Category Archives: Senior Programmes

Senior Programmes – covid 19 -Ongoing Services and Supports

Oct 6 2020

Ozanam House Update 06/10/2020

Adult Education

We are starting adult classes on a phased basis.  All classes are 90 minutes or less and start and finish times are staggered.  We have increased cleaning before and after classes and throughout the building.  Our class numbers are reduced in line with social distancing measures.  All students and teachers will be required to wear face coverings in class and throughout the building.

Men’s Group

 The lads are doing well. I’m calling them once a week and sending them out puzzles and quizzes to keep them occupied. Obviously, social isolation is not good for people’s mental health, so below are a number of helpful pointers if you feel you are struggling.

img20200930_14125197Download
img20200930_14105320Download

Youth Groups

Our youth services are commencing back in phased bases where we see our youngest groups start back up from the week of 28th of September, our senior services the week of 5th of October with most of our music groups coming back on 3rd of October for Dance and Piano classes and 10th of October for Violin classes. 

We would like to say a huge welcome back to all the children, young people and volunteers to the centre. It was so great to see so many familiar faces back in the centre again and doing what we do best, supporting each other and our service users in times when it’s needed the most. 


October is Mental Health Awareness Month and every year we spend few sessions doing mental health workshops, this year is going to be no different and maybe even more important as we will be exploring the anxiety and stress of lockdown and the new ways of going about our lives in schools and clubs. This year we will be concentrating on finding ways to relax and take a break when things get a little bit too much for us. This is one of the posters one of our senior groups made last year for Mental Health Awareness month with some great suggestions. 

Jul 28 2020

Men’s Group Activities

Hopefully, our Men’s Group will be back with us in-house in the near future. In the meantime, here are some quizzes to keep you occupied. Some real good ones in here.

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ditloid1Q.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ditloid2Q.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ditloid3Q.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/COscarQ.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CTVQ.pdf

Jul 9 2020

Occupational Wellness for Our Active Retirement Group

Continuing with our physical and mental wellness of our Active Retirement members we look at Occupational Wellness this week. Vocational, Professional, or Occupational Wellness is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment from your career, occupation, and work. It also means you maintain a good balance between your personal and professional lives. The ways of improving this are in the document below.

Occupational WellnessDownload
Jul 2 2020

Intellectual Wellness for Our Active Retirement Group

Continuing with our physical and mental wellness of our Active Retirement members we look at Intellectual Wellness this week. Intellectual Wellness refers to active participation in scholastic, cultural, and community activities. The ways of improving this are in the document below.

Intellectual WellnessDownload
Jun 30 2020

Update on Our Men’s Group Return

As the restrictions and preventative measures are easing across the country, it means our members can start returning to Ozanam House. Obviously, numbers will initially be contained and social distancing guidelines will need to be respected. Below is the latest news regarding the Men’s Group, but also some information on the centre as a whole. Also, there is a fun television below. With answers in the link; https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CTVA.pdf

MG Letter to members 30062020Download
TV QuizDownload

Jun 23 2020

Physical Wellness for Our Active Retirement Group

Our Active Retire Group cares about the physical and mental wellness of its members. This has continued during the restrictions due to COVID 19. While it has not been easy to maintain this we have found ways around it. Starting today, we will be regularly posting about Wellness for Seniors on our website. See the document below for information;

Physical WellnessDownload
Jun 16 2020

Drama in Our Active Retirement Group

There is a lot of drama in the Active Retirement Group right now… the good kind of drama that is! Our incredible volunteer, Karina, is reaching out to members over the phone and online to bring theatre, drama, and creativity to our new routines. This week, she reconnected the group to Drama through the 3 -C’s – Creativity, Character, and Confidence. 

The first exercise is simple, she gave the following list of 5 words: Friends, Alive, Attitude, Lacking, and Grace. Members have 5 minutes to write how they connect and associate with each word. This could be a sentence, a paragraph, a poem, a memory, a history, a comedy, anything! The goal is to be creative, explore, and enjoy! No pressure and no judgement. 

I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

May 25 2020

Active Retirement Workshop Volunteer

A safe place where people learn and grow,

that serves our needs and enriches our lives

in a supportive, fun and caring environment’

 

GENERAL WORKSHOP VOLUNTEER

Our organisation & the programme

Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years. Since our opening in September 2002 we have continued to develop various programmes and projects aimed at addressing the issue of social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community.

We organise activities like physical fitness programmes, board games, crosswords, table quizzes, darts, bowls, bingo, and specific courses which vary over time – for example, Irish and How to Use your Mobile Phone. In addition, guest speakers on topics of relevance to the group are scheduled on a monthly basis. Outings are also organised on a monthly basis in consultation with the group. A Summer programme takes place in the month of July. But perhaps the most important function of the group is the social aspect as many of our members live alone. To reach our full potential and to achieve our goals in the group, we seek new volunteers from time to time to support the ARG co-ordinator deliver a quality and professional programme to the members.


Overview of the Volunteer Role
To identify your area of expertise and specific skills that can be used to facilitate a workshop (one-off or series)  that would benefit the Active Retirement Group.

Examples of these are:

  • Sports, Chair Yoga, Tai Chi, etc.
  • Arts
  • Cookery
  • Crafts
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Current Events
  • Group Discussions
  • First Aid
  • Reflexology treatments
  • Presentations
  • Other areas of relevance



Tasks

  • To agree with the programme coordinator a workshop plan in advance
  • To source materials to undertake the courses, these will be funded by the centre
  • To prepare these courses in advance
  • To ensure the room and space are prepared and ready for the participants in advance of the class starting
  • To lead the class/workshop with the support at all times of the programme staff – class leaders and assistants
  • To review activities with the programme coordinator implementing changes where necessary
  • To follow the policies and procedures of Ozanam House which can be found in the induction pack or in the office

Time commitment

The exact times and dates of working will be agreed between the volunteer and the programme co-ordinator. The volunteer should consider committing to the time of the classes/workshops plus extra time for the planning and preparation of the classes/workshops. The Active Retirement Group meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30 – 12:30. However, due to social distancing restrictions these times may change.

Skills, Experience & Qualities Required

  • Expertise and specific skill in an area of relevance to the centre
  • Fun and Energy when teaching your skill to a group of people
  • Ability to relate well to people and enjoy dealing with them
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Good organizational skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Self-confidence towards other people
  • Patience, resilience, tolerance and flexibility
  • Previous workshop experience is desirable but not essential

Training & Support

  • The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description
  • The volunteer will receive support at all times of the programme staff – class leaders and assistants.
  • Special support will be given by the programme coordinator in advance for planning the workshop.

Benefits

  • Personal development
  • Sharing knowledge that can help others enrich their lives
  • Opportunity to work in and learn about a community resource centre
  • Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
  • Tea and coffee will be provided for all volunteers

If you have a skill or qualification in an area that you feel will benefit Ozanam House
please contact us!
A meeting will be arranged.

Contact

Kim Haugh

Email; admin@ozanamhouse.ie

Phone;  087 1836978

May 8 2020

Weekly Update for Our Active Retirement 4th-10th of May

Our weekly Activity Pack for Seniors is now available in the document below. We are continuing our online supports until we can all meet up again in person.

As always, if you have any queries or just want to chat you can contact Jenna on activeretirement@ozanamhouse.ie or by phone at  087 6047103

ARG Activity Packet Week 04-10 MayDownload