Avonlea Rest Home - Dementia Care NZ

The garden at Avonlea is simply teeming with seasonal treats at the moment that the residents have been loving to discover. Pink alstroemeria, peonies in red and yellow, ice poppies, rhododendron, purple hydrangeas, valerian, roses and Christmas lilies. The glory of the garden!

PHOTOGRAPH:

Donya Nee and Lauren Thompson at the recent Age Concern positive aging expo in Christchurch - 01st October.

 Exercise Programme

After many months of discussion and planning, a four week training course for staff took place in March at Admatha and Avonlea in Christchurch on how to introduce regular exercise for residents into our dementia facilities. 

The course was facilitated by Janet Earle, Registered Physiotherapist, who knows our residents and staff well from her weekly visits to both Admatha and Avonlea.  Janet has vast experience in the area of falls prevention, and has worked extensively with the elderly and with people who have dementia.

This opportunity was met with great enthusiasm by the staff of both Christchurch facilities, with a pleasing attendance of Caregivers, Registered Nurses and Diversional Therapy trainees at the sessions. 

The training covered a range of topics over the four weeks, from the benefits of exercise to the elderly, through which specific exercises to include and which to avoid. Janet summarised the main benefits to our residents as being the “Four F’s”… Fitness, Freedom, Falls Prevention, and Fun! 

It was envisaged that at the completion of the course, staff would have a greater  understanding of exercise  benefits, together with the tools to assist with incorporating increased exercise and movement into our residents’ daily routine.  It is envisaged that exercise will take place throughout the day. However, there will be a distinct focus on movement to music during the mid to late afternoon, when many of our residents struggle with ‘sundowning’ symptoms of dementia.

We are now getting ready to introduce this programme to people in facilities in other areas.

We plan to review the success of the training and exercise programme later in the year.  Additionally, we intend to carry out some comparative evidence-based research to establish whether there have been any tangible benefits to our residents, such as a decrease in falls, as a result of the programme.

The Rug Project at Avonlea

The rug project is one that has proven to be very exciting and inspiring for those who live at Avonlea. It has encouraged people to maintain a lifelong hobby and skill, and also promotes dexterity. We have found it to be a soothing exercise for people who have a tendency to be unsettled.

At Avonlea, we often come across random bits of clever knitting. It is wonderful to encourage these pieces into a further project where the enjoyment leading up to completion is felt, and the completion is noticed and celebrated. This project has been embraced by some of our younger residents and has also been enjoyed by our lower functioning residents. 

Blankets are made by knitting squares and rectangles of all sizes, and are stitched together by a simple, memorable blanket stitch. My personal motto for this project is to "Keep it simple, as simple often works best." It has certainly proven to be true! We currently have three rugs on the go, and are continually adding appropriate pieces. I would love to encourage hats and scarves also, as I feel that would be a brilliant complimentary project.

We intend the rugs to go to the Christchurch City Mission to assist families in need. I wish this to be an ongoing contribution, as long as we have people knitting - we want the knitting to be used. 

Lauren Thompson
DT Team Leader

Dementia Care NZ are now on Face Book! Simply search Dementia Care NZ, like us and stay informed with updates, educational information and our special stories.

   LIKE     us on FACEBOOK

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dementia-Care-NZ/346399398748273

and show your support for people with dementia.

WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY ... AND IT WORKS.

OUR POINTS OF DIFFERENCE:

• Our Vision and Values – Are the cornerstone of all we do. We select our staff based upon our vision and values. This means we attract the right people and have a great staff retention. Staff have a high level of job satisfaction and many opportunities to grow which naturally results in best performance and positively impacts upon our residents’ well being.
• Open home – Our families are always welcome. You have an open invitation to share mealtimes with your loved one, at no charge. We want you to have as much special time with your loved one as possible. This benefits us all.
•  Small Homes  – Small homes mean that the environment feels more normalised, and residents orientate to their environment more easily.. There is a family feel. We get to know our residents very well. There are fewer faces to get to know. There is a higher staff ratio than in many larger facilities.
• Open Plan kitchens - Purpose designed kitchens mean that residents and their families have full, assisted and safe access to familiar homely activities. People can help rinse the dishes, make a cup of tea, wipe down the bench, and be part of the running of their home. Baking and cooking activities occur regularly.
• Bedrooms – Are warm and cosy. There is under-floor heating as well as wall unit heating. People are encouraged to bring special things from home, to make their room feel familiar and homely. We provide all of the necessities.
•  Family Support  – Our families have the opportunity to meet monthly with an independent facilitator to share thoughts, feelings and concerns about having a loved one in care. At Levin and Waikanae support is available over the phone.
• Special Programmes for Families - We enjoy having two special courses for our families: ‘Orientation For Families’ and ‘Sharing the Journey’. These courses help people to settle into having a loved one in care, and provide information about dementia and improving the quality of the journey with your loved one in care.
• Our team: Our staff team are hand-picked and are with us because they love working with people who have dementia. They are given many opportunities to grow within the organisation and are supported to be their very best. We provide them with free medical attention and  staff support from ‘Work Place Support’ . They are also given much in the way of Education. We are great believers in the power of education and support for growth.
• Education - We have an Education Coordinator who coordinates , supports, motivates and encourages staff to grow and develop as much as possible.
• Best Friends Approach to Dementia Care training – All our staff attend this training as a part of their comprehensive ‘orientation’ program. It is based on the ground-breaking work of Virginia Bell and David Troxell, and originated in the U.S.A. The main focus is on developing empathy, communication and an understanding of our residents’ needs.
• Non Violent Crisis Intervention – This is an internationally recognised qualification that we encourage all staff members to participate in.  This course supports what is learnt in the Best Friends Approach to Care training. Intercultural training – Our staff team have the opportunity to be a part of  comprehensive training around intercultural awareness. This training is designed to help staff understand the varying cultural needs  of our residents, as well as fellow staff members.
• Occupational Therapy – We have a very experienced Occupational Therapist who leads our team of Diversional Therapists.  She is also available for consulting regarding residents’ specific needs and/or behaviours of concern.
• Physiotherapist – Our Physiotherapist visits our home regularly.
• Dietician – Our dietician is on site on a regular basis and is available for advice at anytime.
• Community Care – We have a proactive approach  to education for the wider community around dementia care.
• We speak at both national and international  conferences  on the subject of excellence in person-centred care. Community education, removing the stigma from dementia and increasing the quality of life for people who have dementia are  passions we love to share with others.
• We hold the only contract in Canterbury for dedicated respite care.
• Audit certification – We are very proud of our Audit results. All audit results may be obtained from our website www.dementiacarenz.co.nz
• At Avonlea, we  have four years certification.

VISITING TIPS FOR THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD !

Please see our article about 'Visiting a person with dementia over the Christmas period' as published on the Alzheimers New Zealand site.

We hope that this article is helpful for you and your families.

Simply click on the link at the very bottom of this page.

RESPITE CARE

We wish to remind people that we are still running a dedicated respite care room at both Admatha and Avonlea Dementia Rest Home care facilities. This means families/carers can book respite care in advance.

Carers can prepare for time out in advance, knowing that their loved one has a booked room in a well established home that specializes in care of people who have dementia.

It is very important that carers have time to relax and take care of themselves. Taking a break can help with this.

We believe that most people want to stay at home as long as possible. We work hard to make sure people who come for respite care go home as good as or better than when they came into our care.

At both Admatha and Avonlea, we create a loving and homely atmosphere where each person is supported to experience each moment richly. This is our vision. We achieve this vision through our values: By honouring the uniqueness of each person, the immense value of each person, openness, honesty and integrity.

Please feel free to contact me anytime to enquire about our homes and about our respite care service. I would love to meet with you and I hope that I will be able to assist you.

I look foward to meeting with you.

Donya Nee

Vision Development Co-ordinator

Admatha Dementia Care Rest Home & Hospital

Avonlea Dementia Care Rest Home

(03) 385 1286

027 277 6882

We:

*accept you as you are

*really listen to you

*Love to hear you laugh

*forgive your mistakes

*have fun together

http://www.alzheimers.org.nz/tips-for-visiting-someone-with-dementia-over-the-holiday-period/

Dementia Care NZ are now on Face Book! Simply search Dementia Care NZ, like us and stay informed with updates, educational information and our special stories.