85th Anniversary Celebrations at Resthaven Aberfoyle Park
In December 2020, Resthaven Aberfoyle Park celebrated Resthaven’s 85th anniversary with a day of nostalgia.
About Resthaven
Established in 1935, Resthaven Incorporated is respected for the delivery of high quality, responsive, accredited services for older South Australians and their carers.
A Public Benevolent Institution, Resthaven is a separately incorporated and financially independent community service associated with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Residential Aged Care
For those who require residential aged care, Resthaven’s fully accredited residential care facilities offer high quality care, residential respite accommodation, secure units for people with memory loss and meaningful leisure and lifestyle programs.
Examples of lifestyle activities offered at Resthaven include:
• Current Affairs e.g. newspaper reading and discussion groups
• Knowledge programs
• Poetry and Brainteaser Quizzes
• Bingo
• Cards and Board Games
• Bus trips
• Armchair travel
• Carpet bowls
• Reminiscence sessions
• Music and concerts
• Men’s group
• Guest speakers
Retirement living units are available at Bellevue Heights, Marion, Malvern, Paradise, and Port Elliot. Eight retirement living apartments are located at Leabrook.
These are ideal for older people who want centrally located accommodation with the independence to come and go as you please.
Home & Community Care
Resthaven provides a range of in-home services which provide support for older people in their own homes.
Resthaven offers in-home care and support to older people living throughout metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Murraylands, Riverland, the Fleurieu and the Limestone Coast. Rehabilitation and wellness centres are located at Elizabeth, Marion, Woodville, Murray Bridge and Paradise.
Services depend on the needs of the individual and a Resthaven Coordinator will work with you, and your family and friends if you wish, to create a home care plan for your needs.
The amount of care provided depends on the extent of a person’s care needs, ranging from one hour a week for lower care to much more for those with more complex support needs.
Respite for carers
Resthaven offers a range of in-home, small group, centre based and overnight respite options. All residential facilities offer short-term residential respite accommodation.
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In December 2020, Resthaven Aberfoyle Park celebrated Resthaven’s 85th anniversary with a day of nostalgia.
Resthaven Riverland Community Services welcomed two special little guests earlier this month for the first of what is hoped to be monthly K9 Therapy Days.
Sitting at a café in North Brighton, having a chat over coffee, it’s hard to believe that Home Support Workers, Michael and Greg, are at work – but they are! As Home Support Workers for Resthaven Community Respite Services, part of their job is to facilitate the weekly ‘Men About Town’ social group, taking a group of older gentlemen out for a range of cultural outings, followed by coffee and cake at any number of local cafés.
The Resthaven Marion Community Services ‘Men on the Move’ Social Group recently lived up to their name, visiting the Bend Motorsport Park for a day of hot laps!
The Resthaven Western Community Services social group is putting their formidable knitting skills into action, creating more than 200 knitted poppies to distribute to friends on Remembrance Day – and they’re still going!
Lifelong learning is vital according to Mrs Beth Robertson of Resthaven Malvern, who gained a Diploma of Arts – her third tertiary qualification – when she was 88 years old.
Huxley, the therapy dog of Resthaven Marion Community Services*, continues to delight clients. He first started visiting in May 2019. However, he’s not the only animal star at the site: meet ‘Stuart Little,’ or ‘Stuey,’ the ragdoll cat.
Resthaven Murray Bridge, Hills & Fleurieu Community Services has been collecting the small plastic tags used to seal loaves of bread for several years, preventing them from going into landfill.
Mrs Juanita McCallum, a resident of Resthaven Aberfoyle Park, is to thank for a new initiative at the home to provide postcards for residents to send to families and friends.
Clients of Resthaven Western Community Services at 96 Woodville Road, Woodville, have created a ‘Tree of Hope’ during their Wednesday Social Group, depicting positive images to remember in these challenging times.
New Resthaven Chief Executive Officer, Darren Birbeck, who commenced in this role on 1 June, has been visiting Resthaven sites to meet and speak with Resthaven residents, clients, staff and volunteers.
On Friday 26 June, Resthaven Marion Community Services, at 43 Finniss Street, Marion, celebrated the return of their ‘Friday Club’ with a visit from special guest, Eddie the Labradoodle, and his human, Nick.
Residents, staff and volunteers of Resthaven Aberfoyle Park are continuing their project of knitting warm woollen blankets for the homeless. The initiative started back in early 2019, and continues to go from strength to strength.
A new initiative is underway at Resthaven Marion, with helpers from the resident community supporting their fellow residents to enjoy lifestyle activities.
Many happy returns to Mrs Elizabeth Gould, who celebrated her 100th birthday at Resthaven Malvern on 28 April with a ‘window birthday party’ due to COVID-19 visitor restrictions.
Answering an advertisement more than 15 years ago entitled ‘Knitters Alert,’ 86-year-old Joan Barty of Loxton set out on a mission. It was no ordinary request for help; this was an urgent call to knit jumpers for newborn babies in South Africa who had been born with AIDS.
Earlier this year, long serving Resthaven Chief Executive Officer, Richard Hearn, announced his intention to retire from the CEO role. The Resthaven Board undertook a national recruitment process to find a suitable candidate to take on this key leadership position that Richard has held for 26 years, with more than 34 years in total at Resthaven.
Many Resthaven Community Services sites are adapting their centre-based group programs to ensure that clients may continue to access wellness services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residents at Resthaven Mount Gambier have created a ‘Multicultural Melting Pot’ display, as part of an inclusion and diversity project being run at the home at 24 Elizabeth Street, Mt Gambier.
Lifestyle teams across all twelve Resthaven residential aged care homes are being proactive in supporting residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a range of activities that give residents something positive to focus on, whilst still complying with important infection control and social distancing requirements.
Happy 100th birthday to Mr Ross Longmire, who is supported to live independently at home by Resthaven Onkaparinga Community Services.
Jean Linehan of Resthaven Bellevue Heights, aged 105, knows all about resilience during times of crisis.
Born during the first world war in February 1915, Jean, along with thousands of older Australians, has lived through other global crises, including the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the Great Depression, several wars, epidemics such as SARS, swine and bird flu.
When Rev. Ian Trevor decided he needed a short respite stay at a residential aged care home, there was really only one choice – Resthaven Leabrook. Why? It was built by his grandfather, FC Catt, in 1910!
On 24 February 2020, Mrs Shirley Brown of Resthaven Paradise travelled to Resthaven Murray Bridge at 53 Swanport Road, to celebrate her 98th birthday with her twin sister, Mrs Marion Lewis.
Two years ago, Mr Kevin Rawlins almost died. "My wife had passed away in 2016, I was all alone," he says. "Then I had a massive heart attack, and ended up in the hospital for four months."
"I could barely move, let alone walk," he says. "I didn’t want to face another day."