Meet the Lucerne House Care Home Team

Hello, my name is Grace and I am the Deputy Manager at Lucerne House.

I qualified in 2010 as a Registered General Nurse from Anglia Ruskin University in Essex. I previously worked in a Barchester Care Home for over a year, and I was very impressed with their values as a company. I moved to north London where I then worked in a busy NHS hospital, before progressing to management roles. I also worked as a Nurse Educator, and became a Specialist Nurse in spinal injuries. I moved to Devon in 2019, where I worked as a Specialist Nurse in Dermatology. 

I really enjoy my life in beautiful Devon and hope to stay here for many years to come. I am so happy to have returned to a Barchester home, and the residents and staff at Lucerne are exceptional. I am very team orientated and I really enjoy the holistic approach Lucerne provides for their residents. I am passionate about providing a high standard of care and also in developing and supporting staff, ensuring they feel valued along the way.

Hi, my name is Lalaine, and I am the Head of Unit in our Memory Lane community at Lucerne House. I am a dedicated RGN with over 21 years of experience in working in busy hospital environments and nursing homes. I am responsible for delivering high standards of nursing care to residents, whilst ensuring that they are happy, comfortable and safe in our home.

My role at Lucerne House involves supporting the General Manager by maintaining and managing the financial, recruitment and general administration systems.

I started at Barchester in 2020, as a care assistant at Lucerne House. In 2021, I took on the role of administrator which I use my previous professional experience in finance, administration and accountancy.

I feel privileged to have secured my current role supporting the residents and families at Lucerne, and if you ever need anything, then my door is always open.

Hello, my name is Darren, I have just joined the Barchester group and I am very excited to be the Head Chef at Lucerne House.

Having come from the luxury hospitality sector I intend to bring my skills and knowledge into the kitchen to produce nutritious, seasonal, fresh and delicious recipes for our residents. My team and I take great pride and passion in our work and believe this translates into the food we serve.

Meet our Resident Ambassador at Lucerne House, Brenda Hurford. Brenda has been living at Lucerne since November 2016 and has since become co-chairwomen of our residents committee, a great person for other residents in the home to bring feedback and suggestions to regarding the living experience in the home. Brenda has a background in the care setting as a specialist inspector for the Care Quality Commission. In her role as ambassador Brenda will have input into the home newsletter, be involved with the interview process, be introduced to any prospective residents & relatives who may wish to ask what life is like at Lucerne and attend local community events and forums on behalf of the residents of Lucerne House.

My name is Jessy and I have worked at Lucerne House for over 10 years and I have been Head of Alphinbrook unit since 2015. I feel privileged to have such a lovely unit and a supportive team behind me. 

Hello, my name is Chris, and I'm Head of Maintenance at Lucerne House.

I have been working for Barchester for two and a half years in my current role. Prior to joining Barchester, I was a self-employed plumber for 15 years, serving my community in Leeds.

I then moved to the South West, taking on a role in a local school for 10 years as their maintenance person.

In my spare time, I enjoy working with computers and also sound engineering and music production.

I have been at Lucerne House since November 2011. I started in the kitchen before moving to the Activities Team. I have a background in music and theatre and was very happy to be able to share this with residents in the home. After a short while, I was promoted to Head of Activities, and earned my NAPA level 2 qualification in Activity Provision.

In the role of Head of Activities, I am focused on ensuring that residents can continue to enjoy existing hobbies and interests, but also pursue new avenues of stimulation and activity. I am always looking to bring new experiences and means of engagement to the home, be that through massage therapy, yoga, engaging with the local community or many other things. At Lucerne House, our person-centred approach allows us to make every resident feel valued and comfortable enough to express themselves however they see fit.

My goal is to ensure that every person living at Lucerne House feels confident enough to make independent decisions and that each of them have a robust choice of activities and interests to engage with. I am always open to suggestions, so if you do have any, please do not hesitate to let me know. 

My name is Marilyn and I have worked at Lucerne House for over 15 years, and I have been Head Housekeeper since 2013. The home is a warm, caring and fun environment to work in. I am here to ensure that all cleaning and laundry services are to a very high standard, and I enjoy my job.