S E C O N D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 8

CEO MessageDear residents, relatives and friends,

Winter has finally arrived bringing with it the usual cold, wet weather and shorter days. However, we have also been lucky with some Autumnal-like days lending a balance to the usual bleakness typical of this time of year.

Our residents have been able to make the most of the crisp, sunny days, by utilising the beauty of Alexandra Gardens conveniently located next door to us.

We have had some exciting changes in our team structure in the lead up to mid-year at Kew Gardens.

It is my pleasure to warmly welcome new team leaders to our Lifestyle Department - Liz Betts (Manager) and Caryl Blomcamp (2iC). Liz and Caryl bring with them a genuine passion for their work and vibrancy. I am looking forward to all the fabulous events and activities they are planning for the latter part of the year.

The second half of the year promises to be an exciting one for Kew Gardens residents.

Keep warm and healthy over the Winter months.

Best Wishes, Edward Matthies CEO AUSTRALIAN AGED CARE GROUP PTY LTD

What’s in this issue

CEO Message 1

Director of Care Message 2

Physio Update 4

Massage Therapy now available! 5

Lifestyle Report 6

Bits & Pieces 8

KEW GARDENSAged Care

The Gardens Gazette

Director of Care Update

I'm happy to report that we have always run an excellent, FREE vaccination program here at Kew Gardens for both the Residents and Staff.

On 27 April, Ken Wyatt, Minister for Aged Care, made an amendment to the following principles:

Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Influenza Vaccination in Residential Care) Principles 2018

8 Influenza Vaccination Schemes for Service Staff

An approved provider of a residential care service must:

(a) provide service staff with access to annual influenza vaccinations for free; and

(b) promote the benefits, for service staff and care recipients, of service staff receiving annual influenza vaccinations.

We have had two vaccination days and are well ahead of keeping everyone safe during this Winter's influenza season.

1. Influenza is a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease that can be spread through coughing or sneezing.

2. Influenza is caused by a virus and is not the same as a cold. It can cause serious and debilitating complications such as pneumonia, especially in the elderly and others in the 'at risk' group.

Annual vaccination is the single most effective measure to prevent influenza.

Labelling of New clothes

A friendly reminder that if family members bring any new clothing items in, please hand them to reception staff for Laundry labelling. The Laundry team will label the clothing and return to the resident.

Lost and Found

We have a lost and found register at front reception. Please let us know if you have any missing items or have found something that doesn’t belong to you. We work diligently to find lost items and I am happy to say that many items are usually found left in another resident's rooms!

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Bringing food into the facility

Please remember when bringing food from outside the facility you should sign it in at the food register at reception and also label and date the food with the sticky labels provided. This ensures food is kept at safe temperatures and has a 'Use By Date’ time recorded.

Have your say

Keeping us informed by raising any issues through our ‘Have Your Say’ forms (placed throughout the facility) is an important part of our continuous improvement. Your feedback is valuable to us and I encourage you to be a part of this process.

Changes to the Medical Treatment Act

Changes to the Medical Treatment Act that occurred in March and have led to important changes including educating our staff to be aware of their obligation under the Act.

This new Act creates clear obligations for health practitioners caring for people who do not have decision making capacity. Under the Act, Victorians will be able to create a legally binding Advance Care Directive that will allow them to:

• Make an instructional directive, which will provide specific directives about treatment a person consents to or refuses.

• Make a values directive, which will describe a person's views and values. A medical treatment decision maker and health practitioners will be required to give effect to a values directive.

• Appoint a medical treatment decision maker who will make decisions on behalf of a person when they no longer have the decision making capacity.

• Appoint a support person who will assist a person to make decisions for themselves, by collecting and interpreting information or assisting the person to communicate their decisions.

Reference: The LASA Enews - Leading Age Services Australia – 2018.

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Physio Update

Joan has been attending her wellbeing physio programme for nearly one year now. Initially, Joan was experiencing terrible pain through her hip and an assessment indicated she had weakness around her hip and pelvis. Her physio sessions have been tailored to focus on hip strengthening and balance exercises to strengthen her muscles, as well as to reduce the loading through her hip joint. We also combined this with some massage to prevent the tension build up in other muscles, which were compensating. Joan has enjoyed the sessions and found an improvement in her pain relief. Recently, she has progressed to exercises on the bosu ball (shown below), now managing very high level balance exercises she thought she would never be able to complete. Joan is enthusiastic, hard working and never misses a session. We look forward to continuing to challenge Joan and motivating her, as much as possible!

Another great success story is a lady who had fractured her ankle from a fall at home and due to various complications had spent 8 weeks in hospital. Due to pain and apprehension, she became very anxious regarding weight bearing as well as any thought of even moving from her bed. She was discharged to Kew Gardens not being able to stand at all and was using a hoist to transfer herself into a chair. This lady commenced private physio with Transform Physio at Kew Gardens in the hope a new environment and different staff would be able to motivate her and encourage her to be able to progress to standing. She has now been completing her physio sessions for 8 weeks and is walking half a lap of the facility! We will continue to work with her and keep progressing on top of the amazing work she has already achieved!

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Massage Therapy now available!

By using a hands-on touch approach to manipulate soft tissue and muscles, massage therapy aims to assist a person in improving their wellbeing and health. Research indicates massage therapy can assist in managing health issues, such as back pain, anxiety, stress, soft tissue injuries, high blood pressure, sleep disorders and dementia.

By varying the pressure exerted and techniques used, the benefits of massage can include:

• reducing stress and promoting emotional wellbeing

• decreasing muscle tension and soreness

• increasing joint mobility and flexibility

• reducing headaches

• increasing absorption of nutrients into the tissues

• improving cardiovascular health

• decreasing chronic pain

• promoting relaxation.

Research has shown that even a short hand massage can reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, and increase serotonin, a mood regulating neurochemical. This, in turn, can enhance quality of sleep, promote calmness and reduce anxiety or irritability.

Areas of the body that massage therapy can be applied to include the back, shoulders, neck, arms, hands and legs.

At Kew Gardens, Transform Physio offers private massage therapy treatments either in your room or in our private Clinic Treatment room. If you are interested in this service, please contact the Transform Physio team to discuss further.

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Lifestyle Report

We are very fortunate to be living in a community like the one in Kew Gardens and we love to support initiatives that help the less fortunate members of Victoria.

In June, we will be supporting the Rowville Community Kitchen, an amazing initiative started seven years ago by Christine Smith. Christine teaches less fortunate young people who have disabilities or are unemployed on how to become top chefs.

Since starting Rowville Community Kitchen seven years ago, Christine has served over 10,000 clients, cooked some 23,000 meals, taught over 400 people and saved 85,000 kgs of fresh produce from being scrapped as food waste.

The kitchen also offers sandwiches and fresh fruit to seven local primary schools and frozen meals for student families that are doing it tough. Rowville’s kitchen may provide the only fresh food meal these families eat all week.

We did a bus tour on 21 June to enjoy a delicious meal cooked by these young people.

In other news....

• Caryl has started showing our residents how to make cuddly arm knitted blankets, which she has made for Olivia Newton John. You can make your own in about an hour!

• We purchased a wonderful ‘new’ gramophone that has a beautiful story attached. A country farmer made a special wooden cabinet to house a gramophone player for his new bride. They listened to music together on this treasured gramophone for all of their married lives. It now lives with us where we will cherish it the way they did.

• We had a great outing to the National Gallery of Victoria to explore the Triennial Exhibition.

• Science has proven that learning another language enhances memory and stalls the onset of dementia. Caryl is beginning a new regular program called Sing-along in Spanish. Singing is the easiest way to learn a new language, so please join her in the cinema where she will help with words and pronunciation in a fun setting.

• Do you remember huddling around the radio as a child, listening to dramas and plays on the radio? Join Caryl in the Fountain Lounge each Thursday evening to relive Radio’s glory days.

• Our Harp performance last month was a pleasant evening experience and set a beautiful tone before dinner.

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• As usual on the Day prior to ANZAC Day, we were lucky to have the gentlemen from Box Hill RSL perform a short service for us. We were also blessed to be able to share part of the Woodend poppy collection – the Year 9 students from Braemar College, along with community members knitted over 3000 poppies to contribute to the 5000 Poppies project! These poppies were displayed in the Federation Square display, the Chelsea Flower Show, and will be in Canberra for 11/11 this year. Thanks to Caroline and Bill for arranging this, so we could be part of this special programme.

• The MLC - Year 10 Art Students programme is continuing to be enjoyable and beneficial, both for students and our residents who have an interest in Art. Students and residents have been spending time together sharing their art and life experiences along with a light luncheon, as well as braving the Autumn chill and sketching in the Alexandra Gardens.

• Biggest Afternoon Tea Residents thoroughly enjoyed the “Silver Pops” concert followed by an amazing spread of savouries and sweets, supplied by our Catering Department. Thank you to all for making a gold donation for such a worthy cause.

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22-24 Gellibrand Street Kew VIC 3101PO Box 2184 Kew VIC 3101

T 03 9261 8600 • F 03 9261 8666www.kewgardens.com.au

ABN 84 936 760 834

Bits and pieces

Expo Attendance

Well done to Christine Migliorini for representing Kew Gardens at the Boroondara Aged Care Expo and Symposium held earlier this year in March. It was a wonderful chance to showcase our prestige facility in a room full of industry leaders and suppliers. Christine did a tremendous job creating our booth and presenting it in such a fantastic way (as you can see in the photo to the right). Great work Christine!

Picnic in the Park

Kew Gardens now offers gourmet Picnic Hampers, which you can preorder to take on outings in the park. See Reception for more details and take advantage in the lead up to Springtime!

Thank you Judith and Graham McKnight

One of our Relatives in our Kew Gardens Community, Judith McKnight and husband Graham, have kindly donated a transfer aid called a 'Sara Steady', that assists those residents who have difficulty standing, which many do. This machine allows them to get from their bed to a chair or toilet with ease and safety. It helps maintain muscle strength and improve physical abilities. The residents will benefit from this second machine of its kind at Kew Gardens; those that are assessed as able to use it will have health and strength benefits, as well as an increased level of mobility and independence. This generous donation is greatly appreciated and is a valuable contribution to resident care here at our facility.

What do you think of our newsletter? Please email The Editor oromet@aacg.com.au to give feedback, submit photos and suggest any new ideas for future articles.