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February 2020Keeping St Andrews residents, family and fr iends connected and up to date.

From the GMDear Residents and Family

The beginning of the year has certainly been memorable. For many people in Australia they have continued to face the drought, then the bushfires that has affected many lives, followed by the Coronavirus outbreak in China. But the outstanding feature in amongst the calamities is the Australian attitude, when times are tough. A spirit of helping each other in adversity whether or not you know the person in trouble. The outpouring of supportive messages and money by the public has been astonishing.

I am privileged to lead an organisation where staff have the same attitude as those facing difficulties. When issues happen, which they do in any aged care or health care providing facility, the staff work together as a multidisciplinary team to resolve those issues and provide improved care to the residents.In regards to the Coronavirus, if staff or family members have been to China or have been in contact with a person who has visited China that they do not come to the facility for 14 days. Please note a person with the virus may be asymptomatic yet carrying the virus but more importantly can pass the virus on. As I write this message the epidemiology

of the virus has not been published, therefore, I can only assume from past Coronavirus outbreaks the people most affected are the immunocompromised, aged people and infants.

In January the Head Chef/Manager resigned and by the time this Newsletter will go to print a new Head Chef will be employed to fill the position, commencing 2nd March. Daniel made many improvements to the menu and the distribution of food. However, with his leaving it enables St Andrews to further improve under new leadership. A word of thanks to the catering staff and the acting Head Chef, Bronwen, during the period with reduced staff. I feel this change in leadership will provide a new start and bring new ideas to the table (pun intended).

The new St Andrews website (www.standrew.com.au) is continuing to be developed. We have recently added a quiz and a home care video to the St Andrews Facebook page. A quiz will be added each month and it cover a range of topics and give you a score on your knowledge. The first quiz is on the subject of hypotension. St Andrews also has an Instagram page and the account name is “standrewsagedcare”.

Bruce TuallyGeneral Manager

1 From the GM

2 Introducing Bruce Bevan

3 Novel Coronavirus

4 Quality Improvement

5 Keeping Up With the Residents

9 Northern Rivers Aboriginal Aged Respite

Service

9 Education

11 Resident Council Meetings

12 Charter of Aged Care Rights

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Introducing…Bruce Bevan, Deputy Chairman of the Board

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself I was born and raised in Newcastle, NSW and completed my Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of NSW in the Sixties.

As a youngster I played tennis, and at the University I played Rugby Union, captaining the First Grade side in 1970. In all I played 136 senior level matches for the University of NSW Rugby Club, and was lucky enough to represent Sydney and NSW on several occasions.

After taking up competitive yachting in the Eighties, I am now a keen golfer playing off a handicap of twelve at Ballina Golf and Sports Club.

My work kept me in Sydney for the majority of my professional life, where I was employed by a number of multinational companies in the field of Human Resources. I retired in 2000, and moved to Ballina with my family in 2004.

Q. What do you bring to St Andrews?My corporate senior executive experience has equipped me to assist St Andrews to resolve the many financial issues that confront it on a daily basis, and my human resources background has given me the compassion to ensure that the Residents of St Andrews are looked after with dignity.

Q. What makes you happy? I derive great pleasure from seeing those around me succeed in whatever they are doing, and from sharing in the joy that success brings to them.

Q. What inspired you to get involved as a Board Member?I have always supported the community in its efforts to help those who require assistance. I was an active Rotarian in Sydney and Ballina for more than twenty years, which gave me the opportunity to return the warmth that had been shown to me and my family when we moved to Ballina. It is that commitment that I hope to continue at St Andrews.

Q. What is a dream you have that you’ve yet to achieve?After seventy-six years my “bucket list” is rather small. I will be travelling to Europe and Canada and the USA during the next year or so, which should just about round out what has been a lucky life.

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Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

Information for Residential Care Workers and Visitors prior to Entering the St Andrews facility

YOU SHOULD NOT ENTER ST ANDREWS AGED CARE FACILITY IF:• You have left Hubei Province less than 14 days ago (until 14 days after you left Hubei)

• You have been identified as close contacts of proven cases of novel coronavirus (until 14 days after last contact with the confirmed case)

• You have left, or transited through, mainland China on or after 1 February 2020 (until 14 days after leaving China).

Additional Information

From previous experience with other coronaviruses, the people at most risk of serious infection are:• people with compromised immune systems;

• elderly people;

• very young children and babies;

• people with diagnosed heart and lung conditions

If you develop symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath) within 14 days of returning from anywhere in mainland China or within 14 days of contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus, you should arrange to see your usual doctor for urgent assessment. You should telephone the health clinic or hospital before you arrive and tell them your recent travel history or close contact history. Your doctor will liaise with Public Health authorities to manage your care. Workers who are self-isolated due to one of the above situations should alert their employer to discuss alternative arrangements. Some health and residential care workers provide a caring role outside an employment setting. Wherever possible you are advised to arrange alternative assistance for these patients / care recipients.

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Care Huddle’s We are starting a “Care Huddle” to improve the communication among staff about Resident’s care requirements. We will be having stand up huddles throughout the week with staff, where we follow up on any changes in care required for residents.

Care Huddles are short, daily meetings in which a care team reviews their resident each day. They usually last no more than 10 minutes. Huddles enable a team to anticipate care needs and special situations, so that members of the care team can support each other through the day. Care Huddles are well established in health care and is a tool we can use to build a team based approach. This promotes team communication and allows us to respond to Residents needs in a more efficient way.

Electronic Prescribing of MedicationsGood news for safety in administration of medications, we are moving to electronic prescribing! Electronic prescribing refers to prescriptions that are issued and dispensed in an electronic system, without the use of a paper based document at any point. Use of this form of technology assists St Andrews in ensuring medications are safely administered to Residents.

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Quality Improvement

Electronic Prescribing adheres to the following high-level principles:1. Security of patient information (privacy)Electronic Prescribing must maintain the safety and privacy of current and historical patient and prescription data.2. Integrity of prescription data (Safety)Electronic Prescribing must maintain the integrity of prescription data to ensure patient safety.3. Continues to support patient choice of prescriberElectronic Prescribing will continue to support a patient’s right to choose their approved prescriber.4. Continues to support patient choice of pharmacyElectronic Prescribing will continue to support a patient’s right to choose the pharmacy to supply their medications.5. Electronic and paper prescriptions will co-exist as the legal form of the prescriptionElectronic prescriptions and paper prescriptions will co-exist. Electronic

Prescribing will not be mandatory, and patients and prescribers will be able to choose an electronic prescription.6. National Electronic Prescribing frameworkPaper and electronic prescriptions will continue to meet the relevant Commonwealth and State and Territory legislation.7. Supports existing PBS policesElectronic and paper prescriptions will be valid in existing PBS supply settings. Electronic Prescribing is not intended to change the broader PBS policy environment.8. Leveraging existing assets and capabilitiesElectronic Prescribing will support Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy principle of Leveraging existing assets and capabilities to reuse and build on existing infrastructure. This will reduce the impacts on processes for clinicians.

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Lismore Regional Gallery Arts and Dementia Tours

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Keeping Up With the Residents of St Andrews

We are halfway through our Arts and Dementia Program run by the Lismore Regional Gallery and the residents are continuing to see the benefits and enjoy the afternoon out and about. The program aims to enrich the lives and enhance the continued learning of people living with dementia, through engagement with the arts and hands on creative activities in an accessible and inclusive community setting. The Arts & Dementia Program at Lismore Regional Gallery is a creative ageing program designed to

assist people living with dementia to participate in engaging arts and cultural experiences. Bringing together people from all walks of life, the program aims to encourage creative thinking, ignite cognitive activity, (re)kindle art making skills, and create connection through the sharing of stories. Boronia resident, David, enjoyed reminiscing about holiday trips after they were shown an Artwork of Evans Head beach, exclaiming “that’s Evans!”

Reptile and Dingo ShowIn preparation for Australia Day we had a visit from the Fauna Fetcher’s, which is an interactive, educational wildlife show. The Dingo and Reptile show aimed to showcase some of Australia’s Awesome Wildlife, highlighting the amazing abilities these animals have developed to enable them to survive in Australia’s harsh environments. The residents were very brave and enjoyed learning about the fury, and scaly, animals.

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Australia Day

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We celebrated Australia Day throughout the week with some Australian classics, from baking our own Lamingtons and Damper, Australian Flag Sand Art, creating our own Aborigional Wall Mural, Dot Painting, and an Australia Day Happy Hour Special on the Friday afternoon, we were busy!

An Afternoon at the Cinemas - Andre Rieu: 70 Years Young A small group of our residents were delighted to attend the viewing of Andre Rieu at Ballina Fair Cinemas. During the show, André Rieu takes us on his incredible journey; from growing up in a musical family, his church choir days, his marriage to Marjorie, The Salon Orchestra, forming The Johann Strauss Orchestra, the breakaway success of The Second Waltz and his record-breaking world tours. Our Hardwicke resident Marie was ecstatic and stated “it was the greatest show we have ever seen, I have been on a high ever since I got back. My friend said she hasn’t seen me smile so much”!

Morning Melodies with Dean Doyle

Residents continue to love our monthly trips to see Morning Melodies with Dean Doyle at Ballina RSL, and this time we were joined by three relatives, how special! Dean, Narelle and Paul were back this month with songs old and new and played swing, classics from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin to Sting, songs from the 30s through to the 70’s and more. We had our largest group attend this month, and we hope the numbers continue to grow.

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Valentines Day Celebrations We got into the spirit of love this Valentines Day with a special Valentines Party, dress up and afternoon tea. The home was a sea of red and pink with everyone wearing their best outfits. One of the highlights was listening to all the chatter over who was who in our Valentines Competition. We had fun reminiscing with the residents about their sweethearts and wedding days, and staff had a competition to guess who was who! Can you spot your loved one?

We asked the residents what the secret to a long and happy LOVE was… These were some of their answers “Just say ‘Yes love’… Saves you a lot of worry” Keith

“Love them unconditionally” Frances

“Give all of yourself, share, don’t hold grudges” Maureen

“I’ve only known long…”

“Always be yourself and true to your own values”

“10 years for murder, and I’ve had nearly 70 years of matrimony” Rod

“Never be too proud to say sorry” Bonnie

“Give and take” Val

“The last word in the house is to be the man’s… ‘Yes Dear’”

Marriage Bliss 65 years on… Ellen and Carney share their love story with us…

“Carney was a catholic. I was an Anglican. A little controversial in those days, however he asked me to dance at the Debutant Ball when I was 17 years old. As it turned out we were both from South Grafton. There was always a dance on a Saturday night and we often met and he would ask me to dance. Carney was a Lifesaver at Woolgoolga Surf Club, where I would take my sister to the beach as she was 2 years younger than me. We married when I was 22 and I moved to Sydney for Carney’s work. I was able to choose jobs as I was a Legal Stenographer. I was a country girl in the city and I enjoyed my work. We had four children and a loving marriage. We married in 1955, so 65 years later and we don’t always agree on things, but that makes it interesting! I am lucky to have very dear friends through my church, and Carney has his friends through the Ballina Players, so we have separate interests but love each other so dearly”. Ellen.

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Evans Head Men’s Shed

Seniors Week Luncheon and Entertainment A group of our residents were wined and dinned for Seniors Week celebrations at the Ballina RSL. There was singing and toe tapping with a performance from Dean Doyle and Judy Johnston. The group had a great time, but an afternoon nap was on the cards after a busy and exciting day.

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The blokes were out and about and exploring the beauty of Evans Head with a trip to their local Men’s Shed. They were joined by local members and a group from RSL LifeCare for morning tea. It was great to see the men enjoying each others company and reminiscing about life on the tools.

A Warm Welcome… A friend of St Andrews, Margaret, is one talented lady, and has been crocheting blankets for new residents for some time. The blankets are a little something she likes to make for the St Andrews community and we are grateful for her time and effort. We are looking for donations of 8 Ply wool to ensure Margaret can keep up with the demand and continue her work.

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Northern Rivers Aboriginal Aged Respite Service

Art Therapy with Vanessa and Erin

The Aboriginal Elders and Aged People of the Respite Service recently had a wonderful day outing to Evans Head. They first stopped at the Daily Bread Café in Broadwater for morning tea and had a look at the beautiful crafts made by local talented people. It was then back on the road to Evans Head where they had a paddle in the river and a walk along the beach. They went to the lookout and were lucky to see pods of dolphins swimming near the bar entrance. They visited the Goanna Headlands; Aboriginal people call it “Dirawong” which means Goanna. This area has been the mythological of origin of the Bundjalung Nation for thousands of years and there are many sacred, secret and ceremonial sites in this area. They then had lovely lunch at the Evans Head RSL Club before returning back to Ballina

A Day in the Life – Mealtime Experience

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Education

We were fortunate enough to attend an immersive workshop delivered by Dementia Australia that enables you to experience mealtime through the eyes of a person living with dementia and their carer. Poor nutritional status in residents with dementia has been well described and the evidence on the association between dementia, weight loss and malnutrition is compelling.

The training explored multifactorial influence of food and mealtimes on quality of life for people living with dementia. We were able to explore strategies for improving mealtime and nutritional outcomes for people living with dementia.

We are lucky to have some volunteer Art Therapists come on board with some fun and interesting projects and expertise up their sleeve. Boronia residents enjoyed a session with clay where they made their own ‘Pinch Pots’, Pinching ceramics is usually the first thing taught in a beginning pottery class because it requires very few tools and is a great way to get familiar with the properties of clay and the process of making ceramics.

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VolunteeringVolunteer with us! We are always looking for kind, enthusiastic and selfless individuals to join our volunteering team. As little as an hour a fortnight can make the greatest difference in the lives of our residents. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator on volunteers@standrew.com.au for more information.

Coffee and Chat with Kerry: Friendships and Self CareSelf care is important, and sometimes we just need a friend to talk to. With volunteer Kerry’s help we have started our own Coffee ‘n’ Chat club. The purpose of the fortnightly gathering is to provide an opportunity to connect and share stories and experiences, and a safe space to share thoughts and feelings. We have the following guidelines for attending;

Confidentiality – stories and conversations related by participants are to remain confidential – “what is said in Coffee ‘n’ Chat stays in Coffee ‘n’ Chat” Respect – each participant comes with their own experiences, opinions and beliefs, these are to be respected Tolerance – acknowledging that participants do have their own experiences, opinion and beliefs and participants need to be tolerant of an opinion different to theirs. The goal is not to agree – it is to have a deeper understanding Sensitivity – Participants need to be aware and sensitive to other participants needs – e.g. if a person enters the room during Coffee ‘n’ Chat and the group is in the middle of a discussion the person is asked to quietly take a seat and the choice of coffee or tea will be offered after the discussion. This is important as not to interrupt the flow Active Listening – to be engaged when other participants are speaking Warm and welcoming – each person is to feel welcome and accepted If you’re interested, you are welcome to attend fortnightly but there is no obligation to do so – join us when you can!

The group meets every second Friday at 1.30pm in the Activity Room.

Seated Yoga and meditationA few of our residents have recently benefited from and enjoyed yoga and meditation as a part of their daily routine. Next month we will start meditation and yoga once a week as a group and we would love someone who is a little bit more experienced than us… If you would like to volunteer your time for a yoga or meditation session every now and again contact us! Meditation has the following benefits; • Reduces stress • Control anxiety • Promotes emotional health • Triggers the brains relaxation response • Greater Sense of self-Awareness Yoga is also known to increase muscle strength and tone, increase flexibility, improve cardio and circulatory health and increase energy.

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Resident Council Meetings

We have increased the frequency of our Resident Council Meetings. Each month, the resident council and their relatives will join the Clinical, Lifestyle and Catering representatives to discuss changes and plan for continuous improvement. We will see you there on the second Tuesday of every month at 10:30am.

March 11thApril 14thMay 12th

Can’t make it to the meetings? We will send a copy of the meeting minutes to your email!

Footy season is upon us and we are ready to kick it off once again! Staff, residents and family are invited to join our St Andrews NRL Tipping Competition. $5 Entry. To enter contact the Lifestyle team on 66205881. First Game kicks off Thursday, March 12th.

We value your feedback! St Andrews is committed to providing high quality care and services meeting your needs. Do you know how to make a comment or give feedback? Fill out a Feedback Form located in all common areas, or ask our friendly staff to source one for you. Pop the form in the Suggestion Box located in the Waiting Room and you will hear from us. If you do not feel comfortable raising your concerns with us first, you can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

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