Another year has passed, and the next has arrived. We enter 2024 with positivity and thankfulness, as well as lessons learned that we will apply this year.

Admatha's family gathering in December was a great success. Families came together and we exchanged holiday greetings and gifts. Our residents’ beautiful smiles showed just how warmly connected they are to their loved ones. Staff members sang and danced to Christmas music as part of a surprise presentation for the residents and their families. Families and residents smiled and sang along.

Following the Christmas gathering, our Amour home experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. Families and visitors were not able to visit, but Mon Ami home remained open to visitors. However, the outbreak did not prevent Amour from celebrating Christmas. On Christmas Day, Santa Claus himself delivered a gift to each of our residents! We enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner prepared by our cooks. Nothing is more beautiful than witnessing the moments of sincere joy and love that residents experienced during the holiday season.

When COVID-19 struck, every member of our team did an excellent job with infection control measures. The Amour home was open again to visitors by the end of December.

As we look forward to the year ahead, we are joined by two new caregivers, Jessica Centino and Pia Doria. Pia was previously a registered nurse in the Philippines, whilst Jessica holds a licence as a midwife. Their backgrounds in their particular fields of expertise, combined with the training that we offer, allow our new staff to provide care for our residents which is in line with Admatha's Vision and Values.

We hope that you are able to enjoy the warmth and sunshine as the last days of summer approach.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the summer as we have at our homes. It is a lovely time to get out and about and enjoy the garden.

We have changed the format of our newsletters for this year. We know that most people receiving emails do so on their phones, this new format will cater to phone users better. It will also mean that we can send newsletters more regularly.

If you prefer to read a printed copy we will still have these available at each of our homes.

As with any new service we will look to improve as we go, so we will be asking for your feedback during the year.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the development in our homes over the course of the year. We will have a strong focus on staff training this year, we are further upgrading our IT systems and continuing to focus on our cultural care. Lots to look forward to.

We are also preparing for our Clinical Managers day in April. These have happened online for the past few years so it is wonderful to be able to plan an in-person session. These days are so important for sharing ideas and experiences from around our homes and improving the care we provide to each of our residents.

I enjoy meeting families as I travel around our homes so please do say hello if you see me when you are visiting.

I wish you and your whānau all the best for the year ahead.

Andrew Sheard, Managing Director

Magic moment

A chair bound resident in Amour was so excited about the Christmas performance that she was dancing in her chair as the staff were performing, she was waving her hands and clapping. Other residents were singing along with the music and nodding their head, and some residents that don’t often participate in activities were tapping their feet while listening to the music.