Mundubbera resident celebrates 106th birthday
A special guest, of the four-legged kind, visited Mundubbera Multi-Purpose Health Service on Valentine’s Day to help celebrate the 106th birthday of a resident.
As part of her 106th birthday celebrations, Hilda Payne had a pony visit her in recognition of her founding roles in both the pony clubs of Eidsvold and Mundubbera.
The visit was arranged by Mundubbera MPHS operational services officer Constance McAllister.
As well as the pony, Hilda was joined by her son and grandson to celebrate her remarkable milestone birthday with other residents and staff.
“It was wonderful to celebrate Hilda’s birthday with something special that linked back to her life out in the community,” Mundubbera MPHS Director of Nursing Jan-Adele Hotz said.
“Hilda has had a lifelong association with ponies and horses, both as a founder of local pony clubs and in her involvement with local show societies in Eidsvold and Mundubbera.
“Having the pony visit was a celebration of her contribution to our local communities, but also therapeutic by providing a little extra joy to Hilda on her birthday.
“On top of that, our other residents also enjoyed the visit, with many of them having their own associations with animals, agriculture and the land.”
Hilda had a strong affinity with her local communities through her lifelong dedication to volunteering, including assisting the QCWA in various roles and serving as Mundubbera Historical Society president for 25 years.
While not an everyday occurrence, animal visits do form part of a holistic approach of providing aged-care tailored to the individual resident at the Mundubbera MPHS.
“An important part of aged care is not just supporting their lives, but providing patient-centred care that enables residents in our care to have the highest quality life possible,” Ms Hotz said.
“For some residents that might mean providing music of a genre they enjoy, entering a plant or craft in the local show or linking them back to farm life through a visit from a pony.
“While these might not be daily occurrences, they are a normal part of providing that patient-centred care.”
The high-quality of the Mundubbera MPHS’s residential care was recognised at the Queensland Community Achievement Awards in December when they won the Employer Excellence in Aged Care award.
