Celebrating life at Barchester

As I’ve not been able to see my Mother since the home went into lockdown, we as a family are truly grateful for the love and care that has been given to our Mother. We really appreciate the updates and knowing she is in safe hands.

It was very impressive how you managed to do all the checks and make sure that everything was in place (temperature checks, sanitisers, etc), yet still make the setting and visit very welcoming and relaxed.

Even though many of our residents have had to endure hardship throughout their lives (many of them have lived through at least one world war) the coronavirus crisis is new to them too. 

Our residents are very resilient, but great care was taken to observe their mental and physical well being during this even more difficult time. On hearing of the lockdown, we immediately sent around a flyer listing all of the one-to-one activities our team could offer them in their rooms. This list included memory games, draughts, dominoes, board games, cards, hand massages and nail painting, music and movement, relaxation sessions, drawing and sketching, or just a lovely chat over a cup of tea.

Every resident enjoyed these sessions at least once a day. We have also been taking a drinks trolley around the rooms; our residents love their lunch time sherry or glass of wine!

Residents spent time colouring rainbows and posing for photographs to send to their families recently at Laurel Bank to let them know that we’re doing well here, keeping busy and keeping hope alive. We will get through this together!

Staff, residents, loved ones and members of the community, including the local police, cheered on NHS staff and other key workers at Fordmill, who are helping to keep the country running during the coronavirus pandemic. Those who have recently lost a loved one, stood strong and everyone took a moment to remember as they showed their appreciation for our key workers.

We were delighted when some of Carlisle Section 4 officers did some socially distanced community engagement in various locations around Carlisle, handing out balloons to children, the elderly, and people who are experiencing lonely periods of self-isolation. They brightened people’s days in what can be a scary and anxious time for some. 

Meadow Park recently presented local community group, Bedlington Network with an array of food parcels to benefit members of the community. 

We welcomed Lindsey Jordan and Dan Wilkinson from the group to collect the bags of goodies, which staff from the home have donated to support those less fortunate in the community.

It’s amazing to receive such fantastic support from our residents and staff, and this will be a huge benefit to our community.

Residents of Bradshaw Manor have sent messages of support and encouragement during these challenging times to key workers and emergency services in the area, along with the Post Office and local supermarket, who are playing their roles in keeping communities together with their service.

Residents created the coloured ‘Thank You’ and ‘Keep Going’ wording, which were attached to a poster. Clarence House, the surgery who do our home's Wednesday morning GP round shared this story on social media, and they received a wonderful letter from the Royal Mail with their thanks. 

Please can you pass on our thanks to Maple Leaf care home in Grantham from the ambulance crew that visited them today, for the treats we found when we got back to our vehicle. They were very much appreciated and enjoyed. Stay safe!

The Oxfordshire Fire Brigade visited the home on 30th April to show their support for all essential workers. These were moments full of emotions!

To celebrate the Queen’s birthday and National Tea Day, the Queen came to visit us at Cepen Lodge and enjoyed a cup of tea with our residents in their rooms. Of course, she had to wear the correct PPE, which she did not mind; she already had her gloves on prepared! Here is David with the Queen enjoying a cup of Earl grey.

Thank you to West Bengal, who donated an emergency food parcel to members of the home's staff team. On behalf of Dovedale colleagues, they would like to pass on their gratitude for being considered at this time of uncertainty, and hope everyone stays safe and well. It was such a nice gesture, thinking of us care homes and everyone joining forces to keep the community spirit together!

The Dunelm store in Telford have kindly donated wash bags to staff and residents. It’s lovely that businesses are offering their support, especially as they too have been hit hard by the lockdown. It truly is a challenging time for all. We are humbled by their kindness.

A sports day and BBQ was enjoyed by staff and residents at Challoner, with all social distancing measures in place.

Scarborough Hall care home has welcomed home a resident, 84 year old Muriel Tipper, 84 years young. Muriel has recently spent a period of time in Scarborough Hospital, whilst in hospital Muriel tested positive to Covid-19.

After excellent care and treatment by all the doctors and nurses at Scarborough Hospital Muriel returned home after recovering. Staff, residents and guests commemorated the day with afternoon tea and made a great fuss over Muriel as everyone has been delighted that she has overcome and returned to the home.

General Manager, Charlotte Nurse of Scarborough Hall said: “Today has been all about celebrating Muriel’s return and it has been great fun for everyone. Our staff and the people who live here have really got involved with the celebrations and have really enjoyed themselves. In these unprecedented times with so much negativity in the media, we wanted to share the good news and give people some hope. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at Scarborough Hall for their dedication and commitment to the home not only at this time but over the years’”

Jean Kelman is adjusting to the virtual world so she can video call her family and friends on her big day on Easter Monday (April 13). Jean, who lives at the Manor Care Home, in Bishop's Hull, said: "I feel like the Queen.

"I’ll be having birthday celebrations with all the staff here and I’ll be having a party with my family when everything is back to normal." 

Jean was born in Wells in 1920 and became a trained nurse. She and her late husband Steve had three daughters - Fiona, Heather, who has since died, and Suzanne. Jean said: "I still think about Heather, I'm very proud of all my children and my grandchildren."

Fiona said: "Jean is and has been a fantastic mother and friend to so many over the past 100 years, and it’s wonderful to be with her on this very special day to say just how proud she makes us feel. She is truly an inspiration to all of us."

Carla Bowman, general manager of the home, said: "We’re delighted to be celebrating a truly remarkable woman as she reaches this amazing milestone. Jean is such a popular resident who always has an interesting tale to tell, and we look forward to hearing many more as she breaks into her next century."