Alzheimers Rotorua Official Publication of Alzheimers Rotorua Sharing 1st Floor, Rotorua Community Health Hub, 1172 Haupapa Street, Rotorua 3010 PO Box 645, Rotorua 3040 Phone: (07) 349 0053 Email: [email protected] the Caring www.alzheimers.org.nz Summer 2016 A Pukeko Print & Design Ltd publication. For advertising phone Monique (07) 577 9092 or email [email protected] x www.pukekoprint.co.nz x Please refer to website for disclaimer Page 2 Page 3 Alzheimers Society Rotorua Available Resources Monday to Friday Message from the Message from the Carol Fisher - Chairperson The Community Liaison Service is available to: Margaret Baker - Secretary Chairperson Community Liaison Workers • Inform you on services available to you in the Board Members community. Well done to Rotorua Lakes District Council; they Conference report Lee Lyons, Gail Edwards, Cathy Le Vaillant, • Educate you and your family about Alzheimers have facilitated the formation of a Community Two staff attended the 19th Alzheimers New Zealand Runa Morrison, Judy Timms Disease and related disorders. Steering group which will work together to enable a Conference in Wellington from 3 - 5 November 2016, • Support you in your role as a caregiver. Community Liaison Officers dementia-friendly community in Rotorua. along with approx. 360 others, including groups from • Advocate for you with other Support Agencies in Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Elaine Fox, Lynne Luke, Shirley Hatch the community. The group includes people caring for family members key speakers from New York, UK and Australasia. Activities Coordinator • Educate rest home staff and other care providers. living with dementia, as well as people working in • Provide Living With Memory Loss Programme for Two and a half days full of stimulating lectures Jean Hunter the health and community sectors. So far a number Carers. of ideas for how to make this town a dementia- and workshops dispensed to us new information, Office Administrators friendly community have been generated. Initial successful ideas, inspiring personal stories, Margaret Baker - Treasurer Educational Material activities identified include sharing information about innovative projects and research results that Christine Ashe - Administrator • Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheets dementia with networks and surveying people living engender hope of a better life with a dementia • Dementia Books with dementia to identify their community action diagnosis. Running through many sessions was the Gratefully acknowledging our • Personal Care Books priorities. theme of Human Rights being applied to all aspects • Books / DVDs / Videos to borrow of dementia care. This was a most worthwhile Sponsors: We encourage as many people as possible to conference, well organized with world class speakers. Office Hours (for providing the Our hours are Monday to Friday 9.00am until complete the survey via the following link. Carers We have gained ideas for potential services and venue for our Carer can also complete this on behalf of a person with programs that could benefit our Rotorua clients Support meetings) 4.00pm, or leave a message on our call minder. and are very thankful to Christine Hobbs and the dementia: Articles from this newsletter may be reproduced www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/Rotorua2030/ ‘Rowing for Ray’ rowers for their sponsorship of our providing the source is acknowledged as the portfolios/people/Pages/default.aspx attendance. Alzheimer’s Society Rotorua Newsletter. Raising public awareness about dementia also Visit to the Neurological greatly helps to de-stigmatise the condition. Foundation This month two of our staff members attended the We recently had the opportunity to visit the Lakeland Disabilities Alzheimers NZ National Conference in Wellington. Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Human Support Trust Forums such as these always provide opportunities Brain Bank at the Centre for Brain Research, to improve knowledge, highlight good practice University of Auckland. and enable invaluable networking opportunities. Ultimately this helps us to continue improving our We were fortunate to be able to spend valuable time services for people in the Rotorua area. with Dr Maurice Curtis, Deputy Director at the Brain Bank then shown through their world class facilities Best Wishes for the Holiday Season. by Marika Eszes Technical Manager. Tissue from the human brain is used by many Warm Regards researchers for research on neurogenerative VisionWest Baptist Homecare offers a wide range of high quality services to ensure you, or your loved one, diseases some of these are; Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, can enjoy life in home. By contacting us you truly are Carol Fisher Huntington’s, Stroke and Motor Neurone. To be Chairperson Connecting to Care. useful for research, a brain must arrive at the bank VisionWest Baptist Homecare operates in and within 24 hours of the donor’s death and then around Rotorua. undergoes processing for 2 weeks. Don’t limit your challenges. Freephone: 0800 222 040 Challenge your limits. What impressed us was that the bequest of human Email: [email protected] brain tissue is treated with the most utmost respect www.homecare.org.nz From the team at Alzheimers Rotorua and dignity. Making life better for all people affected by dementia x Kia piki te ora mo ngā tāngata mate pōrewarewa Making life better for all people affected by dementia x Kia piki te ora mo ngā tāngata mate pōrewarewa Page 4 Page 5 should look to our internal biological clock’s idea of Activity Newsletter midnight. In other words, it’s best to get some sleep Cuppas for a cause Throughout the month of September, (World Regular Activities: before the point in the daily cycle where the body is running at its slowest pace. This ‘biological midnight’ Alzheimers month) we were fortunate to be invited to HAMURANA - OUTING AND PICNIC host several Cuppas for a Cause. AFTERWARDS occurs not at 12am, but somewhere between 3am Whare Aroha had a live band, which we happily sang Where: and 4am. The average sleeper will have been asleep Meet at the Hamurana Carpark and danced to. It was amazing to see the enjoyment When: for 4-5 hours before reaching this point. This ensures 2pm Tuesday 29th November 2016 and reaction from the residents, and proved that Cost: that a greater proportion of the night’s deep-sleep Bring your own picnic music is very beneficial for people with dementia. With: Jean phases - where our recovery processes are especially effective - occur before this low point. HEMO ROAD, ROTORUA (BEGINNING FROM THE TE The village residents at both Redwood and The MYTH: Older people need significantly less sleep. PUIA CAR PARK) AND COFFEE AFTERWARDS Gardens held an afternoon tea with delicious treats REALITY: Large normative sleep studies show that Christmas Carols Where: Meet at the carved gateway to eat. Lynne gave a short presentation about older people average around seven hours’ sleep per When: 1pm Tuesday 6th December 2016 dementia and answered questions. night. From the age of 30 onwards, we wake up more We are planning to hold a Christmas Cost: $coffee often due to biological and hormonal changes as we - themed Church Service, on With: Jean age. Sunday 11th December 2.30pm at We are keen to get out into the community, and raise awareness of dementia. ROTORUA MUSEUM EXHIBITION - DA VINCI MYTH: The bedroom should be cold. the Rotorua Salvation Army Church MACHINES AND ROBOTS. COFFEE AFTERWARDS REALITY: To ensure a good night’s sleep, keep (cnr Old Taupo Road Hillcrest If you belong to a group or club and you would like us Where: Meet outside the Museum your bedroom at around 18C. However, choose Avenue). Their Salvation Army brass to speak, then let the office know and we would be When: 2pm Tuesday 13th December 2016 appropriate covers or use a hot water bottle as band will be in attendance. The 60 happy to arrange. Cost: $coffee being too cold can prevent you from getting a good With: Jean night’s sleep. That doesn’t mean you should shut the minute service will focus entirely on windows tight, though, as stale air with lower levels traditional Carols A generous amount of money was raised to assist us If you would like to attend any of the listed events, of oxygen will tend to impair the restorative effect of with our day to day costs. please contact Jean on the Tuesday prior, or leave a sleep. Thank you all. message on our answer phone 349 0053. Come along with family and friends, MYTH: A full moon disturbs sleep. whanau and enjoy the community REALITY: A surprising number of people believe that event. For further enquiries contact 8 Myths About Sleep a full moon has an effect on their sleep. However, Debunking common untruths to help you get a good data gathered by sleep scientists shows that this is our office on 349 0053. night’s rest. simply not the case. MYTH: You must sleep right through the night. MYTH: Exercise in the evening helps you sleep. REALITY: No-one sleeps all night long. Even people REALITY: This myth originates in the fact that being who feel they sleep well wake about 30 times a physically tired does indeed help you sleep. Yet night - with these periods of arousal lasting no more exercise serves to stimulate the body and increase Pukeko Print & Design than three minutes each and having no effect on the body temperature, so exercising just before you go We can provide you with a range of restorative action of sleep. Problems only begin when to bed is not a good idea. Allow your body to rest for print and design services. we are repeatedly aware of being awake and find at least two hours after exercise before going to bed. ourselves unable to get back to sleep. The same goes for focused mental activity.