HOROWHENUA MASONIC VILLAGE
FEBRUARY 2016 ISSUE NO 91
VILLAGE MANAGER
As I write this report the rain has just started to fall outside. Although
it may not come to anything it is very welcome after three or four
weeks of very hot and dry weather. It has been lovely weather to
enjoy outside activities but not easy if you are working or unable to
find a cool spot. It has been nice to see the outside tables being
used at the café and the new umbrellas have been very welcome.
Christmas seems a long time ago but as I reflect back I think it was
one of the better Christmas‟s we have had in the village. Christmas day was a really
nice celebration in the care facility and the staff did a wonderful job making this day
special. We had lots of activities both in the care facility and the village in the lead up
to Christmas and we have received a lot of positive feedback from residents and staff
about how much they have enjoyed these.
We have a new volunteer driver, Merv Johnson, who has very kindly offered to drive
the van to town on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday runs and to drive the van for
the village monthly outings.
We are fare welling Chris Burling our receptionist this week. Chris has been with us
for 10 years and she has become very well known to many of you through her work
in reception and with the shop. We wish Chris all the very best for her new job and
thank her very much for everything she has contributed to the Horowhenua Masonic
Village.
Chris has been an integral part of our “Relay for Life” team and has been the
“Queen” of raffles always putting together fantastic prizes. Once again this group is
gearing up to participate in the relay which is on the weekend of March 12 th and 13th.
Last weekend they held a garage sale with the proceeds going to the Cancer
Society. The team are still accepting donations and these can be made at Reception.
I have much pleasure in announcing that Barry Buck was elected at the Trust Board
Annual General Meeting to our Board and has already attended his first meeting.
Barry is a Mason and a local business owner and many of you will know him from
Buck B G Ltd. He succeeds Tony Ancell who retired from the Board last year. We
already have a good working relationship with Barry through the local lodge and with
Mary, his wife, who is a great volunteer in the village. We are very pleased to have
local representation on the Board and look forward to working more closely with
Barry.
We have recently moved one of our computers for residents, from the gym in Unit 3
to the library. This enables residents to be able to use a computer when the
Community Activity Programme is running in the gym. Next month the Community
Activity Programme will be run over 5 days instead of the 3 days at present.
I would like to congratulate our Clinical Nurse Manager, Glenys Rumsey, and
Registered Nurse, Cherie Bailey who have both recently completed their level 3
Professional Development and Recognition Programme (PDRP) with Mid Central
Health. This is a major achievement and requires a high level of skill and a lot of hard
work to achieve. Well done.
Earlier this month we adopted “Nicson”, a beautiful tabby cat from the SPCA. He is
past the kitten stage and has surprised us all in how quickly he has settled into life at
the “Masonic”. Nicson has a great nature and loves food and affection. He worked
out very quickly that his new home was a pretty good place to be. We have all
missed Mason, who passed away last year and it is really nice to have a cat around
again.
Sue Maney
Village Manager
Mary & Barry Buck
Nicson
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HEALTH INFORMATION
Health information by Sylvia Meijer, Nurse Practitioner
FATIGUE
It is not uncommon to feels tired now and then. Sometimes, you may just want to
stay in bed. But, after a good night‟s sleep, most people feel refreshed and ready to
face a new day. If you continue to feel tired for weeks, it‟s time to a health
professional to help you find out what‟s causing your fatigue and suggest ways to
remedy your fatigue.
Fatigue or exhaustion is a common clinical complaint among older people for which
multiple definitions exist. Fatigue is often a symptom of underlying illness. In the
absence of overt medical conditions that could explain fatigue, it is likely that multiple
factors may play a role, such a stress, low immune system or infections.
SOME ILLNESSES CAUSE FATIGUE
Feeling fatigued may be the first sign that something is wrong. But, fatigue itself is
not a disease. For example, many older people living with chronic health conditions
may feel fatigued from the disease or treatments, or both. Many health conditions
and treatments can add to fatigue. These include:
 Taking certain medications, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and
medicines for pain and nausea
 Having medical treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation
 Recovering from surgery or injury
WHAT ROLE DO EMOTIONS PLAY
Worrying about your health and emotional worries can take a toll on your health.
Fatigue can be linked to many emotions, including:
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Grief from loss of family, friends, or home of many years
 Stress from financial or personal problems
 Feeling that you no longer have control over your life
Exercise or other physical activity may help relieve problems.
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PERSONAL HABITS
Some people have lifestyle habits that deplete energy. For example:
 Staying up too late. A good night‟s sleep is important to feeling refreshed and
energetic. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
 Having too much caffeine. caffeinated drinks like soda, tea, or coffee late in
the day, can keep you from having a good night‟s sleep. Limit the amount of
caffeine during the day and have non-caffeinated drinks in the evening.
 Drinking too much alcohol. Alcohol changes the way you think and act. It
may also interact with your medical treatments. Be careful with the amount you
drink.
 Eating junk food. empty calories like chips and cookies can drain your
energy, nutritious food helps to have the energy to do the things you enjoy
 Boredom can also make you feel fatigued. When you wake up in the morning,
you may see long days stretching before you with nothing planned. Think
about what interests you and what you have to offer.
A Special Kind Of Fatigue
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a special condition that
typically involves fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer and is
not related to other diseases or conditions. The symptoms of
CFS can include muscle pain, memory problems, headaches,
and tender lymph nodes. CFS usually occurs in older people
and affects more women than men. It can last for years and
may change every part of your life.
If you‟ve been tired for several weeks, it may be time to call your healthcare provider.
They may ask questions about your sleep, daily activities, appetite, and exercise and
will likely give you a physical exam and order lab tests.
Your treatment will be based on your history and the results of your exam and lab
tests. If medications are prescribed, they may target underlying health problems. You
may be advised to eat a healthy and varied diet and do gentle exercises.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
 There are many lifestyle changes you can make that will help you get the most out
of life. You may already do some of these, but suggestions include:

Keep a fatigue diary so you can pinpoint certain times of the day or situations that
make you feel more or less tired

Exercise regularly. Moderate exercise may improve your appetite, energy, and
outlook.
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Some people find that exercises combining balance and breathing (for example tai
chi and yoga improve their energy



Try to avoid long naps that can leave you feeling groggy in the middle of the day
and may make it harder to fall asleep at night
Stop smoking. Smoking is linked to many diseases and disorders
Some people have so much to do that just thinking about it can make them feel
tired. If you feel swamped, ask for help.
Sources:
National institute on ageing.
US National advisory council on ageing
FROM THE RESIDENTS COMMITTEE
I can‟t believe that March is on the horizon which means that Autumn is on its way.
But what a wonderful summer we have had.
Our last „Happy Hour‟ was outside on the verandah at the
Café, hopefully the weather will last so that we can get at
least one more evening outside. As many of the
residents are still able to get away and be with family
there were not quite as many able to attend as usual but
those taking advantage of the weather thoroughly
enjoyed themselves.
Before Christmas we were very fortunate to be taken to Waikawa Beach to begin our
tour of the amazing Christmas lights.
Our monthly film afternoons continue to be a great success as do our activities such
as housie, rummy club, arts & crafts etc. We are, at the moment, trying to tempt
someone to restart our indoor bowls which has lapsed due to lack of a leader.
The year has started will and hopefully can only improve.
I think the following probably applies to us all and will leave you with a smile ………
„The Minister called to see me the other day. He said that at my age I should be
thinking about the hereafter. I told him “I do, I do”, No matter where I am – in the
parlour, upstairs, in the kitchen or in the basement, I ask myself
“What am I hereafter?”.
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DIVERSIONAL THERAPIST
I seem to remember writing in October that I was waiting impatiently for the warmer
weather to arrive…. Well it has arrived … and how!!!. We have had 18 straight days
without rain and temperatures into the high twenties. I hope you are all managing to
stay reasonably cool and get some decent sleep at night.
All the festivities of the
Christmas period have
come and gone and we
have been having a much
more quiet time in the
facility. We had some
lovely festive occasions so
thought I would just reflect
on a few.
Just prior to Christmas we had several trips out
to see the Christmas lights, how beautiful they
were, and what a lot of trouble some people go
to, to bring pleasure to so many people.
We saw this beautiful
big Christmas tree at Waikawa beach.
One of our staff members, Gail Angove, lives in Waikawa
Beach and she waited for us to arrive each night, all dressed
up and bearing gifts of the yummy variety. It made our
outings so much more special. Thank you Gail.
A kapa haka group came and gave us a rousing
concert of song and dance. Thanks to Carolyn in
our Leisure Centre café for organising all those
young adults to get to us.
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We had our regular Carol service
again this year. This is always a very
special night, with Alan Smith leading
the service and Rona on the piano.
This year the staff led a very tuneful
rendition of “the twelve days of
Christmas” with big cards to help us
all remember where we were up to.
Thanks Jill for preparing that, it was
lots of fun. This was followed by a
lovely supper together.
The wonderful care staff and kitchen staff go to a lot of trouble to make Christmas
day something special for our residents. There was a Christmas service in the
Chapel (thank you Mary Buck), Father Christmas came (thank you John) and our
Manager Sue helped pour some Christmas cheer for everyone.
Our sunflowers, pumpkins and potatoes are growing as we watch them!
The potatoes will be donated to the Food
bank when we have finished the
competition.
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The sunflowers are so tall and one has a
huge flower head so hopefully we will win
some of the prizes in the combined rest
homes competition coming up shortly.
We are very happy to see our many regular volunteers, entertainers and visitors
return after the Christmas / New Year period.
With the lovely summer weather we have started our fish and chip lunches at Foxton
again. The residents enjoy this outing as do the seagulls who wait for all the
leftovers.
Kind regards
Barbra, Jill, Ann and Tui
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EASTER SERVICE
There will be an Easter Service
in the MacDonnell Chapel on
Good Friday March 25
at 10.30am
All Welcome
February 2016
01st Beverley Want
04th Michael Trew
04th Vera Donald
21st Richard Biggs
25th Mavis Buckingham
March 2016
03rd Dot Byers
07th George Paton
10th Tom Moyes
16th Ken Stevenson
19th Jillian Perie
23rd Stuart Green
27th Betty Giles
WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE
We have some new people in the village and we
would like to extend them a very warm Welcome
Ate & Maria Sjollema
Ken Stevenson
George Paton
Joy Graham
Ruth Sanders
Margaret Mordecai
Joyce Field
Irene Walker
Arthur Reade
OBITUARIES
Our sincere condolences go out to the families
and friends of the following Residents. They have
all been a special part of our family at the Masonic
and are a great loss to us all.
Margaret Herlihy
Ngaroa Wehipeihana
Don Dudley
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Meg Patten
Margaret Stedman
Nola Corbett
NOTICE OF SCAM
Elderly people in Canterbury are being targeted by con artists involved in an
elaborate scam.
Con artists have preyed on at least one retirement village as part of an elaborate
scam targeting the elderly. It‟s understood complaints about the scam, which has
prompted a police investigation, first surfaced in Canterbury
more than two months ago. A warning ws circulated among
members of the Retirement Villages Association in November.
At least one retirement village resident has fallen victim.
Scammers targeting the elderly in Christchurch have been
passing off NZ Post Prezzy cards as bank debit cards. (Similar to the ones pictured)
Police, who have received at least a dozen similar complaints, have not yet arrested
anyone.
The scam involves a man pitching a bogus story, often about an unpaid electricity
bill, over the phone to try to convince a person that there is a fault with their bank
debit card. A woman visits the victim‟s home and asks for the card and provides a
replacement, which is actually a NZ Post Prezzy card. The thieves use the victim‟s
bank card to go on a shopping spree.
The scam‟s latest victim, a 94 year old woman, who lives alone in south
Christchurch, was convinced to hand over her bank debit card on Sunday evening.
Over the next 13 hours it was used at locations across the sity, including several
supermarkets and service stations, Christchurch Casino and a money exchange at
the Christchurch International Airport. The thieves stole nearly $20,000. It is unclear
whether the victim will get any of the money back.
About a fortnight ago, a sight-impaired elderly person lost their life savings – about
$10,000 – in almost identical circumstances.
Retirement Villages Association executive director John Collyns said he was
concerned about the scam and it was not the first time the elderly, who were often
too trusting, had been targeted.
“There are some criminals out there that prey on the aged and find it is quite a
profitable exercise. We do have concerns and we do keep our residents up to date
with what‟s happening”.
In November Detective Sergeant Jennifer Hooke said the police had received 11
separate reports about a scam using a similar method. Elderly residents in several
areas had been targeted. Police are following a positive line of inquiry into this
matter and the investigation was ongoing.
The elderly had been urged to be vigilant. If anyone phoned or cold-called with a
similar story they should note their name and phone number and contact police. “No
reputable company will visit your home to exchange bank cards or phone you to ask
you for PIN numbers or any other personal information”.
Anyone with information should contact police or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Masonic Newsletter Page 10
In the Leisure Centre
ACTIVITY
HOUSIE (Leisure Centre)
COFFEE AT
THE CAFÉ
CRAFT CLASSES
RUMMY-O
INDOOR BOWLS
DARTS
OUTDOOR BOWLS
EXERCISES
HAPPY HOUR
CAFÉ
FREQUENCY
Weekly
Wednesday
$3 Tea/Coffee
Muffin/Scone
Weekly
Weekly
DAY
Tuesday
FROM
1.00pm
Wednesday
10.00am
TO
Wednesday
1.30pm
Wednesday
1.30pm
4.00pm
Monday
2.00pm
4.30pm
Weekly
Thursday
2.00pm
4.30pm
Weekly
Thursday
10.00am
Weekly
Thursday
10.30am
Tuesday
Weekly
9.00am 9.30am
Saturday
Last Friday of the Month
4.00pm 5.00pm
Open Sunday-Friday10.00am - 2.00pm
Phone Bookings 367 3509
MAIL DELIVERY
We have been having some on-going issues with the mail
deliveries within the Village. As we only get mail delivered
every second day now and we don‟t have the same
„postie‟ everyday, things do go astray. We would ask
those residents in the Village (eg Flats & Villas) to make sure that their delivery
address includes the word Flat or Villa as well as the number (Flat 2/Villa 31).
To those residents that live within the Care Facility we ask that you only put the
street address (eg 685 Queen Street East, Levin) for your delivery. The staff who
collate the mail when it arrives know where each resident lives so room numbers are
not needed and sometimes the „postie‟ mistakes these numbers for Flat or Villa
numbers.
Thank you all for your assistance with this.
Masonic Newsletter Page 11
In the Main Home:
ACTIVITY
EXERCISES
SCRABBLE
RUMMY-O
QUEEN ST
CHAPEL
MUSIC
HOBBIES & CHAT
HOUSIE
DAY
Monday
Wednesday
Monday
Monday
Sunday
LOCATION
Main Lounge
Main Lounge
Main Lounge
Main Lounge
Main Lounge
FROM
11.00am
11.00am
2.00pm
3.00pm
9.30am
2nd Wednesday
Main Lounge
2.00pm
TO
11.25am
11.25am
4.00pm
4.15pm
11.00am
Friday
Main Lounge
2.00pm
See Weekly Programme
Friday
Main Lounge
10.30am
11.30am
Monday
Main Lounge
2.00pm
3.00pm
Thursday
Main Lounge
10.30am
11.30am
Please refer to Notice Boards for the
Full Weekly Programme.
All Residents of the Care Facility are invited to participate in the activities.
SERVICE
VILLAGE
CHURCH
SERVICE
ANGLICAN
COMMUNION
LIBRARY
VILLAGE SHOP
HAIRDRESSER
DRY CLEANING
DAY
LOCATION
FROM
Sunday
MacDonnell
Chapel
3.30pm
TO
MacDonnell
ALL
10.30am
Chapel
Welcome
Wednesday
Library
3.30pm
4.00pm
For Levin Public Library Books
Monday-Friday
Reception
10.00am
Midday
Monday pm
Unit 2
Appointment
Tuesday am
Wing 2
Necessary
Friday am
Hairdresser
Ext 213
The Drycleaners will uplift and deliver from Reception for
all Village Residents. All Drycleaning to be pre-paid.
3rd Wednesday
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We are requesting that ALL residents‟ clothes be labeled as
we have several bags of clothing with no names on.
If you have any articles of clothing missing
please talk to the Charge Nurse.
REMINDER:
It is very important that
all care Resident‟s clothing is named so
that it does not get lost in our laundry.
Don‟t forget to name new clothes
purchased during the year.
For Sew on labels Contact
Cherry Pie Bernina in Levin
PO Box 514 Levin
Phone 368 3680
Minimum order 3 dozen but for a new
resident Cherry Pie suggests purchasing
at least 5 dozen
Cost
3 dozen
$26.00
4 dozen
$29.60
5 dozen
$32.60
The labels take approximately 1 week after ordering and pre-payment
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VILLAGE CHURCH SERVICES
Village Church Service Roster
3.30pm in the MacDonnell Chapel
Services now run by 7 Teams, which are as follows:Team 1 – Salvation Army
Team 2 – Christensen
Team 3 – Trail
Team 4 – Salvation Army
Team 5 – Garratt
Team 6
Team 7 – Trail
March 2016
06th Team 3
13th Team 4
20th Team 5
27th Team 6
April 2016
03rd Team 7
10th Team 1
17th Team 2
24th Team 3
VILLAGE BUS TIMETABLE
Day
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Garden of York
FRIDAY
Bus
Village
Village
Depart
9.30am
9.30am
Village
11.45am
Village
9.30am
Return
11.30am
11.30am
11.30am
Gold Coin Fee each way.
Departs from the Care Facility Foyer, and then motors around the Villas before
departing from the Village. Please phone the Office if you wish to be picked up at
your Villa.
Drops off at the Post Office and Farmers.
Picks up at the side entrance of Te Takere, Bath Street
Wednesday Trips to Garden of York Leave from the Care Facility Foyer
Please Note: The Village Bus DOES NOT run on Public Holidays
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