Four Acres care home receive special visit from local Lioness
The residents and care team at Four Acres in Studley welcomed England and Aston Villa footballer, Hannah Hampton to their care home on the 3rd of August. The atmosphere at the Studley care home was one of excitement, as the team were honoured to welcome Hannah and her parents to the home. Hannah met some of the residents and team members during her visit and showed them her medal from winning the EUFA cup! Hannah Hampton is Studley’s very own Lioness. Hannah has been visiting local places in Studley to celebrate her win with the community, so the team at Four Acres were delighted to be able to welcome her into their home in Studley. The residents were overjoyed to meet Hannah and clapped her as she entered the lounges. One resident said: “I really can’t believe it, this has made my day and it’s one of the best moments of my life.” Home Manager, Dani Pathirage, said: “We were so proud to welcome Lioness Hannah Hampton to our home. This is what Four Acres is all about, creating special moments for residents and team members. Thank you to Hannah and her parents for taking the time to visit us. The excitement of the visit was felt throughout the entire home and it was a really special day for all of us. Four Acres is a 66-bed residential and dementia care home in Studley, and forms part of the Runwood Homes Senior Living portfolio. Creating memorable moments like this one is a core value at Runwood Homes. The Four Acres team continue to provide a wide array of activities and events for residents to enjoy, to promote a welcoming and engaging care home with a true focus on wellbeing and comfort. To find out more about Four Acres, please visit https://www.runwoodhomes.co.uk/care-homes/care-homes-warkwickshire/four-acres-care-home
Make Your Event Exceptional with Swingin Sinatra Entertainer
They’re songs familiar to generations – Come Fly With Me, New York, New York, Fly Me To The Moon, Mr Bojangles… the list goes on and on. And Scott Free, ex-Edinburgh, Brighton and Adelaide – Australia festivals entertainer, Cunard QE2 cabaret performer and singer, is never happier than when he’s performing in front of an audience and belting them out for all they’re worth. Now Scott is back with his new show – ‘Swingin’ Sinatra’, specialising in bringing top-quality entertainment to the senior residential care sector, and he couldn’t be happier. Scott, who was born and brought up in Weymouth, Dorset, says, “It’s just fantastic to be performing again, bringing happiness to people. “These are songs which have survived the test of time and it brings me great joy to sing them to audiences who still know and love them.” A fan of Frank Sinatra, known as ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ and ‘Chairman of the Board’, from an early age, Scott is also an aficionado of fellow ‘Rat Pack’ artists such as Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr as well as Andy Williams, Bobby Darin and Louis Armstrong – and of course, Michael Bublé. Songs from all these artists – and more! – feature in the show. So, while the Swingin’ Sinatra show appeals to those of a ‘certain generation’ who remember and loved the music first-time around, now a whole new – and younger – audience is appreciating a genre of music that many thought had disappeared forever. Scott started out entertaining care home residents more than 20 years ago. He moved onto cruise ships and liners, including Cunard’s QE2, as well as festivals as far afield as Edinburgh in Scotland and Adelaide in Australia. His notices include glowing 4 and 5 star reviews from the Scotsman, Adelaide News, What’s on Stage and Edinburgh Festival write-ups. One reviewer said: “With every line he delivers, he convinces me that he means it. “He interacts with the audience with the ease of a seasoned professional. “This voice is a dream come true.” Scott has now come full circle, bringing his new show to residential and care homes in Dorset, Devon and Hampshire, as well as performing at events such as this summer’s show on Brownsea Island. Apart from classics from the likes of Sinatra, ‘Swingin’ Sinatra’ also features the songs of Charles Aznavour, Matt Monro, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley and many more. Bournemouth-based swing/jazz crooner, Scott Free’s show ‘Swingin’ Sinatra’ is a lively uptempo tribute to ol’ blue eyes! All the Sinatra hits and more! Accompanied by a big band backing track (The Philadelphia Big Band) for an authentic soundtrack, self-contained or with your DJ, or your house band. Scott says, “I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back doing what I love – after all we’ve been through, it’s time to feel good again.” Scott Free sings, dances and entertains, performing all Sinatra and the Rat Pack hit songs, and more with his swingin’ Frank Sinatra tribute show. Create an exceptional event with ‘Swingin’ Sinatra’ – for all your residents and guests. Trust ‘Swingin’ Sinatra’ to keep your residents and guests engaged and entertained with this thoroughly interactive show. As Scott Free says, “It’s time to feel good again – and it’s so good to be spreading the happiness with my new show.” Contact Scott directly to book his Swingin’ Frank Sinatra tribute – with a Twist! Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back!
CAREAudits apps and systems
CAREAudits apps and systems evolved via an associated company Kern Systems were Ken Newlove director and founding member had been developing and deploying paperless systems for EPoS and Finance in the private and public sectors since 1999. Back in 2014 the team had more than 50 years experience in IT and software development as well as having been heavily involved in the third sector, with a trustee of three charities, a director of a business directly involved in the care market and a consultant in a £10 million turnover charity and interim CEO and Chair at an adult hospice. Working in the Care Sector the team recognised in 2014 the sector was becoming overwhelmed with administration driven by ever increasing legislative compliance requirements and controls and pressurised by ever increasing costs. The CAREAudits apps evolved from their desire to give something back to the Care Sector; to develop systems that genuinely reduce costs and increase efficiency as well as improving accountability and quality. And above all a system that would be easy to install and use by everyone. The CAREAudits System The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland in numerous Care Homes and Care Services. CAREAudits managers are checking everything from CQC Compliance and Safety, to Medication Audits, Training and Maintenance as well as residents and patients quality and wellbeing, and now helping manage Corona Virus, to name but a few. Steve Smith regional manager at Care Homes UK says “We were able to implement the system ourselves and are now benefitting from management having all the information we need at our fingertips in real time wherever we are”. The system allows care providers to audit or check via the app just about everything and manage areas requiring actions (or non-compliances) in it’s Web Portal. Encrypted date and time stamped evidence including photos is seamlessly auto attached and recorded in the system. Natalie Lawrence at Yorkare Homes says “It’s a paperless system that runs alongside our existing client records system helping to make our whole operation paperless.” CAREAudits ensures management and staff are aware at all times of what needs checking, that it’s been checked, actions required by whom, by when including full resolution management. Each CAREAudit also scores the answers so management can monitor improvement. The system has over 100 example audits to select from. CAREAudits is extremely easy to use and care providers can easily add or edit their own audits in minutes ensuring simple management of ever-changing requirements. App users can use CAREAudits with virtually no training, it’s that simple with help text and standard answers available to every question ensuring that the least skilled operative becomes the care provider’s expert. Users can download the app for a trial and be up and running with the full system in only a few days. CAREAudits the company is a part of the Care Plus Innovation Group and is based in new offices in the MWS building, Priory Park, Hull, HU4 7DY on the A63 near the Humber Bridge. Info:- visit www.careaudits.co.uk email apps@careaudits.co.uk or call Ken Newlove operations director on 01482 238887
Care team at Lower Meadow over the moon with improved CQC rating
The team at Lower Meadow care home have embraced the celebrations this week, following the positive news received from their recent CQC inspection. The team were over the moon to receive their improved rating, which saw the service step up from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ following their most recent inspection from the Care Quality Commission. Rachel Walker, Home Manager at Lower Meadow, and her wider team have worked exceptionally hard to put in place strategies and processes to further improve the service and was delighted to see the hard work from everyone in the home reflected in their new official rating. Rachel Walker said: “We are so proud that our home has received its overall ‘GOOD’ rating from the CQC. At Lower Meadow care home, we focus on meeting the varying needs of every individual in a homely, comfortable and inclusive environment. We provide a variety of different activities, events and celebrations to get involved in, which encourage residents to build upon existing skills and hobbies and opportunities to try new things as well. The projects and activities we organise at our care home celebrate the close-knit community we have. Following the good news from our recent CQC inspection, I would like to say thank you to my brilliant team in working together to achieve a fantastic result, we are all very much looking forward to the future and all the additional things we hope to accomplish.” Everyone at Lower Meadow is looking forward to celebrating their outcome with a party later in the week. Owned by one of the leading UK residential care providers, Runwood Homes, Lower Meadow is a 69-bedroom care home in Stratford. The home has recently opened their new sensory room, which supports dementia care and sensory impairments. To find out more about Lower Meadow care home, please visit https://www.runwoodhomes.co.uk/care-homes/care-homes-warkwickshire/lower-meadow-care-home-stratford-upon-avon
Why high-quality hand sanitisers are essential
By Sam Greaves, MD and fourth generation owner of The Cleenol Group, a manufacturer and supplier of commercial and industrial cleaning and hygiene products Sales of hand sanitiser soared by 255% in February 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. With recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) to: “Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water”, the global hand sanitiser market has grown exponentially from $1.53 billion in 2019 to an expected $3.04 billion in 2020. Producers responded quickly by increasing production – here at Cleenol, we managed to increase production by a massive 40%. Despite these efforts, there were points during the first year of the pandemic when buying hand sanitiser was as challenging as finding toilet roll. To help the industry plug the gap in supply, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) started to fast-track applications to produce denatured alcohol, a key ingredient in hand sanitiser, to allow for an influx of new manufacturers. The UK Government’s Health and safety Executive (HSE) has recently revised this flexibility in a recent bulletin. “In response to the pandemic, HSE took steps to assist industry’s efforts to increase the availability of hand sanitisers to help reduce the spread/transmission of COVID-19. One of these steps was establishing special arrangements to issue critical situation permits that enable short-term derogations from the normal Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) requirements for product authorisation. As these short-term permits begin to approach their expiry dates, HSE has gathered information from a range of stakeholders about the current availability of hand sanitisers on the UK market. The outcome suggests that, whilst there is an ongoing need for hand sanitiser products, current demand can be met by products supplied under the normal arrangements in BPR. This means that the special arrangements for supplying hand sanitiser products, put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, will be discontinued. The assessment of any ongoing applications made under the current arrangements will be completed. Any hand sanitiser products that have already been granted a permit can continue to be supplied and used until the permit expires”. Quality-assured hand sanitisers increase trust to your business Cleanliness and hygiene have always been an important part of hospitality and care service delivery, but the last two years raised the awareness to new levels. Enter hand sanitisers. One thing has been abundantly clear – not all hand sanitisers are created equally. The Importance of a High-Quality Hand Sanitiser Recalls and authority alerts for hand sanitisers containing methanol, rather than ethanol became almost common place. So, what do you need to look for in a high-quality hand sanitiser? There are two major considerations here: efficacy of the product and making the experience pleasant for the user. Product Efficacy Alcohol content: The WHO and America’s CDC recommend hand sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol content. Many quality manufacturers contain 70%, Cleenol’s included, which kills all enveloped viruses within 60 seconds. Quality testing To be sure that the hand sanitiser you are buying is fit for purpose, you can check that it has been tested against European Standards (EN). The relevant standards are: BS EN 1500 for Hygienic Hand rubs, BS EN 1276 for killing 99.999% of bacteria and BS EN 14476 for killing 99.99% of enveloped viruses (coronaviruses are an example of enveloped viruses). Beyond the effectiveness of the hand sanitiser, the customer experience should be considered. The Product Experience in your hand Viscosity Some hand sanitisers can be very runny and if you are dispensing in a public place, can easily run off the hands onto the floor creating a slip hazard, or run down your sleeve. Either way, the experience is less satisfying for consumers and so may be avoided, increasing the risk of cross-contamination. After effects Some hand sanitisers leave your hands feeling sticky, a sensation most people dislike. Again, if consumers don’t like how it feels, they’re less likely to continue to use the hand sanitiser, increasing your risk. Consider a hand sanitiser that includes a moisturising agent, such as Cleenol’s Medisan 70% Alcohol Hand Sanitiser which contains glycerine. Smell If you’re serving food, this will be of particular concern, as smell directly contributes to taste. If you provide a hand sanitiser that has a strong chemical smell that lingers, it can be unpleasant and alter the dining experience. Ultimately, you want to find a highly effective hand sanitiser to protect your business, staff and patrons whilst improving the customer experience, to benefit from customer trust, ongoing loyalty and repeat business. Different hand sanitisers on the market: alcohol-free hand sanitisers vs. 70% alcohol hand sanitisers News reports had put in doubt the efficacy of alcohol-free hand sanitisers. However Cleenol, with decades of experience in the cleaning industry, recognises that both alcohol-based and alcohol-free hand sanitisers have their place, with advantages and disadvantages to both. Cleenol originally started developing alcohol-free hand sanitiser to satisfy a rapidly growing customer base in the Middle East, where the use of alcohol-based products is not permitted for those observing the Islam faith. Cleenol’s alcohol-free hand sanitiser is certified as Halal by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC). Demand for alcohol-free hand sanitisers also grew in hospitals, care homes, prisons and schools with young children or students with special educational needs and disabilities. Alcohol-free hand sanitiser is more suitable for dry skin, and the risk of accidental ingestion of harmful quantities is low due to the relatively low toxicity of the active substances. Active ingredients could include Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) or Benzalkonium chloride (BKC), which are both members of the quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) family of disinfectants. You would have to ingest a large amount of these before any ill effects were felt. Additionally, alcohol-free sanitiser can provide long-lasting protection from bacteria and viruses. As it dries, it leaves a protective layer on your skin which acts as a shield, protecting you for up to four hours. What we do know in our post COVID world, is that hand
Surrey Care Home’s Time Capsule Will Give A Living History To Future Generations
At Redcot, Friends of the Elderly’s residential care home in Haslemere, Surrey, the residents have been marking not only the charity’s Royal Patron, Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but also commemorating the last few unprecedented years by burying their very own time capsule for future generations to discover. Residents decided to fill and bury their time capsule, which is made of galvanised metal and measures 30 cm in length, as they all felt that due to the COVID pandemic and resulting restrictions, they saw so much change over the last two years in their everyday lives, that memories of this unmatched time needed to be commemorated and remembered. Coupled with The Queen’s Jubilee, everyone agreed it was the perfect time to leave their own perspective, on not only the world today, but what life was like at Redcot during the pandemic. Commenting on the time capsule, Redcot’s Activities Co-ordinator, Amanda Snelgrove said: “I was chatting to our residents about our Jubilee celebrations and our conversation turned to reminiscing about how much they enjoyed the festivities, past royal celebrations and how life had changed so much for them over the last few years. We chatted further and the residents decided that they would like to a leave a lasting record of their thoughts, memorabilia, keepsakes and recollections of how things have changed for them during, and following, the COVID pandemic. “I’d read about the oldest known time capsule – The Samuel Adams and Paul Revere Time Capsule – that can be found in a cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House. Supposedly, this time capsule was buried in 1795, which makes it the oldest known time capsule in the United States and possibly the world. Buried by former Governor Samuel Adams – who was one of the founding fathers of the United States – and Paul Revere, I suggested The residents thoughtfully chose what they wanted to go into their time capsule. Everyone was keen to pass on their experiences and stories to the people in the future so they would know, first hand, what went on at Redcot and what life was like over the last two years which, in their words, “have been like no other.” Practical items such as facemasks, a lateral flow test, a plastic apron and blue COVID protection rubber gloves were included. “The gloves and lateral flow test symbolise two of the many safety measures of our residents’ lives at Redcot during the pandemic. Our Manager’s old iPhone also made the cut as mobiles became so much more important to our residents as they were one of the communication methods we used to keep everyone in regular contact with their families and loved ones,” added Amanda. Bunting from Redcot’s Jubilee party, a series of stories and quotes from residents, a selection of the care home’s weekly activity posters and monthly newsletters were also included, along with a special current affairs piece especially written by one of the residents, Juliet Fuirer. The piece not only covered life at Redcot and the COVID pandemic, but also what was – and still is – happening throughout the world. For example, the Ukraine crisis, the political landscape both in the UK and overseas and the cost of living. The resident writer wanted to give the future capsule finder a clear idea of 2020 to now, as well as who was at Redcot, the residents and care team and what they were doing on a daily basis. “The Redcot Time Capsule is now safely buried in our beautiful grounds, waiting patiently for the future to roll around and to be found. All our residents thoroughly enjoyed creating and filling the time capsule and it’s great to know that what they so carefully put together will hopefully be found in years to come and give insight not only to the COVID pandemic years, but also to how they spent their days at Redcot, which is truly their home,” concluded Amanda.
Dimensions announces five point plan for social care work force
Dimensions, the UK’s largest not-for-profit support provider for working-age adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, has announced a new workforce manifesto to call on government to alleviate the recruitment and retention crisis in adult social care. The manifesto details the five key points that the Government must implement urgently to help resolve the crisis that currently places an unbearable burden on both the health and social care sectors. In the first three months of 2022, 170,000 hours of home care per week could not be delivered due to staff shortages, a sevenfold increase on the same period last year. New workforce manifesto includes benchmarking minimum support worker pay at NHS Band 3 Sector-wide staffing crisis has left more than half a million people awaiting adult social care assessment At the same time, demand for services is increasing unabated. More than half a million people are now waiting for an adult social care assessment, while the social care sector faces having to employ double its current share of the working-age population to fulfil demand by 2033. Without urgent action, the staffing situation is only going to get worse, with devastating consequences for those who rely on support. Dimensions therefore calls on the Government to: Benchmarking pay at NHS Band 3 means paying support workers a minimum of £10.40 per hour with higher rates paid according to the complexity of a person’s individual support needs. This will ensure not only that support workers earn a wage commensurate with their skills and responsibilities, but also that they receive parity of esteem and pay with their NHS counterparts. Establishing a Care & Support Work Skills Framework, as envisaged in existing plans and perhaps administered by Skills for Care, will underline the skilled nature of support work and lessen the need for retraining when a support worker is TUPE transferred to another one of the 23,000 social care providers in the country. It will also facilitate proper leadership training which, alongside pay in proportion to responsibility, will provide the sector with the strong local leadership that is critical for providing good support. Preparing people for work applies to the quarter of working-age adults in the UK who are not currently in work. Through apprenticeships, work readiness programmes, and supporting more people with disabilities into employment – 21% of all working age adults are now classed as disabled – the sector can recruit from a new potential workforce more effectively than any Government-led recruitment advertising campaign. Achieving truly integrated health and care will result in a national workforce of highly trained colleagues who can support people with complex health needs out of hospitality more quickly. This will lead to less bed-blocking, fewer cases of burnout among staff, and better person-centred support for those who need it. An annual workforce plan for adult social care will help ensure that the condition of the health and social care workforce remains sustainable for the long term. Having committed to overhauling workforce funding and training as per the previous four points, the Government must embrace formal workforce planning as a constructive tool to sustain this progress. Dimensions’ workforce manifesto comes as the recruitment and retention crisis continues to place an unbearable burden on adult social care. Latest figures from Skills for Care indicate that the sector has 105,000 vacancies, with an average vacancy rate of 6.8% across England, although in some regions it is as high as 8.9%. In addition, the average turnover rate is 28.5%, with 410,000 people leaving adult social care roles in the last year. Dimensions’ proposals are therefore designed to support the sector in retaining high-quality staff as well as recruiting them in the first place. Dimensions workforce manifesto is available in full here. Rachael Dodgson, Chief Executive of Dimensions, said: “Every day thousands of support workers help people to gain choice, control, and agency over their life. They undertake complex delegated nursing tasks, tackle the causes of distressed behaviour, and support employment. They are skilled, professional workers. “Yet many of them are going to leave the sector, not because they don’t love their job but because they have their own families to think about. Few people are in a position to stay in one job when there are better paid alternatives available. As a result, organisations across adult social care are struggling to recruit and retain high-quality staff. “We hope that this five-point plan provides the Government with a simple blueprint for resolving the staffing crisis and delivering measurable, accountable improvements in the quality and quantity of adult social care in this country. This is a goal towards which every provider strives, and we have collectively urged the Government for some time to do more to meet this aim. For the sake of those who rely on the sector, we simply cannot delay any longer.”
National care hero award for Sheffield carer.
Anita Schole, a Carer at Rosebank Care Home in Sheffield, has won a national social care hero award in recognition of their hard work. The award has been made this week by Support Social Care Heroes (SSCH), an organisation which aims to preserve, protect and improve the health and wellbeing of those providing social care. SSCH launched the monthly award programme this year to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the 1.54m people working in social care in the UK. Anita, who was nominated for June 2022, is the 6th award winner. Anita was nominated by her colleagues, who said: “She’s a real asset and a team player, always willing to learn new things, she’s kind, caring and responsive to the resident’s needs, well done Anita, well deserved.” On hearing they had won the award Anita said: “It’s lovely to be recognised by both Rosebank and SSCH, thank you so much!” Anita will receive a £50 voucher for the grocery store of their choice, a box of chocolates, certificate, a SSCH hoody and Rosebank Care Home will receive a bunch of flowers. The prizes have been sponsored by VAT Solutions. The social care workforce is often overlooked yet they keep the most vulnerable people in our society safe and well. It is hoped that SSCH will receive significant support following research which found that the overwhelming majority of the public feel that social care staff are undervalued (81%) and underpaid (80%). The monthly care hero awards have been created to show that care workers are appreciated. Nicola Richards, Founder of Support Social Care Heroes, explained the thinking behind the idea: “Social care staff often do not get the recognition that they deserve despite being valued by their managers and employers. “Many care homes already have ‘employee of the month’ schemes and we really felt we should do something to bring all these nominations together from around the country to celebrate all our social care heroes and the amazing work they do. “The pandemic has brought social care colleagues across the country together as we have supported each other like never before. I hope these awards will provide a positive boost to carers, managers and the wider care home teams. “These awards are the first step in our long-term plans to ensure those who need care, and those caring for them, are valued by all in society. “Our country’s social care heroes have been on the front line and in the headlines for almost two years and this new initiative will help show them that they are valued and recognise the work they do.” Social care employers are encouraged to nominate their staff for a care home hero award (employee of the month). Taking part has been made simple and easy: post a photo of your employee of the month and which care home you represent, to social media, with the hashtag #SocialCareHeroAwards and tag Support Social Care Heroes page. Tell us in 160 characters why the person is a social care hero. All nominations will be curated by the Support Social Care Heroes team and on the last Monday of each month a winner will be chosen at random. Anyone who wishes to donate to Support Social Care Heroes can do so by visiting: www.ssch.info.
98 Years Young
Friends of the Elderly’s Care Home Resident Celebrates Her 98th Birthday – Saying Cake, Swimming and Family are Her Secret to a Long and Happy Life At Orford House, the Coulsdon-based care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly, the team has been celebrating resident Dora Jefferies’ 98th Birthday with an afternoon tea party in the home’s glorious gardens, complete with a delicious birthday cake. Alongside the care home celebrations, Dora also enjoyed her special day with her daughter, Tracy and three sons, Michael, Simon and Clinton. Dora, who has been a resident at Orford House for nearly two years, grew up in Lincoln. Born in 1924, the same year as the first Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France, it’s no surprise that at school, Dora’s favourite class was Physical Education. “I was particularly fond of the gym lessons and playing hockey, as I liked running about. When I left school, I would have loved to have been a Gym Mistress; instead I went to work in the Accounts Department at the railway – my Father was a Signal Man there,” said Dora. As a teenager during World War II, Dora was lucky not to see any fighting, but added: “During the war, I loved going to the dances with the Airmen who were stationed near Lincoln. I knew a few of them as I volunteered at the NAAFI and remember serving them beans on toast.” Dora’s energy never left her as she met her husband, Jeff, at Lincoln Swimming Baths. Dora’s Daughter, Tracy recalls: “Mum loved swimming and swimming the sea, even if it was freezing. She’d be in there, floating about on the back with her bright orange swim cap on bobbing around in the waves.” Dora married Jeff – a Chemical Engineer – in 1947 at St. Martin’s Church in Lincoln and they honeymooned in London. She is a proud Mother to five children Clinton, Anna, Michael, Tracy and Simon and now a devoted Grandmother to 14 Grandchildren, Tim, Louise, Andrew, Ivan, Victor, Naomi, Stevie, Jack, James, Dominic, Petula, Conrad, Jordan and Eric. The charity’s Regional Director, Cheryl Rothschild who oversees Orford House said: “Dora is always busy and gets involved in many of the daily activities at Orford House,” with Dora adding: “Singing is my favourite.” Talking about her Mum, Tracy continued: “I have so many great memories of Mum, she’s not only our Matriarch, but also our rock. We’ve always been a close family and Mum has always been very nurturing and involved with us all and with all her Grandchildren. She is always good fun and happy to get involved in whatever is going on, we really have laughed a lot over the years. “Another memory that sticks out is Mum learning to drive – it was so entertaining. Back when it was, I suppose, allowed, all us children would be sat in the back of the car with Mum and her Instructor in the front. Unfortunately, Mum never quite mastered driving and finally decided that she’d rather be a passenger. “Mum’s always been a very busy and practical person. I vividly remember her high up on scaffolding painting the windows at our three storey Victorian terraced house. Also, coming home from school on Tuesdays – Mum’s baking day – to the delicious smells of homemade cakes and biscuits. We always went blackberry picking in the autumn and Mum would make jam and lots of apple and blackberry crumbles – she’s always loved a pudding.” Cheryl added: “It is a pleasure to have Dora with us. She’s a fantastic lady who always has a smile for everyone. She’s a well-loved and well-liked member of the Orford House family and is a joy to be around. We’re so glad she had a great day – a great day for a great lady.” “I’ve had a wonderful 98th Birthday with my family and care home friends. I so enjoyed my birthday cake – and I do love cakes. I think that cake, family and of course my years of swimming, really are my secrets to a long and happy life,” Dora concluded.
