The newly refurbished Trinder Park Home Care Centre now offers day respite services through Commonwealth Home Support and through Home Care packages. You can come and check out the new offerings on Wednesday December 6, between 10am and 2pm.

Home Care Manager Deb Johnson said the new space, which is located on the Trinder Park Aged Care & Retirement Living campus at Woodridge, was a positive and homely environment.

“We have created a Zen garden where clients can sit and enjoy a relaxing waterfall and pond with fish, and enjoy the peace and serenity of the area,” she said.

“Other new features include a gardening space for those clients who have a green thumb.

“Best of all we now have a ‘one stop shop’ for all allied health requirements, including occupational therapy and physiotherapy podiatry and social work”

New programs such as exercise sessions focusing on strength and balance were growing in popularity, Deb said.

Next year there are plans to expand services to outings including lunches and craft/art therapy groups.

The services are open to people aged over 65 who are eligible for the Commonwealth Home Support Program or Home Care Packages.

Chat to Deb and the team about your eligibility on 07 3387 4929.

Meet the marvellous Lucy. She is a Tabeel Home Care client and recently celebrated a milestone birthday. Lucy’s secrects to a long life are: “True love, chocolate, wine, brandy and having your family by your side.” That advice must be good because the radiant Lucy does not look 100! Best wishes on your 100th birthday!

Between COVID lockdowns and the floods that devastated South East Queensland, it’s been a very challenging time for all of us.

Our staff have gone above and beyond to ensure our clients and residents have felt safe, supported and comfortable during the last few months.

We celebrate our staff and the commitment they’ve shown.

Every staff member will receive a special gift pack full of goodies, including some lovely baked treats made and packed by Lutheran Youth Queensland.

Thank you to all our wonderful staff! We couldn’t do it without you.

Church St in Boonah sure looks brighter with some vibrant new signage to welcome the opening of the new Teviot Home Care office.

Come and join us for a sausage sizzle and Home Care information day on November 5!

Register your interest and find out more details with Renee.noe@lutheranservices.org.au

To celebrate National Carers’ Week, Salem Aged Care in Toowoomba pulled out all the stops to show just how loved our carers are!

Not only were notes of appreciation placed all over the grounds, there was free coffee, massages and a raffle with prizes donated from staff and suppliers.

To top it all off, staff dressed up in sparkles – just to show how much sparkle they put into our lives!

Hay Hay! The Kalbar Country Day is approaching and Teviot Villas resident Margaret is sewing up a storm for a market stall.

The Boonah resident says the most popular items are the insulated microwave bowl holders (pictured with Margaret) and trivets in the pattern of fruit flans.

All the items are meticulously sewn using beautiful materials. Kalbar Country Day is Saturday 16 October.

Audience members felt the emotion during the uplifting performance of If Only I Could… at Laidley Cultural Centre earlier this month.

It was a labour of love for director Angela Chaplin, who worked closely with professional dancers and Lutheran Services residents for three years to bring this unique story to life.

Here, we take you through the journey, from rehearsals all the way to curtains-up.

Bishop Paul Smith shares his joyous Christmas message!

www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1790100081149352

We are delighted to introduce our newest chaplain Marie Thomas who will soon be installed as a permanent part-time chaplain at Trinder Park Retirement Living and Aged Care in Woodridge.

Marie has completed her year’s onboarding and is now offering our residents spiritual support and pastoral care.

We would like to take this time to thank all of our chaplains at each of our aged care services and our volunteer hospital chaplains for their devoted work in making a considerable difference to people’s lives.

You can find more information on our Lutheran Chaplaincy here: https://www.lutheranservices.org.au/chaplaincy

In 2019, Lutheran Services embarked on an exciting intergenerational initiative to bring together elder citizens and young children in the community – ‘to spend time together and share moments of joy and wonder’. The project was aptly named ‘Moving Moments’.

With financial support from the Australian Health Department’s Commonwealth Home Support Program, a pilot project began in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast – involving children from Immanuel Early Learning Centre and residents of Immanuel Gardens Retirement Living.

The pre-schoolers and elders would come together to take part in a range of fun activities, after which the grown-ups could enjoy lunch together. The pilot project was designed to explore the potential health and wellbeing benefits for seniors.

As David Gerrand from the Lutheran Services Creative Engagement Team explains, there’s much more to Moving Moments than just fun and games.

“The Sunshine Coast is home to more than 70,000 people aged over 70. Many seniors report feeling isolated due to factors such as reduced mobility, no longer driving and loved ones moving away or simply being too busy.”

David sees Moving Moments has two broad aims.

“Firstly, to bring joy and connection for seniors who may feel isolated. And secondly, to break down intergenerational barriers, building valuable interactions between young and old. Moving Moments fosters connection and strengthens community involvement as our elder participants build new relationships with the children and each other.”

And it was all going swimmingly until COVID-19 and physical distancing came along!

“We had built this wonderful social program, then suddenly we were no longer able to socialise! We had to make the transition from physical gatherings to virtual interactions.”

As David explains, Moving Moments has now gone from strengthening social connection to building technological capabilities.

“We spent time teaching our elders to use their smart phones and tablets to communicate and connect via Zoom and FaceTime. Of course the kids were already very tech savvy. Now we have virtual art and craft sessions and exchange the things we make. We even have a virtual choir, so we’re singing together across the social divide.

“The added benefit is that, while remaining connected to the kids, our elders also built more contact with their families and friends. Those who had never used such communication technology before have now become enthusiastic advocates.”

Moving Moments has attracted strong community interest and featured widely in the media. A recent independent assessment of the pilot program has demonstrated increased wellbeing for senior participants through greater social connection.

Best of all, lots of new friends have been made, with tons of fun along the way – and there’s so much more to come. Face-to-face sessions are finally back on the cards.

And Lutheran Services is expanding the project to new communities and regions in South-East Queensland.

For more info on Moving Moments and how you could be part of something wonderful, looky here …