Pioneer House Pearls

No.1
Excitement is mounting at Pioneer House Aged Care as we prepare for the completion of our building works. In a few short weeks we will be moving our current residents into their newly refurbished high care rooms. Pioneer House’s existing building has been turned into a shell of its former self and the progress of our new, state of the art refurbishment has been watched closely by residents, staff and visitors.

Once this part of the process is complete and all our high care residents return to the high care section of our facility, we will be opening our beautiful low care wings. We will provide 15 low care places for residents with dementia, and 15 low care general places.

We are very proud of our new building and staff and residents alike have been enjoying the wonderful facilities and grounds. We will be holding an open day prior to the commissioning of the new building and look forward to being able to show it off to the population of Mudgee.

Mudgee can be justifiably proud of the service offered to the frail aged by Pioneer House. We have a gorgeous new building, highly skilled and trained staff and the latest in high tech record keeping and documentation.

We are looking to the future with excitement and enthusiasm, buoyed by the amazing amount of support offered to Pioneer House from the large number of individuals and organisations who acknowledge and appreciate the service we provide.

WE HAVE VACANCIES and we are holding information days every Friday during September between 2 pm and 3 pm, in the Meeting Room at Pioneer House, for all interested parties and we invite you to join us. Our first session is on Friday September 7th .

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.2
Pioneer House staff were happy to hear that our expected date of completion of our newly refurbished high care wing is 29.10.07 – barring major unforeseen hiccups.

It is so exciting to see a long project come to an end. I guess everyone thinks of “getting back to normal”. It has been an exciting journey for those who have worked so hard towards this, and an exciting time for those of us who will benefit!

Once our residents are firmly ensconced in the refurbished wing we will be ready to open the Low
Care wings.

As I said in my last column, we have VACANCIES. Today I will address the issue of applying for a place in our Low Care wing, as it is a question often asked by many in the community.

To enter an Aged Care Facility you must have an Aged Care Assessment which is carried out by the Aged Care Assessment Team. This team is based at Lourdes Hospital in Dubbo and the contact number is 6841 8520. A request for this Assessment will result in a visit from a member of the team, who will assess you according to your care needs.

The other assessment you may need to undertake is an Assets Assessment. This assessment, undertaken by Centrelink in Victoria, allows the Aged Care Facility to establish any accommodation fees which will be charged to you. You can choose not to have an Assets Assessment, but if you do not have one, you will be charged the maximum amounts payable. This is a Government requirement and is the same for any Commonwealth funded Aged Care facility.

Confused? Please do not be. Call in and see us, or phone on 6378 1144 and make an appointment to see Sandy Duffy, our DDON, Jennifer Crust, our Business Manager, and me. We would love to see you, or come to our information afternoons, every Friday in September from 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm.

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.3
Things are progressing well with our building. Today we have lots of noise from jackhammering, but we are so lucky to be able to move those affected residents down to our beautiful low care dementia garden and outdoor area.

It is a joy to see residents from Braeholme listening to music, reading magazines, playing ball games and soaking up the sun. The extensive area enables the residents to move freely without interfering with others, and to exercise their legs. The Activities staff are performing hand massages for those who want it and lunch is being served al fresco!

We are so lucky to receive so much support from the Mudgee community and we are thrilled that the CWA are purchasing a wheelchair for us, that is light and easy to store in a car boot. This wheelchair will be hired out to people in the community, for those who may need it for special occasions e.g. a wedding, or some other major event. It is not available for long term hire. The wheelchair can be quickly and easily dismantled to go into the boot of a car and is light enough to lift easily. Unfortunately we cannot lend it to anyone over 85kg, as its very quality that makes it so light also makes it unsuitable for greater weights.

We will be charging $100 deposit, refundable on return of the wheelchair, undamaged, plus $20 per day. All fees and charges are negotiable upon application to Pioneer House.

Do you have a relative living at Pioneer House? Are you visiting with an elderly or less mobile person?

Please take advantage of the drive to the front entrance for arriving and departing the facility. Feel free to drive up and collect your passenger right at the front door, and use it to drop them off on your return.

This makes it so much easier for elderly or less mobile people and reduces any risks which may be taken in walking from the car park. Don’t forget to follow the direction arrows and enter the drive from Gladstone St!

Remember our information days every Friday from 2 to 3 pm during September, at Pioneer House. Phone 6378 1144 for information.

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.4
The days are flying by and it seems that I just write one Pioneer Pearls when another one is due.

Our information sessions every Friday from 2pm to 3pm are proving popular. It is a great opportunity to find out about moving into an Aged Care Facility in a relaxed and friendly environment. We have a chat and answer questions and then take a tour of the facility. We return for another chat, as the tour often raises other questions. We receive so many lovely comments from those who attend.

At Pioneer House we hold many activities during the week and this week was no exception. Because we have such a spacious building many more residents can enjoy activities together and the noise and laughter from our meeting room this week was a delight to hear.

In C wing this week games were held for the residents and, judging by the noise, again, everyone was having a great time. During this activity I was taking some visitors on a tour and they were amazed at the number of residents in attendance and the fun that they were having.

We have some very resourceful staff at Pioneer House and recently residents have been participating in Karaoke. This has been a huge success and has involved a number of staff who have coopted family members to participate. It has been such fun that EVERYONE is waiting eagerly for the next session.

Residents are encouraged and given the opportunity to pursue interests whilst they stay at Pioneer House. Residents come and go during the day, pursuing many different types of activities in the community, including helping out at schools, going to meetings, going out for meals, picnics, or enjoying a day with family. They also help out around the facility and this can include many things such as watering gardens, folding clothes, weeding etc. Families are very welcome to join their relative for a barbeque or private lunch in our new PALs lounge.

On 30th September we are holding a fashion parade for clothing from days gone by. Staff and family have donated wedding dresses to be modelled, amongst other items. Everyone is welcome to attend. Phone 6378 1144 to reserve a place, or to make any enquiries about our new facility. We have vacancies, so enquire now!!

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.5
At Pioneer House we receive such support from our community. On Sunday our Recreation Activities Officer, Rhonda Brooke, ably supported by the rest of our Activities Team is presenting a parade of wedding dresses.

She sent out an appeal to a wide range of people, asking for wedding dresses to be loaned for a
special parade.

A marvellous response came from staff, residents’ spouses and other relatives, visiting health professionals and others. We now have a rack of wedding dresses that is bursting at the seams. It is very interesting to note that the older the wedding dress, the tinier the waist and we have had to co-opt some tiny models to wear them on the day! We have dresses that are up to 60 years old and it is fascinating to see the changing fashions over time.

Anyone interested in attending our special parade is asked to contact us on 6378 1144 and let us know you’re coming. We are holding the parade in our beautiful outdoor area in one of our new Low Care Wings. Residents are decorating an archway, today, especially for the event.

Our information sessions every Friday at 2 pm are proving popular. Please come along and join us as we discuss a wide range of topics regarding Low Care entry and take a tour of our beautiful facility.

If you cannot come to an information session, please ring 6378 1144 and make an appointment to talk to me and see our new buildings.

Don’t forget that Pioneer House provides respite services, in addition to permanent residential aged are. Respite services are designed to provide respite for carers and assessed clients are entitled to 63 days of respite per financial year. It is a good idea to book a series of respite care over the twelve months to avoid a crisis and enable carers to have some “me” time on a regular basis. Twenty four hour care can be an exhausting business, so book now to avoid disappointment!

Phone 6378 1144 and book your low or high care respite.

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.6
We have many interactions with a large number of people at Pioneer House, including residents and their families.

This results in many touching moments, both for us and those with whom we come into contact.

Recently a newly bereaved gentleman, whose wife was a resident, visited us to chat, and kindly make a donation because that is what his wife would have wanted. He brought his dog, who had also been a daily visitor and who brought much joy to the resident herself, and many others at the same time.

Small interventions that we can put in place make such a difference to quality of life for residents and their families and we receive such lovely feedback when these things work.

For when your family member comes to Pioneer House, they become members of the Pioneer family, and, in turn, so do families and friends. We truly appreciate these interactions, as a way of betting knowing the resident and, hence providing better care.

It enables us to share in the joys and sorrows of residents and provide empathy and support to both residents and families.

We also provide support to dying residents and their families, both during the Palliative Care phase and afterwards, if families wish.

We are always looking at ways of supporting families who place a relative in our facility and are in the process of establishing a support group, which will offer interaction with others who have faced the same difficult decisions and issues.

We are still having our information sessions for interested people, every Friday at 2 pm, so come along.

We have LOW CARE VACANCIES, so please phone us on 6378 1144 and make an appointment to see us, today!

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.7
At Pioneer House we are always aware of the emotional cost of entering an Aged Care Facility, both for the new resident and their family members.

Sandy Duffy and I were discussing the establishment of a support group for family members and friends, to enable them to talk freely and provide peer support to one another.

Imagine our delight when a family member approached us the very next day wishing to set up such a group! We can see that this lady is committed to the establishment and running of this group, and she is perfect for the role. We are very excited to be able to offer this service to families of our residents, whether they are “new kids on the block” or “old hands” who can share their experiences and offer support.

Following is the publicity blurb for this new group:

“Aged Care/Dementia touches the lives of so many people and it can be very difficult for partners and relatives to deal with.

Pioneer House and some relatives of our residents are of the opinion that a support group would be helpful. Talking to others and offering support is a great way of learning how to cope with the situation. No-one has to deal with this alone.

If you have a family member in Pioneer House, come to our inaugural morning tea and chat session with others in the same situation as yourself.

The first morning tea will be held in the Meeting Room at Pioneer House on Monday 12th November at 10.30 am. Diana Newman, our CEO/DON will be our first guest speaker.

Everyone is more than welcome to attend.”

Pioneer House prides itself on “community caring for our aged” and we think this shows our commitment, not only to our residents, but to the wider community.

Remember our information sessions are continuing through the month of October – every Friday from 2 pm to 3 pm in the meeting room.

Vacancies still exist in our Low Care section. Contact Diana Newman on 6378 1144 for an appointment now!

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.8
One of the things a community based aged care facility needs to do is raise funds to provide additional items to improve the quality of life for our residents.

Pioneer House is always loyally supported by the people of Mudgee when we go on the fundraising trail.

Pioneer House Ladies Auxiliary supports our facility consistently and has done so for around 40 years. This wonderful band of 40 or so ladies dream up all sorts of fundraising ideas and they meet on a monthly basis (first Monday of each month) to discuss their plans and enjoy one another’s company. I never cease to be amazed by their energy and drive.

Our Board and staff also involve themselves in fundraising and we are holding a TRIVIA NIGHT on SATURDAY 10TH NOVEMBER at the Mudgee Bowling Club .

This will be a fun night, with lots of surprises and activities planned. There are prizes galore, donated by many generous businesses in Mudgee (there’s that great support, again!)

If you would like to join us, please phone 6378 1144 and speak to Loretta, to book your table of eight. Polish up your trivia knowledge and great prizes may be yours!

Our Marketing and Fundraising committee also put a great deal of effort into fundraising and use different avenues to raise funds for Pioneer House that are innovative and progressive.

It is an exciting time for us all, as our moving day gets closer. It will be strange to have our facility “back”, with no workmen on site, and no longer a sense of “camping”.

Please make an appointment with me to come and view our facility and consider a place at Pioneer House. Phone 6378 1144 today!!!!

Diana Newman
CEO/DON

No.9
Today, Monday 29th October, we will have our newly refurbished High Care facility handed over to us. It seems like forever that we have been waiting for this moment and excitement is high. Not only do our High Care Residents move back into a brand new home, but also we then start to admit our new Low Care Residents.

This is the beginning of a new phase for Pioneer House and one that we are looking forward to enormously.

This week we will be cleaning and preparing High Care for “the big move” on Tuesday 6th November (yes, Melbourne Cup day, I know, but Melbourne Cup celebrations will go ahead as planned, thanks to our brilliant activities staff and their helpers!)

Our kitchen and laundry move from their temporary quarters, to their brand new permanent spots on Wednesday 31st October. Meals on Wheels have been fabulous about out-sourcing meals for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so thank you to all of you at Meals on Wheels.

Once high care is all prepared, residents will move. Then we will spend 3 days cleaning and touching up paint work in Low Care and installing our beautiful new furniture, ready for our new Low Care Residents. We start admitting new residents on Friday 9th November and will take ten days or so, to gradually welcome new residents.

We have a hectic and exciting couple of weeks ahead. We are so proud of our lovely new facility and urge Mudgee residents, who are eligible to contact me about a place in our Low Care Facility. Places are filling very fast, so don’t wait, enquire now.

Phone me on 6378 1144 and make an appointment today to book your place. Don’t forget, Dementia specific places are available in Low Care.

Our “housewarming party” will be held on a date to be advised, but we will have an “Open Day” on Saturday 10th November 2007 between 2pm and 4pm. Regular tours will be conducted.

Diana Newman
CEO/DON