Moira’s story – ‘I’m very lucky to be living here.” After living in a boarding house for years, Moira was delighted to have a safe, warm, and comfortable home of her own at Stevenson Village. Moira moved to Stevenson Village 13 years ago. Before that, she had been living in a boarding house in Howick, where she had to share a bathroom with three other people. “I had put my name down on every WINZ list as I was really hoping to have my own place,” she says. When she was contacted by Stevenson Village to say a unit was available for her, Moira was thrilled. She loves her warm, cosy one-bedroom u ..read more

How to stay stronger for longer. One of the five pillars of ageing well promoted by Virtual Village East is physical wellbeing. As we discovered at our recent information morning, there’s always more we can do to keep ourselves physically well and stay ‘stronger for longer’. Most people think of their physical health in terms of cardio fitness, but as you age, strength becomes more critical said Bethan Collings, Age Concern’s Senior Community Strength & Balance Coordinator. “Lack of strength leads to frailty, which in turn, can result in health issues and an increased risk of falls.” “From ..read more

Old age needn’t be a period of decline, says HBH Group CEO Juliette Tuckey. Rather, it can be an opportunity to promote growth and wellbeing, which is the philosophy at the heart of the Eden Alternative.   We all need to challenge ourselves about how we approach ageing and ageism explains Juliette. “We’re bombarded by ageist attitudes – every ad, every magazine is about looking younger and feeling younger; it’s inherent in everything we do. At some stage, ‘growing up’ becomes ‘growing old’ and we all begin to downplay our age. But ageing doesn’t have to be a negative – there’s so much to ..read more

At HBH,  we believe in the power of human connection, the strength of diverse backgrounds, and the importance of a dedicated team. Today, we’re excited to introduce to you to a new member of our HBH family, Ely Pisec. Ely’s commitment to patient care, combined with his vibrant personality, makes him a perfect fit for our team.  Get to know him more through these 5 Facts about him! Background/ Introduction Hello! I am Eillenger Tico Pisec Sr., a proud Registered Nurse hailing from the Cordillera in the Philippines. I belong to the Kankana-ey and Ibaloi tribes, a heritage I hold close ..read more

“There is a difference between solitude and loneliness,” points out Juliette. “The Eden Alternative is about identifying what loneliness is and creating meaningful pathways to overcome that. It’s a relationship-directed model of care that hinges on creating meaningful relationships – whether that’s with staff, families, students, or volunteers.” “A lot of residents here are very close to staff, and we don’t discourage those connections. I often go and have a cuppa or evening chat with some residents, and those daily connections are equally important and vital to all of us,” she says. However ..read more

Alison pictured at our recent volunteer afternoon tea   Alison Hegely began volunteering with HBH back in November 1979 when it was still known as ‘Howick Baptist Home and Hospital’. Now a resident herself, her passion for volunteering continues to bring joy to other residents. While Alison was working for HBH as a nurse, along with other Baptist churchgoers, she started to make bedspreads, curtains and jams for the residents at the time. She was also heavily involved in organising a gala event once a year with cake stalls and jam stalls, which was a great fundraiser for the Home and Ho ..read more

With Janet Mikkelsen of Aroha Funerals Grieving when you’ve lost a loved one is totally natural. It can be a difficult and challenging process, and it affects us all in different ways. How deeply you grieve depends on a lot of factors, including your relationship with the person who has passed, and the circumstances around their passing. Janet Mikkelsen has seen more than her fair share of grief over the years. Before becoming a Funeral Director of Aroha Funerals, she worked as a nurse for 30 years in paediatric oncology and palliative care – experience that helped her develop many of the skil ..read more

Dear family, whānau and friends of our residents, We hope this update finds you safe and well. In line with the recent government announcement to remove all remaining Covid-19 public health requirements, we have updated our Covid guidelines at HBH effective immediately. Mask-Wearing – Voluntary for visitors. If you feel unwell, please visit us another time. RAT Testing – Weekly for staff and residents, and if symptoms are noted. Isolation –  7 days for residents if positive; staff to stay home until 24 hours after symptoms end. This will be regularly reviewed based on Covid case rates in ..read more

A question that has long challenged those committed to changing the culture of aged care is …. ‘What makes life worth living, and how do we measure it’? The Eden Alternative is a philosophy of care that seeks to change how we care for older people, promoting environments that foster community and connection rather than loneliness, meaningful activity rather than boredom; and self-reliance and caring for others rather than helplessness. Eden contends that getting older and living with changing abilities need not be about decline and despair, but instead, a chance to soar to new heights of human ..read more

Tuesday, 9 May, 2023 Kia ora to our HBH family and friends of residents, Due to the recent extreme weather event, the basement and other parts of HBH Howick Views have been flooded. We ask our residents’ families and friends to please delay or reschedule your visit to the Care Home. If you urgently need to come on-site, please park in the designated parking areas outside the main entrances and avoid going to the basement. Your cooperation is much appreciated. We have four COVID-19 positive residents in our Minerva community and we are currently operating on high alert with our COVID protocols ..read more