News

Keeping in contact with loved ones in aged care during the coronavirus

In times like these, our days might feel a bit more stressed and anxious. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by everything on the news and get swept into a rabbit hole of COVID-19 news and speculation.

So, it is important to stop, take a breath and connect with the people we hold dear. Our friends and family are an essential support network that we can rely on.

But with aged care, this situation becomes more difficult. Older Australians are more at risk and need a high level of risk management and care. Physical contact is now being limited to stop the spread of coronavirus. Twilight Aged Care, and other aged care facilities around Australia, are locking down our homes to protect vulnerable residents from the risk of coronavirus.

So, this means we will have to connect with elderly loved ones in new ways. Luckily, there are some simple alternatives and tips for doing this.

Common alternatives to visiting:

• Skyping or Facetiming relatives is a wonderful way to keep in contact without any risks to health. Both Skype and Facebook are free applications that are easy to use, and some aged care facilities (Twilight Aged Care included) are organizing to keep families in contact with each other through these digital services. If you would prefer to use another application, contact our home and we will accommodate the request.
• Calling or texting is also an acceptable way to message your loved one and make sure that they are feeling alright in these trying times. This is also a method that isn’t affected by a poor internet signal (from everyone in the area working from home at once!)

Digital tips for talking to loved ones in aged care:

• Time this like a regular visit. Set aside the time you would usually allot when visiting them in aged care.
• Follow the usual pattern of conversation that you would use when chatting. If you usually start chatting by talking about what you had for lunch, start this one the same way. Your loved one may have become accustomed to this style of conversation. Keeping patterns will prevent confusion (especially for residents who have trouble conversing) and will create a comfortable feeling of familiarity
• Fill people in on recent events. Call or Skype in after family events and during birthdays. It’s the little things that make us feel included and less isolated
• Talking to loved ones with dementia is complicated even in an ordinary situation, we have some advice for that here.

Getting in contact:

People who want to get in contact, schedule weekly online chats, or explore communication options with relatives and friends at Twilight Aged Care can do so here. Call the our home to get in contact with our Concierge.

• Glades Bay Gardens tel. 9817 0722
• Glengarry tel. 9969 0907
• Horton House tel. 8886 2100
• Hunters Hill Village tel. 9816 1239

Our new Concierge will work directly with friends and families to assist you with your technology needs. If you wish to discuss this further, please speak with our Facility Managers.

Follow us on Facebook for more updates

A lot happens to our loved ones after being diagnosed with dementia.  
Difficulties in tasks and communicating trickles into every aspect of their lives, including the ability to hold ordinary, every-day conversations. You might find it harder to communicate to your loved ones, who can lose focus partway through talking to you or become confused easily. Even normal chatter can be impacted. This is a heartbreaking thing to experience. Especially since conversations are an important part of preserving our relationships with people.  

Yet there are tips to help create a positive conversational experience. This is a short guide to help you have engaging and encouraging conversations with those living with dementia. Giving them a more active role in the conversation, and socially stimulating people; an essential part of slowing the symptoms of dementia.  

1. Before Talking.   

Before even engaging with someone who is living with dementia – look at the room. Take note if there is anything distracting in the area, like a television or a radio turned on. Objects that will make too much noise. Turn these off or remove them from the area. 

Consider the time as well. Ask yourself if you have enough time to spare for the conversation. Is it near lunchtime? And if so, would the person you’re about to talk to be hungry or thirsty without realising it? This could make them irritable or tired when you talk to them and spoil any attempts at conversing. If either one is lacking, maybe it would be best to have a shorter conversation.  

2. Correct body language. 

Ensuring that your body language is engaged and direct is important. Physically turn so you are facing them and maintain direct eye contact – this will all make sure that you look like you are giving them your full attention. Sometimes, if they are distracted, a light touch on the shoulder can get their attention. However, only do this if you are familiar with them and confident that this physical contact will not be confronting.  

Make sure that you have a light and happy facial expression. Smiling will help reassure and calm the person you are talking to, especially if they become frustrated during the conversation.  

3. Tips for talking with someone with dementia 

One-on-one conversations are usually best when talking to a loved one with dementia. This will ensure that you have a greater chance of capturing their attention and ensuring that the conversation is manageable and understandable with time to respond. 

If you have a group conversation instead, the discussion may become complicated and hard for them to follow. Don’t put too much pressure on them to keep up with the conversation topics and ensure that you engage them every now and again. 

Talk about the things that you know they are interested in. Talk about their hobbies, and stories about their younger years – this can help to bring back happy memories and create a more engaging and cheerful conversation. Ask them the story about a photo in the room or a treasured object, the visual cue can help them orientate the chat and stimulate a pleasant memory.  

Using non-verbal cues like pointing or acting out ideas can help get conversation points across and simplify talking points. If you are prepared, you could bring along a photo album to stimulate conversation or a familiar toy from earlier years. However, common objects in the room can serve a similar purpose.  

Speak clearly and slowly, with pauses at the end of sentences so that your loved one can fully process what you are saying. Do not raise your voice or yell at them if you think they are being slow to respond, sometimes they may need time to think about a reply. 

Using closed-ended questions is also better for engagement. For example, asking someone, “would you like a cheese sandwich for lunch?” is better than asking, “what do you want for lunch?”. The simpler version of the question makes it easier to engage with a person living with dementia who may find the latter question too open-ended and complex.  

4. Things to avoid doing. 

Avoid using the discussion as a test of how far spread their dementia is. This will put pressure on the performance of the conversation and create tension that they will be able to feel. This is a chat and not an interrogation. 

Realise that there will be good and bad days when talking to a loved one with dementia. Sometimes they not be very responsive or engaged with the conversation, and there is nothing you can do about that.  

Stick to one idea at a time when talking, and if you are discussing a complex topic, talk about it in smaller segments. Maybe try using the names of places and people instead of pronouns like “he” and “she” to clarify things better. Avoid using slang or turns of phrase. People who are living with dementia tend to regard these are literal and become confused. 

It is also important that you refrain from correcting them if they get a fact or remember something wrong. Instead, use this to engage with them. For example, instead of saying “You stopped working at the hospital years ago, remember?” engage and say, “Tell me more about your work”. Correcting them may result in your loved one becoming further confused or frustrated with the conversation, and the aim is to retain a light and encouraging talk. 

If you want more information on communicating with someone living with dementia, Alzheimer’s Society is a great source.

No one would believe that Lola is 90 years old. She has great energy and a lively, welcoming personality.

Which is why being diagnosed with macular degeneration was such a disruption to her lifestyle. Her fading eyesight meant that she had trouble living by herself, reading phone books and following recipes. She also found that maintaining her four-bedroom house was getting harder and harder.

In this time of difficulty Lola left her home and moved into the independent living units which are part of Twilight’s Hunters Hill Village. These are self-contained full size apartments operated by Twilight Aged Care that allow residents a free and easy style of living.

Lola Voss’s move to Hunters Hill is part of a growing trend of older Australians ‘downsizing’. Where people are finding their houses are too large to maintain or do not suit their lifestyle anymore, they move ‘down’ into smaller and more manageable homes without the maintenance. With Sydney’s expensive property market, selling and downsizing is a financially viable option. According to Real Estate View Australia, there is a “growing trend seeing Australians aged 50-59 selling their large, family sized homes to move into smaller, more luxurious dwellings in more desirable areas”.

Lola says that moving to a smaller home was not a financial decision, but an aspirational choice. She feels more independent in her new home. The apartment does not need the vast amount of upkeep that her four-bedroom home required and now she has more time to do what she wants. She can cook for herself, go shopping with her daughter-in-law, and relax listening to Talkback radio.

“Twilight really looks after you”, Lola says. It is easy for her to arrange for the on-site kitchen to provide a meal when she feels tired. There are personal alarms available for immediate attention. Staffs often do routine checks on the condition of the unit, making sure that appliances are functional, and residents are comfortable. And there is more to look forward to as Hunters Hill Village is building a new cafe on its grounds. This will give Lola the opportunity to grab a coffee in the morning and have a community space on her doorstep to meet with friends and family.

If you have friends, family or neighbours that want to know more about the Hunters Hill Village Retirement Living have questions or would like to arrange a tour, please call Helene Francois on 0404 805 865.

Twilight Aged Care’s own residents were behind the success of the company’s 2nd Annual Art Exhibition and Cocktail Party. The exhibition displayed a large collection of works include oil paintings and smaller watercolours that were auctioned off silently during the night. Gregory and Carr kindly donated the raffle prizes on the night. All of the proceeds from the evening went to support creative programs and art therapy held for those living in the residential homes. The exhibition itself solely featured art from the Twilight community, including those living at Hunters Hill and Horton House. The residents hosted and organised the event, and raised $3,730 – the most successful art auction yet!

Liz Matthews, a resident at Glades Bay Gardens and one of the Art Committee members, spoke on the evening. Liz said that she, “always looked forward to it every morning”. The morning art therapy program provides a place of self-expression for the residents as well as providing an opportunity to challenge them cognitively and technically.

Numerous members of the local community attended the night, as well as friends and families of the residents. It created a great community atmosphere with volunteers from local schools and as well as students from the University of NSW coming in and supporting the event.

According to Julianne Walker, Twilight’s volunteer and project coordinator, the annual art exhibition brought the Twilight family together. The exhibition was the combined efforts of all the Twilight homes, so it provided a “sense of community” for everyone involved.

Select artworks from the exhibition are now proudly decorating the homes in a permanent in-house collection.

We look forward to seeing where this exhibition will go in 2020!

With over half of the residential aged care population living with dementia, Twilight Aged Care is fighting back and building support for cognitive therapy with their 2019 Art Exhibition.

The 2019 Art Exhibition and Cocktail Party will be featuring canvas paintings from aged care residents from across the Twilight Aged Care homes, some of whom themselves, are living with dementia. The event aims to raise donations and display the artistic prowess of the North Sydney Residents.

The event will include catering, raffles, and live music on the night, with a chance to talk to the artists and purchase paintings.

This is the 2^nd Annual Exhibition following the success of last year’s art show. Artworks this year will be more diverse in style and size and include large scale oil paintings, watercolours, smaller acrylic pieces, and even gold leaf.

Julianne Walker, the volunteer coordinator, and event organiser, says that community support for the art program is very important. These events help show support for older Australians and aged care residents living with dementia.

Julianne says, “Art Therapy sessions have countless benefits for older Australians. It allows the expression of complex thoughts and emotions, helps alleviate anxiety and depression, improves motor skills and cognitive functioning, and reduces social isolation”.

Dementia is currently the single largest cause of disability for Australian’s over 65 years old, and is a serious threat to the older Australian population, a large majority of this who live in aged care. Art therapy participants are technically stimulated during the program, which helps in slowing down the symptoms of dementia and cognitive decline.

The exhibition is being held on the 29^{th of} October at 16 Punt Rd, Gladesville 6 pm-8 pm.

Tom’s 100^th Birthday never stops!

After being visited by his fellow Navy officers, Glades Bay Gardens threw an afternoon treat for him last Friday.

It was a wonderful event, with family and friends visiting as well. Ramina, and the Glades Bay Gardens cooks, were in the kitchen at 5 o’clock in the morning getting ready for the celebration. And Julianne lost count of the number of balloons she had blown up.

Sai, our facility manager, gave a small speech about Tom’s life in the military and his life now as a kind and engaging presence within the Glades Bay community.

Special highlights included Ramina’s delectable blueberry cake and the mini curry puffs.

Happy Birthday, Tom.