News Articles - Village Glen

Benefits of Creative Art Therapies In Aged Care Homes

Posted on August 10, 2019September 11, 2019 by VillageGlen

Art, in any capacity, is often therapeutic. It is often the best way to release stress, but more than that, it creates a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. For our residents, art therapy is highly encouraged to help improve happiness and promote cognitive health.

Art therapy helps our residents to stay in tune with their emotions in a healthy, productive way. It also aids in improving self-esteem and fostering their sense of independence. When conducted in a group setting, art therapy gives residents a chance to socialise and build connections with others as well.

For these reasons, aged care homes use various art-based therapies that suit the resident’s preferences and interests. Other benefits of using creative art therapies in aged care homes are the following.

Stimulates cognitive function

Artistic endeavours are a great way to keep one’s mind sharp and focused. Even simple artistic tasks can help improve cognitive functions and trigger some long-forgotten memories.

Encourages self-expression and communication

Sometimes, words are not enough to express our thoughts. In such situations, art can be a powerful tool to communicate. This is especially helpful for our elderly loved ones who may find solace in visual expression.

Serves as an emotional outlet

Art therapies can help our elderly loved ones ground the participants get more in touch with their emotions. Some forms of art therapy are also shown to help people cope with negative feelings in a healthy way.

Aged care services at Village Glen

Here at Village Glen, we have a lifestyle team of trained diversional therapists who are committed to making every day different and fun for our residents. This includes different creative art therapies and lifestyle activities designed to make the residents’ stay enjoyable and fulfilling.

Art-based activities that residents at Village Glen Aged Care Residences can enjoy include:

Arts & Crafts
Mosaics
Painting
Flower arranging
Baking
Painting by numbers
Poetry
Singalongs

Other lifestyle activities that can boost their moods include:

Walking group
Tai Chi
Gardening
Vegetable gardening
Playing pool
Carpet bowls
Bingo
Gentle exercise
Singalongs
Entertainment
Golf putting
Movies
Word and board games

When investigating aged care homes, it is important to look into the lifestyle component and to ask to see the lifestyle calendar to know what would suit your loved one best. At Village Glen, we have a lifestyle calendar that is always packed full of activities that residents can enjoy

Are you or a family member looking for aged care services and facilities for your loved ones? Contact Village Glen today for a tour. We also offer options for home care services and retirement living on the Mornington Peninsula. For enquiries, please call us at 03 5986 4422.

Maintaining Good Health In Retirement

Posted on July 23, 2019July 25, 2019 by VillageGlen

Retirement living on the Mornington Peninsula is a wonderful opportunity for you to relax and enjoy the fruits of your life-long labour. For a fun and amazing retirement experience, keeping yourself hale and hearty is the most important factor. The best way to achieve that is by eating well and making sure you maintain a healthy weight.

Make healthy food choices.

Remember life is all about balance, and that also includes ensuring you have a healthy balanced diet. Make sure your food is delicious and nutritious to help you keep up with the changes your body goes through as you age. Pick a slice or two of wholemeal bread instead of a croissant, enjoy roasted chicken instead of fried chicken, and enjoy some fresh berries instead of chips. Eating healthy food will not only provide you with the nutrients you need but also prevent you from gaining unwanted weight.

To help you keep track of what you eat, you may consider devising a weekly meal plan. If you are currently receiving a home care package, your provider may be able to assist in shopping, meal preparation but also in creating a healthy and sustainable meal plan for you along with qualified physicians and nutritionists.

Exercise regularly.

Keep your body in good physical condition in retirement by exercising! Keep your blood flowing and your muscles moving. You don’t have to do anything rigorous; just walking around the block daily can help you a lot. You can also participate in sports that don’t require intense activities, such as lawn bowls, croquet or maybe a leisurely swim in a pool.

Joining clubs can also aid in keeping you active. Participate in fun physical activities around the community or perhaps in a retirement village! It will not only give your body the exercise it needs but will also give you a chance to bond with other people sharing your interests.

Enjoy healthy retirement at Village Glen.

Find the ideal healthy lifestyle at Village Glen Retirement Living. Live the first-class lifestyle that you deserve at Village Glen that has a huge range of facilities to enjoy with friends along with a dining room open for dinners and a café open for lunches and coffee.

Get in touch with us at 1300 VILL GLEN for more information.

Wining and Dining at Village Glen Retirement Living

Posted on July 23, 2019September 5, 2019 by VillageGlen

Retirement is the time for you to sit back, relax and enjoy. Part of this enjoyment always includes spending time with your family and friends over a delicious meal with a glass of wine. A relaxing and fulfilling wining and dining experience are often the highlight for most of our residents. Here at Village Glen, you and your loved ones are always presented with endless food options, making retirement living on the Mornington Peninsula a spectacular and deeply rewarding experience for you all.

At Village Glen, residents have access to healthy, nutritious and delicious food. The meals are prepared with only the freshest ingredients and produce available. Our Clubhouse Café in particular has a range of sumptuous breakfast options to choose from. The Clubhouse Café is a good place to meet up with friends and have a chat over coffee or lunch. More so the cafe is surrounded by some beautiful views of the 9 hole golf course which makes it all the more enjoyable and refreshing to enjoy a meal.

To end the day on a high note, there’s the Terrace Court Dining Room that holds dinners each week. There is also an array of events and functions that can leave all our resident’s social calendars full, as they enjoy some good food, good entertainment amongst good company!

Enjoy your retirement by wining and dining at Village Glen.

To enjoy the best dining experience whilst living in a retirement village, look no further than Village Glen. We ensure that each meal is prepared with the residents’ preferences in mind. From the entrees to the desserts, you can rest assure that the chefs pay special attention to craft something that can satisfy the resident.

If you are looking for retirement villages on the Mornington Peninsula, contact Village Glen today. Schedule a tour in our beautiful and well-appointed retirement village and experience first-hand how we wine and dine here. We also a provider of Government funded home care packaged and operate two aged care facilities on the Mornington Peninsula.

For enquiries, don’t hesitate to call us at 03 5986 4455.

Maintaining Caregiver Health

Posted on June 15, 2019July 25, 2019 by VillageGlen

Caregiving for someone when they are struggling or chronically ill really shows how much this person cares about their loved one. If you are a caregiver and your loved one requires near-constant care and attention, you might tend to forget to take care of yourself.

However, you have to remember that you’re as important to the equation as the one you’re taking care of. Carers need a break too. So, it is necessary that you also get the support you need as you provide care to your loved one.

How can you look after yourself and maintain your own health when caregiving?

Investigate home care services.

Caring for your loved one can take up a lot of your time. Consider obtaining a home care package to help you out. Not only would your loved one be placed in safe, capable and well-trained hands, but you will be able to find the time to look after yourself and other responsibilities without compromising your loved one’s lifestyle.

Professional home care services provide the benefits of in-home care, ensuring that your loved one will still be in a familiar environment. Additionally, the professional home care provider has a set of skills specifically to help care for your loved one. Village Glen Flexicare Home Support offers home care on the Mornington Peninsula and we can guide you through the process of obtaining a home care package from the Government.

Consider Day Respite Centres

Along with home care services, it is worth investigating whether day respite services may be for you and your loved one. Day respite services are where you can take your loved one to be looked after by a team of aged care experts for the day. Your loved one can socialise with other people, go on outings, do activities and be looked after while you are looking after yourself. Village Glen offers day respite services, so please contact us for more information about this.

Recognise how important you are

Caregiving is an important job, as you make someone’s life as easy and comfortable as you can. But sometimes, it might get too much, especially when personal factors compete with your responsibilities.

To keep the stress at bay, try to take even a few minutes every day to think of the impact you make and how important your care is. Think of the difference you make in a person’s life and how that gratifies your heart.

Look after yourself

Take a break to rejuvenate yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. Recharge your batteries and make sure you are letting yourself do the things you love and make you happy.

Get home care services with Village Glen.

If you’re interested in getting home care services for your loved one or enquiring about day respite services, reach out to us at Village Glen. For enquiries and more information, call us at 1300 VILL GLEN.

Maintaining Good Health During Winter

Posted on June 10, 2019July 19, 2019 by VillageGlen

Winter can be a great time for people to relax and recharge after a busy summer period. But as the cold sets in our immune system tends to become weaker. The cold weather can trigger pain in our joints and the cold sometimes settles uncomfortably. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t do anything to improve and maintain our health. There are ways to keep ourselves healthy during winter.

Washing your hands

One very simple way to stay healthy in winter and not pick up any nasty bugs is to continuously wash your hands. If you are around friends or family who are coughing or sneezing or perhaps just playing with the grandkids, make sure you are washing your hands, particularly before you eat. If you are sick, a good tip is to cough or sneeze into your elbow.

Drink plenty of fluids

Staying hydrated is a great way to keep your body at its best. Sometimes in winter people unconsciously don’t drink as much water because when it’s cold you don’t want to be putting cold drinks into your body, but try and swap out cold water for tea or how about some warm water and lemon. A great way to maintain a healthy immune system is to also have a lot of vitamin C, maybe incorporate a glass of fresh OJ over breakfast.

Wholesome hearty foods

Winter is the perfect time for some of our favourite foods such as hearty stews and bowls of soup. There is nothing better than having something warm for lunch and dinner when it is chilly outdoors. These types of foods are a great way to keep up your vegetable intake over winter to keep you strong and full of energy.

Keeping active

Even though your mind might be telling you not to go outside in the cold, it is great to keep active in winter. At Village Glen Retirement Living, our residents can do this by enjoying the indoor heated pool and gym all year round. Or perhaps signing up for an indoor activity class or yoga. Village Glen also has activities such as indoor bowls so even when the cold months roll around, everyone can still play the sports they love. Keeping active is also a great way to stay in touch with friends.

Reading a book

While keeping active indoors through winter is a great option, we also need to recognise when it’s time to relax and take a break. Pick up a great book in winter, maybe even join a local book club! Village Glen has a great library with a huge range of books for residents to enjoy. Reading is a great way to create mental stimulation, reducing stress and allowing people to unwind and relax.

Keep a healthy mind and body at Village Glen

Mornington Peninsula is an amazing place to enjoy the winter months. If you’re interested, reach out to Village Glen. We offer you ideal retirement living on the Mornington Peninsula. For enquiries and more information, please reach out to us at 1300 VILL GLEN.

What are the different home care options and how do you get one?

Posted on May 30, 2019July 25, 2019 by VillageGlen

Home care services on the Mornington Peninsula grant your loved ones the support they need while in the comfort of their home. However, despite the growing popularity of home care, many people are still unsure of the services offered.

Home care services are usually for seniors and people who suffer from chronic illnesses, recovering from injuries or who have disabilities. In Australia, there are two main types of home care funded by the Government.

Home Care Packages

Home Care Packages are the most common type of government-funded home care provided in Australia. Home Care Packages are designed to help maintain a person’s quality of life in their own home for as long as possible. There are four levels of Home Care Packages, providing support for people with basic, low, intermediate and high-level care needs. The package may include personal care and domestic assistance, meal preparation and dietary management, nursing, allied health and therapy services and continence management.

Commonwealth Home Support Programme

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme provides support to people requiring only short-term assistance. The programme allows access to specific services as needed. This may include help with house chores, personal care, food and meal preparation, flexible respite, allied health services, and social support.

How do you get a Home Care Package?

Before availing of a Home Care Package, you must first obtain a My Aged Care assessment by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) to understand what your needs are and what services you require. A trained assessor will talk to you about what your care needs are and whether you are eligible for services. To organise an assessment with My Aged Care you can phone 1800 200 422 or visit the My Aged Care website for more information.

If the results indicate that you are in need of a Home Care Package, you will receive a letter from My Aged Care advising what level package you will receive.

After you receive the outcome of your assessment and your eligibility for the Home Care Package is assured, you can then start looking for a home care provider and work out the costs. Once you are assigned a Home Care Package, you can then develop a personalised care plan and enter a Home Care Agreement with your provider. The Government subsidy funds for your Home Care Package will be paid to the approved provider, who will manage the funds on your behalf.

Are you or a family member looking for home care services? Contact Village Glen today for a consultation. We also offer retirement villages and aged care services on the Mornington Peninsula as well. For enquiries, please call us at 1300 VILL GLEN.

How An Active Social Life Makes Retirement Living Better

Posted on May 27, 2019July 25, 2019 by VillageGlen

When loved ones age, their social circumstances may change, but embracing those changes and finding new ways to socialise is the best option. To stay happy healthy and fit, having an active social life is highly recommended. An active social life while in retirement living is so easy and can help avoid feelings of loneliness, which can be detrimental to both their mental health and physical health.

Here are the other benefits of an active social life while enjoying retirement living at Village Glen in Capel Sound in the centre of the Mornington Peninsula.

Stronger cognitive health

People by nature are social beings and that is one of the things that is constant with age. In fact, the need for social interactions tends to increase as one gets older. Regular social interactions and a strong social connection with friends and family can improve one’s mental health and can help prevent dementia. This can be attributed to how socialisation keeps the brain active and focused, thus improving cognitive function.

Improving physical health

Aside from feeling mentally healthy, elderly people who socialise regularly tend to feel physically invigorated as well. Their strong social network and the feeling of belongingness positively affects their physical well-being and can even strengthen their immune system.

Brightens mood and emotional health

Being surrounded by friends and family can have a significant effect on one’s emotional health and improve one’s sense of well-being. Building friendships and taking part in new hobbies or endeavours with new people also strengthen a sense of community and companionship.

Ageing need not pose a challenge to finding new friends and companions. Seniors in retirement living will find endless programs designed for them, where they can connect with people who have similar interests and circumstances.

At Village Glen, whether you enjoy socialising over a coffee at the Clubhouse, or while playing a game of golf or maybe you prefer to spend time with friends while quilting or doing an arts and crafts class, there are endless options to have fun with friends.

Are you looking for a beautiful retirement option to enjoy among friends? Contact Village Glen today for a consultation. We also offer home care services and have aged care facilities across the Mornington Peninsula. For enquiries, please call us at 1300 VILL GLEN.

5 Ways To Improve Safety At Home

Posted on May 25, 2019July 25, 2019 by VillageGlen

Keeping our elderly loved ones safe in their home means taking some measures to reduce the risks of potential home accidents. These home accidents can be caused by a decline in balance and fading vision, and so eliminating some risks will be of great benefit to your loved one.

So how should you go about making sure that the home is accident-proof for your elderly loved ones?

Making stairs safe

If your loved one is using a walking stick, walker or other mobility aids, taking the stairs may not be the best option. One level living is ideal and if they are considering downsizing this would be a good option to consider. If one level living isn’t feasible, consider installing a wheelchair ramp to make the walk to and fro easier. If they are able to use the stairs, make sure the steps are safe by installing non-skid treads for more stability. Another way to help prevent slipping is comfortable footwear with non-skid soles.

Removing clutter

Declutter and removing obstacles is also a great idea. For instance, lamps should be positioned in the corners to avoid the wires getting in the way across the floor. Throw rugs, especially those with patterns, should be removed as well; the patterns can easily cause your loved one to lose their balance and possibly fall.

Grab rails and mobility aids

It is worth investigating mobility aids such as a walker or shower chair. Also, grab rails are great to help someone anchor themselves in the bathrooms and other areas that an elderly person may need assistance such as the hallway or next to the couch.

Ensuring that the furniture is sturdy

Speaking of furniture, it is important to check how sturdy your loved one’s favourite chair or couch is. Consider how easy it is for them to use the furniture as well. For instance, though sitting on a recliner may be comfortable, the effort of getting in or out of it may be a bit of a challenge.

Installing proper lighting

As stated before, many home accidents are caused by fading vision with age. Make sure that there is proper lighting throughout the home to make it safer and easier to navigate. Also, consider installing motion-sensor lights to help your loved ones when they make a midnight trip to the kitchen fridge or bathroom.

Get professional assistance.

We know the safety and wellness of your loved one is a top priority and it may be worth looking into professional aged care services to give your loved one the necessary support. At Village Glen Retirement Living there are no stairs or steps anywhere around the Village to eliminate any risk of tripping. We also work with residents to help install grab rails and access mobility aids. Village Glen Flexicare Home Support can also assist an elderly person on a package making their home a safer place.

Contact Village Glen today for a consultation, call us at 1300 VILL GLEN.

Enjoying Art & Crafts at Village Glen Aged Care Residences

Posted on May 16, 2019September 5, 2019 by VillageGlen

Aged care homes typically organise many activities and have a busy lifestyle calendar for residents to indulge in. Here at Village Glen we offer several arts and crafts classes for you to try your hand at. Indulging in art and craft has several benefits for our mental health. Art is a great avenue to pursue for improving cognitive health. Painting for instance is known to be extremely therapeutic and to large extent relieves stress.

Arts and crafts activities at Village Glen

Here at Village Glen, we offer an extensive variety of arts and crafts classes for our residents to enjoy and bring out their creative side. Some of the art-based classes that residents can take part in are arts and crafts sessions, mosaic making, traditional painting, painting by numbers, flower arranging, poetry and singalongs. Whether they prefer working with beads, linen, paper or woodcraft, they sure will find something that suits their tastes.

They can also try their hand at knitting or crocheting. Needlecrafts are popular activities for the elderly, as they require simple tools and can be easily attended to by relaxing on a couch or in the patio. Needlecraft projects make for pretty gifts too, which can be given to grandkids and friends!

Our residents can also create a scrapbook, which is a great way to preserve their memories. They can also enjoy reminiscing whilst going through old photos and memorabilia for the project.

If they wish to paint, we have classes that are perfect for them. Painting can relieve stress and give that feeling of satisfaction as they create something colourful out of a blank piece of canvas or paper. This gives them the freedom to imagine and paint what they desire.

Looking for reputable aged care homes?

Are you or a family member looking for aged care services and facilities? Contact Village Glen today to schedule a tour. We also offer options for retirement living on the Mornington Peninsula. For enquiries, please call us at 03 5986 4422.

How Can Home Care Benefit You?

Posted on May 13, 2019May 13, 2019 by VillageGlen

Home care is an excellent way to provide the necessary support to seniors or loved ones whilst also maintaining independence and the comfort of home. Home care services on the Mornington Peninsula allow you to enjoy the benefits of in-home care and help which specifically caters to your needs. Continue reading “How Can Home Care Benefit You?”

Contact us today.

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