feature article southern cross care in the community drinks to beat the heat this summer living well...

S O U T H E R NSTAR

SOUTHERN CROSS CARE (SA & NT) MAGAZINE, SUMMER EDITION 2015

[kəˈmjuːnɪti] a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Community

Southern Cross Care in the community

Feature Article

Looking forward to 2015

Fun at our inaugural Community Day5

12

FEATURE ARTICLE

INAUGURAL COMMUNITY DAY

S O U T H E R NSTAR

Southern Cross Care

(SA & NT) Publication

151 Greenhill Road

Parkside

South Australia 5063

PO Box 155

Glen Osmond

South Australia 5064

South Australia1800 180 781

Northern Territory1800 894 375

Phone08 8291 8000

Fax08 8291 8001

Email the [email protected]

Websoutherncrosscare.com.au

Cover ImageClowning around on

Community Day.

Message from the

EDITOR

CommunitySOUTHERN CROSS CARE

(SA & NT) MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2015

Happy New Year and welcome to our summer edition of Southern Star!

Southern Cross Care is all about communities; the immediate community we live in and the wider communities we are a part of, so this edition’s theme is COMMUNITY.

Did you make a new year’s resolution? Each year many people resolve to get involved with their local community or to perhaps enhance the lives of others. If you are one of these people, perhaps you might like to consider volunteering with us! On page 15 you can read how one of our Community Volunteer Scheme (CVS) volunteers loves being part of Southern Cross Care.

Connecting and engaging with our wider community is an integral part of our organisation and, in addition to our CVS, our feature article on page 8 highlights some of the other ways in which we do this.

Our inaugural Community Day, which celebrated our ‘connected communities’, was a great success and you can see just some of the day’s many activities on page 5.

We’ve also included some highlights from 2014, and what you can look forward to in 2015, including the events our Community Foundation Manager has planned in the coming months.

Enjoy the read.

The Editor

4 LIVING WELL

5

LOOKING BACK6

8

10

12

LIFE IN FOCUS

LOOKING FORWARD

Drinks to beat the heat

CONTENTS

[kəˈmjuːnɪti] a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Southern Cross Care (SA & NT) Inc ARBN 129 895 905, South Australia, liability limited.

INTERVIEW

COMMUNITY VISITORS SCHEME

Grant Kardachi

14

15

A snapshot of 2014

What’s to come in 2015

Photos and celebrations

Southern Cross Care in the community

SOUTHERN CROSS CARE (SA & NT) 2

LOOKING FORWARD

YOUR LIFE, YOUR CARE, YOUR RIGHTS

We strongly believe in the fundamental right for people who use aged care services, and carers of these people, to not only participate in making decisions, but to maintain control, have a choice and a voice. ARAS is an independent, rights based organisation that aims to promote and protect the rights and wellbeing of older people, through the provision of information, education, support and representation. For further information call ARAS on (08) 8232 5377 or Country Toll Free 1800 700 600.

ARAS is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Commonwealth Home Support Program and the Department of Social Services and Office for the Ageing, SA Health

ON YOUR BIKE

www.dpti.sa.gov.au/communityprograms/programs/cycle_instead

While the Santos Tour Down Under has inspired many to pump up the tyres, oil the chain and get back on the bike to get active again, others are a little nervous of getting back out on the road. The Cycle Instead Journey Planner is a great resource for planning a cycling trip as it uses a variety of options that take into consideration fitness and confidence levels, road conditions and speed of travel. It has now been optimised for PC, tablet PC and smartphones.

For more information please visit:

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, florists are stocking up on their red roses and chocolate shops are looking to do a roaring trade. However around the world there are other ways to say ‘I love you’. In China, the maple leaf represents love as many believe the maple sweetness represents the feelings of love, while in Serbia padlocks are used to symbolise lovers are bound together forever. And while the tomato is traditionally known as the love apple, the apple itself has been a symbol of love since ancient Greece, where it represented ecstasy and fertility.

WAYS TO SAY ‘I LOVE YOU’

3 SUMMER 2015

B es t d r i n k s t o b e a t t h e h e a t t h i s s u m m e rLIVING WELL

Diet soft drinks, low-carb beers, iced tea,

fruit juices, smoothies, flavoured water –

the choices seem endless! Each year, more

drinks come onto the market and a greater

amount of our total energy (or kilojoule)

intake now comes from drinks.

Adults need around 1.5-2 litres of fluid per

day and while all fluids can count towards

your daily fluid intake, water is the best

drink. It contains no kilojoules and is the

best fluid for hydrating the body. But what

about other choices?

Milk

Milk has important nutrients like protein and

calcium and is about 90% water. If you are

buying flavoured milk, compare brands and

select those that are lower in saturated fat

and added sugar. Watch the serve sizes of

smoothies, which may be ‘super-sized’, and

can contain a lot of kilojoules.

Fruit juice

Fruit juice can give you valuable nutrients,

but most types naturally contain a similar

amount of sugar and kilojoules to soft

drinks. Watch out for big serve sizes from

juice bars. Limit juice to 125-250ml a day

or try diluting juice with water or ice.

Sugary soft drinks, fruit drinks and cordials

These drinks are low in nutrition but can

contain plenty of extra kilojoules which you

may not need. Diet varieties may be lower

in energy and sugar, but remember diet soft

drinks can be quite acidic and too much of

these drinks may contribute to tooth decay,

especially with kids.

Tea and coffee

These can be important sources of fluid to

help you to meet your daily fluid needs. Both

black and green teas have antioxidants,

which can help promote good health.

A standard cup of tea contains less than

half the amount of caffeine of a typical cup

of instant coffee (one cup of tea contains

around 10-50mg of caffeine and a cup of

instant coffee contains between 60-100mg

per 250ml cup). When served without milk

or sugar, tea and coffee contain virtually no

kilojoules. But watch iced teas as some are

quite high in added sugar.

Alcohol

In moderation, alcohol can be part

of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Current

recommendations suggest women and

men may safely include a maximum of two

standard alcoholic drinks per day. Both

men and women should also try to include

two alcohol-free days per week. ‘Low carb’

beers and wines have recently become

popular, but although these are lower in

carbohydrates than regular varieties, the

alcohol and kilojoule content is often very

similar to other types of beer and wine.

QUIZ :1. When did we hold our first Community Day?

2. What is the definition of ‘community’?

3. Which famous chef visited West Beach Residential?

4. When is our Community Foundation Quiz night in 2015?

5. How many years of care were celebrated last year at our

Lourdes Valley community?

6. What services do we provide?

7. How many volunteers do we have?

8. In which Christmas parade did our Community Bus

participate in?

9. How many people used our residential care and respite

services last year?

10. Where did the RAA hold one of its CarFit sessions last year?

Some of the answers can be found in this newsletter and all the answers are on page 14.

How well do you know our Southern Cross Care Community?

Craig Edwards, Dietitian APD


OUR INAUGURAL COMMUNITY DAY

On Saturday 15 November 2014, over 500 people joined in the fun at our inaugural Community Day, held at Ridge Park, Myrtle Bank (at the rear of the Lourdes Valley and Waterford centres).

As well as celebrating different programs, activities and achievements, there was plenty of entertainment for all the family; kids loved the baby guinea pigs and feeding the goats in the petting farm as well as taking rides on Clancy the Train and trying out the ‘Life. Be in it’ games.

All enjoyed the different demonstrations on the main stage, the range of refreshments and browsing the many stalls (with all funds raised going to our Southern Cross Care Foundation).

A big thank you to all who volunteered to help, and of course the visitors (including one well-known seasonal visitor, and one from another galaxy), who made the day so successful.

Fun for all the Family!

SAVE THE DATE

Make sure you put Saturday 24 October 2015 in your diary and come along to our next fun-packed Community Day!

5 SUMMER 2015

LOOKING BACK2014 – THE SUCCESSES AND THE CELEBRATIONS

T h e C o m m u n i t y Foundation bought a second bus to support our communities in the southern region.

Many of our centres opened their doors and welcomed the community as part of the inaugural National Open Day.

Riverpoint’s community centre won the ACS SA & NT award for excellence in Retirement Living Design. The design for the community centre creates not only a comfortable and functional building, but provides a beautiful and dynamic space for the residents to meet, socialise, learn together and connect as a community

JUNE

APRIL

2014JUNE

- P

ROVI

DED RE

SIDENTIAL CARE AND RESPITE SERVICES FOR O

VER -

3000 PEOPLE

NEARLY2600(INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS)


SUPPORTED ALMOST

700 PEOPLEIN THEIR OWN HOME THROUGH

OUR HOME SUPPORT AND REHABILITATION SERVICES

2014 – THE SUCCESSES AND THE CELEBRATIONS

Bellevue Court, our new 80-bed residential care centre in Gawler, welcomed its first residents and was officially opened by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia, in December.

Aiming to give people more control over how and where their funding is used, the Federal Government’s Living Longer Living Better legislation reforms came into play.

Stage f ive of Pear l Resort’s Terrace Villas was completed and welcomed its first resident.

Mayor Ann Ferguson and representatives from Mount Barker Primary School, Sarah Constructions, Walterbrooke, our customers, neighbours and other project team members joined us to turn the first sod for the construction of our new 80-bed centre at Mount Barker. As well as providing respite services and residential care, this new community will help ease the demand for aged care services in the Adelaide Hills region and will employ around 100 people.

OCTOBER

AUGUST

JULY

JULY

2014SEPTEMBERWe launched our Twitter and facebook pages.

900MANAGED OVER

UNITS OF RETIREMENT ACCOMMODATION

State election

MARCH

7 SUMMER 2015

From Murray Bridge and the Hart Mill precinct in Port Adelaide, to Virginia Nursery and shopping trips to Ikea, our two Community Foundation buses are constantly connecting our people to the wider community. One bus even enjoyed being a part of the Victor Harbor Christmas pageant!

CONNECTING THE GENERATIONS

OUT AND ABOUT

Over the past few months, we have been connecting generations through our very successful Intergenerational Project. This project saw our community at Sandpiper Lodge share its stories and experiences with a class of Year 5 students at Goolwa Primary School. Headed up by Annette Rohde, the project continued until the end of the second school term. Bellevue Court residents are also sharing their experiences at Gawler Goodstart Early Learning Centre where they act as visiting grandparents. Meanwhile residents at West Beach are teaching the local school children the art of traditional letter writing by being ‘pen friends’ with them.


We were delighted to be one of ten aged care providers invited to be a part of the South Australia Innovation Hub. This is a major Federal Government initiative designed to bring about significant reduction in red tape and ease the regulatory burden on aged care providers, as well as lead to improved services for older people across the country.

Our centres frequently welcome individuals and organisations to help celebrate events, entertain or run workshops. Pearl residents loved celebrating NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) with traditional dancers, while residents at Oaklands Park look forward to the

The generosity of our communities to help those less fortunate than themselves is amazing. Activities range from donating gift boxes to St Vincent de Paul to help disadvantaged children at Christmas, holding tea parties for the Cancer Foundation’s biggest morning tea and baking cakes for the

A PART OF THE AGED CARE COMMUNITY

WELCOMING THE COMMUNITY

GIVING TO THE COMMUNITY

regular workshops run by the local Bunnings Warehouse. On Father’s Day, the local Historic Car Club paid a visit to Sandpiper Lodge and delighted residents by driving cars similar to ones they had previously owned.

RSPCA, to shaving heads for the Leukaemia Foundation’s Greatest Shave, growing moustaches for Movember, taking the ‘Ice Bucket’ challenge and donating knitted blankets to the charity Wrap with Love. Staff even spoke like pirates for a childhood cancer charity!

Many of our centres also support the community by hosting events on behalf of other organisations; late last year, the RAA were overwhelmed by the number of cars which attended its CarFit session held at Riverpoint, and audiences regularly enjoy a variety of concerts at Lourdes Valley Chapel.

9 SUMMER 2015

LIFE IN FOCUS

Hotel services staff at McCracken Views and Sandpiper Lodge achieved their Certificate III in Aged Care.

As always, Christmas was celebrated with lots of great parties, visits from Santa and Frosty the Snowman, as well as trips to see the Christmas lights.

GRADUATION TIME

HO HO HO...

100 YEARS OF CAREIn October we held a special celebration of 100 years of care at Lourdes Valley. In 1914, the foundation stone for the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home was blessed by Archbishop John O’Reily, and the home was then run by this charitable organisation for 70 years.


Remembrance Day

Our centres

commemorated

Remembrance Sunday

in many ways,

with touching displays, lovingly

made knitted poppies and

moving services.

Af ter extensive renovations in 2004, Bucklands Lodge welcomed 81-year-old Beulah Carter and many other residents to their new home. Ten years later the now 91-year-old Beulah cut the celebratory anniversary cake for us!

BUCKLANDS 10th BIRTHDAY Gawler History Group brought back

memories for residents in Bellevue Court when it donated a memory stick with over 600 historic photos of Gawler and its people. Lifestyle assistant Julie Lloyd said the pictures had been a winner, attracting attention within just a few minutes of being shown on the lounge TV. “People were watching and talking about the pictures as they came up on screen. One resident saw pictures of a shop she owned in the past. Another commented on it being the street they lived on, and some commented about family who had worked for some of the businesses pictured.”

Maggie Beer, through the Maggie Beer Foundation, has a particular focus on food in residential aged care. CEO Andrew Larpent invited Maggie, Chef Simon Bryant and members of the Foundation to try the regular meals and to meet residents in West Beach Residential.

GAWLER HISTORYMAGGIE BEER

11 SUMMER 2015

LOOKING FORWARD2015 – NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK AND WHAT IS TO COME

Riverpoint’s s tages 5 and 6 developing well, with expected handover of stage 5 to be mid-February and stage 6 early August.

Approximately 10% of the Mt Barker project has already been completed. It is scheduled to finish at the end of this year.

We successfully applied for a $3 million government grant to extend our residential centre in Pearl. Upgrades will include an extension to the centre and cyclone bunker, and the creation of a new memory support garden. 2015


2015

Stage 6 of Pearl Retirement Resort’s development has begun and there is interest with several villas already sold.

SOLD

Friday13 February Wine & Cheese Auction at

The Waterford

Thursday 19 March Wine & Cheese Auction at

Riverpoint Village

Monday 30 March Breakfast with Craig James, Chief Economist, Commsec

Friday 1 May Community Foundation

Quiz Night

Sunday 20 September Team Southern Cross Care

in City-Bay Fun Run

Monday 12 October Corporate Golf Day

Saturday 24 October Southern Cross Care

Community Day

Change Day

Thursday 26 March

Anzac Centenary

Saturday 25 April

National Open Day

Friday 19 June

Active Ageing Week

20-26 September

DATES for your diary

13 SUMMER 2015

An interview with Grant Kardachi Board member and Chairman of the Workforce Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Services Committee, Southern Cross Care (SA & NT) Inc.

What aspects do you enjoy most in your roles and being on the Board?

I enjoy interacting with people with varying skill sets who share a common vision in maintaining and improving the quality of care for all SCC residents.

As well as dispensing medications, what do you consider are other role(s) of a pharmacy in the community?

The role of a community pharmacy is becoming more health focused - services now include the supply of dosage administration aids to help people manage their medicines, Home Medication Reviews, a greater role in managing minor ailments, vaccinations and health screenings. Pharmacies are moving towards being health destinations.

Who has influenced you in your life and why?

The influences in my life and pharmacy career have been the colleagues who

Grant is currently the National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and was formerly a community pharmacist owner. He remains accredited to conduct medication management reviews both in aged care facilities and the community. Grant has presented many papers on pharmaceutical care and medication management at conferences around Australia. He has been a member of several advisory groups involved in the implementation of medication management. In addition to his role as a Board Member of Southern Cross Care, Grant is also chairman of the Workforce Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Services Committee.

Why did you become involved with SCC?

As a service provider for several SCC facilities, during my career as a community pharmacist, I developed a strong interest in aged care which led to my appointment as a Board director.

have played a mentoring role in various aspects of my career.

What has been your favourite holiday and why?

My favourite holiday was being in New York from Christmas to New Year - one of the highlights was having Christmas breakfast in Adelaide with my wife and then meeting all my family in New York for Christmas dinner that same day.

What was your first job?

My first job was working as a salesman in the suit department of John Martin’s while studying pharmacy.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

If I could have a superpower, I would like to see all health professionals genuinely working collaboratively for better health outcomes for patients and disregarding the politics that often hinders this vision.

QUIZ ANSWERS1. Saturday 15 November 2014 2. A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common 3. Maggie Beer & Chef Simon Bryant 4. Friday 1 May 2015 5.100 6. Retirement living, residential care, respite, home support, health and wellbeing. 7. Nearly 500 8. Victor Harbor 9. Over 3000 10. Riverpoint

Reaching out to the community



Former legal secretary Corinne, who has been visiting 103 year old Avis* became a part of our Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) because she wanted to get into the community and to meet new people, as well as help others.

As an immigrant from UK, Corinne feels this volunteering activity of providing social support for an older person fills the generation gap she was missing. “I have lots of family back in the UK, so going to this lovely lady’s house is like visiting your grandma’s home; I have no-one like this here.

“Plus it’s fascinating learning about Avis’s life.”

Avis who is blind, looks forward to Corinne’s visits and enjoys telling her about growing up during the Great Depression and life in the Flinders Ranges. As well as sharing experiences, Corinne also spends time reading with Avis.

Our CVS is an essential way in which we assist older people who may be

Reaching out to the community


experiencing loneliness or social isolation for many reasons, varying from social or cultural reasons, to living with a disability.

To help address this issue, we successfully applied for a government grant to operate our Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) , so volunteers on this scheme could provide valuable social support for people who use our home care packages.

Volunteering as a community visitor is a very rewarding experience. By visiting an older person, volunteers not only have a chance to make a positive difference to someone’s life, but it often enhances their own.

If you have a spare hour each fortnight and are interested in providing valuable social support for older people through our CVS, we would love to hear from you. As the people who use our home care packages come from a variety of different social and cultural backgrounds, community volunteers from all walks of

life are welcome as we pair up similar interests and backgrounds.

In addition to a lot of personal satisfaction and personal development, volunteering is a great opportunity to meet new people and gain new skills. Studies have also revealed volunteering is associated with greater health and happiness!

We do have other volunteering activities, ranging from assisting with lifestyle activities, fundraising, events, and tending gardens, to providing pastoral support, helping in our cafes and driving people to appointments.

If you are interested in volunteering through our CVS scheme, or would like to find out about other volunteer opportunities with Southern Cross Care, please call 1800 180 781 or email [email protected]

Come and join our team of nearly 500 volunteers!

*As Avis has just recently moved into a residential home, Corinne is looking forward to visiting a new person shortly.

We would love to know your thoughts, what you do and don’t like about this magazine or perhaps you have a story to share?

Please get in touch either via phone on 1800 180 781 (SA) or 1800 894 375 (NT) or email [email protected]

Let us know what you think!

15 SUMMER 2015

We were overwhelmed with the response to our Christmas appeal and would like to thank all who have so generously supported us. In the next few months, we’re very much looking forward to being able to purchase a third wheelchair accessible bus to give more people the opportunity of enjoying excursions.

Our annual Community Foundation Golf Day attracted over 30 teams who enjoyed a round of golf at Tea Tree Gully Golf Course and an entertaining insight into the cricket world by Wayne Phillips over morning tea.

A big thank you to all who contributed to the day’s success and congratulations go to the winning team Wellness and Lifestyles Australia.

People who use our services at our Myrtle Cottage respite centre are enjoying a wider range of activities following the successful application for a $5000 grant from the Office for the Ageing under its Grants for Seniors program. Our new craft shed is now complete and provides a safe environment for people to continue their passions and remain connected to their community.

A DAY ON THE GREEN

CRAFT AT MYRTLE COTTAGE

Thank you

feature article southern cross care in the community drinks to beat the heat this summer living well...

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