Ninety-nine-year-old Daisy Aldridge ironing the mask making fabric, which was donated to the home by a former resident. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
GIANINA SCHWANECKE
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Residents at Wharekaka Rest Home in Martinborough didn’t let the lockdown stop them from having fun and have instead been busy making facemasks.
Wharekaka marketing and fundraising committee chairwoman Helen Meehan said aged care facilities around the country had continued to limit access to only family and essential visitors to reduce the risk of spreading covid-19.
“We are therefore very experienced in going into lockdown.”
This had been hard on some of the residents as non-essential services such as the Wharekaka Auxiliary who organise a weekly afternoon tea for the residents to provide company and a fresh face, had been discouraged from visiting.
But this hadn’t stopped the residents from doing their bit to fight the pandemic either.
Several of the facility’s 20 residents have been making face masks using fabric and materials donated by a previous resident.
Meehan said it was the brain child of their activities officer.
They’ve so far made more than 20 masks – one for each resident, with plans to make more and sell them at the Martinborough Community Market with some of the knitting that they had also done during lockdown.
Money raised would contribute to the residents’ special fund for their treats and any special equipment that makes life easier for residents and staff.
