At Ron Smith Care Centre, we have the privilege to work with a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers who makes our care centre an even greater place... It really is special to see them at work and to experience the love they put into everything they do with the residents.
We want to introduce our volunteers to you and also use this opportunity to thank our volunteers for their hard work through 2012 and for sticking with us for another year :) We appreciate you guys so much!
First off we have all the volunteers who help in our Alzheimer's and Dementia Ward - Riverlodge 3. They do stimulation groups with the residents ranging from arts and crafts and sensory stimulation to music and movement.
The Monday group. Front, from left to right: Celina De Hmeida, Rolf Neuhaus. Back: Lorna Turner, Judy Lurie (art therapist), Loraine Ajax, Evelyn Neuhaus and Joseph Capell.
The Tuesday group. Front: Salina Mtshali (OT technician). Back, from left to right: Anne Joannides, Lindy Gundersen, Cathy Potgieter and Liz Botsis.
The Thursday group. From left to right: Susan McWilliam, Wendy Gold, Jen Cruickshank and Sharon Morrison.
The Thursday group with Moira Dowds who also helps out regularly
The Friday group. From left to right: Hannie Roux, Salina Mtshali, Liz Botsis and Veronique Wilson.
Some photos of the happenings in Riverlodge 3 with these volunteers:
Jen Cruickshank sharing a joke with Freda Parrott.
The Tuesday group using ribbon for music and movement (see more photos of this lovely activity
here).
Hannie dancing with Anna Lospoto.
Jo Jones working hard on the craft activities brought by the volunteers.
A party outside with the volunteers.
Then we also have other volunteers helping out in the craft and recreation room as well as in the wards. Activities range from exercise, taking residents for walks, reading groups and personal visits etc.
Betty Dell (left) is our exercise instructor. She is a retired physio and the residents love coming to her groups for their weekly stretches. With her is Betty Haughton, a friend and a regular attendee of the exercise group.
Betty in action on a Tuesday morning.
Dorothea Bekker (middle) also volunteers on Tuesdays. She helps Dinah the OT technician with providing the residents with activities and she loves to take residents for walks in our beautiful grounds. Here are her two favourite residents - from left to right: Marjorie Gittings and Tony King.
Dorothea and Tony taking a walk next to the pond.
Tuesday afternoons are Bingo Time in OT. George McTaggart helps us out by being the caller.
While George is busy with Bingo, his wife Shirley goes to Woodlands for a game of Scrabble with Alan Clark.
On Wednesday mornings it is arts and crafts in OT and we have Grace Lissoni helping Judy to come up with wonderful new ideas for this group.
Wednesday afternoons Lorna van Heerden (middle) does a reading/discussion group in OT. She reads wonderful stories and also brings quizzes and puzzles to keep the residents interested. John Lee (left) and Cecily Ryder (right) always enjoy her company.
Wendy Raichman used to visit Penny Diamond for individual time up until last week. We are very sad to have lost Penny on Monday night. Even though she was 94 years old, she still brought joy to people's lives everyday. We will miss her dearly. Wendy says that she enjoyed her time with Penny so much and feels blessed to have had the privilege to know her.
Denise McGee (right) helps out on Thursday mornings. She is so cheerful and lifts everyone's spirits in OT. She is also great to have around to give a bit of assistance to the knitting ladies. With her in the photo is Dinah Mnguni (OT technician).
Barbara Wapnick helps us by knitting beautiful toys that can be sold for OT funds. Her toys can be bought in OT or from reception at Elphin Lodge. Dinah helps her with the finishing off touches.
John Cruickshank comes in once a month on a Thursday to do Armchair Travel. This is a favourite with the residents as they get to go all over the world without moving from their chairs :)
Debbie Swanepoel comes to do Music Therapy once a month on a Monday. The residents respond so well to these groups, doing the movements and following the beat. It just shows once again the wonderful effect that music has on each and every person.
Margie Howitt (left) and Judy Dost (right) are two friends who have decided to do volunteer work together. They have been seeing two residents each for personal visits and love to take them for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake at Elphino's.
Maureen Vermeulen (ex-matron Elphin Lodge) also volunteers on a regular basis. Although though her health doesn't allow her to participate in the groups, she helps us by making a lot of our sensory stimulation materials as well as stitching together toys made in OT.
Edna van Rensburg (right) comes to OT every day to knit toys to be sold for OT funds. Maureen Vermeulen helps to stitch a lot of these toys together. Here they are posing with some of their toys.
Viv Michler comes to do Bible Study session every second Friday afternoon. The residents love these sessions and start asking about her a week before she is due.
Thank you so much to each and every volunteer who has made such a difference in our residents' lives in 2012 and will continue to do so in 2013!
