St Hedwig Village Issue 55 St Hedwig Village News March 2016 Spring Edition Lord Jesus, as You touched the eyes of the blind man, touch us so that our eyes may be opened so that we can “really see” the many wonderful things around us and in our own lives. Amen From the CEO’s Desk Redevelopment of Our Village We are progressing with our plans for the redevelopment of our site. Like any major project this takes time to get everything done. To date we have continued our discussions with the architect, numerous consultants for essential services, traffic, waste, landscape architects, legal advisers and staff. We have also visited several new aged care and retirement village sites to get an overview of what is currently being built and services provided. There is still some way to go before we will be ready to lodge our DA application with Blacktown Council but we are on our way. Kathy Eberl Vita mutatur non tollitur St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Liebe Bewohnerinnen und Bewohner von St. Hedwig, nun sind wir also in der Fastenzeit und haben auch schon den Ausblick auf das kommende Osterfest. Fastenzeit ist ja eine Zeit der Buße und Umkehr, stark verbunden mit Fasten und Abstinenz am Aschermittwoch und Karfreitag. Davon sind natürlich ältere Menschen, ab 60 Jahren und auch die Jüngeren, unter 18 Jahren sowie die Kranken ausgenommen. Das sind natürlich schon viele Ausnahmen und somit ist quasi ganz St. Hedwig davon ausgenommen. Wir müssen gar nichts machen. Nun, die Praxis der Buße und Umkehr ist ganz und gar nicht auf Verzicht auf etwas eingeschränkt. Vielmehr gehören zur Buße und Umkehr auch, dass man etwas MEHR macht: Messbesuch, Gebet, Kirchenbesuch und nicht zuletzt die Zuwendung zu anderen Menschen mit Hilfe: Besuch von Kranken und Einsamen, (noch) mehr Freundlichkeit und Geduld, dankbar sein und Dankbarkeit zeigen. Es gibt so viele Möglichkeiten anderen Menschen ihr Leben zu erleichtern und besser zu machen. Und dabei gibt es keine Einschränkung im Alter. Dazu ist man niemals zu jung oder zu alt und selbst Krankheit schränkt uns hier nicht ein. Sodann ist ja der Gedanke bei der Fastenzeit; dass sie ja mit Ostern endet. Diejenigen, die gefastet haben, dürfen sich wieder auf ein kühles Bierchen und ein saftiges Steak freuen. Ob man dann aber seine neu gewonnene Lebensführung, die Freundlichkeit und Geduld zum Beispiel dann wieder ablegen muss, das ist fraglich. Hier zählt der Gedanke der Auferstehung Christi: Zu neuem Leben auferstanden – und wir sollen als neue Menschen leben. Erneuert durch den Auferstandenen selbstverständlich – aber auch selbst erneuert, wenn wir den eingeschlagenen Weg weiter beschreiten. Gesegnete Fastenzeit Ihnen allen und noch mehr gesegnete und fruchtbare Osterzeit. Ihr Pfarrer Roland Maurer Staff Find Love In St Hedwig Village Finally Congratulations to a beautiful couple Rechel and Chris. The long awaited refurbishment of the Hostel back patio /garden area is finally completed. Residents and visitors can now look forward to many pleasant hours sitting outside in a beautiful new space. The small statue of Our Lady has been returned to her place in the Shrine so she can continue to watch over us. 2 St Hedwig Village DAS OSTERNFEST Nach einem langen Winter ist Ostern in Deutschland für viele Familien der erste Anlass, im Freien zu feiern. Die Kinder suchen im Garten nach Ostereiern, während die Erwachsenen spazieren gehen und die milde Frühlingsluft genießen. Eine Vielzahl von Traditionen und Bräuchen sorgt für vergnügliche Aktivitäten rund um das Osterfest, das höchste Fest des Christentums. „Zufrieden jauchzet groß und klein: Hier bin ich Mensch, hier darf ich’s sein!“ Dieses Zitat stammt aus dem Gedicht „Osterspaziergang“ von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Es beschreibt sehr treffend das Gefühl, mit dem zu Ostern in Deutschland viele Menschen nach den kalten Wintertagen den Frühling begrüßen. Parks und Gärten laden dazu ein, die warmen Schals und Mützen zu Hause zu lassen und mit Familie und Freunden die ersten Sonnenstrahlen zu genießen. Das Osterfest wird jedes Jahr an einem anderen Datum gefeiert. Es fällt auf den ersten Sonntag nach dem ersten Frühlingsvollmond. Der Name Ostern leitet sich wahrscheinlich aus dem altgermanischen Wort "eastron" für Morgenröte ab. Es soll auch eine altgermanischen Lichtgöttin Ostara oder Eostra gegeben haben. Issue 55 VOLUNTEER Hallo St. Hedwig! Mein Name ist Tobias Ziegler und ich bin 18 Jahre alt. Seit Anfang Januar bin ich hier und arbeite als German Volunteer im Nursing Home von St. Hedwig. Ich komme aus Waiblingen bei Stuttgart und habe dort 2015 mein Abitur gemacht. Bevor ich mit dem Studium beginne wollte ich unbedingt die Chance nutzen um die Welt zu sehen und etwas komplett anderes machen. Schon in Deutschland habe ich bereits einige gute Erfahrungen mit sozialem Engagement gesammelt, und so bin ich nun hier in St. Hedwig gelandet. Nach meinen 6 Monaten hier werde ich noch ein wenig Australien bereisen und anschließend nach Deutschland zurückkehren. Dort möchte ich dann Maschinenbauingenieur studieren. Nachdem ich mich nun bereits sehr gut eingelebt habe freue ich mich wirklich auf die noch kommende Zeit mit ihnen allen und hoffe weiterhin so gute Erfahrungen machen zu können! Liebe Grüße, ihr Tobias Pastoral Care Condolences We take this opportunity to extend our condolences to the families who have lost loved ones: Monica Anderson, Joseph Belfer, Karl Cadalbert, Hermann Herbst, Maria Rosenberger, Francine Van Hilten and John Woodward. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time. 3 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Pastoral Care Coordinator News 2016 is well under way with the month of January now in the distant past. As our year progresses I hope it will bring all of us many blessings, good health and time to reflect on whom and on what is important to us in our daily life. As I was celebrating the New Year in Ireland with family and friends, making New Year resolutions was one of the topics of conversation. Because some family members had over indulged during Christmas and gained some weight, it was decided that walking, swimming and a gym membership needed to be considered. Our friends had other goals, saving more and using their credit cards less, no doubt all good intentions. Making New Year resolutions has never been a priority for me so I stated I would give the matter a little more thought! Many people it seems like to make New Year resolutions but I often wonder for how long do they last? Why do we do it? Is it because of a sense of guilt or we think we are obliged to do so? I read an article recently written by an American author, Alan Cohen who stated that “You will always succeed at things you choose because they make you happy. You will never succeed at things you do just because you owe” He suggested in his article that instead of forcing ourselves to do things out of guilt “we live each day looking at the world through eyes of wonder. We may not know what tomorrow holds but we can keep ourselves open to possibilities. When we live each day in faith, trusting in God’s divine plan for us there is no reason for any of us to dwell on the past”. His suggestion for life is to “Live in hope, joy and optimism, take nothing for granted and receive everything as a gift” profound words to keep us pondering as we step further into this year. News from the Pews We welcome Frane Beros, a Deacon from Germany who will be working as a Pastoral Care volunteer in St Hedwig Village during this year. Frane has worked in Germany with the youth and in Aged Care. Be sure to say hello to him whenever you see him around the facility. Easter falls in March this year so our Lenten program will be commencing in the Hostel Chapel on Tuesday 16th February at 2:00pm. The program will run for 6 weeks. All welcome. Please check the Pastoral Care notice boards throughout the facility for details regarding Mass times and all the Church services for Easter. The family morning teas which were very successful last year will commence again at the end of March. All new and existing family members are welcome to attend. The date and times will soon be advised. Blessings Maria Lynam 4 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Poet’s Corner Narooma Holiday We have a Resident Poetry Group that comes together on a regular basis to read and discuss poetry. “Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside”……. This poem is selected by Gertrud Lasota who is a resident in our Nursing Home. From 8th February to 13th February 2016 eight residents from our Nursing Home and Garden Terrace Wing enjoyed five days in Narooma a seaside town just past Ulladulla. Sonntag ist’s, in allen Wipfeln rauschet es der dunkle Wald, alle Bäche leise fließen, alle Vögel wonnig grüßen und von fern die Glocke hallt. Sonntag ist’s, am Zaun das Veilchen betet still im Gras für sich, Rose hebt die süßen Augen und die roten Lippen hauchen ein Gebet demütiglich. Sonntag ist’s, ein heilger Frieden liegt auf Erden weit, so weit, Sonntag ist’s in allen Herzen. Sonntag ist’s für alle Schmerzen, heiliger Sonntag weit und breit. Our holiday makers included: Muriel Andrews, Elizabeth Angerer, Antonia Biedler, Johannes De Lange, Gertrud Lasota, Maria Michalewicz, Ruth Senkbeil and Janna Van Ettekoven. The residents travelled down to Narooma in our village bus. It’s a 5 hour journey broken up by a stop at McDonalds on the way down. They stayed at the Clark Bay Farm Cottages and enjoyed activities such as fishing, restaurant dining, beach walks, sightseeing, picnics, seal watching and just enjoyed being outdoors by the sea. St Hedwig Village staff have been taking residents to Narooma on holiday since 1999. It’s a great location and the residents really enjoy the opportunity to see, smell and feel a new experience. It’s a real holiday for them. Thank you to Ursula Bachler, Birgit Hellwig, Fayelene Kennedy and Philip Hagmann for escorting the residents. Volkslied 5 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Pet Therapy I am a two and a half year old German Shepherd. I love playing with balls, especially chasing them and bringing them back to my owners to throw again. When I run a lot I pant and my tongue gets very long. My favourite food is chicken, cheese and on the weekend I have a special breakfast of milk and eggs…. Yum. I thought it would be a great idea to come to visit St Hedwig Village to see some new people and of course get even more pats. I love travelling in the car so off we went on Saturday 26th November 2015, I was so excited. There were so many new smells and loads of people in the big room called The Link Room. I could hear my name all over the place but it was so great to have all the residents wanting to say hello, pat my head and body and I love my ears being stroked, people say they are so soft – it makes me smile. After a while I realised that people had my favourite treats in their hands – oh what fun to try to get those treats, I had loads. And everyone was taking photos of me – I must say I do like to have my picture taken. There was a lady who couldn’t come to this big room so we went for a walk to her room, more great smells and wow, she gave me the biggest hug, her face was so happy. It’s great being a dog who likes people. After going for a little walk outside we then went to a place called Garden Terrace Wing – I couldn’t believe there were more people and when they saw me they had BIG smiles on their faces. I got more pats, hugs and you guessed it even more treats. What a day, I loved it and felt so happy that so many people were happy to see me. I must say I was VERY tired when we left, I don’t remember much of the trip back home in the mountains, but what a great day. Hopefully, I will be able to come back and see the wonderful residents at St Hedwig Village….. love and woof JOHNSON. Residents with Johnson 6 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Nursing Home Activity Report December is also known as the Christmas season. Christmas Celebrations started with the lighting of the First Advent candle on Sunday 29th November. Residents were involved in decorating the Christmas trees and craft activities centered on the Christmas theme. These activities included making Christmas cards which are sold to raise money to purchase more craft resources. Bus trips for December included two night trips to view the Christmas lights in the area, starting out with dinner at the St Marys RSL Club and then a drive through the area to view houses decorated with Christmas lights. On 12th December we had a visit from St Michael’s Holy Family Choir and in the evening residents enjoyed Christmas carols performed by the St Raphael’s Choir. Residents were delighted by these wonderful performances. All Village residents were invited to a wonderful display of Christmas decorations in the St Raphael’s Hall referred to as Christmas Wonderland. This was a lovely afternoon. Residents enjoyed the spectacular Christmas display, afternoon tea and entertainment. Christmas Day started with unwrapping Christmas presents followed by a Mass. Many of our residents were joined by family and friends for a delicious lunch. The Friendship group meets every Monday for morning tea. This group activity started to encourage residents to socialize and support each other. The group is opened to all residents who wish to participate. Monday 25th January the morning tea theme was Australia Day with lamingtons being served. On 26th January a BBQ lunch was provided to celebrate Australia Day. A group of residents travelled out to Flower Power in Glenhaven to purchase plants for the resident’s garden. Residents chose plants they would like to see in their garden as well as enjoying lunch in the café Belle Fleur. Valentines Day started with a fun photo shoot of residents. A lovely Valentines Day lunch was organized for residents and their partners. RAO’s Nursing Home 7 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Hostel Activity Report December is the busiest month of the year as most of the activities revolve around Christmas. Baking, craft and decorating activities are part of the Advent time. St Joseph’s Primary School children visited and entertained our residents with a lovely program. St Nikolaus and Krampus visited and brought gifts of chocolate. St Raphael’s Choir performed their Christmas Carol singing program for our residents, which was most enjoyable. The supper afterwards resulted in our residents lingering on and this created a great sense of belonging to one big family. Once again our residents were invited to an afternoon at Pia’s Christmas Wonderland in St Raphael’s Hall to admire a stunning display of Christmas decorations. We thank Pia, Gisela and family for their generosity of catering for so many residents with mulled wine, coffee, cookies and gifts. The men’s gardening activity has commenced and ice cream in the garden is a welcomed morning tea on warm summer days. Our residents enjoyed their Christmas chocolates and the end of year party. Some residents got together to greet the New Year and were appreciative that staff had provided beverages and nibbles for their midnight party. The New Year was greeted with a fantastic attendance to a champagne morning tea in our new “Marien Garden”. Everyone agreed that we could host more parties in this newly renovated Hostel backyard area. The herb garden has grown quickly to the enjoyment of our residents. Discovery room visits are on demand with residents enjoying the virtual journey, featuring sounds and scenery as they cycle along. Quite a few of our new residents attended the bus trip to Club Marconi for an “all you can eat” lunch. The seaside theme day practically brought the beach into the house. To see, touch and feel, we had a display of sand, shells, corals and other items, relating to a beach environment. The craft activity for a day involved creating pictures of fish using sand and pebbles. Thanks to Catering Industries for preparing a meal of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. Soon the decorations had to change as we celebrated “Rose Monday” carnival time. Hostel residents enjoyed this party in the Link area as we had a fantastic disc jockey. Everyone had a good time. Quite a few ladies dressed up and took to the dance floor. It must have been the punch, which loosened their limbs. Valentine’s mock wedding was a massive success and everyone had a great time. Thank you to all the residents who ‘played’ a part in our wedding ceremony. RAO’s Hostel 8 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Retirement Village News The Retirement Village AGM on 24th November 2015 was attended by 36 residents and it was very gratifying to see so many residents. Another important meeting was held on 2nd December 2015 to inform us of the planned redevelopment of our village. This time there was an excellent attendance of 46 residents. Christmas Lunch Since our last edition we had three significant birthdays – Adolfine Hinterholz 91 years, Hilde Schuldt 90 years and Arthur Rochester 80 years. Congratulations and best wishes for many more years in our village. On 25th January we bid farewell to our well-loved resident Heiner Herbst. He will be sadly missed by all who had the privilege to know him. Our deepest sympathy to Heiner’s family. Our sincere condolences also go to Kurt Rosenberger for the loss of his soul mate Maria on 30th January. They had been married for 71 years and, even though they had not been long in our village, they had become a regular sight on their daily excursions through our gardens. The Christmas season started off with a lovely lunch hosted by the Management of St Hedwig Village. Excellent food, Christmas carols accompanied on the violin by Regula Scheidegger, recitals of various poems and Kathy’s warm welcome to the 12 new residents provided a wonderful community spirit. remember to obtain a medical clearance from your doctor before starting any exercise program. This was followed by the annual “Winter Wonderland” celebration in the St Raphael’s Hall which again was breathtakingly decorated by Gisela and Pia who entertained with carols, poems, drinks and Christmas cookies. Not to be outdone, our Bingo Club also organised a lovely Christmas lunch with plenty of food, carols and poems. The New Year was welcomed by 16 residents with music and laughter until well past midnight. A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped to decorate our hall and to make our functions so successful. On Saturday, 30th January, 32 residents were present at our Retirement Village Resident AGM. In January, 19 residents enthusiastically watched, listened and participated in a demonstration of the new HUR state-of-the-art exercise equipment in the Physio Room. This equipment is designed to improve our flexibility and mobility. Just After thanking Arno Schöpfer and Sinie Weever for their long Mrs Hildegard Schuldt service a new Resident’s Committee for 2016 was formed. Easter will be fairly early this year. On behalf of the St Hedwig Village Residents’ Committee I wish the board, staff and residents of our village a very Happy Easter. Ursula Fober Village Residents Committee Secretary 9 St Hedwig Village Issue 55 Welc ome Congratulations to the following staff on reaching a milestone anniversary at St Hedwig Village in March, April and May. Twenty Years: Renate Weingardt Five Welcome Years: Karl Dogwe Congratulations to the following staff on reaching a milestone anniversary We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome to St Hedwig Village these new residents: Armando Dominici Franziska Miller Sylvia Smith Ursula Zdenkowski We hope you will be happy and comfortable here. We look forward to getting to know you and your family and friends. Staff had a surprise visit from Santa and his helpers. Happy Birthday to all our staff and residents who have recently celebrated a birthday. 10 St Hedwig Village ADVANCE NOTICE St Hedwig Village is becoming a “Smoke Free Site” as of 1st July 2016. This will mean that no staff, volunteers, contractors, visitors and new residents will be allowed to smoke on the grounds of St Hedwig Village. Kathy Eberl Issue 55 Senior’s Health Mobility – Use It or Lose It Mobility is essential for general independence as well as ensuring good health and quality of life. Impairment of mobility is common in older people, with prevalence of between 9 – 42% in the community, 50 – 60% in nursing homes and 40 – 65% in the hospital population. Elderly people with limited mobility have higher rates of mortality, institutionalization, falls and other morbidity, and tend to deteriorate faster than those without such limitation. Even though elderly people may have many problems related to mobility, sometimes just solving one problem may significantly improve the opportunities to solve the other problems. Decline in mobility with age is neither inevitable nor irreversible. In population studies up to 20% of elderly people improve with time, and trials of rehabilitation both in the community and in nursing homes have shown increased capabilities, even in very elderly and severely impaired people. Physiotherapists play an important role in keeping elderly people healthy. Specific exercise programs designed by physiotherapists have been shown to improve strength, balance and functional ability in older people living in the community. Blisscare Australia Carnival time at St Hedwig Village Here in St Hedwig Village we strongly encourage those residents who can, to join in and participate in one of our Enablement Programs be it – walking, strength and balance exercises, riding the Motomed bike, using the HUR exercise equipment or having one-on-one physiotherapy. 11 St Hedwig Village . Issue 55 Have a “cuppa” on us Morning Tea for Relatives and Friends During the year we will be hosting morning teas for the families and friends of residents residing in our Nursing Home or Hostel. It is a good opportunity to meet and perhaps form acquaintances with other people who you may see visiting when you visit. You could even schedule one of your visits to coincide with our morning tea days and have a “cuppa” on us. It’s free. Dates for 2016 are listed below. The venue is the Hostel Lounge area ground floor. On some occasions a guest speaker may be organized. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Kathy, Judith, Mary, Roshni and Maria Dates are: 15th March 2016 17th May 2016 19th July 2016 Next information session for Hostel relatives will be on 10th September commencing at 6:30pm in the downstairs lounge room. To assist with catering and seating please ring Melissa on 02 8822 9900 or email Melissa at [email protected]. 20th September 2016 15th November 2016 Happy Easter to all our residents, staff, families and friends
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