AOTEA CONVALESCENT HOME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2750, 19 April 1916, Page 3

AOTEA CONVALESCENT HOME

The following extract . takon from "The Aotean," tho journal of the Convalescent. Home at Cairo, gives some idea of the.regard in which the Aotea Convalescent Home is held by the patients, who are there or have been there:—

" 'Aotca' is a home in every sense of the word, and the only unhappy moment a patient knows there is" when .tho word discharge appears after his namo in the roll took: Necessarily under this jurisdiction of Military Authority, 'Aotea' is, nevertheless, '.not run on strictly military lines. -The aim of tho matron and staff is to make it a home, and to use the words uttered by hundreds of 'Aoleans,' 'It is truly a Home away from Home.' "Within its lornwalls one can forgot the trenches, the parade ground, the orderly room,-the miles of red tape, and the bully beef and biscuits, without which, memories of the trenches in' Gallipoli and camp, life in general. would not be complete. "A patient's day at 'Aotea' commences at 7.30 a.m. with the ringing of the dressing bell. At 8 o'clock breakfast is served—not a camp breakfast, but a meal such.as you would get in your 'own home. The morning tea whistle sounds at 10.30 o'clock, and dinnerjs served at 12.30. Afternoon tea is oil-at 3 p.m.; tea at o.iJO and supper at 8.30. Bis", meals 'a day! What delightful memories to take back to the trenches. And there are other memories, too, for the 'Aotean' back in the firing line. Memories of the snug bedrooms, the cosy card and living room, tho well-stocked library, the daily motor drives, the tennis lawn, the triweekly concerts, the card evenings, and. above all, the. devotion and general kindliness of the staff. 'A Home away from Home'! Yes! 'Aotea' i s all that,. and we, the patients who are responsible for this journal, find it extremely difficult to voice our appreciation of it. Cnild all those patriotic peoplo'of Wanganui, B.angifcikei, and Wairarapa, whoso purses were placed at the disposal of the promoters, see the excellent use that has been made and is being made of their forethought and generosity they would, wo feel sure, be repaid in part. Were it in our power we would like to thank each one in person, but as that is riot possible we can'only'ten-' der our' grateful thanks for' the establishment here in Egypt of 'Aotea'—the best convalescent home in the British Empire."