We hope that you have shared some lovely times with family over summer and through the festive season.

The Christmas Family Gathering in our homes went really well. We were so pleased to have many of you join us. We loved it and we hope it was a day to remember for all who attended.

As summer progresses, we are making the most of longer, warmer days. We are enjoying doing outside activities, gardening and just sitting outdoors to catch the breeze. We are focusing on keeping our residents and staff cool and hydrated through the hot days. We have recently installed air conditioning in both the D3 homes and we are keeping up with regular fluid rounds in all homes. Many family members have stocked their loved ones’ wardrobes with loose fitting clothing and sandals. Sunscreen and summer hats are also important, especially for residents who like to spend time outdoors.

As always, we are keen to have more volunteers join us in our singing, cooking, and knitting groups. If you would like to be a volunteer or know of someone who might be interested, please approach the operations manager. There are all sorts of things you could do such as singing favourite songs, sharing a recipe, sharing memories of places you have visited or just joining our residents for a cuppa or a cool fruit punch; everything is precious to us. We also welcome gentle furry friends to visit who enjoy lots of strokes and cuddles.

A very warm welcome to our new team members who recently joined us;  Nelia, Jhonel, Sujan, Maychell, Deepani and Lakmal. We are also happy to see the return of Sherin and Rochelle who have joined us full-time after their maternity leave. Recently, a number of our staff members have been able to bring their families to New Zealand from overseas. We are reminded of the importance of family. Being in the presence of loved ones is therapeutic and good for the soul, for residents and staff alike.

We wish you and your family all the very best for 2024.

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 resident was falling asleep in a single chair. I offered her to sit comfortably in a lazy boy chair. While transferring her, I was singing ‘You are my Sunshine’. She took my hand, placed it on her face and then fell asleep in my hand. It was nice to see how calming songs can be for her.