Care home update

Radius Matua Update: 15 May 2020

Our first 2 days of visitation have gone off pretty well. Our fantastic team has managed over 55 visits yesterday and today. Thank you again for those who have been very cooperative with our rules during this time (particularly around the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment).

Labels on clothing:

We can now order labels for your families’ clothes and have a contractor who can sew them on for you for a small cost. If you would like to do so, please contact Laurence by email  to order labels and/or have them sewn on.

Activities:

The activities team in Radius Matua is a great example of cultural diversity. We have a Czech Mate, an English Rose, a Southern Belle, a South African Queen and finally 1 “lonely” Kiwi delivering activities to the residents of Radius Matua.

I thought this was a great opportunity to help our resident’s families to know a little about our activities team. This team that has been putting in such amazing work, not only during lockdown but also during the rest of the year.

Radius Matua Activities Team:

Sam – our English Rose is from Wolverhampton and moved to New Zealand on Auckland Anniversary day in 2007 with her family. She is a dental assistant by trade but nowadays prefers to have fun with our residents, and she does an amazing job. In her spare time, she loves to walk her two dogs and is learning to play electric guitar.

Heather – our Southern Belle is from Florida, USA. She moved to NZ in December 2009. She has a university degree in Leisure Services and Studies, so in her early life she worked in a similar role but mainly with children and youth. She decided that the children were too darn noisy, so she decided to follow the quieter path and work with the elderly generation.

Karin – our South African Queen is from George on the Garden Route in South Africa. She moved to NZ in 1994 after a stint in Canada. Karin was, and actually still is a magazine editor and in her spare time, she officiates wedding and funerals. She loves spending time with our residents and learning about their lives.

Klara – Czech Mate is from Ostrov in the Czech Republic, she arrived in New Zealand (permanently) on 11.11.2011 at 11pm. She is probably the loudest member of our team and as a former teacher and tour guide, she keeps a beady eye on all her “charges” and there isn’t much she doesn’t know. She also runs quizzes at the local pub and during her spare time helps her husband with his photography business.

Our “lonely” kiwi Charmaine is from Auckland who moved to Tauranga as a teenager. In her own words, she is a saint and she has never caused a problem in her life. Yeah right!!! … but she is great with the residents and will spend her days making their days happy and filled with fun, songs and nonsense. During the lockdown, Charmaine became a nana for the 10th time! She is looking forward to cuddles with grandbaby number 10 and number 11, which is due in May.

Kitchen Manager:

It is sad to finish on a low note but our fantastic kitchen Manager, Diana Cook, has handed in her resignation after over 19 years with Radius Matua and Matua Lifecare. I cannot speak more highly of her work and the manner in which she has run the kitchen. Diana has always had the

resident’s best interest at heart and the amazing teamwork and commitment (particularly for our restaurant themed dinners) could not be better. I will be very sorry to see her go but understand she wishes to reduce her workload over the next few years leading into retirement. Thank you Diana for everything you have done. Diana’s last day will be 29 May.

It has been an interesting and busy week, thanks to all my staff for their hard work in all areas of our facility.

I have met some of these ladies and they are all wonderful people.
Meanwhile back in Aus, yesterday I visited Belinda at her home and dropped off 11 quilts for the oncology ward,

Belinda modelled a few

She was very happy to get them. 

I had a thank you from a patient yesterday, she said treatment can take 4 to 7 hours and over a period of time they can get very cold, so a quilt is just what they need.

I also had happy mail yesterday, Susan very kindly sent me two quilt tops

for oncology quilts, aren't they beautiful colours?

And then today I had happy mail from Ingrid, and these fabrics were included, they are perfect for backing for the tops sent by Susan, How is that for the universe providing!! Thank you both very much.

I have finished another little section on my #sewalittlehappinesseveryday sampler, there are so many of these beautiful pieces of work coming together over at Instagram.

I have also started knitting a shawl with the lovely wool I received last week from the Great Ocean Road Woollen Mill. 

Our weather has changed today, a cool change is coming rain tonight and for the next few days. It will be good sewing weather no more being tempted to sit our in the sun!

Happy stitching.