practical living
and also look at how they can grow fresh
food and connect with the chefs, so the
fresh food does go to the kitchen, which
can then go back into the residents’ meals.
One group I’ve worked with a lot is the
Maggie Beer Foundation. I present with
Maggie and the rest of the team through
their masterclasses, so once Maggie
and the chefs show the staff through
the training on how to cook fresh food
in aged care, I talk about how it’s grown
and harvested. I also talk about getting the
residents involved in growing that fresh
food, getting that to the kitchen, and then
they can use that in the kitchen.
It’s nice that we’re closing the gap
between growing food and eating healthy
in aged care, and also getting the residents
interacting and taking on those little jobs
of growing which also gives them purpose
and then increases their self-esteem and
social interaction. It’s a really nice holistic
process for their health and wellbeing.
You’re involved in professional
development with staff as well. What
kind of feedback are you getting
from staff?
I’ve received amazing feedback for the
training, which is wonderful. The staff,
and a lot of other people, often look at
gardening activities as simply ‘we just go
out and dig in the garden and we’ll plant a
few things’, but when I train them, I teach
them the therapeutic side.
It’s a whole range of gardening activities
which are taken from my horticulture skills
and adapted, so there is a therapeutic
benefit for the person completing the
activity.
That’s what I’m getting across to the
staff, so they realise it isn’t just about
gardening. There’s so much more that can
be done, so everyone can be involved.
I think people are quite surprised once
they learn of all the benefits and how
they can use different sensory plants, or
getting their residents involved in different
activities and the benefits to them. I think
that’s probably the most positive feedback I
receive: people don’t realise how beneficial
these activities are. They can implement
them easily in their lifestyle program, as
they’re coordinating art and music and
other activities.
What are some tips to getting into
gardening in aged care and getting
residents involved?
The first thing they can do is take the
residents out for a walk around their
existing gardens and identify flowers that
might be growing, or notice any bird or
bug species in the garden. Maybe just do
some simple reading.
They can also set up what we call
tabletop activities at a big table, which
everyone sits around, which is great for
their social interaction. Do some simple
potting activities with some flower
seedlings, or sow some seeds into little
pots so that they can then grow some
nice herbs.
For people who can’t get out to the
garden, you can do the activities in the
outdoor patio area, where everyone’s
sitting around. It’s a good way to start
getting everyone together. ■
Facilitating Mobile Device Deployments
The deployment of mobile devices
throughout the aged care field is quickly
expanding to better meet the needs
of patients by improving internal and
external communications or reducing
costs. 1 Would it surprise you learn that
73% of organisations fail to plan how
they’ll centrally charge and secure those
devices, 1 prohibiting their program’s
ability to achieve intended results?
Statistics show that 10% of devices break
or go missing each year of a deployment, 1
which may be avoided if the devices are
centrally secured and charged. This critical
oversight can create painful hassles for
employees and administrators alike. PC Locs
exists to help organisations rise above the
rest and achieve deployment objectives
by offering a solution to streamline device
deployment and secure your investments.
Centralised Charging Mobile Charging
Putnam 8 or 16
Charging Station ™ CarryOn ™
Charging Station
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4
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5
5
6
6
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7
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• Charge, store and secure 8 or 16 iPad or
tablet devices
device via the External LED charging display
• Short, organised, pre-wired cables allow you to
reconnect devices quickly
1300 725 625 | [email protected]
3
3
• Quickly know the charging status of each
Contact PC Locs to see how we can help
with your mobile device deployments.
2
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• Small footprint and stackable design keep
valuable desk or counter space free
• Access all devices quickly with one,
• Charge, store, secure and carry up to 5 iPad or
tablet devices
• Easily move mobile devices between patient
rooms, departments or buildings
• Quickly plug in devices with simple cabling
and anchored cords
• Small footprint keeps valuable desk space free
• Secure the station to a wall or desk with the
provided mounting bracket and padlock
programmable combination lock
agedcareinsite.com.au 27