NEWSLETTERDECEMBER 2019 - ISSUE 39

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The right to dignity and privacy, to voice concerns and to advocate. For further information please refer to your Client Handbook or discuss with an Older Persons and Ability Support Service Officer on 5232 9420.

EMAIL NEWSLETTERWould you like a copy of the OPASS newsletter emailed to you instead of coming via snail mail? It’s easy, just give the office a ring and ask to be put on the list. Phone 5232 9420.

WELCOME TO ISSUE 39 OF THE QUARTERLY OLDER PERSONS & ABILITY SUPPORT SERVICE (OPASS) NEWSLETTER.

COLAC OTWAY SHIRE IS NOW ON FACEBOOK

CHRISTMAS MINT SLICE BALLS

OPASSrecipecollection

INGREDIENTS• 200g Arnott’s Mint Slice

• 125g cream cheese softened

• 150g milk chocolate melted

• 20 red M&Ms

• 10 spearmint leaf lollies

METHOD 1. Crush the mint Slice biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Place into a large bowl.

2. Add the softened cream cheese and mix until combined.

3. Roll the mixture into heaped teaspoon sized balls and place onto paper lined tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Take out the red M&Ms from the packet and set aside.

5. Slice the spearmint leaves into tiny slithers (you should get 5 out of each leaf) and set aside.

6. Melt the chocolate in microwave safe bowl in 30 seconds bursts for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring each time, until just melted.

7. Carefully dip your mint balls into the chocolate mixture with a fork and place back onto the tray (allow any excess chocolate to drip off).

8. Pop one red M&M and two spearmint leaf slithers onto the top of each of the balls.

9. Place back into the fridge to set. Store in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days.

STAFF FAREWELLSOver the past few months we have farewelled 2 staff members. Cerise Te Nana and Sharon Botheras.We thank Cerise and Sharon for their time with us and wish them all the best with their future.

Christmas is nearly upon us again. It has been a very busy year for all

the OPASS staff and especially for our Community Care workers. They

have also endured a very long winter this year so keeping safe and warm

was a priority.

Summer starts on the 1st December and that means we need to remind

ourselves to check batteries in our smoke detectors, ensure that our fans

and air-conditioners are working and look at how we can keep the house

cooler with blinds or coverings.

With the devastating fires that have occurred throughout Australia, this

is a reminder for all of us to be Fire Ready. You don’t have to live in the

country to be at risk of fire. Fires can occur where the suburbs meet the

bush in urban areas.

If you do live near areas that have significant amounts of bush, grass or

forest then you need to plan ahead. Ideally you will have a fire plan.

Seniors Week/ month was again very successful and a big ‘thank you’ to

all who participated in the many activities. The morning teas across the

Shire continue to be very popular and around 175 people attended the

Expo, morning tea and the James Blundell concert at COPACC. Other

events and activities were well attended.

If you are 50 plus, we would encourage you to come along and join in

with these wonderful events during next years Senior’s Week. It is also

great way to catch up and socialise with your community.

Farewel lThe OPASS staff would like to thank Greg Fletcher, Manager of

Community Services for his dedication to the community and his

oversight of delivering a high quality service to you both in the home and

community. Thank you Greg.

Have a really wonderful Christmas.

All the Staff from Older Persons & Ability

Supports Services wish you a very Merry

and Happy Christmas or Happy Holidays.

Terry Maisey - OP ASS C oordinator

CHRISTMAS CAKES Big thank you again to the Cake Decorators club who do a fantastic job decorating and providing us with beautiful Christmas cakes for our Meals on Wheels and Personal Care Clients to be delivered over the Christmas period.

Unexpected prize and lottery scams work by asking you to pay some sort of fee in order to claim your prize or winnings from a competition or lottery you haven’t entered. If someone asks you to pay money up-front in order to receive a prize or winnings, it’s almost always a scam. Legitimate lotteries do not require you to pay a fee to collect winnings. Never send money or give credit card,

online account details, or copies of important personal documents to anyone you don’t know or trust. Verify the identity of the contact by calling the relevant organisation directly – find them through an independent source such as a phone book or online search. Do not use the contact details provided in the message sent to you. Remember “If you haven’t entered a lottery or competition, you can’t win it.”

UNEXPECTED PRIZE & LOTTERY SCAMS

DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 39

OPERATING HOURS OVER THE CHRISTMAS NEW

YEAR PERIODThe last day for Home Care will be on

Monday 23rd of December 2019.

The last day for Meals on Wheels delivery will be Tuesday 24th December 2019.

Home Care and Meals on Wheels will resume on Thursday 2nd January 2020.

Personal Care will continue with altered times and Respite Care on request.

THE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FROM 3PM ON TUESDAY 24TH DECEMBER

2019 AND REOPENING ON THURSDAY 2ND JANUARY 2020

NO HOME CARE AVAILABLE ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS!

Date Day Holiday

1 Jan Wed New Year’s Day

27 Jan Mon Australia Day Holiday

9 Mar Mon Labour Day

10 Apr Fri Good Friday

13 Apr Mon Easter Monday

8 Jun Mon Queen’s Birthday

TBA AFL Grand Final Friday

3 Nov Tue Melbourne Cup Day *

25 Dec Fri Christmas Day

28 Dec Mon Boxing Day Holiday

On Public Holidays Personal Care and Respite Care are available on request.

No Home Care or Meals on Wheels available on the Public Holiday dates as above.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS FOR 2020

The R.S.L Colac has a Christmas luncheon on Sunday 22nd December and welcomes members from the community to come along for a lovely time to share with a friend or just come by yourself and make new friends, and Santa will be coming too! They also have a senior’s lunch Monday to

Fridays, 2 course meal for $12.00. They welcome enquiries from Veterans at their Welfare Office @ 19 Murray St, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9.00am to 2.00pm or you can call Mary O’Donoghue on 52312 942.

NEWS FROM THE R.S.L COLAC

WHERE TO FIND WARNINGS AND UPDATES

The best way to keep update with fire warnings is to listen to Local News on the Radio 774AM or 1134, 3CS (Colac), National Relay phone 1800 555 677 is a service for callers that are deaf or have a speech/ communication impairment. Check Social Media via Facebook, SKY NEWS TV or Online Vic Emergency website: www.emergency.vic.gov.au

CODE RED DAYS ARE DETERMINED BY THE CFA

Council will not be able to provide services on a Code Red day in identified dangerous areas. During this time Older Persons & Ability Support Services will be delivered on another day, if essential. We will notify you by telephone of such cancellations and changes.

SMOKE ALARMSSince 1st August 1997, Victorian law states that Smoke Alarms must be installed in all homes, units, flats and town houses. They have to comply with Australian Standards. They need to be tested regularly which your Community Carer worker can do for you, they are not permitted to use ladder to do this, usually a broomstick is adequate. Smoke Alarms need to be replaced after 10 years of use.

THE FIRE DANGER RATING TELLS YOU HOW DANGEROUS A FIRE WOULD

BE IF ONE STARTED.It helps you to know when conditions are dangerous enough to put your bushfire survival plan in to action.

Ratings are forecast using Bureau of Meteorology data for up to four days in advance, based on weather and other environmental conditions such as fuel load.

The rating is your prompt to take action to stay safe and how dangerous a fire would be if one started.

PREPARING FOR EXTREME HEAT BEFORE SUMMER, YOU NEED

TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE IMPACTS OF EXTREME HEAT:

• Check that your fan or air-conditioner works well. Have your air conditioner serviced if necessary.

• Stock up on food, water and medicines so you do not have to go out in the heat, e.g. fill up suitable containers or purchase bottled water.

• Store medicine safely at the recommended temperature.

• Stay connected with friends, family and neighbours.

• If you’re at risk from bushfire, prepare your property and check your emergency kit.

• Familiarise yourself (and others) with heat related illnesses, associated symptoms, how to protect yourself and management of symptoms.

• Look at things you can do to make your home cooler such as installing awnings, shade cloths or external blinds on the sides of the house facing the sun.

FIRE SEASON

THANK YOU - VOLUNTEERS We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful Volunteers who help with Transport and Meals on Wheels. Thank you so much for all your hard work this year. They are always willing to be there for us when needed. You do a great job! We are very grateful and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy the break over the holidays and see you all back next year.

SENIORS WEEK 2019This year we kicked off Seniors Week with morning teas across the Shire in Colac, Apollo Bay, Gellibrand and Beeac. Yummy scones, slices and many cups of tea and coffee were had by all. We also tried some new things this year, a Cultural lunch, Card Games, Gentle Exercise with Tai Chi/Qigong stretching with mindfulness at the Kanyana Centre. Walking Water Polo was also designed to optimise social and physical activity in the pool at Bluewater in Hearn St Colac. Generation Playgroup was held at Mercy Place, they enjoyed a Teddy Bears Picnic. Mercy Place, also run this program though out the year with the old and young enjoying each other’s company. The Elliminyt Hall had an old time dance with The Frank Lawrence Band and a scrumptious afternoon tea, with lucky door prizes and raffles on the day too! A Vegetarian Lunch was held at the Forrest Neighbourhood House; it was 3 courses so I’m sure that no-one was left hungry. Our bus trip this year was a leisurely drive to Lorne, Airey’s Inlet, and a beautiful lunch at Poppies Nursery Cafe Angelsea. You cannot go pass The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery when driving though Angelsea. The Country Concert this year started with a Living Well at Home Expo, they had a large range of aids and appliances for everyone to have a try and feel. The morning tea was scones and cakes with tea and coffee, leading up to James Blundell singing all of his greatest hits like “Way Out West”, “This Road” and many more.

This photo is of the ladies who prepared the lunch for Senior’s week Cultural Lunch at the Kanyana Centre

from left to right Niybol Luol, Ajah Duot & Robyn Barrand. This year as part of Seniors Week the Colac

Otway Shire and Colac Otway U3A provided an opportunity for Seniors to attend a lunch catered for

by some of our Sudanese Community. This event was quickly booked out. Nyibol, one of the ladies catering said: “Well it was really nice to do lunch for all those

people. I was really worried that they wouldn’t like my food, but I’m glad they liked it. It was fun.”

GOVERNMENT HOUSE INVITATION

Two of our Colac Otway Shire Positive Ageing Ambassadors were invited to attend Government House Reception for the 2019 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards. The Positive Ageing Ambassadors who attended are; Lynn Foster & Carol Holmes. Katherine Grinter was also in attendance to support the Positive Ageing Ambassadors. The Volunteers enjoyed afternoon tea and the opportunity to look around Government House.