December 2025

Christmas greetings from Angel, Evelyn and the Millvale House Miramar team

As we approach the end of another year, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our residents, families, and our team for their continued support and care throughout 2025. It has been a year filled with warmth, laughter, and many special moments shared together.

I am honoured to have stepped into the role of Clinical Manager. Taking on this position has been a rewarding journey, made much smoother by the support of Evelyn our Operations Coordinator. Her deep understanding of Millvale House, relationships with residents and staff, and willingness to guide me as I settle in have been invaluable.

We are delighted to welcome several new team members to our Millvale House Miramar family. Angela has progressed from being a caregiver to a Registered Nurse after achieving her registration - congratulations on this wonderful achievement! Juvy-Lynn and Aksha have also joined us as Registered Nurses. Joining our caregiving team are Wally, Alile, Aman, and Natsu. Jay-ar and Eva have joined us as Home Assistants.

In the kitchen, Abin and Yan Su continue to delight everyone with their delicious and nutritious meals that our residents truly enjoy. Our maintenance person, Rodel, ensures our home and gardens remain safe, beautiful, and well-maintained. Recently, we have planted new flowers and started a vegetable garden, including some special plants gifted by the family of one of our residents who passed away. The plants will be a reminder of the love and connection shared here.

We are also grateful for the continued support from David from Vitae, who visits every Thursday to provide guidance and care for our staff. Thank you also to our volunteers; Joanne who visits every Saturday to play the piano; and the Whakaahuru singers who perform monthly and fill our home with beautiful music that our residents love.

In September, we had the pleasure of celebrating Father’s Day. It was a special occasion to honour and appreciate the incredible fathers, grandfathers, and father figures among our residents. Evelyn also hosted a salon session for our ladies, pampering them with manicures and makeup. Everyone looked stunning.

Finally, thank you to all the family members who participated in our survey. Your feedback helps us continue improving the quality of care we provide. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standard of love, respect, and support for all our residents.

The festive season is almost here, and we are all looking forward to celebrating together. Our Christmas Family Gathering will be held on Tuesday, 16th December at 2pm, and we warmly invite families and friends to join us for an afternoon of music, laughter, and celebration with our residents.

Wishing everyone a joyful and peaceful start to the holiday season filled with happiness, love, and togetherness.

Thank you for participating in our EPOA Survey

 A big thank you to the families who participated in the EPOA Survey. We received some lovely expressions of gratitude which are very special to us.

Areas that were raised and we will be working on are our food service and opportunities to participate in cultural activities.

We have already been working on improving our food service and our range of activities. Food and activities preferences are often very specific to each resident and this information is vital to help us tailor our service to their needs.  If you have further feedback you would like to share with us, please reach out to Evelyn or Angel.

We value your time and appreciate your feedback on your loved one’s care within our home. We are always happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions; we are open to your feedback at any time.

The feedback from the surveys has now been collated and if you are interested in taking a look, you will find it posted to the bulletin board in our home.

As the year draws to a close it is a time to reflect on how we are going, what we have accomplished and look forward to the year ahead.

As I travel around the homes I love hearing from residents and their families about how things are going for them and how we can improve. Please do come and have a chat if you see me around our homes.

Often over the Christmas period we learn more about our residents and their families through meeting family that aren’t able to visit as often, and sharing fond memories about summer holidays.

These memories and stories can help our staff teams to develop a deeper understanding of a resident, their families and the things that bring them joy. Sharing the journey of our residents and their whānau through the often challenging path of aging is something our staff love doing.

This involves spending time with residents:

• Listening carefully
• Helping the person fill in the blanks
• Reading facial expressions and body language and try to respond appropriately
• Giving compliments
• Asking for opinions and open ended questions
• Enjoying the person in every way possible

These techniques assist our teams to put together the stories that make us all who we are. Please use these techniques while visiting if you would like to.

I wish you all a happy holiday season. I hope you all get to spend some time connecting with the people that matter most to you.

Ngā mihi

Andrew Sheard, Managing Director

My name is Arah Cartagena, and I’m really pleased to be rejoining the team here at Dementia Care NZ. Some of you may remember me from my previous time with the organisation. After spending time working in home and community care, I’m grateful to return and reconnect with the people and values that have always meant so much to me.

Throughout my career in nursing, I’ve had the privilege of supporting people in a variety of settings. These experiences have shaped my belief that meaningful care is about more than just meeting needs. It’s about understanding what matters most to each person, honouring their story, and supporting them to live each day with dignity, purpose, and connection.

I also recognise the vital role families play in the lives of their loved ones. Your insights and experiences are an important part of the care we provide, and I’m committed to ensuring that our approach reflects the trust you place in us.

I am passionate about leading our clinical team. I look forward to developing, energising and supporting our team members, and ensuring that our team embodies our vision and values through all that we do.

Outside of work, I have a strong interest in learning and self-development. I’m always curious and enjoy discovering new perspectives and ideas.

Ngā mihi nui,
Arah Cartagena

Gift ideas for a person who has dementia

It can sometimes be tricky to think of gift ideas for someone with dementia. Here are a few ideas from our team.

Comfort and sensory items:

• Favourite food
• Soft blanket/throw
• Weighted soft pet
• Tactile or fidget items to keep hands busy
• Fidget blanket

Personalised gifts:

• Mixtape/CD/MP3 of your loved one’s favourite music
• Home movies
• Photo album, photo book- filled with photos of people they love
• Framed or laminated photos of the person’s life
• Picture for their room of a beautiful place they might remember
• Memory book or memory box – filled with items from their past, photos and trinkets
• Personalised memory cushion, made from a familiar fabric, or embroidered with special people’s names on it.

Please avoid bringing original photographs and precious items.

Things to wear:

• Dressing gown
• Sunhat
• Socks
• Summer nightie or pyjamas
• A beautiful summer scarf
• A piece of costume jewellery
• Seasonal clothing

You could check your loved one’s drawers or ask a team member for clothing your loved one might need.

Other:

• Hand cream
• Colouring pencils
• Magazine subscription
• Simple board game
• Beautiful bunch of flowers
• Speaker or music player for their room

Christmas reminders from Dementia Care NZ

Season’s greetings

The following information will help the holiday season go as smoothly as possible.

Outings

If you intend to take your loved one home for the day or afternoon over the Christmas period, or on Christmas Day, please discuss this with a Registered Nurse so that medication and comfort requirements can be arranged. Prior warning will allow us to have your loved one appropriately dressed and ready for you.

For safety reasons, outings of this nature first need to be discussed and approved by the EPOA.

Naming clothes

Please remember that all new items need to be clearly marked with the owner’s first and last name before they arrive. This is especially important at Christmas time, when many lovingly chosen new items are given as gifts by family members. We discourage expensive woolen items, which are easily damaged in the wash. Please select easy care clothing wherever possible.

We hope that you are enjoying the warmer weather and that your Christmas preparations are going really well.

Meri Kirihimete / Merry Christmas

From all of us at Dementia Care NZ

Magic Moment from Millvale House Miramar

A resident who had been feeling lonely suddenly recalled a childhood song that was played during the day. She began singing along with a staff member, resulting in a moment of joy and connection.