Newsletter archive:

July 2010

Kiwiana

This month we have been looking at different Kiwi icons and the histories behind them.

The residents chatted and reminisced among one another as they passed around a book on Kiwiana. Frances pulled out her grandson’s buzzy-bee toy and rolled it across the ground so that they could hear the ‘click-clack’ noise. This made many residents remember their own children playing with the toy.

Then she brought out a black-and-blue Swanndri, and read out the story of William Broome who invented the garment after he emigrated to Taranaki from England.

Finally Frances brought out a block of Chesdale Cheese. She asked them if anyone could remember the song the Chesdale men sang, (“the finest cheddar, made better”), and the residents followed on with a word-perfect recitation. The cheese was then cut up and put on crackers for everyone to enjoy as afternoon tea.

Other happenings

Bus and van trip destinations this month have included East Coast Bays, Kiwi Esplanade, Bucklands Beach, Lake Pupuke, Newmarket and the Chelsea Sugar Works. At the Sugar Works the residents found a great gaggle of geese and other birds so eager to take their bread that they jumped into the van.

We are delighted to announce that we have appointed three new Registered Nurses - Rosie Jewell, Cheryl Davis and Rochelle Alburo.

We tied one Round Robin and won another.

Staff Training

It is important for the care and well being of our residents that our staff are well trained and capable of recognising and dealing with the more complex conditions that we are faced with each working day e.g co-morbidities. We need great communication competencies including interpersonal skills to support a wide range of cultural dynamics, dementia, palliative care (end of life care) and the very diverse sensitivities for the resident centered care we aim to provide. We provide both on the job training as well as staff attending seminars away from Peacehaven.

This month we had 24 of our staff attend a training session on Parkinsons and Dementia. This was lead by the Parkinsons Field Officer Ms. Debra Cochrane. Debra has been overseeing Parkinson’s residents at Peacehaven for many years and is always an excellent resource that we can contact if we have special issues relating to Parkinson’s.

This week Frances Rodden our Diversional Therapist is going to attend the Annual National Diversional Therapists Conference in Auckland. Frances is a member of the national executive of the Diversional Therapists Society. Frances will return to Peacehaven full of exciting new ideas and thoughts of how to stimulate our residents and keep them entertained over the next few months.

Three of the staff will attend a study day on the 30th of July on “Drugs used in Palliative Care”.

On the 4th August four more staff will attend a Gerontology Seminar for a full day. Subjects to be covered include spirituality, beating the bugs, introduction to “Liverpool Care Plan” which is an end of life care plan and pain management.

Ideas for visiting residents
with memory loss

This is a huge thank you to faithful family members and friends who visit regularly. You may feel undervalued if your resident forgets that you have visited, but the impression of the experience stays with the resident. We have seen the following very successful activities:

1) Bringing photos of shared experiences from the past to talk about- just a few, no more than five, and enjoy them.

2) Bring a child who can play on the playground while the resident watches.

3) Taking the resident out for a short, simple outing- not too tiring for everyone.

4) Keeping a record in a visitors book for the resident that they can look back on when you’ve gone home (print in large clear script.)