Meet the team
Our staff are what hold the home together. Each one of these team members are dedicated to providing high quality care and services to those we support, and ensuring that residents enjoy all aspects of life at our home. See below to meet some of our friendly faces:
Helen Colaco
General Manager
Hi, my name is Helen, and I am the General Manager here at West Abbey. I hope you find what you're looking for on our website.
I have been a nurse for over three decades now and am as passionate about it today as I was thirty years ago. I will always strive to ensure that both my team and I deliver the best care we can.
I believe that it's a privilege to care for another person's loved one - especially the older people in our homes - we owe them so much.
Karen Hussey
Home Administrator
Siska Redman FH, MTA
Music Therapist
Siska Redman is the Music Therapist at West Abbey in Yeovil and Rothsay Grange in Andover.
After graduating from the prestigious, four-year Heidelberg Music Therapy course, she worked in Germany, Switzerland and Canada before settling down with her family in Somerset.
Siska brings excellence from leading European clinics for neurology and psychosomatics as well as knowledge in special education to her work in Barchester.
She is passionate about delivering music therapy which is fun and empowering. She seeks to open up a creative “headspace” for Barchester residents and staff and focuses on creating and encouraging an atmosphere of warmth and acceptance. Through music, Siska strives to increase the quality of life in the homes where she works.
At West Abbey’s award-nominated dementia unit, Lyde, we call our music therapy sessions ‘spontaneous person-centred music times’. In these sessions people are able to connect through music spontaneously, following the butterfly model developed by ‘Dementia matters’.
Sessions on our young person unit are mostly one-to-one, allowing space for self-expression and very carefully nurturing a musical dialogue.
Our elderly frail residents enjoy a more structured approach with singing groups and a community choir, a cheerful favourite with our residents. The choir sings songs from the war era to Hollywood and the Worzels. Over the years the choir has grown to a sparkly, sizeable choir with fantastic volunteers. It’s always a very happy occasion!
Music is at the heart of the home.
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Mark Kaleda
Head of Maintenance
Kathleen Stacey
Head of Laundry/Cleaning
Kathleen is responsible for the cleanliness and tidiness of the home.
