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A Message from your Facility Manager
Dear Twilight Grace Gardens Family,
We hope this message finds you well. We have some important updates and exciting new developments at Twilight Grace Gardens.
Flu Vaccination Clinic
We are preparing for our upcoming Flu Vaccination Clinic! While the exact date is still to be confirmed, we are currently seeking consent for residents who wish to participate. If you would like your family member to receive the flu vaccination, please reach out to us as soon as possible to provide your consent.
Resident Relative Meetings
We hold Resident Relative Meetings on the last Monday of each month. These meetings are a great opportunity to discuss any concerns or suggestions. Please check the schedule at the home for the meeting time, as it may vary slightly each month.
Exciting Improvements in the Home
We are thrilled to share some new enhancements to make your loved one's experience at Twilight Grace Gardens even better:
- 24-Hour Nutritious Menu: A new 24-hour menu is now available, offering nutritious options at any time of the day or night.
- Food Register at Reception: To ensure we are keeping track of all items brought into the facility, a food register has been set up at reception. Please feel free to register any food brought in by family or friends.
Palliative Care Focus
In our continued commitment to providing the best care, we’ve made strides in our palliative care offerings:
- More information about palliative care is now readily available for families.
- Palliative care trolleys have been introduced, offering essential resources such as palliative care information, Sudoku books, playing cards, and refreshment options to help support families during challenging times.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Thank you for entrusting us with the care of your loved ones.
Warm Regards until next time,
Dee
Dee Banton
International Women's Day 2025
Honoring the Women of Twilight Grace Gardens
Happy International Women’s Day
On International Women’s Day, we took a moment to celebrate and honor the incredible women of Twilight Grace Gardens—our nurses, carers, and support staff—whose compassion, dedication, and tireless efforts make a profound difference in the lives of those we care for. Their kindness, strength, and unwavering commitment to others embody the very essence of care, and we are truly grateful for everything they do.
We also expressed out thanks to the men at Twilight Grace Gardens, for their continued support of the women in our society. It is through their encouragement, respect, and recognition that our women—whether as colleagues, daughters, sisters, or friends—can continue to grow, thrive, and make a meaningful impact in the world.
This day served as a reminder of the incredible power of unity, respect, and the appreciation for one another we experience as part of this Twilight Family.
You're at Home, with Twilight.
Around our Home
Intergenerational Connection
A wonderful time was had by all when we went to visit the Kinderlin!
At Twilight our Family Model of Care is designed to support residents to feel 'at home' where they live, no matter how they choose to spend their time. There's always something wonderful happening at Grace Gardens.
Music, dancing, food, flowers, games, bus trips to special places, creating art, and just spending time with friends are all the threads that weave us together into a community, our Grace Gardens Twilight Family.
Twilight Art Exhibition
Seniors Festival 2025 Premier's Gala Concert
This year was our first attending the wonderful annual event especially for NSW Seniors! What a spectacular day.
Celebrations
Diversity and inclusion are always on our agenda, so we have lots of opportunities to acknowledge both the solemn and special cultural days and the fun times together as a Twilight Family. There's something for everyone to enjoy.
Happy New Year!
Australia Day, enjoying a lovely barbeque outdoors with family.
St Patrick's Day
Preparation of the mandatory green cupcakes was followed on the day by a concert and some fun.
Twilight News
Most of our Twilight Family will have received news by now of the sad and untimely passing of our former CEO Neil Wendt on the 21st of January 2025. Grace Gardens held a Memorial Service for residents, families and staff to pay their respects and farewell Neil on the 13th February at 10.30 am.
Neil had a vision with commitment, inspirational leadership and passion for providing exceptional care to our residents with unwavering dedication.
Loved by residents, families and staff alike, Neil was largely responsible for the personal and special connection that we feel as "Twilight Family". This connection is at the heart of Twilight's existence and will continue as part of Neil's legacy for us all.
The Board is conducting an extensive recruitment process to ensure that we continue to have strong leadership for the future of Twilight Aged Care. While this is underway, James Carter has been appointed as Acting CEO. James has had a long association with Twilight Aged Care and served as Acting CEO in the past.
The Board is confident in James' ability to lead us during this transitional period with the same commitment and understanding that he has shown before.Twilight Aged Care will remain a progressive and responsive organisation to the needs of residents and families. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact your Facility Manager. We will keep our Twilight Families informed as we navigate this time of change together.
Quality Care and Support Survey
Early in December we requested your feedback on the care and support that your family member or friend receives at Twilight through a survey process.
Thank you to all those who responded to the survey, offering their thoughts and suggestions for how we can continue to improve services to our residents. Comments were strongly positive, which was wonderful to see.
Please remember that we welcome your feedback at all times , either in person, by phone, email, on one of the forms available in the homes or online.
Twilight Participating in Dementia Australia Memory Walk in May
We're doing the Sydney Memory Walk & Jog to raise funds for the 421,000 Australians living with dementia.
On Sunday, 25 May, we’ll be joining the Sydney Memory Walk & Jog to show our love and help Dementia Australia.
And we need your support!
Did you know that 1.5 million carers, family members and friends are involved in the care of someone living with dementia in Australia. That's why we're hoping to raise as much money as possible. We'll be walking, jogging, and running to stop dementia in its tracks.
We'd love you to join us on the day, but if you can't, a generous donation will help provide vital services like counselling, support groups, education, and research to find a cure.
Together we can achieve a lot. That's why your donation will mean the world to us.
We're all grateful for any amount you can give.
If you'd like to join us on the day you can register as part of the team at
https://www.memorywalk.com.au/
OR if you'd like to sponsor/donate to our team , you can do that at
The Dining Experience
Great News for Twilight Residents!
Twilight is proud to announce our participation in the Trainer Mentor Program, delivered by the Maggie Beer Foundation.
This program will pair our Glades Bay Gardens kitchen team with a qualified chef trainer to help us serve flavourful, nutritious meals and enhance the dining experience for our residents.
What This Means for Our Residents:
Improved meal quality with dishes full of flavour and nutrients.
A focus on continuously meeting and exceeding dining expectations.
A commitment to enhancing the overall quality of life for our residents through
nutritious, enjoyable food.
About the Trainer Mentor Program:
The program is FREE, delivered in-Home, and tailored to meet our specific needs.
Over the course of 12 months, our kitchen team will:
Receive hands-on training and mentorship from an experienced chef.
Have a review of 3 weeks of our menus by an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Use feedback from residents, families, and staff through Food Satisfaction
Questionnaires to continuously improve our dining services.
By participating in this program, we aim to:
Build the skills and capabilities of our kitchen team.
Support the health and well-being of our residents.
Set a benchmark for food and dining excellence in aged care.
We are excited to work alongside the Maggie Beer Foundation to bring positive changes to our dining program, creating a warm, welcoming dining experience for everyone at Glades Bay Gardens, as well as accessing the benefits that will flow through all of our homes as a result of our shared learning and development over the course of this program.
About the Maggie Beer Foundation
The Maggie Beer Foundation is dedicated to improving the nutrition and flavour of food for older people in aged care. Established in 2014, the foundation believes that access to food full of flavour and nutrients can bring about life-altering change to the well-being of older people.
The program commences in June 2025, so watch this space for regular updates!
Until next time
Rahul Manjrekar
Chef Manager
Twilight Art Exhibition
This year's exhibition at the Hunters Hill Village Church Hall was a mighty effort by Joanne, Khat, Tamia and a team of dedicated volunteers and supporters, like our very special auctioneer, Ethan Vale!
The theme of this year's exhibition was “Connection to Self, Connection to Others and Connection to Community" and one of the exciting elements was an installation called "Transformation". Several Art and Music collaboration sessions using records donated by family members were facilitated during 2024. During these sessions, residents listened to the music and transformed their auditory experiences into visual art. Additionally, the residents repurposed some of the old records, turning them into functional art pieces such as fruit bowls, thus giving the records a new life and purpose.
This process of transformation and repurposing parallels the broader mission of Twilight in providing a sense of purpose to older people living in residential aged care.
By engaging in these creative activities, residents not only find new meaning in the music and materials they work with but also experience a personal transformation. The creative process involved in repurposing objects fosters a sense of achievement and contribution, reinforcing the importance of purposeful participation in enhancing their well-being and quality of life. Along with “Paint Drumming” as an interactive exhibit, the exhibition showcased a plethora of different artworks in different media created by residents and volunteers over the 12 months of 2024.
Our annual Auction Night event saw a battle of the art-lovers for some of the pieces on offer, and a fabulous amount was raised to put back into the program for this year.
With a moment of silence to reflect on the recent passing our much- loved CEO Neil Wendt, Art Therapy's strongest and most constant supporter, the night was one of happiness, emotion and connection.
Hope to see you next year!
International Connection
How exciting to welcome our new international Twilight Family members from Nepal with some awesome signs created by residents during art therapy sessions.
When you see them, don't forget to say hello, and welcome to Twilight!
Training Updates
Congratulations to Twilight Staff who have completed training which improves our delivery of care to residents.
Culturally Appropriate Care Plan(ning) and Cross-cultural Communication sessions were held at Glengarry on Monday 10th of February.
Heba Hassanin is the facilitator of this training which is part of a Diversity Mentorship program that Twilight is participating in. This training will be given across the whole organisation over time and ensure that our Twilight staff are able to meet the specific needs of all our residents.
This group is 'all fired up' after completing their mandatory annual Fire Safety training!
Care and Services Information Round-Up
Influenza Vaccination Season 2025
- Influenza is caused by infection with the influenza virus and results in respiratory illness.
- It is a common cause of hospitalisation and death, particularly in those at greater risk of severe disease.
- Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged 6 months and over and is available free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for eligible groups at the highest risk of influenza and its complications.
- All currently available influenza vaccines in Australia are inactivated (non-live) and cannot cause influenza. They are safe for people who are immunocompromised and pregnant women.
- Influenza is seasonal, and yearly vaccination with vaccines tailored to changes in circulating strains each influenza season is required for continuing immunity.
- Influenza vaccine can be co-administered with (i.e. given on the same day as) most other vaccines.
If you have any questions about vaccination clinics, please contact your Facility Manager for more information
MY HEALTH RECORD updates
My Health Record is a digital space where important health information that you and your healthcare provider organisations have added, all in one place.
We are encouraging families who have not yet done so to apply to manage these accounts where the resident is unable to. This will allow easier access to information such as hospital discharge summaries and medical information that will support the best and most timely care delivery to your loved ones. Please discuss this with your Facility Manager at your earliest convenience so that we can ensure the details are on record .
Did you know you can access FREE services at Relationships NSW?
Australian Grief and Loss Support - website and hotline
Many people don’t know how to respond to grief, whether their own or others.
We are the frontline first responders to grief for hundreds of Australians every day.
In addition to free telephone support, we offer online bereavement support groups and forums, grief resources and information, as well as education and training programs.
Inviting Courageous Conversations
Find hope and connection
Griefline is here for you with free, compassionate and confidential support every day of the year
Above everything else, we give you space to express and explore your grief without judgement.
Helpline 1300 845 745
8am to 8pm: 7 days (AEST
Strengthened Aged Care Standards are coming in 2025
Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect in aged care.
The Aged Care Quality Standards define what good care looks like in Australia. They apply to all aged care services that receive funding from the Australian Government.
The Aged Care Quality Standards are being strengthened as part of the proposed new Aged Care Act and regulatory model.
to find out more about the Aged Care Standards, you can visit
https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/providers/quality-standards
Talk to us about Guardianship
We are currently raising awareness for guardians to have the correct functions in place to be able to consent for restrictive practices.
Residents that are no longer able to make decisions about their care may require their guardian to consent on restrictive practices.
A restrictive practice is any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of the person.
Restrictive practices aim to address behaviour issues and minimise harm.
Restrictive practices generally take one or more of the following forms.
•Seclusion – where a person is kept in a room or space at any time where their exit is prevented.
•Physical restraint – where physical force is used to prevent or restrict a person’s movement.
•Mechanical restraint – where a device is used to prevent or restrict a person’s movement.
•Environmental restraint – where a person’s access to parts of their environment, including items or activities, is restricted.
•Chemical restraint – where medication is used for the primary purpose of influencing a person’s behaviour, and not for treatment of a diagnosed mental disorder, physical illness or physical condition.
Our homes will hold a care conference with you and if it's required, will encourage guardians to apply for approval to make this decision and consent to appropriate action. A guardian must have this function approved in enduring guardianship order .
However, residents can make decisions about restrictive practices if they still have capacity.
We encourage all families to apply to NCAT for this function as soon as possible, to ensure the appropriate care for their relatives and friends.
If this applies to you, please talk to your Facility Manager for more information.
Find out more here https://ncat.nsw.gov.au/publications-and-resources/fact-sheets/guardianship-division-fact-sheets.html
Are you following Twilight on social media?
Make sure you follow us on social media to stay connected with your Twilight family.
"You're at home, with Twilight."
Twilight Aged Care
Grace Gardens
454 Old Northern Road
Dural NSW 2158
02 96341354