Activities at Sutton Valence Care Home
Our teams are trained to enrich the lives of residents through stimulating the mind, body and soul, and taking the time to learn about each person to ensure everyone receives support that adds enrichment to their life.
Our activities team are great at building the activities programme around the likes and interests of the people we care for. Ensuring that our social events offer fun and adventure is part of the ethos of our home; it’s important that those we support can enjoy an active and social lifestyle. Of course, there will always be those who prefer peace and quiet, and in these instances, a cup of tea and a chat are always welcomed.
Jacinta Wilson
The job description of Activities Coordinator fitted me perfectly and brought me out of retirement; I did miss the social aspect of working life... Enriching resident’s lives through art & crafts coupled with a vibrant caring nature is me to at T. I have a passion to give our residents access to their own self-esteem and confidence. Re-gain, explore or enhance their quality of Winter Life. Share the tools to make each moment the best it can be and if, it's, not then let's explore why? My team buddy laughs with me when I recall or mention Golden/Platinum moments I've been blessed with. I witness them every day. Finding a way to give purpose to a day is a mission of mine and I do my very best for our resident family to gain that.
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Sutton Valence Care Home
Bewitching tricks and spooky treats
Sutton Valence was a den of ghoulish activity as the home’s spooky Halloween week got in to full swing.
Residents and staff got in to the spirit of things by decorating the home in homemade decorations which they had made. We had a lovely visit from the local scout group who did cupcake decorating with our Residents. We had a pumpkin decorating competition and children from the Local village came up to join in. It was a spooktacular week.
Wear it pink day
There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. When we give cheerfully it's a kind gesture to someone who can never repay you ....
As many of you will know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a dedicated day to WEAR PINK 🎀
Caroline De Souza our favourite independent skincare and wellbeing senior consultant set up in our cafè area offering free or for a donation hand massages to everyone using her wonderful products.
Our chef, Suraj, came up trumps and baked exquisite cupcakes and cakes 🍰. Donations were greatly accepted on behalf of the charity.
Name the Troll and Teddy Bear evoked a few chats here and there. Winners will be announced at the end of this month plus the princely sum our home raised.
Kerry, from Kerry Slevins Cakes, generously donated a sumptuous bouquet of cupcakes.
Our heartfelt thanks goes out to EVERYONE for their generosity and participation.
LOCAL CARER SCOOPS COVETED CARE TITLE
Sue Wood, Senior Carer, at Sutton Valence care home in Maidstone has been crowned Lifetime Achievement Award winner for the South Division in the Barchester Care Awards 2023 and attended the national awards in Manchester yesterday with Senior General Manager, Robert Dura-May. Sue has worked at Sutton Valence care home for 30 years.
The Barchester Care Awards celebrate the staff who go the extra mile for the benefit of the 13,000 residents living in Barchester’s 252 care homes and private hospitals across the country. Categories range from ‘Registered Nurse of the Year’ and ‘Carer of the Year’ to ‘Dementia Care Champion’ and ‘Activities Coordinator of the Year’.
Almost 4,000 nominations were received from homes and hospitals across the UK. All entries were a very high standard and Sue is over the moon to have been named the winner for the South Division beating hundreds of other nominees.
Senior General Manager, Robert Dura-May, said: “This is an amazing achievement and it was great to see the whole home supporting Sue. The whole home is so proud of her. Sue is such an asset to our home and always go the extra mile to ensure they have done the best possible job and our residents have everything they need.”
Hedgehog Rescue centre visit
Sometimes the smallest things can take up the most space in your heart ...
And that's exactly what this little hoglet did with staff, residents and family.
Phyllis was totally thrilled to be able to give our little visitor a cuddle; well a cuddle as best she could with those soft but prickly spikes.
Were you aware that there are less than a million hedgehogs left in the UK?
Human activities, and the increasing loss of countryside, are the main factors for their decline. Our hoglet, accompanied the wonderful Lisa, from Thorne Hedgehog Rescue Centre, was most accommodating by accepting cuddles from all within the home.
Our resident, Adele, was particularly intrigued by the works of Lisa. So much so, we will be meeting up again to discuss releasing a hedgehog or two in our garden. More on this later in the year.
Please pop over and give Lisa a visit and maybe you could assist with the continuance of her rescues.
In the meantime we Thank Lisa for her time and visit. Thank You!
Pet Therapy with Koda
Dogs are not our whole lives but they make our lives whole.
It doesn’t take a lot to make someone smile. Put a dog into the equation and you get huge warm smiles filled with instant affection.
Koda (7 years old, Therapy, Australian sheep dog) certainly did the trick whilst visiting our family residents, staff and visitors.
To say Koda and owner, Alex stole the afternoon is an understatement.
Thank you to Alex and Koda see you both again soon.
Rose's Shopping Trip
Life isn’t perfect but your outfit can be…
What an adventure we had with Rose. The kindness shown towards Rose was immeasurable but then I’m not surprised because Rose is one special lady!
Our wholehearted thanks go out to Bonmarche and pavers at Newnam court shopping village. The service, kindness and enthusiasm to match Rose’s decided but undecided ideas of what she would like was sublime, to say the least.
Rose bounced out of the shopping village sporting her new shoes, carrying her shopping and right into the local pub for a much needed coke and packet of crisps.
