LARA LODGE CARE HOME
Life Lived Well
Life at Lara Lodge Care Home isnt about retiring from life - its more about moving into a Home that you can really call your own and getting the support, assistance and care that you are looking for. The location of Lara is so close to rural Pukehangi that the background sounds of cows mooing, horses neighing and chooks clucking blends nicely into our lifestyle along with the bird song from the resident feathered families in our gardens. Situated in an attractive cul-de-sac where we have great neighbours and a good repoire with. The property is more or less an acre where we have some nice varieties of established rhododendrons, camellias, flowering cherry, hostas, hellabors, roses, spring bulbs, natives and more. Embracing the garden to table ethos, we began planting our own vegetable, herb & fruit gardens to ensure our meals have spray free goodies included in our chefs creative menus.
We welcome you to come visit, check us out and meet the staff and those that have made themselves at home. Come take the time you need to have a good look round, we want you to be free to ask all the questions you need to. Whether you or your loved one is looking for a short stay or a new home, stay for a cuppa & supper or join us for a meal, let us treat you to hospitality Lara Lodge style.
LIFE AT LARA
Live Lived Well
Lara Lodge Care Home offers the best of residential care in a stand alone Home in Rotorua. Offering you a warm, secure, comfortable, clean and healthy environment, we provide options that are not one-size-fits-all.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Welcome
Lara Lodge offers you the comfort, style, atmosphere and values that you would hope to find in a loving, caring and friendly home. Excellence of care is paramount to the team that work together to ensure that your needs are well taken care of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff are passionate about the areas that they serve in, whether cleaning, cooking, gardening, activities, admin, maintenance, care-giving or nursing. Each person loves what they do and they encourage one another to go the extra mile in our service here.
Being certified by the Ministry of Health NZ, to provide residential care services to folk needing or looking for rest home level care, respite care, palliative care; we have the right staff in a lovely homely setting.
For more information, give us a call today.
WHO COMES HERE
Lara Lodge is a large Family style semi-colonial looking Home. Once the home of a local respected Maori Land Court Judge who absolutely loved the garden. The next owners converted the property to a rest home and over many years Lara Lodge was known as a sort of boutique style residence, more along the lines of a private B&B Hotel. The current owners Walter and Teresa purchased Lara Lodge in early 2017 with a desire to embrace and build into the original vision of excellence of care.
A rather remarkable dedicated team of staff are well equipped to listen to the needs of each resident in order to understand how the best possible care, support and assistance that is specific and appropriate to each undividual can be given.
Who comes here? There are a variety of reasons a person would choose to come to Lara Lodge Care Home and this may be because an illness or disabiliity has bought limitations. Perhaps it is the later years of life that has seen challenges that require a modifying of decisions and actions. Loneliness and social isoloation may have precipated such a move.
The Home has generous sized individual bedrooms most with en-suite bathroom (WC & basin). Separate bathrooms, 3 separate lounges a large semi formal dining room, central kitchen and nursing station. An extensive rear north facing deck faces the private garden. Nurses and 24/7 care staff along with the kitchen, cleaning, gardening and maintenance team are here to ensure that living life well is for real.
SOME OF WHAT WE DO
Living and Thriving
To live and thrive in a healthy, comfortable, clean environment means more than just a building - we need a home. Its the things that take place inside and out that contribute to health and well-being. That might be something as simple as fresh flowers on the tables each week or time spent over a cuppa together. With an emphasis on joyful activities, good food, great care, less waste with the aim to live, do and bring life.
ACTIVITIES
Planned and Spontaneous
Lead by some really neat people, we enjoy outings, events, celebrations, reading, music, games, puzzles, crafts, exercise, movies, bingo, happy hour, fund raising, nibble making, gardening, walks, visiting speakers, musicians, singers, Church service, drama.....
FOOD IS FUEL - FOOD IS FUN
Food is Life
Our Chef and kitchen team work with the clinicians to ensure that the menus created are nutritionally designed to meet individual needs. We aim to make meal times a great experience with a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, carbs, fish and meats. Its good to know that the fruit & veg we grow is spray free. We enjoy a variety of home baking, snacks and nibbles along with teas, coffees, juices, smoothies, shakes & filtered water.
CARE
When and How you need it
Along with our nurse and your chosen supporter/s, your doctor and when necessary other medical specialists a plan of care is decided upon and then worked out - together. We provide the support that is required to ensure that this plan is lived out in the best possible way by the big and small tasks we do with and for you.
CELEBRATIONS
Making the most of Life
We’re passionate about providing opportunities to celebrate and doing it well.
Whether that's a birthday, a national day like Waitangi or ANZAC, anniversaries, holidays, St Paddys, Christmas, Easter, Valentines, Matariki, festivals, cultural events.
We aim to make the most of celebrating the things that matter to those that live here.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Recycle, Reduce Waste, Grow
Our worm farms are thriving on the left over raw foods from our kitchen and in turn they give back worm tea and castings to feed the soil that produces the edible and non edible gardens. Our Bokashi bins get their fill from the raw and cooked leftovers and after a few weeks the broken down scraps are composted back into the soil building it up from underneath. The composts are developed with layers of green and brown vegetation and bring added sustenance to our plantings. Basic things like the picked flowers that are enjoyed fresh in the Home are then discarded back to the soil. Rain water is caught and given to the plants. We work at and aim to be as green, clean with minimal waste, recycling and upcycling where-ever possible. Growing food & plantings where-ever & whenever we can knowing that it will be chemical free and enjoyed fresh.
FUN TIMES
Nourish Your Soul
We love celebrating birthdays, valentines New Year, Christmas with parties,multiple trees, carols (to name a few), Easter - we have an annual Easter Egg Hunt. Oh what fun that is! Halloween: Trick or Treat at our Place for sure. Thanksgiving Dinner are some of our regular happenings.
For more information, give us a call today.
MEET THE TEAM
Everyday People doing the Extraordinary
It’s comforting to know that you’re never alone when you need assistance. The dedicated staff at Lara Lodge Care Home are on call 24/7 in order to serve our residents’ needs. Whether it’s an unusual medication schedule or there’s a health emergency in the middle of the night, our well trained staff are able to handle things well.
CARERS
Amazing Team
Wendy Hartfield, Donna Williams, Darly Chako, Anju Vijayan, Vinny Vavachen, Wendy Belworthy, Jhenylyn Yagayjen, Mary Mathews (SN), Lisa Scheer, Losa Uata, Yasmin Frost (SN) Mellisa TeRuna (EN) JJ McCarthy (RN) Greeshma Midhunkumar (RN). Experienced, educated, professional, caring, enthusiastic, believably good only begins to describe this outstanding group of care staff.
NURSES
Selena O'Doherty RN - Current Clinical Lead.
Mellisa TeRauna EN
Greeshma MidhunKumar Clinical Lead RN (on Maternity Leave with her first baby - a dear wee boy!)
Jocelyn McCarthy-Csada RN
Selena hails from the 'Naki. She is a special person that empathy and care just flow from. An experienced acute setting RN with a huge heart full of kindness and compassion for people and it shows in her role here at Lara. She is adventurous, a traveller, has a pastoral background as well as being a mum and doting grandmother! Musical Mellisa has worked at Lara Since the end of 2016. She has a big heart and a beautiful voice and lucky for us we often get to enjoy her singing and her hugs! She is exact in her care of others. Mellisa is a doting wife, mum and grandmother with years of nurse and caregiving experience. Greeshma has worked at Lara since October 2017 and took on the Clinical lead role a year later. She has proved that she is passionate about the care of older folk, she is a true team player and an outstanding nurse. Greeshma is a vibrant, confident, caring woman who loves her work, her very supportive husband and now her gorgeous baby boy! JJ (Jocelyn) is a creative, caring wife, mum and superwoman-grandmother that makes the most of celebrations! JJ first worked at Lara 20 years ago when she was a student nurse. JJ has worked in hospital and also managed a resthome in Rotorua some years back. Its a privilege too have her return to work here in 2018.
THE KITCHEN STAFF
Chef Greg Patterson,
Janice Corbett, Bronwyn Beamish,
Losa Uata, Walter Scheer
Chef Greg heads this team and arranges the non-rotating menu. His passion and creativity for food and the care of our elders through good nutrition is evident in all he plans and prepares. The rest of the team work part time & each have their own strengths. Janice boasts the title of being the longest serving staff member at Lara. In 2019 she celebrated her 18th year here and her baking is still the best! Bronwyn worked for many years in a childrens Health Camp and brings a weath of experience also. Losa is the happiest cook you will ever meet! Her laughter is contagious.
HOUSEKEEPING
Cheryl Wilson, Lisa Scheer
With a eye for detail the cleaning team take a professional approach to all aspects of home grooming. The girls know that what they do makes a difference in the day to day lives of each resident and thats the approach they take to the big and little things.
OWNER OPERATOR
Walter and Teresa Scheer
They say opposites attract and this couple agree that after 30+ years together they were certainly that back in their 20's. Its those differences that brought about a synergy that together they know they are better at living out their ethos and passion to serve with excellence.
ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
Trisha
Having worked as an activities director for 15 years, Trisha leads a hands on initiative of regular activities during the week. A brain game & exercises start the day off well followed by things like current affairs, story writing and telling, global pen pals, crafts, games, manicures, outings, Happy Hour, movie times, music times.
Weekly bingo is co-ordinated by Lisa.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards”
Soren Kierkegaard
CONTACT
4 Pegasus Dr, Sunnybrook, Rotorua 3015, New Zealand
07-347 7604
POSTINGS
Yesterday,Today, Tomorrow
