw our residents enjoy fruits in the shape of Santas with strawberries and small bananas, as well as watermelonshaped Christmas trees.
We’d like to extend our gratitude to those who gave both SwanCare Kingia and Tandara their free services over the festive season. This included Laurie and Kath who put on a Carols by Candlelight, Rikke’s ‘Note 4 Note’ Christmas acapella show, Aurora who performed at our Christmas day concert, and Derek who entertained us for New Year’s.
Thank you to all the staff, Stanley students and community volunteers who gave us lots of help on the busiest season of the year. Also, congratulations to Valma C. on her 80th birthday! We had a joy celebrating this magnificent milestone and especially loved doing our Valma-themed quiz.
NINGANA FAMILY
It has been a beautiful year for our residents at Ningana with plenty of fun events and activities, and our end of year celebrations were no exception!
Take Note Choir Concert & Christmas Lights Bus Trip
For the second year in a row, we had the Take Note Choir come to sing Christmas Carols for our residents. We all enjoyed the beautiful performance, and it was the best start to the Christmas season. We also had our traditional Christmas Lights Bus Trip which saw our residents have some drinks at Kings Park and watch the sunset before visiting the city to see the beautiful display of Christmas lights. They all enjoyed the experience.
Note 4 Note & New Year’s Celebration
We had the pleasure of having Rikke, our Quality and Compliance Coordinator, and her quartet ‘Note 4 Note’ perform lovely Christmas carols for our residents. They all sang along and enjoyed the concert. Our residents had a special happy hour on New Year’s Eve and celebrated with nice drinks and snacks. They reminisced about previous New Year’s celebrations and shared their experiences before counting down to midnight.
On behalf of our Ningana family, we wish you all a prosperous and successful 2025, filled with joy, health, love and unforgettable moments with your loved ones, Happy New Year!
TANDARA FAMILY
SwanCare Tandara residents had a blast celebrating Christmas and welcoming in the New Year! Each day in the lead up to Christmas had been filled with excitement, as our residents enjoyed their jumbo advent calendar and lots of art and craft activities, like decorating pinecones with round play doughs and playing Christmas games like ‘Rings on a Reindeer’. Bunnings also visited both Kingia and Tandara and gave special gifts and candy canes. Then, both care centres also enjoyed a Christmas Lights Bus Trip to the city.
Both Tandara and Kingia would like to thank all those who participated in our annual Christmas fundraising raffle and would like to congratulate all the lucky winners. Well done also to all those who’d won the free Christmas raffle just for Kingia and Tandara residents. We appreciate all your support.
WAMINDA FAMILY
December is a busy time of year for the residents here at SwanCare Waminda! The month started off with each floor getting decorated to help everyone get into the Christmas spirit. There were multiple concerts throughout the month for residents to enjoy including special concerts by by acapella groups 'Four Tunes' and 'Note 4 Note'. Residents also spent some time decorating gingerbread biscuits which everyone seemed to enjoy. One of our favourite highlights in the lead up to Christmas included the Social Engagement staff joining Santa to give residents a surprise visit, delivering presets and even more Christmas cheer!
MESSAGE OF THE MONTH
Dietitian’s Corner
With Perth's hot summer days upon us, we face the usual challenge of staying hydrated and energetic throughout the season. Below are some tips and information to help.
Hidden Danger of Dehydration
Older adults are more prone to dehydration because aging, medications, and kidney changes reduce the body's ability to sense thirst. Dehydration can lead to confusion, urinary tract infections, and kidney stones. Thus, it is important to meet our daily recommended fluid amounts.
Tip: Sip on fluids throughout the day, even if you’re not thirsty. Avoid sugary beverages, as they can contribute to dehydration and blood sugar spikes. Try including hydrating fruits like watermelon or cucumbers to your menu. Other fluids options are ice cream, jelly and soups.
Fuel for Summer
Summer is not just about hydration but also fuelling the body with the right foods. Adequate protein intake, from sources like chicken, fish, beans, and eggs, helps preserve muscle mass. Vitamin D from dairy and fish, and Vitamin C from fruits, boost immunity.
Tip: A combination of lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables will keep energy levels up and help maintain muscle mass.
By following these tips, we can thrive in the summer heat. Hydrating well and fuelling our body with the right nutrients will not only improve physical health but also boost mood and energy levels. Let’s make this summer one of vitality, health, and joy!
Kingia: Kevin B.
Geoffrey H.
Chris W.
Valmai O.
Ningana: Bruce H.
Jeanette H.
Hendrik D.
Mary R.
Peter W.
Chee L.
Tandara: Janice B.
Philip J.
Dorothy N.
Nelly B.
Roger P.
Joan W.
Colin F.
Waminda:
IT'S A CELEBRATION!
Birthdays & Milestones
Lunar New Year
W rd Search
ALWAYS SOMEONE TO TALK TO
Kingia, Ningana & Tandara
visiting hours: Monday – Sunday 9:00am – 7:00pm
Waminda visiting hours: Monday – Sunday 9:00am – 12:00pm 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Spritz Café hours: Monday – Friday 7:30am – 3:00pm
Jarrah Café hours: Monday – Tuesday CLOSED Wednesday – Sunday 8:00am – 3:00pm
General Manager Health & Aged Care Services
Julie Atkinson
Admissions Manager Leanne LeBrun
Clinical Operations Manager Duska Bodegrajac
Food Services Dietitian Alicia Peng
SwanCare Kingia & Tandara Managers
SwanCare Ningana Managers
SwanCare Waminda Managers
January
Jovy Tesani Iva Gayagoy
Sharleen Mann Arnel Braulio
Pauline Bremner Bindhya Baby Theres
There are plenty of volunteering opportunities for you to share your skills and time with our residents, so get in touch with us to express your interest. WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!