VOLUME 25 ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 2019

Hello Everyone,

After the months of constant drizzle

and wet days earlier this year it

seems that Spring is well and truly

in the air. The comforting warm

sunshine is always a real boost to

our spirits, despite the slight chill

that is lingering in the air.

These lovely days are the harbinger

of Christmas.

Is it only me, or is Christmas

approaching at a frantic pace? As

the Festive Season nears, I would

like to take this opportunity to thank

all those who make up our Carinya

family, our care, service and

administration staff who go above

and beyond to ensure that our

residents know how very much they

are valued and cared for.

Shaaron Linwood

A special thank must

go to the wonderful

volunteers who

continue to give so

freely of their time and

talents to bring that

added element of car

and warmth which is

such a part of the Carinya family.

As this is the last newsletter of 2019,

may I wish our residents and staff, a safe

and blessed Christmas and a peaceful and

Happy New Year.

Blessings,

Carinya News Published quarterly by:

Carinya Home For

The Aged

1 Mazlin Street

Atherton Qld 4883

Telephone: (07)

40912177

Fax: (07) 40912840

SPRING ISSUE

Presidents Report

While every effort has been made to ensure that all information in this Newsletter is accurate, no responsibility can be accepted by the Publishers for entries or p h o t o g r a p h s s u p p l i e d b y organisations, firms or individuals, including copyright restrictions and/or typographical errors. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part thereof without permission is strictly prohibited.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2 Our CEO’s report

3 From the DOC

4 Volunteers Report

5 Hospitality Report

6/7 Lifestyle & Leisure

8 On the “Home”

Front

9 Meet our Residents

10 Notices—Donation

Slip

.

David Osborne CEO

Hello all

As 2019 is now coming to a close almost too quickly, this year has seen a number of changes at the Home

and I

believe that these have been embraced by our community and are for the benefit of all.

I would like to highlight the efforts of our staff in ensuring that we have all been alert and aware during this

year’s flu season. There has been a lot of publicity and concern in regards to outbreaks of the flu and I believe the proactive

efforts have resulted in quick action of those showing symptoms being checked and isolated to prevent any spread. A big

acknowledgement to Robyn, Director Of Care, in again being on the front foot in maintaining vigilance over these high risk

months.

Also, it is timely to remember to practice good hygiene when visiting the Home and use the hand sanitisers, tissues, and hand

washing facilities located throughout the wings.

Something that I have seen continue to grow during this year, is the level of communication between staff and residents. I am

reminded regularly, by seeing the compassion and acknowledgement our team provide whilst going about their role in fulfilling

the care needs of our residents. At the forefront of our care is and should always be our residents and ensuring they are given

appropriate and respectful care. I believe this is what sets Carinya apart from others, by ensuring we do this to the best of our

ability and also listening to feedback from our residents and their carers.

The Home has implemented a new ”Resident Management” computer system that went live in August, and while still in the early

days, appears to be providing a better level of data management. One of the benefits of the system is that it reduces the amount of

time spent at a desk as this information can now be recorded with the resident through mobile devices such as iPads and tablet

computers. Improvements in this area will continue as we implement a computerized medication management system and also

implement on line contracts to again streamline our processes with residents and families before they come into our care.

The new Aged Care standards came into effect on 1st July. We have not seen significant changes in our service delivery as I

believe our community place the resident as the focus and how we operate is to ensure we provide the best level of service and

facilities with the resources available. Education of the standards is ongoing with staff and residents, and is a regular item on

meeting agendas.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care continues. Recently an extension of time was announced, to continue investigations into

how the sector works now and what can be done to improve the resident experience. The outcome of the Commission must

produce tangible benefits to the industry, and in particular, appropriate funding to deliver the care necessary for each resident. It

is disappointing that an unfortunate side effect is of the media choosing to highlight all the failures reported to the Commission

and not balancing these with those whose successes and efforts are commended. This does nothing to instill confidence in the

industry as a whole.

Mandating staffing ratios is a hot topic in the media at present and while there are differing opinions on the value of this, any

mandate or directive will not succeed without funding support from the Government. Benchmarking a Home, based on an

arbitrary figure, in my opinion, is not an effective measure of how effectively services can be provided to a resident.

In the report commissioned by the Royal Commission and prepared by the Centre for Health Service Development titled “How

Australian residential aged care staffing levels compare with international and national benchmarks” the following is highlighted

– “quality in aged care is impacted not only by staffing levels. It is also driven by organisational culture, skill mix and

consistency in staffing personnel.” This is worth remembering, as a good Home is a combination of many factors, not just how

many staff there are or how much profit or loss is generated.

As reported by several sources, over half of residential aged care homes in Australia are operating at a loss and, despite media

reports, but are still endeavoring to provide the best level of care possible. This is an area that I can spend pages discussing but

instead I sincerely hope that the outcomes of the Commission and other inquiries result in acknowledging that funding for older

Australians needs to be appropriate for the right level of care and support. This will allow residents to maintain independence and

dignity as they age. I believe Carinya does this extremely well within the funding constraints and our service delivery will only

get better with extra funding and resourcing moving forward.

I wish you all the best over the coming months and especially the Christmas and New Year period.

Thank you.

David Osborne

Thanks for choosing E-Version

Thank-you to supporters of our quest to reduce costs by choosing the e-version of the Newsletter. If you too would like to receive your Newsletter this way, just send your name and email address to:

newsletter@carinyahome.org.au

You can also access the Newsletter online at:

www.carinyahome.org.au/newsletters

Connect with us on Facebook:

Robyn Brady

Director of Care

Spring has certainly sprung with the flowers in full bloom. No-where is this more spectacular than in the new garden beds in Jim

Chapman Lodge, lovingly tended to by our residents’. The watering and weeding has paid off and left us all with a magnificent

display for all to enjoy. The success of these garden beds has led us to build a raised vegetable patch.

The introduction of the new clinical computer system is becoming more and more familiar and is another tool for ensuring we

continue to provide excellent care. I would like to take this opportunity to thank staff for their commitment and to residents for

their patience while we were “in-house training”.

Minimising falls is a critical issue for aged care residents and a couple of initiatives have been implemented.

1) The use of “grip” socks to provide more traction when walking on smooth surfaces

2) The addition of physio classes focussing on mobility and balance.

As the new Aged Care Standards came into being on 1st July, we have seen a shift in risk taking versus resident choice. The most

noticeable area is in dietary preferences. Eg The clinical reason as indicated by the Dietician and/or speech language therapist is

to minimise the risk of choking by having a minced and moist meal. The resident would like to eat a regular meal and will in-

stead waiver the risk of choking or aspiration pneumonia. I’m sure there will be other areas of risk for residents whereby the

enjoyment factor outweighs the clinical risk. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission are focussing on 3 additional areas

for clinical reporting each Quarter. These are—Pressure injuries, Restraint (types of restraint and the intent of), and Unintentional

weight loss.

If you wish to discuss any of these matters or know further about the care you - the resident – or if you have the responsibility as

an EPOA, then please do not hesitate to contact our Clinical Nurse Consultants or myself, the Director of Care.

Robyn Brady

Resident & Relatives Meetings

Meetings are held to keep Care Recipients, Families and Visitors informed of

upcoming activities, news about Carinya itself; fundraising or for Residents’

ideas and suggestions to be heard.

Meetings are held at the following times, with the exception of Anzac Day & the

Christmas public holiday.

JIM CHAPMAN LODGE (JCL) : Meetings are at 10am on the 1st Tues-

day of every month, at the

Combined Birthday Morning Tea.

ENID COLLINS LODGE (ECL) : Meetings are at 9.30am on the 3rd

Tuesday of every 2nd month.

KEVIN WADLEY LODGE (KWL):- Meetings are held at 3.00pm on the

last Tuesday of every month

Relatives are very welcome to participate and join us in a ‘cuppa’. Remember

when visiting, please sign the Visitors’ book then check the noticeboard to see if

there are any activities you would like to take your Relative to.

We look forward to sharing wonderful times with all Residents and

Volunteers

Chris Bourke Volunteers Coordinator

We have had a cool winter but the

sun has been peeping though and

we are all looking forward to the

summer….look out Christmas is

just around the corner!

Our volunteers were all reluctant to receive our small

gift of appreciation (chocolates) all saying they love

helping and never expect anything - just the self-

satisfying reward it gives them to help.

Each week many volunteers come on their nominated

days to assist but also we have special events where

volunteers help out too. At our Pop Up Café we had

great volunteer support. Then in August at our Carinya

Charity Race day we had volunteer Dave Bourke cook

the BBQ and Danielle from Bendigo Bank work along-

side him. They did a fantastic job.

In the coming months we will have many musical

volunteers giving up their time to show their talents at

Carinya. Atherton State High School; St. Teresa’s

School; the Presbyterian Church Group; Joe and

Wendy Paronella; Pru Stewarts music students and the

Tableland Ukulele Group. All these volunteers enhance

the daily lives of our residents.

If you feel you have the time and commitment to try

volunteering …We would love to hear from you.

Each person who volunteers brings something

different. You may like to read, recite poetry, sing,

dance or just chat. We can find something to suit you.

Some people start and of course situations alter and

people move on. We always anticipate that our

volunteers will share the same values of care and

compassion that set us apart from other facilities.

The process is simple….Pick up forms from our

friendly reception staff. Return them when

completed and we will contact you to arrange an

interview to discuss options for volunteering.

Carinya take care of a mandatory police check

for you .

Volunteering gives you the

opportunity to…..

Give back to community

Make a difference in someone’s life

Gain experience

Develop new skills

Meet new people

Trying something new

Experience a sense of wellbeing

Share your passion (music, art, craft, travel,

reading)

……… so what are you waiting for ?

Seniors Expo

News from Hospitality Services Coordinator

Thor Bouttell

Maggie Beer Master Class—Maggie Beer Foundation In early September, I had the opportunity to participate in the Maggie Beer Foundation “Creating an

Appetite for Life” Master Class in Sydney. The Maggie Beer Foundation sends out invitations to

passionate Aged Care cooks and chefs to engage in an Education Program that has proven the

strength of its impact with participants from around the country. As Maggie explains, “It would come

as no surprise that I loved food all my life; it’s my joy, and sometimes my heartache, but we can fix

that, and together, we can improve the health, happiness and quality of life of every older

Australian.”

This was very much a hands on experience for everyone taking part; a chance to ask many questions,

trouble-shoot the stumbling blocks of cooking in aged care homes, put some fresh thinking around

nutritious ingredients, food budgeting, supplier relationships, aged care specific recipes, menus and

dining room management.

As always, Maggie pulled together her A-Team to ensure important ground was covered in a most

delicious manner. Amongst the leading experts joining Maggie for the presentations, was Peter

Morgan-Jones, well known to many in his role as HammondCare’s Executive Chef. Peter discussed

texture modified foods and cooking for those with dementia, along with information from specialised

aged care dieticians and food safety experts.

One of the highlights of this experience for me was the hands on Master Chef “Mystery Box”

competition. We were asked to pair with someone and present a meal for someone experiencing

Dysphagia using the mystery ingredient: Lentils. My partner in crime was Sandeep Vaid, Senior Chef

at Goodwin Aged Care, Canberra. Sandeep had actually spent time at the Savoy hotel in London as

an apprentice to none other than Gordon Ramsay himself. He did mention that Gordon’s language

wasn’t as colourful back then as it is now. We decided to call our team “Two fat chefs”, which was

quite appropriate, and to the delight of us both we took out first place competing against 44 other

chefs. Our wining dish was a roasted mushroom stuffed with a chicken ragu with lentils, judged in

true master chef style by Maggie herself and Peter Morgan-Jones.

There were many amazing moments and take home ideas to inspire our catering team at Carinya and

I look forward to seeing how we can raise the bar even higher.

For more information on the program you can go to the website:- Maggie Beer Foundation or follow

the link : https://maggiebeerfoundation.org.au/

L to R

Sandeep Vaid

Peter Morgan-Jones

Myself

Thank You

Thor Bouttell

ACTIVITY COORDINATION TEAM

“around the grounds”

During the month of August, the team hosted our second very successful Pop-Up Café. With the

very generous support of volunteers (baked goodies and physical support) and the visiting Loreto

Sisters students from Sydney we were able to provide what we hope was an enjoyable and friendly

atmosphere. There were arts and crafts available for sale (some made and donated by residents them-

selves) with the proceeds coming back to Carinya to continue providing for the quality of activities.

Some of the baked goodies available for purchase were also created by some residents as part of their

daily activities. So all in all this was certainly a team effort.

GO TEAM!!!!!!

CHRIS DEBBIE KYM LEESA MICHELLE

ART CLASS

Art Class is now a firm favourite for the Arty Types

amongst us and you could hear a pin drop as eve-

ryone gets into their ‘creative zone’, fully engaged

in the pleasure of painting, drawing with pastels or

sketching and colouring. Keep an eye out for our

Exhibition!

Leisure

and

Lifesty

le

POP-UP

CAFE

INTERGENERATIONAL FITNESS PROGRAM As a result of the increasing occurrence of Intergenerational Prejudice

in Society as a whole, Carinya Staff approached Atherton High School

about any ideas they may have to provide opportunities for Aged Care

Residents and High School Students to develop connections and spend

time together.

As a result, Year 12 Students of Certificate 3 in Fitness have conducted 8

sessions including initial and ongoing individualised assessment, and

training programs for 5 residents from Carinya. One resident is aged 96,

three are 93 this year and one is 68.

Residents have delighted in the opportunity to assist, encourage and inspire these young people in their

studies. They have enjoyed the opportunity to learn about their bodies and how to optimise fitness and

adapt activity for better function. The greatest joy for them has been the opportunity to identify with

and communicate with the younger generation in our local community.

Students have enjoyed and benefited from the challenge to assess and adapt programs to the needs of

people outside the ‘mainstream’ of the fitness industry. They have had the opportunity to contribute to

the improvement in quality of life for an older person, through an appropriately individualised fitness

program and recommendations. Students have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with and learn from

an older generation and have valued exposure to some of the challenges of aging whilst being surprised

at the level of physical, intellectual and social/emotional health and ability these residents have demon-

strated.

All in all, it has been a great deal of fun and a fabulous success .

Carinya is keen to pursue any opportunities to bridge the Intergenerational Gap.

PARO THERAPY SEAL

Sunni our Paro Therapy Seal, has recently returned from Brisbane after undergoing his/her first service.

Sunni was back to work immediately in Barron Court and helped to sooth and provide pleasant sensory

stimulation for the residents. Sunni responds with gestures and sounds interacting with the person.

Having Sunni sit on a table or on a residents lap is cause for conversa-

tions between residents and staff, while also being the source of compa-

ny for many. The Therapy Seal has been clinically proven to lower the

effects of stress, anxiety and depression. When Sunni is on duty it’s

usually smiles all round.

A special Thank you to Renee and Jason

Majewski of ATHERTON TATTOO for their

very kind donation of a Fan Forced

Oven.

The Residents have already started cooking up

tasty treats, some which have been baked and sold

in our Pop-Up Café. The Oven is situated in the

Chapel Courtyard for residents and family to use

outside of scheduled activities. Cooking activates

the senses. Touch, smell, sight, and taste. Cooking

activates it all! ...Triggers happy memories. ... En-

courages social bonding. The fun part was eating

the finished product.

NEWS FROM THE STAFF Wil Hendrikx, one of the care staff in Barron Court, is traveling to the Netherlands (Holland) this month to

visit family. The first thing on her agenda though is a two and a half day stop-over in The Hague to attend this

year’s Alzheimer Europe Conference. This conference will bring together people with dementia their families,

volunteers and staff from Alzheimer associations together with policy-makers, health and social care

professionals, researchers and industry representatives from all over Europe and beyond.

This year the moto for the conference is “Making Valuable Connections”

As explained on the Alzheimer’s Europe website, connectivity is crucial when it comes to dementia.

“Whether it refers to connecting brain cells, developing relationships between persons with dementia and their

families and friends, living in a dementia-friendly society, having access to volunteers and local services,

connecting with the help of technology and online platforms, building powerful networks of regional

dementia care or collaborating with academic research centres’ and industrial partners.”

Wil is currently studying Dementia Care as an external student with the University of Tasmania and attending

this multinational conference will be an amazing opportunity for her. It will be very interesting to hear Wil’s

impressions of the conference and to examine any relevant information or potential resources

once she’s back at Carinya later next month.

Good Luck Wil

ENABLING EDI TRAINING

We were very lucky to have Amanda Warman from the Centre for Dementia Learning here with us in

June, providing much needed dementia training for the staff at Carinya Home, using virtual reality tech-

nology.

The aim of the workshops is to better understand dementia from the perspective of the person living with

dementia, and their families. By using virtual reality technology, it enhances the staff’s knowledge of the

impact of dementia on consumers, and helps to develop support plans to enable them to live more confi-

dently with dementia.

We held two, three hour workshops over the day, to get as many staff along as possible, to develop a

greater understanding of a consumer’s perspective of dementia. The aim was to identify support goals in

partnership with the client and their carer and to develop a plan to enable the person to live with demen-

tia, to remain engaged with day to day activities. By using different strategies, the clients are able to

have a satisfied and fulfilled life. A great training day was had by all.

Cathy Mirco Education Co-Ordinator.

ON THE ‘HOME’ FRONT

GETTING TO KNOW OUR RESIDENTS

BARBARA LAMPERD

My name is Barbara Lamperd and I have called Carinya my home since

2016. I would like to share some of my story with you.

I had an idyllic childhood on our very large cane farm in Ayr, NQ.

With the scare of the war over the Pacific, I was sent to a Girls College in Warwick, with my three big-

ger sisters to look after me. With all the unrest at the time, people were advised to leave the North

Coast.

After things calmed down, we returned to the family in Ayr and we rode our bikes into school. 3 miles

each way. I learnt music as a school subject and sang and played at Eisteddfods. I went back to the

Girls College after completing the “scholarship” (exam) in grade 7. I came top of the class of 81 stu-

dents. I loved being the “BAD” girl at the College.

I became a nurse at Townsville General Hospital from 1954 until 1958. The lovely white buildings

overlooking the Strand.

I married an Army Officer, Derek, in 1958 and we lived in Canungra, Sydney and Melbourne. I con-

tracted peritonitis. This is an inflammation of the thin tissue that lines the inner wall of the abdomen.

Derek wasn’t allowed time off to look after our two little boys, Graeme and Stuart. A far cry from now.

I needed to be closer to my family, so Derek resigned his commission and brilliant future.

We moved back to Townsville and after some years, had a daughter, Kirsty. I worked as a teacher’s

aide in Townsville and after several more years we bought a motel in Innisfail. The Moondarra. We

worked hard there, but after some time we took on the lease of Paronella Park. We cleaned that up, liv-

ing in the little cottage while we built our home at Mena Creek. Sadly we had to leave the park due to

circumstances, leaving all our investment of time and money there. A terrible blow. I then began nurs-

ing in homes in and around Mena Creek. We also lived with our son Graeme in England for 10 months

in 1999 and 6 months in 2000. I loved being surrounded by the British history.

Graeme had a transfer to Atherton and we came back here to live. Kirsty also got a job here. Geoff is

now in Sydney with his wife and Stuart is still at Mena Creek on a cattle station.

We love Atherton – sadly we lost my husband Derek to brain cancer four years ago. I broke my leg

soon after and I developed an infection that got into my blood stream, hence the ensuing wound and my

move into Carinya.

I love living here at Carinya. I have the opportunity of catching a maxi taxi to bridge (cards) every

Saturday with friends. I enjoy being a part of the Carinya Choir. We get together to practice weekly,

directed by two lovely volunteers who take the time to provide us with direction and music accompani-

ment. I enjoy being a part of the knitting group every Thursday, and I love being challenged on Fri-

day’s with the Word Puzzles. I am also thankful my children are still close and come to visit regularly.

Thank you.

Barbara Lamperd.

All donations of $2 or more

are tax deductible and

a receipt will be sent to you.

Enclosed please find my donation for:

$5 $10 $20 $50 Other $ ...………………………….

Please make cheques payable to Carinya Home For The Aged

Name …………………………………………………………………………………………...

Address……………………………………………………………………………………….…

Email Address (optional)……………………………………………………………………….…

……….……………Postcode ………………Telephone…………………………………..

Carinya Home For The Aged, PO Box 522, Atherton 4883. (June 2019)

URGENT REQUEST TO FAMILIES/CARERS

Our laundry staff at the moment are struggling with the unprecedented bulk of unnamed clothing and

items. We endeavour to return goods to whom they may belong but if no name, or the person does not

recall missing the item, this can be challenging.

We are asking if you could please ensure that ALL items (including shoes, blankets, etc) are clearly

named—sewn on labels preferably or permanent marker if shoes.

If you feel your loved one may be missing an item or unsure, you are more than welcome to come in and

inspect the racks and baskets currently being stored. Just ask a staff member where these can be found.

THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE

HAPPY HOUR

ENABLING EDI TRAINING

MINI GOLF CHAMPIONS

SENIORS EXPO