As the days grow longer and the air gets warmer, our beautiful gardens at Millvale House have come alive with colour and fragrance. Residents have been soaking up the sunshine by enjoying afternoon tea under the trees and peaceful strolls along the garden paths. There's nothing quite like hearing the birds sing while enjoying a cuppa with friends. Some residents have taken a keen interest in the flower beds — helping to prune, water, or simply admire the blooms.

From arts and crafts to garden walks and bingo, there’s always something happening. Recently, our craft sessions have involved making beautiful decorations for Christmas. We’ve also started weekly storytelling circles, where residents share tales from their lives — some funny, some moving.

We have really enjoyed the recent music sessions that filled our home with rhythm, and laughter. Music with Hanna brought warmth and nostalgia and the familiar tunes encouraged some residents to join in singing. Drum Circle with Andres features drums and other lively instruments. Residents tap along, expressing themselves through sound. Some of our residents even played instruments, adding their own beats and melodies to the experience. The musicians add a wonderful energy to our home. Music is uplifting and therapeutic. It helps residents engage, relax, and brings them joy. We are so grateful for Hanna and Andres. Their contributions make such a difference to our residents’ lives.

We’re delighted to introduce some new members to our team. We have welcomed Deexan who joins us as our new Operations Coordinator. Deexan brings fresh ideas and a warm presence to our home. We are also joined by our new caregivers, Jenelyn & Devyani who have quickly become part of our Millvale House Waikanae family.

We recently held some fantastic education sessions that were led by Simon, our Education Coordinator. Topics included dementia care best practices, mobility and transferring techniques, and health and safety refreshers.

It’s the time of year when our focus turns to the festive season. Christmas is a time of reflection and joy, and some of our residents have been sharing their fondest holiday memories.  One of our residents remembered baking gingerbread with her grandchildren. Another recalled the sound of Bing Crosby echoing through the hallway of his childhood home. These stories have sparked beautiful conversations and smiles all round.

We’re all looking forward to celebrating with our residents and their friends and families at our Christmas family gathering. Our Christmas family gathering will be held on Tuesday the 16^th of December at 2pm. It will be a lovely opportunity to come together to share delicious food and Christmas cheer.

As we wrap up another wonderful year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our residents, their families, our hardworking staff, and our wider community. Your warmth, support, and love help make Millvale House a true home.

Here’s to a magical Christmas and a bright, happy New Year ahead!

With love
The Team at Millvale House Waikanae

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 feedback complimenting the warm, professional care provided by our team. This feedback is very special to us.

We received some feedback about our food service, which we have been working on improving. Food preferences are important and are often very specific to each resident.  If you would like to share suggestions or information about your loved one’s preferences, please reach out to Deexan or Ash.

We value your time and appreciate your thoughts and suggestions on your loved one’s care within our home. We are always happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions and 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

On the way to the market, while riding a wheelchair, a giggle escaped one of our residents' lips. She was relishing the joyride! Her eyes sparkled with pure joy in the moment. Her eyes wandered to the vibrant colours of her surroundings, delighting in the spring flowers that were planted in front of the houses we passed by. At the market, she enjoyed her favourite coffee, sharing strawberries with another resident’s family and perusing the market stalls. When she returned home, a team member asked after her day. She replied teary eyed,  “ I have had a lovely day!”.