It feels great to be enjoying the warmer, longer days that spring and summer bring. We loved watching our trees blossom as spring arrived and we’ve been making the most of warmer weather by taking some scenic drives in our new van. Our residents have enjoyed picking flowers again and seeing all the colour at this time of year. It has been wonderful to harvest veggies from our garden.

Residents have been enjoying weekly church services, as well as regular visits from our local chaplain. Residents have had the opportunity to take part in communion. We have had frequent pet therapy visits, and our residents have loved singing along with Lorraine who plays the piano.

We celebrated Father's Day with some arts and crafts and shared delicious food together. Each of our small homes held their own little celebration and Wayne Love came in to sing for us. We also recently enjoyed entertainment by Aberklom on the Keyboard, Castaway Ukeleles, and Phil’s Rock and Roll Band. Music brings so much joy.

In October we held a morning tea to say thank you to our volunteers. We are so fortunate that they gift their time, energy and talents to our home. Our residents enjoyed making thank you cards, which we gave out with a small gift of tasty treats for each volunteer. We truly appreciate their dedication and support.

We have welcomed some new Registered Nurses - Carla, Sheeja and Jincy, and Nita also joins us as a caregiver. We are excited that Sheenary has recently completed her training to become a fully qualified Diversional Therapist. Members of our team have completed a wide variety of training such as; Nutrition and Hydration, Falls Minimisation, Pain Management, Cultural Safety and Awareness, and Dementia, Delirium and Depression.

Finally, we are excited to invite you to our Christmas Family Gathering. The gathering for Koromiko and Kowhai homes will be on Tuesday the 16^th of December at 2pm. Ngaio, Rata and Matai will hold their gathering on Wednesday the 17^th of December at 2pm. We would love you to join us for a special festive time together!

We wish you a very happy Christmas.

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.

 In response to this survey, an area that we are looking to focus on is our communication with families. We will be working on communicating better on the outcome of loved one’s doctors’ visits, multi-disciplinary meetings and care planning for each resident.

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

We are excited to share that Sheenary has completed her studies, and she is now a qualified and registered Diversional Therapist. As part of her Diversional Therapist role, she provides meaningful activities to engage our residents and support their wellbeing. Sheenary’s training will strengthen Aberleigh’s activity programme, giving residents the benefit of a certified Diversional Therapist and further improving the quality of care and activities at our home.

Congratulations Sheenary. We are so fortunate to have you supporting our residents here at Aberleigh.

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

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

Magic Moment

A resident who sees me every day says, “Oh, thank you for coming!” every time she sees me, thinking that I’ve come just for her. I’ve taken her for a few walks around our home, and she really enjoys it.