Celebrating community, capturing stories and keeping connected
Celebrating community, capturing stories and keeping connected. The Holmwood Happenings
Summer
Contents
Message from Facility Manager, Brenda Message from the Lifestyle Team, Stacey
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Community Happenings
5 - 8
Message from the Clinical Team, Suleman
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Meet the Team, Cheryl Cooks Corner, Shannon
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11 - 12
Quality Corner, Lee
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Meet the Resident, Rosemary
14 - 16
Summer Highlights
17 - 19
Noticeboard
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Games Corner
21 - 22
Games Corner answer
23 - 24
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Brenda
Facility Manager
As we step into the new season, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past few months here at Holmwood and share our excitement for the season ahead. December brought a wonderful festive spirit to the home. Residents, families and staff enjoyed a range
of Christmas activities, including decorations throughout the facility, special meals, music and visits from loved ones. It was a joyful time that highlighted the warmth and community that make Holmwood such a special place. Our highlight was of course our Christmas Party Luncheon with live music. An absolute treat for the stomach, the ears and the soul! January gave us a chance to slow down slightly after the busy holiday season while still making the most of the summer weather. Residents enjoyed time outdoors in the gardens, relaxed social gatherings and plenty of opportunities to connect with one another and with staff. In February we continued to build on that sense of community with a variety of activities, celebrations and everyday moments that make such a difference to our residents’ wellbeing. It has been wonderful to see so many smiling faces and strong friendships across the home. Now, as autumn arrives, we look forward to the change in season. The cooler days provide the perfect opportunity for cosy indoor activities, warm drinks, and time spent together in our shared spaces. We also look forward to introducing some new seasonal activities and menus that reflect the flavours and comfort of autumn. As a manager I am always very proud of the team here, the home we provide, the standard of care that is set and the reputation we uphold. Having said that, one should always strive to better themselves and Holmwood Aged Care continues to do so. Our reports continue to show an excellent practice, with refined services and systems. Our audits show that our processes not only work, but improve the care, services and environment we provide. And our feedback shows attention to detail from each department, positively reflecting the experiences and gratitude of our visitors, our residents; staff and more. As the year of 2026 moves ahead Holmwood Aged Care is looking at how to improve it’s standards further and you will see this reflected in not only the services we offer, but how they are offered as well. I am looking forward to working on some feedback recently received at a meeting I held with a number of residents on improving the dining experience and how our residents would like to achieve this. Thank you to our residents, families and dedicated staff for continuing to make Holmwood Aged Care a caring and vibrant community. I look forward to sharing more moments together as we move through the season ahead. Brenda Facility Manager
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Message from the Lifestyle Team Stacey Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn at Holmwood! What a cracker of a summer we’ve had! We’ve been flat out and enjoying every second—from the high energy of our weekly music happy hours and dancing sessions to the friendly rivalry of our pool tournaments. Our Casino Night was a definite highlight, alongside all the wonderful daily activities that make life at Holmwood so special. While we’re sad to see the sun set on summer, we are buzzing for everything Autumn has in store. We’ll be kicking things off by celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in true style with a festive buffet lunch and a “pub crawl”—we’ll see you at the Tipsy Leprechaun for a Guinness or two hehe. We’re also dusting off our blue suede shoes for a 1950s Rock and Roll night. We’ve been practicing our moves, so the live entertainment better be ready for us! We are also thrilled to welcome back our friends from the local kindergarten for their regular visits, and we can’t wait to be baffled by the tricks of a visiting magician later in the season. The lifestyle team and I are always hunting for new and exciting ways to entertain our wonderful residents. If you have any suggestions or fresh ideas, please reach out—we’d love to hear them! We feel incredibly grateful to play a part in bringing a little extra joy to everyone’s day. Until next time, Stacey & the Lifestyle Team
Community Happenings Summer
Birthdays All Summer Long One of the things we love most at Holmwood is celebrating the people who make our community so special, and this summer we had plenty of reasons to do exactly that. Happy birthday to Dawn, Ton, George, Maureen, Jean who turned a remarkable 98 years young, Gail, Isla, Kevin, Edward, Arthur, Margaret, and Bryan who marked his 88th birthday with a boxing class! Every single one of these celebrations was a reminder of the wonderful lives and stories that fill our home every day. Giving Back at Christmas December brought out the very best in our community. Alongside all the festive fun, we came together to collect food donations for St Vincent de Paul to help local families doing it tough over Christmas. The response from our residents, families, staff, visitors, and even nearby businesses was overwhelming, and the donation that was delivered was something we should all feel incredibly proud of. Some of our donors even remembered the family pets. That says everything about the kind of community Holmwood is. Healesville Primary School Surprises Us Just before Christmas we received the most touching delivery, a collection of gifts from the students and families of Healesville Primary School’s Gift Giving Tree, brought in by school captains Matilda and Macey and their principal Tracey. It was a beautiful and generous gesture that warmed all of our hearts. The Annual Christmas Party Our annual Residents and Staff Christmas Party was everything we could have hoped for and more. The feast was spectacular, with seafood cocktails and bruschetta to start, roast pork, turkey, cauliflower, and stuffed pumpkins, five gorgeous salads, berry cheesecake, pavlova, fresh fruit, and Chef Shannon’s legendary secret recipe Christmas pudding with warm custard. Live music from Robby kept us all singing along to Christmas carols and old favourites, the weather was perfect, and the smiles were everywhere. A day to remember.
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Community Happenings Summer
The Holmwood Open Melbourne had the Australian Open, and we had the Holmwood Open! Our table tennis tournament was an absolute hit, with singles, doubles, staff versus residents, and co-op matches keeping everyone entertained. Those not playing took on the very important role of chair umpire. It was competitive, fun, and had the whole home buzzing. Summer Baking January had us in the kitchen sharing recipes and culinary skills, and the results were delicious. We made scones with jam and cream and baked the most wonderfully moist and sweet citrus cakes. There is something so lovely about baking together, and the smells coming from the kitchen alone were worth celebrating.
The Snooker Tournament Our very first Snooker Tournament was a smash hit and we have not stopped talking about it since! Whether you were there to play, to watch, or simply to enjoy the refreshments, it was a wonderful night. Monday pool nights are now a weekly fixture, and lessons with the lifestyle team are apparently very much in demand!
Community Happenings Summer
Live Music Fridays One of the best things to come out of this summer is our brand new Live Music Fridays, with live music every single Friday from 2pm at our weekly Happy Hour. Crowd favourite Jack kicked things off in style in January, and the sessions have continued to be a highlight of the week ever since. We are so lucky to have music like this as a regular part of our lives at Holmwood. Australia Day BBQ We celebrated Australia Day the best way we know how, with a BBQ shared between residents, families, and staff. Simple, relaxed, and exactly what Australia Day should feel like. A Day Out at Terminus Hotel We headed out to the Terminus Hotel in Healesville for a wonderful outing in January, and what a lovely day it was. A big thank you to the team there for looking after us so beautifully. Casino Night February’s Casino Night was an absolute highlight of the summer. We practiced our poker faces in the lead-up, and when the night finally arrived it delivered in every way. Games tables, pokies, food, wine, and beer made for a fantastic evening that had everyone talking about it for days afterwards.
Valentine’s Day We celebrated Valentine’s Day at Holmwood in the most beautiful way. There were delicious sweets and treats, sparkling champagne, and wonderful conversations about first loves, date nights, and weddings. We played games and trivia, and some very special four-legged friends came along for a kissing booth that proved to be enormously popular. A truly lovely way to celebrate love and friendship together.
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Community Happenings Summer
Ladies Day in the Yarra Valley Our ladies headed out to the Yarra Glen Hotel for a gorgeous day in the Yarra Valley and it was simply stunning. Perfect weather, wonderful food, and beautiful company made it one of the most memorable outings of the summer. We will definitely be going back! Welcoming the Year of the Horse We welcomed the Lunar New Year with a spectacular Chinese banquet and a dining room beautifully decorated in red and gold. From dumplings and wonton soup to lemon and honey chicken, sweet and sour pork, noodles, and prawn crackers, the feast was extraordinary. Residents shared stories, learned about Lunar New Year traditions, and celebrated together in the warmest way. Wishing everyone a year filled with peace, joy, and good health. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Message from the Clinical Team Suleman
This season we have been focusing on raising the bar in clinical care for our residents. Our team has been working hard to strengthen documentation practices, ensure medication safety, and roll out updated care protocols in line with the Aged Care Quality Standards. We recently completed a series of staff education sessions on swallowing safety (IDDSI), delivered on-site by our Speech Pathologist from Dr Jill Lesic and Associates. A further session is coming up on Wednesday 25th March at 2:30pm in the Coranderrk B Dining Lounge - all PCAs, RNs, and ENs are encouraged to attend. We have also been reviewing our falls prevention strategies and skin integrity practices to ensure every resident receives the most personalised and evidence-based care possible. Celebrating Our Team Our staff continue to go above and beyond every single day. A heartfelt thank you to every member of the Holmwood family. We recently celebrated International Nurses Day - a meaningful occasion to recognise the professionalism and dedication of our nursing team. Life at Holmwood From live music and trivia nights to bake-offs and creative workshops, our residents continue to enjoy a full and vibrant lifestyle here in Healesville. Our lifestyle team has been making the most of the season with outings, activities, and plenty of good food and great company. Birthday celebrations have been a highlight - we love coming together to mark these special milestones. A Note on Our Community For over 40 years, Holmwood has supported older Australians with compassionate, 24/7 care in the heart of the Yarra Valley. Our commitment to person-centred, homelike care remains as strong as ever. If you have any feedback or questions, or would like to discuss your loved one’s care, please do not hesitate to reach out. Suleman Clinical Care Coordinator
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Meet the Team Cheryl Tell us a bit about your background and current day experiences. My name is Cheryl, and I’m part of the care team here at Holmwood Aged Care, working as a Personal Care Assistant. I’ve been at Holmwood for six months now and absolutely love it. In my previous career, I worked as a graphic artist in the flexible packaging industry. I’ve lived in the Yarra Valley for the past nine years, After many years in graphic design, I had the opportunity for a career change. Aged care was something I had always considered but had put aside while working in my previous field. When the opportunity came up to study and apply for a role, I jumped at it—and I’m so glad I did. What does aged care mean to you? after previously living in the Dandenong Ranges. Why did you choose aged care as your career? To me, aged care means always putting our elders first and ensuring they receive the best possible care. It’s an opportunity to give back to older generations in recognition of their contributions and sacrifices. What do you enjoy most about working at Holmwood Aged Care? I love working with our residents—getting to know their stories, learning about their lives, and sharing in their experiences. I enjoy having a laugh and a bit of banter, as well as being there to comfort them when they I especially enjoy working with residents in our Coranderrk memory support house. It’s a real privilege to spend time with them. Some of the most special moments come from being able to brighten someone’s day with a smile or a joke. There’s nothing better than helping someone come out of themselves, even briefly, and sharing a moment of genuine joy. need it, or simply sharing a quiet moment together. What is your most special aged care memory?
Shannon
Cooks Corner
We’re excited to share some of the delicious happenings coming out of our kitchen! This year we introduced Monthly Buffet Lunches, each celebrating a different culture and theme. Our first event welcomed the Chinese New Year, which
was a wonderful success and our residents loved the event. This month we will be celebrating “The Luck of the Irish”, featuring flavours inspired by Irish traditions. In April, we’ll be exploring another delightful culture, continuing our journey of sharing food from around the world with our community. Our Weekly Buffet Breakfast also continues to grow in popularity. It’s been fantastic to see such a great turnout each week, with guests enjoying a wide range of freshly prepared breakfast favourites to start their day. Another exciting addition to our program is “Cooking with a Chef”, held weekly. These sessions are a fun and interactive way for participants to get involved in the kitchen, learn new skills, and of course enjoy some delicious treats along the way. And as always, our cafés are well stocked with a tempting selection of in-house made cakes and baked goodies, freshly prepared by our kitchen team. Whether you’re stopping by for a coffee or a sweet treat, there’s always something delicious waiting for you. We look forward to welcoming you at our upcoming events and continuing to share great food and great company with everyone. Shannon & the Kitchen Team
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Cooks Corner
Grandma’s pear and sultana cake Ingredients 300g butter 200 raw sugar 1.5 cups self raising flour, sifted 2 eggs Filling 385g canned pears, drained 50g sultanas 3 tbs raw sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg 1 lemon, juiced
Step 1 Melt butter in a large saucepan, then add sugar and stir until it begins to dissolve. Step 2 Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Add melted butter-sugar mixture and stir well, then beat in eggs. Step 3 Grease a 20cm slice tin. Using your fingers, spread half the cake mix - ture over the bottom. Step 4 Place the pear slices over the cake mixture. Sprinkle with sultanas. Step 5 Mix together sugar, spices and lemon juice and pour over pears. Step 6 Spread the remaining cake mixture on top of the pears and sultanas. Step 7 Bake at 180C for 45 minutes, or until a knife comes out of the centre clean.
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Quality Corner
Lee
Influenza Vaccines Influenza (flu) is a common viral illness that affects people of all ages. While symptoms may be mild for some, influenza can cause serious illness and may lead to hospitalisation—even in otherwise healthy people.
The safest and most effective way to protect yourself and others is to receive an influenza vaccination each year from a health professional. The flu virus changes regularly, so the vaccine is updated annually, which is why yearly vaccination is important. The type of vaccine recommended depends on your age and health needs, and your GP can advise which option is right for you. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone aged six months and over. Receiving a vaccination not only helps protect you—it also helps protect your family, friends, and the wider community. For more information on vaccinations, please see a friendly member of the care team. Do you know about PainChek? Within our homes, we use the PainChek system, a clinically validated digital pain assessment tool. Using AI technology to support a modern pain assessment framework PainChek will identify the presence of pain even when it’s not obvious. PainChek is fast and easy to use. Using a smart device, the device’s camera looks at the person’s face then analyses the images using AI driven facial recognition. PainChek analyses facial expressions and facial muscle movements in real time and combines this information with observations of behaviour, body movements, and vocalisations to generate an objective pain score. This information calculates an overall pain score and stores the result. This outcome forms the evidence base supporting the implementation of pain management interventions, and for the ongoing monitoring of their effectiveness over time. This approach supports the early identification of pain, more consistent assessments, and improved pain management. By enabling accurate and timely pain recognition, PainChek helps care teams deliver safer, more consistent, and person‑centred care. All assessments are stored securely, allowing for trend monitoring and shared clinical insights to support ongoing care planning. Kind regards, Lee State Quality Manager
Meet the Resident
Rosemary
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Meet the Resident
Rosemary
Meet the Resident
continued
The Continuation of Rosemary’s story. Following her epic love story, Rosemary found comfort and life after her husband with family. He daughter Aaryn jokes that her parents were “Gypsies” and never stayed still for long (though this was mostly her late father’s doing) Aaryn proudly speaks of how her mum “rallied” for the farm, and though her own self esteem was low, she took charge and organised everything and every one to get the produce out and the farm ready. We joke that we were sure her late Harold would be gently chastising her for not doing it entirely “his way”. Rosemary moved to a smaller place in the Basin, Victoria, near her sister, later moving to Myrtleford to be nearer to her daughter, Aaryn, at the time, making a home in a residential facility there and learning to find comfort and joy in small projects- loving art in particular. As the years went by both Rosemay and Aaryn yearned to be around more family once more and Aaryn had the opportunity to visit Holmwood Aged Care and felt this was the place for her mum. Rosemary has made Holmwood her new home- she loves spending time in our activities and attending our events and has built good friendships with her co-residents. In particular, her roommate, Jan, and the two love their midday movies together and spending time both in and out of their room. Rosemay loves attending art, which she finds very therapeutic, and relishes that she and her daughter have been able to decorate her surroundings to their taste. Rosemay misses her husband very much and loves telling her story and sharing the magazine article. Rosemay, though life didn’t follow the intended course, is grateful to have been able to live at Holmwood Aged Care and to feel the support of the carers and the other residents and spend time with likeminded people with similar, and some with very different stories. What does Rosemary like most about being here? That she doesn’t have to cook- despite being an amazing cook- learning Italian recipes for her husband and family- but she loves not having to do that, having fresh cooked meals every day and enjoying meals in our dining rooms with the other residents, and the ability for Aaryn to visit her most days and spend time together when not in activities.
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Summer Highlights
December 2025
We kicked off December by celebrating birthdays for Dawn, Ton, and George, before throwing ourselves headfirst into the festive season. Our Christmas raffle was up and running with all money raised going straight back into resident activities, and we also came together as a community to collect non-perishable food donations for St Vincent de Paul to help local families doing it tough over Christmas. The generous response from our residents, families, staff, and nearby businesses was something truly special and something to be very proud of. We enjoyed a pub lunch, some seasonal games, a lovely delivery of gifts from the students at Healesville Primary School, and were visited by the most adorable baby chicks just before Christmas. Our annual Residents and Staff Christmas Party was an absolute highlight, with a spectacular feast, live music from Robby, and smiles all round. We rounded out the year with a New Year’s Eve Happy Hour, toasting to a wonderful 2026 ahead.
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Summer Highlights January 2026 January was action-packed from start to finish! We celebrated birthdays for Jean, who turned an incredible 98 years young, Gail, Isla, Kevin, and more. The Holmwood Open had everyone on the edge of their seats, with singles, doubles, and staff versus residents battles on the table tennis court. Our first ever Snooker Tournament was a smash hit, and Monday night pool games are now a firm fixture on the calendar. We baked scones with jam and cream and whipped up delicious citrus cakes together, enjoyed a BBQ with families and staff on Australia Day, headed out to the Terminus Hotel in Healesville for a wonderful outing, and kicked off our brand new Live Music Fridays with crowd favourite Jack taking centre stage. January set a brilliant tone for the year.
Summer Highlights
February 2026
February at Holmwood was filled with celebrations, outings, and some truly wonderful moments together. Birthdays were had by Edward, Arthur, Margaret, and Bryan, who celebrated his 88th year with a birthday boxing class! We practiced our poker faces ahead of Casino Night, which turned out to be an absolute blast with games tables, pokies, food, wine, and beer. Valentine’s Day brought sweets, champagne, stories of first loves and romance, fun trivia, and even a kissing booth with some very popular four-legged friends. Our ladies headed out to the Yarra Glen Hotel for a gorgeous day in the Yarra Valley, and we welcomed the Lunar New Year with a spectacular Chinese banquet and a beautifully decorated dining room. Live Music Fridays continued to be a highlight every single week.
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Noticeboard
In Memoriam We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of our late residents. Every cherished member of our community who leaves us, is sadly missed and fondly remembered.
Hairdresser Salon, Level 1, Townsend House. Every 2nd Monday from 9am.
A very warm welcome to our new residents. Barbara M Alan M Margaret B
Daily Health and fitness Join us daily for a dose of gentle exercise and seated games. Buffet Breakfast Every Tuesday from 8 in the Townsend House Dining Room- bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, pastries, fruit, pancakes and more! Reminder to our visitors we do remind you to make sure you fill in the relevant paperwork at reception. Be you just popping in for a visit, taking someone out or bringing in a treat for family, please sign the relevant form. We thank you for your cooperation!
Sandra T Valerie B
June M June T Bryan C Margaret C
Eastern Ranges visiting library is every 2nd Tuesday from 10:30 in the Townsend library by the café. Have a chat with our experienced visiting librarians to find just what you are looking for- be it a book, a film, music or a magazine or just a chat!
We are here for you If you’d like more information on the above services, please contact the lifestyle team: hlc@holmwood.com.au
Games Corner 1
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Games Corner 2
Games Corner Answers 1
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Games Corner Answers 2
Stay tuned for Autumn
Thank you We would like to issue a heartfelt thank you to relatives and volunteers who support us day in and day out. You make such a difference and we very much appreciate your time and energy. Can you contribute? Contributions to our newsletter are encouaged and appreciated. Articles, photos, reports on community outings, staff news, trivia, poems and stories relating to residents and staff are most welcome. Please hand in your submission to reception.
(03) 5962 4321 17-19 Lalors Rd, Healesville VIC 3777 holmwood.com.au
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