We are so excited about the arrival of much warmer weather! December and January will bring more opportunities to enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces. Our residents and staff are able to get outside for activities, enjoying the sunshine, and spending time among our vibrant gardens.

We've noticed how much our residents have enjoyed the recent outdoor activities, especially working on our veggie garden area. There’s something therapeutic about connecting with nature. We plan to keep making the most of the sun with gentle walks, outdoor games, and relaxation in the garden.

Our residents continue to enjoy visits from our wonderful community volunteer Dave, and his charming dog, Paddington. We are so grateful for their continued dedication to visiting our residents. These visits bring so much comfort and joy; the happy tail wags and gentle cuddles brighten everyone’s day.

Great progress is being made on the Aroha Wing. We are getting closer to the completion of this new home, which will provide a dedicated space for our residents needing hospital care. We're eager to see this home open.

We wish the very best to the team members who have recently left us: Simi, Rosalie, and Mona. We thank them for their dedication to our residents.

On the leadership front, we are thrilled to welcome Sumy Saju to Avonlea as our Operations Lead. Sumy comes to us with valuable experience, having served as an Operations Manager at Tasman Rest Home (one of our rest homes in Nelson). Sumy will be working closely alongside Fitz and Sandeep, and we know she will be a great addition to the team.

Some of you may be aware that we recently underwent our certification audit. We are very proud to announce that we had a very successful audit. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our staff in maintaining the highest quality practices in our facility. Thank you to everyone whose commitment to excellence made this possible.

Finally, we wish to invite you to our Christmas Family Gatherings! The details of these are at the top of this newsletter. We would love you to join us for afternoon tea, festive cheer and a lovely time together.

We wish all our residents and their families a warm and wonderful Christmas!

Thank you for participating in our EPOA Survey

A big thank you to the families who participated in the EPOA Survey. We received a lot of positive feedback on the care we provide to our residents and how warm and welcoming our staff team are. This is very special to us.

Areas that we will work on improving are:-

• Clear communication with families to ensure that they are able to gain a good understanding of resident care.
• Helping families to understand our care planning process.

In response to your feedback:-

• We will be displaying our daily menu and a daily activity plan in our kitchenettes and lounges.
• Occasionally, Avonlea is closed to visitors due to an outbreak. If there are times during these closures, when you would like to have contact with your loved one, please reach out to a Registered Nurse or Manager. 

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

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

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

One of our residents, who had not spoken for quite some time, surprised us all when she softly said her husband’s name. All staff on the unit were astonished. When her husband visited, we shared the moment with him—he grew teary-eyed, visibly touched, and gently kissed her forehead.

The next day, he returned with beautiful flowers for her. It was truly a touching moment to witness—a husband’s enduring love expressed so tenderly to his wife.