North Canterbury News: June 29, 2023

Coping with life alone
GOLDEN YEARS
The North Canterbury News, June 29, 2023
ADRIEL HOUSE AND REST HOME ADVERTISING FEATURE
21
Suddenly beingonyour own afteryears
withsomeone special,isarealitythe
older you get.
Whenthe timecomes you justhave to
moveforward,says PatofKaiapoi.
‘‘But when it comes downtothe simple
thingssuchastrying to open ajam jar lid,
fixingasticking doororwindow,oreven
gettingthe curtains downand up again
after theyare cleaned,you wishthey were
still here,’’Pat says.
‘‘Heused to knowjust what to do to fix
all thelittlethingsthat go wrong, so now
Ihavetolook elsewherefor help.’’
Pat says whileshe doeswhatshe can,
sometimes shejusthas to callonher son
or son­in­law.
Theyboth liveout of town, so she saves
up the jobsfor when they do visit.
Otherwise shehas found acouple of
local organisationskeen to helppeople.
‘‘I neededmyfence fixed, andasIcan’t
benddown any more. Icalled on the guys
at the KaiapoiMenzshed, theycame
round anddid awonderful job.’’
Later she neededher firealarm
batteries changed.
‘‘I mentioned it oneeveningtoacouple
of volunteerfiremen Iknow at theRSA,
andthe next day Ihad ahouse full of
firemen.Peopleour age should know
their localfiremen arealways happy to
come around and install or fix your fire
alarms.’’
Shesays for her gardenshe contacted
AgeConcern andfound them very helpful.
Shesays eventhough it’s beenacouple
of years shestillmisses the two most
important things you needhubbyfor:
Fastening necklacesorbracelets, and
goingtoand from doctororhospital
appointments when you can't drive
yourself.
Butbeingsuddenly on yourown,Pat
says,isnot something to worryabout.
‘‘The gapthey leave never goes away,
butthereare peopleand groupsout there
Love your hearing by
supporting local
Best
sound yet
Made forAll
connectivity
to join, to talk withand to helpyou.’’
Greta Bond,chief executiveofficer of
AgeConcern Canterbury, believesthe
issueofloneliness has becomemore
serious followingCovid.
‘‘We are definitely seeing agrowing
trend among agedpeople becomingmore
lonely.’’
Shesays many Aged Concerntalktoare
becoming quiteanxiousabout things.
‘‘Thelockdowns and isolation has
forced many out of their routines.’’
Ms Bond sayspeople oftenfeel trapped
in their homes, especiallyafter the
passing of theperson who used to do
everythingfor them.
‘‘We are worriedabout thoseinrural
communitieswho arefeelingtrapped
because of transportationissues,weare
sure we are missing otherswho haven't
reached out or contacted us yet.’’
Sheadvises people to look at the
ageconcerncan.org.nz website.They have
many groups to contact and programmes
aimed at helping reducethe fear of
loneliness in agedpeople.
PatofKaiapoi says she hasfoundsocial
media to be agreathelp.
‘‘Thereare many people on it who are
keen to help.’’
TheWaimakariri DistrictCouncilhas
long recognised thereis an ageing
population.
They haveanumberofuseful online
resources to help support older people in
thedistrict, including the Waimakariri
Community Directory and the Older
Persons Help Book.
The‘Seniorsand DisabilityServices
section in Part 1ofthe Waimakariri
Community Directory pdf,has
information specifically relating to
services andsupport forolderpeople in
thedistrict.
It canbefoundat: waimakariri.govt.nz/
community/social­and­health­services/
older­people.
Newly designed
charger
360°
conversationincar
Vera Setz Hearing are proud
to be your locally owned and
operated hearing care
experts.
We provide exceptional and
personalised care to the
people of North Canterbury.c
al
Book an
appointment:
Call 03 423 3158
Amberley MedicalCentre
6Hilton Drive,Amberley
83b IvoryStreet,Rangiora
Happy helpers ... Hard at work outdoors at Adriel.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Alittle country home
Adrielisalittle home in thecountry
offeringpeople with dementia the
Spark of Life.
TheAmberley­basedresthome is
recognised forits innovative care of
those sufferingfrom memory loss
through the Spark of Life
programme.
Theprogrammeplacesemphasis
on positive encouragementand
unlocking thoughts and abilities that
mayhavelaindormantfor years.
Resthome ownerMischeal
McCormicksaysSparkofLife
focuses on thewellbeingofthe
human spirit, and treating everyone
as aindividual,and withdignity and
care.
Whenmanaged and supportedthe
programmecan havesignificant
value in improvingthe overall
wellbeing of people with memory
loss, shesays.
‘‘Itisaboutchangingthe way we
think andabout our expectations.
‘‘Itisreally simpleand goesalong
withmyphilosophy of keeping
peopleindependent as long as
possible, andletting them do what
they can in life andencouraging
them.’’
Adriel House and Rest Home is
lookingfor anew registered nurse to
joinits ranks, on apart timeorfull
timebasis.
‘‘Wecan be flexiblebecause Adriel
is asmallhome,and we can work
round family commitments.’’
Mischeal can alsooffer support
with training andher mentorship to
increasethe skills of anyonekeen to
make ahugedifference in thelives of
residents.
Thereisnocommutingtothe city,
easy parking and wonderfulstaffwho
arecommittedtokeepingresidents
busy and enjoying life, which also
helps withany behavioural issues.
Mischeal is also keentobooststaff
numbers.‘‘Weare improving with
staff numbers, but Istill need more
staff whoare prepared to go the extra
mile, andtosocialise withresidents.
‘‘It is not the quantity of time spent
with the residents, it is thequality of
time, andknowing how to
communicate so they feelgoodabout
themselves,’’ says Mischeal.
Apagola,paving and sensory
gardenare the latestdevelopments
at the home,with residentshelping
by sharing theirskills. Mischealsays
it willbeanareawhereresidents can
go to relax, andwhere residents and
theirfamilies canspend time
together.
Thehome hasjustcelebrateda
Winter Warmersday,withaukulele
band gettinghandsclappingand toes
tapping.There were cheese rolls,
sausage rolls and hot chocolate to
enjoy.
‘‘Families enjoyedthe day and
residentsloved it,’’ Mischeal says.
NORTH CANTERBURY
Offering apersonal andunique Nurse-led 24 hour supportservice
to seniors andmums with newborns, helpingyou maintainyour
independence with dignity andrespect
• Personal Care
• Shoppingand Transport
• House Cleaning
• Companionship
• Medication Assistance
• Rehabilitation
• Postnatal Care
• Dementia Care
• PalliativeCare
• Respite Care
Call us on 021 0805 1006 | mobilehomecare.co.nz
2592834
Thinkabout thosewho have memory
lossand associated problems ...
• Country Home Values with Community Spirit
• Day Care • Men’s Club • Respite Care
• Relaxed, Homely Cottage Gardens
(and even a few animals)
RESTHOME
Please callustoday tofind out howwecan care for your lovedones.
Phone: Clinical Nurse Manager Elaine Mulholland, (03) 314 8326 ex 1
36 Osborne Rd,Amberley
2374549