After hardship at home in Bulgaria, Srebra says life at Kemp Home & Hospital has given her purpose and joy.
“I came to New Zealand in 1999 to start a new life. It wasn’t safe for us in my country, Bulgaria. My father was a democrat, so our family were treated as an enemy by the powerful communists.”
It was a hard life. My two sons were stolen from me when they were young. Then, when my sister lost her vision in an accident, I left my job and sold my apartment to help her and her teenage children. They were at an important age, so I wanted to make sure they could build a good life for themselves. She eventually recovered 50% of her vision, and my father told me to go somewhere safe where I could start again. After I left, my mother and father were killed.”
I have a master’s degree in psychology, and worked as an intensive care nurse and social worker, but I couldn’t speak English, so I started learning it at Whitireia. I worked as a cleaner and caregiver in a rest home in Wellington for a while, but some years later I got very sick and went to hospital. After I was discharged I had nowhere to go, so I was put in an emergency hotel for two years. It was getting very difficult for me to take care of myself, and I felt very alone. One day, some staff from Kemp Home & Hospital connected with me. I very much liked them, and I agreed to move in.”
I’ve been here for over three years now, and I know I did not make a mistake moving here. There have been times when I have struggled and needed more attention, and I’ve received that here. The nurses and staff are good – I know with my professional experience! You can tell they have a deep desire to care for all the rest home residents and hospital patients. And that’s very important for people who really need it. Whenever something is wrong they are fast to help, and that stops people from needing more health care.”
I really like the approach they take to their care too. I am impressed by how they put the individual person first. This is very important in my opinion, and I appreciate it. One example is how they pay for me to call my sister in Bulgaria once or twice a month. She is my only connection to my past, so it is nice for me to speak with her.”
There is lots of good stuff here, we have a library, and I read a lot of books, which is my hobby. We also have a chapel, and twice a week we have services with our caring chaplain, Brenda. I enjoy speaking with people and doing group activities. Recently, we celebrated the International Day for Older Persons, and we played competitive games. I also like doing the daily quizzes and exercises with our diversional therapist. The staff are always encouraging us to do fun things, to be competitive, and to have purpose. This keeps me feeling young!”
We also celebrate very special times, such as Father’s and Mother’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. We do this as a family, and it gives us a complete life. You can see how much these days mean to everyone who lives here.”
I’m glad I survived what I have gone through, and now I feel very happy and confident. I don’t feel so alone, because Kemp is my family, and I have motivation each day.”
Thank you to Mission donors. This is a good place to support, it has a good purpose, and I am very grateful for my life here.”
Vai, Registered Nurse – Kemp Home & Hospital
“I’ve known Srebra well for a few years now, and she has opened up more and more since first joining us at Kemp. She’s quite a leader, and she gets involved with lots of different activities and looks out for the other residents. She’s always positive and appreciates being here, and it’s a pleasure to be able to care for her!”
