A warm hello dear NBL Community,
Winter means warm, feel good indulgences, early nights and copious amounts of coffee and milo for our residents. It signalled the halting of pool aerobics & cool early morning showers.
Unfortunately not all things were warm and fuzzy. It was also a period of nagging coughs, sore throats and general malaise
North Bay, like our fellow South Africans had to re-adjust mindsets, habits and schedules to contend with the unwelcome, daily load shedding. With perseverance, residents were encouraged that there is still life “in the dark” and life goes on. We are proud our residents embraced the new status quo and settled into the new order of things. Whilst lamenting about Eskom, they have been busy doing, creating, making and enjoying!
Grrr, its cold but…
FLU VACCINE
Majority of residents received their annual flu vaccine, on site from Sparkport Pharmacy mid May. This mitigated more severe bouts of flu at North Bay. Though some residents did get flu, they recovered in reasonable time
YOGA
Residents morning yoga stretches were moved away from the wet grounds into the warmth of the tv lounge. It is encouraging to see many residents appear at 7am twice a week to participate in Sandy Campbell’s class.
MORNING WALKS
Non Yoga mornings, begins with a 20 min brisk walk around the block in the neighbour-hood before a healthy breakfast. Despite crisp, cold dawn breaks, residents were real troopers and kept on with the scheduled activities! These disciplined participations have kept our residents relatively healthy and more energised.
BALL & GROUND ACTIVITIES
Residents enjoy a variety of activities weekly on NBL grounds with our movement therapist Paula van Heerden. Whether its basket ball, soccer or hoola hoops, residents show up consistently every Thursday to participate.
Residents enjoyed an external games session with Golden Hours on their grounds.
KNITTING & BEADING
The wonderful ladies of St Martins Church – Dbn North continue to serve and give generously both their time and material for our residents benefit.
Some residents have become skillful knitters . Their enjoyment is showing in their craft as they are now turning out some lovely items of clothing etc. We were thrilled to see their finished fully knitted Teddy Bears.
Their beading skills are soo impressive as can be seen below. Some residents are
hoping to sell their necklaces and bracelets at a local flea market next year!
GOLF @ NORTH BAY
Residents are excited about the new initiative introduced in August. Through our collaboration with SADGA (S.A. Disability Golfing Association) our residents are receiving fun and skillful practice sessions onsite, once a week, from an experienced SADAGA tutor.
MOVIE DAYS
Cold days were often turned into Movies @ the Lodge afternoons. Residents happily settled into the tv lounge with popcorn & a comforting refreshment to watch an old classic or a feel good movie like Mama Mia, Shall We Dance, Sounds of Music, Chronicles of Narnia, Abba etc. This type of entertainment is fast becoming a norm.
Celebrating Life
There were many birthdays celebrated during from May to August. Residents enjoy the attention lavished on them on the day & sharing their special day with their “family” at NBL.
Pictures that convey the joy of the day
Enjoying being out and about
EATING OUT & SHOPPING
Our residents have become confident in their activities and outings. We beam with pride & joy watching them zoot around the store making their purchases at the local Checkers, list in their hand, money tucked safely away. It is indeed gratifying seeing their independence now that they have a handle on money management, shopping, price and product observation.
They have also done particularly well with saving towards a goal. One of these goals is saving to eat out at local eateries in Durban North i.e. Steers, Kentucky, Debonairs, Fish Aways, Spur etc. With guidance, they have become reasonably competent at ordering a meal. They really enjoy these outings and it has now become a standard outing in the month.
THE GOOD STUFF & THE TESTING TIMES…
- Fire Management System
We are pleased to report, after much thorough investigation, Council approved in May the installation of an impressive Fire Management System. With all the electronic bells and whistles for early detection of fires, smoke etc – it adequately meets the requirements as a measure to keep our residents and the home safe.
The Fire Panel in the system is a comprehensive one providing snapshot views of “live” smoke detectors in every room and various sections in the NBL building Apart from staff being trained, some of our residents have taken on the challenge of being Fire Marshalls.
They have faired really well during frequent fire drills. Earlier in the year they were taught how to handle fire extinguishers etc. They proudly display their certificates for their competence and feel a sense of accomplishment that they get to contribute to the home in “leadership” roles. - Load Shedding
Load shedding is the bane of all our existence and it is no different for all at NBL. The frustrations are especially palpable in winter when our residents arise (they are earlier than the morning sun), looking forward to a warm cuppa, etc. The impact is greater when the home experiences 2 blackout segments in a day – office, laundry and kitchen take notable strain. We have been adding activities, games, board games, karaoke etc to keep residents engaged and upbeat during these times.
Garth Le Roux and Council have invested much effort and time researching and deliberating on a way forward for a solution for NBL. Due to the prohibitive costs for a facility of this size, it was decided to prudently seek a “back-up” power solution. This exercise is near completion and our next Newsletter will definitely report on positive steps taken and implemented. - AGM
NBL’s AGM was held on Saturday 24th August at NBL. The meeting recorded a good turnout. Unfortunately there weren’t any volunteers for office this year. The following Council members were elected or co-opted for 2023/2024 year: Chair – Dr Visegan Subrayen; Joff Wickens (Treasurer); Carol Hollinshead; Garth Le Roux; Dr Shirin Asmal; Lalitha Kisten. Carol circulated these Minutes of the AGM last month. The Council & team had many positives to record during 2023.
IN MEMORIAM
It is with sadness that we share the passing on of NBL’s recently retired staff member, our dear Brian Wassink who passed away on 10th August 2023 at age 71. Brian was diagnosed with a terminal illness and suffered other health complications within a month of his diagnosis.
In the last 10 years Brian served at NBL with dedication & genuine care for our residents . He touched the hearts of many and will be fondly remembered by the NBL community for his humble, kind, patient and comforting disposition.
We send our sincere condolonces and prayers to Brian’s wife Sharon, sons Heath and Kalden and their families
Rest in peace Brian
Hi North Bay Family
Its that exciting time of the year again and we are super excited about our annual year end party. We themed it Berry Christmas . We marked the calendar for this event on Friday 8th December.
Thank you for your sponsorships last year which contributed to our magical celebration we had together with our carers, staff and volunteers who serve and care for us all year long. We are sure you saw last years pics in our Newsletter. It was a memorable time, wonderful food, music, gifts and dance. We are excitedly looking forward to this again this year!
We will be grateful for any sponsorship you make towards our party, in cash or kind. Please contact our Manager by email with your sponsorship. Please mark your deposits “Christmas Party23” made into our NBL Pocket Money Account. We all thank you for your love, care, kindness and support this year
As the Year is speeding to a close, we are packing in lots of fun moments, working on bringing more colour and vibrancy at NBL. The residents are looking forward to events we marked on the Calendar: Heritage Day; SADAG/KZN Advocacy Mental Health Walk; Imvelu Games; Christmas Party Thank you for your support in helping the team make NBL a better place for our residents,
Warm Regards, Sharmaine
