Enliven residential aged care Otago

19/03/2026

Scones for Breakfast! 🧁

Residents at Iona, in our Mackay home, love Tuesday baking afternoons, preparing treats for Breakfast Club the following morning.

Recently, freshly picked apples from our garden were used to make apple spice scones. To add some extra flavour and texture, two toppings were tried – a zesty lemon drizzle and a brown sugar cinnamon crunch.

One resident commented, “This reminds me of the times I baked with my mum.”

Listening to residents’ conversations and later seeing the enjoyment as they shared and ate the scones highlights the value of being involved in these simple activities – ones that spark memories and joy.

Across our Enliven care homes, we strive to offer fun, engaging experiences that encourage participation and support wellbeing, and baking is clearly a well established favourite.

Find the recipe and more stories in our Autumn newsletter
👉 https://psotago.org.nz/news/autumn-newsletter-2026/

Mackay home is a community within our Iona Enliven Carehome in Oamaru, one of our Enliven homes across Otago.

For our Enliven care homes across Otago, visit: https://psotago.org.nz/enliven

16/03/2026

A very special visit at Ross Home ☀️
There were huge smiles on the faces of staff, residents and visiting whānau at Ross Home recently when two very special visitors arrived – a pair of donkeys who stopped by to meet our residents.
Making the most of the sunshine, everyone headed outside to say hello, share a few pats, and enjoy the simple joy of connecting with these gentle animals. The donkeys were more than happy to nibble on carrots and other green treats offered by residents.
Animals have an extraordinary ability to connect with people of all ages 💛
To find out more about our Enliven care homes across Otago, visit:
👉 https://psotago.org.nz/enliven

02/03/2026

A very special “I do” at Iona 💜

Recently, we were honoured to help host a small wedding in our Iona chapel, so a much loved mum and Iona resident could be there to see her son get married.

With the bride’s favourite colour in mind, our Activities and Admin teams came together to transform the space. Wendy volunteered her time to create paper flowers, while Bev supplied metres of frost cloth to decorate a wooden arch built by Mark, our amazing handyman. Fresh flowers from Iona’s gardens completed the space.

Our amazing Enliven team often goes the extra mile to support what matters most to our residents and their whānau. We were thrilled to help this family celebrate such a special occasion 💐

(Even if we may have gotten a little carried away with our enthusiasm 😆)

To find out more about our Enliven care homes across Otago, visit:
👉 https://psotago.org.nz/enliven

13/02/2026

Monarchs at Iona! 🦋🦋🦋

Since late last year, our residents have been front row to an amazing Monarch butterfly journey – from tiny eggs to caterpillars, chrysalises and finally beautiful butterflies taking flight.

Our swan plants were lovingly watered, caterpillars carefully moved, and updates eagerly shared – they truly became everyone’s “babies”! 😄

While our hungry caterpillars have now moved on to new swan plants around town, the joy, wonder and daily deck side butterfly watching made this project extra special. What a beautiful experience to share together 💛

To find out more about our Enliven care homes across Otago, please visit https://psotago.org.nz/enliven

21/10/2025

Happy Health Care Assistant Day! 💙 🎉
Today we’re celebrating the incredible Health Care Assistants who bring compassion, dedication, and strength to everything they do. You’re the heart of our care – supporting residents with kindness, dignity, and respect, and making a real difference every single day.
To our Enliven teams at Ross Home, St Andrews, Taieri Court, Ranui, Castlewood, Iona and Holmdene, thank you for everything you do. 💐

21/07/2025

Our amazing volunteer Bex from St Andrews care home in Dunedin was honoured recently by Volunteer South. We are so grateful for all our volunteers across PSO, we couldn't do it without them!

🌟 National Volunteer Week may have wrapped up, but our Celebration Stories are still going strong.

This week, we're highlighting Bex from St Andrews Home and Hospital in Dunedin. Her compassion and care shine through in everything she does. From supporting pamper afternoons to helping with bingo games, Bex brings warmth and connection to each visit.

She recently played a key role in a very special outing aboard the Seasider train. Thanks to her help, residents enjoyed a safe and joyful day filled with scenic views and shared memories. It was an experience they’ll treasure.

In Bex’s words: “If the residents are smiling when I leave, I know I’ve done something right.” 💛 The team at St Andrews couldn’t agree more.

👉 Read more about her story on our website: https://volunteersouth.org.nz/news/bex-at-st-andrews-home-hospital-a-day-to-remember-on-the-seasider-and-so-much-more

Presbyterian Support Otago

21/07/2025

Are you looking for your next step in retirement? Love the lifestyle in Wānaka? We have one and two bedroom apartments in the beautiful Wānaka Retirement Village available now!

Please contact the Sandra Clark, phone 027 700 3575 for more information.

Wānaka Retirement Village
7 Meadowstone Drive.
wanakaretirementvillage.co.nz

21/07/2025

Our care homes always love a reason to celebrate – and over the weekend, Ross Home marked a very special milestone with one of our remarkable residents turning 100! 💯🎂

Read more about this inspiring woman and her incredible journey in the Otago Daily Times: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/well-read-deaconess-reaches-100-years-unshackled

For more information about our warm and welcoming care homes across Otago, visit: https://psotago.org.nz/services/residential-aged-care/

The Rev Nora Calvert’s secret to making it to 100 years old might be a life unencumbered by a husband or child, her niece says. Ms Calvert...

12/07/2025

Celebrating Excellence in Nursing at our Enliven Homes! 🎉

We’re incredibly proud of our amazing team – and we love seeing their hard work recognised!

Earlier this year, Lynley Chirnside, our Enliven Clinical Nurse Advisor, was honoured with the Nursing Leadership Award at the 2025 Southern Nursing Excellence Awards! 🏆👏

Read more about Lynley’s achievement and other inspiring stories in the latest edition of our Winter People Magazine: https://psotago.org.nz/news/winter-people-25/

💙 Presbyterian Support Otago is a registered charity. We rely on the generosity of our community to continue delivering vital social and community services across Otago.

If you’re able to support our work: https://psotago.org.nz/get-involved/donate/

09/07/2025

Our Winter People Magazine is out now! You can read the full digital version on our website! ❄❄❄ https://psotago.org.nz/news/winter-people-25/

Get all our news straight to your inbox by signing up online https://psotago.org.nz/get-involved/stay-in-touch/ 📧🙌📧
If you're in a position to help support our services, please consider either donating or volunteering to help in your community! Visit https://psotago.org.nz/get-involved/ for more information.

16/06/2025

This week we are thanking our volunteers who gift their time and energy to weave our community together!

Meet Colin, one of our wonderful volunteers from Iona care home in Oamaru. Colin supports one of our residents by lending a hand in the dining room. He also helps out with maintenance, and assists residents in our independent living cottages. Colin is just one example of how volunteering weaves people and communities together. Our volunteers are vital members of our teams and we are extremely grateful for their valuable time! Thank you, Colin and all our volunteers, for all that you do!

For more information about volunteering with us, please visit our website http://psotago.org.nz/volunteer
Kia ora rawa atu, big thanks volunteers!