Live-in care provider becomes a Telephone Friend for those feeling lonely
A care provider based in the Ribble Valley has been in touch with his first The Silver Line ‘telephone friend’, after volunteering with the helpline in a bid to help combat loneliness. Gary Derbyshire, partner at Promedica24, wanted to do more for The Silver Line after it was chosen as the live in care provider’s charity of the year. The Silver Line provides information, friendship and advice to people aged 55 and over, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Gary, after completing his The Silver Line training and becoming a Telephone Friend, has recently made his first phone calls and said it is “one of the very best things” he has ever done. His weekly calls are with a gentleman who relies mainly on his cat to keep him company. Gary speaks with him every Monday evening for at least 30 minutes and says, “I love knowing that I’m doing something very worthwhile, especially when he tells me how much he looks forward to the calls and how much difference it makes to his week.” Gary added: “The problem of loneliness and isolation resonates so much when I hear my Telephone Friend say that he is so glad he knows my call is coming as he would hate something bad to happen and nobody to know about this.” Since its launch, The Silver Line Helpline has received over 1.4 million calls from lonely and isolated people, with 53% of callers saying they have literally no-one else to speak to. Over 3,000 volunteers make regular weekly friendship calls to older people. Gary regularly volunteers in the community. He is a member of the Royal Voluntary Service and has recently helped a lady to her hospital appointments as she has no family to support her. Gary added: “The lady I support is recovering from cancer and is feeling extremely vulnerable, without my help she would really struggle. “It doesn’t take much out of my busy schedule to offer up a few hours now and then. If a lot did a little, then so many vulnerable would benefit. I am just playing my small part.” Promedica24’s partners promote and fundraise for the organisation, which relies entirely on voluntary donations to provide support and a befriending service to older people. Gary added: “Helping to reduce loneliness in communities is one of our visions at Promedica24 and we feel strongly about supporting this very worthwhile charity who share our values.” According to Age UK, 1.2 million people in England are chronically lonely, making it a much talked about issue across the UK. Darren Housden, Head of Sales, added: “At Promedica24 we fully recognise the terrible affect loneliness can have on people which is exactly why we fully endorse the great work undertaken by The Silver Line charity. It’s fantastic to see how Gary, as one of our regional partners, is contributing and we encourage this type of activity from all partners across our network.”
Zipping across the Tyne for charity and residents
DAREDEVIL care home staff flew across the Tyne on a zipwire to raise funds for residents and charity. Over £1,000 was raised by staff from The Oaks Care Home, in Blyth, Northumberland, after they launched themselves off the Tyne Bridge. The home’s carers and support staff jumped from the bridge’s balustrades before zipping across the river on a cold autumn day. The team included care assistants Samantha Porter and Linda Palmer, senior carer Sarah Geggie, care assistant Jessica Maxwell, maintenance man Chris Sogorski, senior carer Paige Gallagher, activities coordinator Natalie Brimelow, and care assistant Sarah Ferrow. The money raised has been split between the home’s residents’ fund and the Stroke Association – the home’s chosen charity for 2018. They added another £150 to their £542 total for the charity so far this year – taking it to £692. The remaining funds from the zipwire challenge will help pay for activities and events for the residents over the festive period. Sheila Keegan, wife of resident Brian Keegan, supported the team on the day with sweets and coffee. Sheila, who donated £10 for each team member, said: “It was just fantastic to support the team. I wanted to reward each of them for their courage and dedication.” Sam Porter, care assistant at The Oaks Care Home, came up with the idea and encouraged other staff members to take part. She said: “I wanted to do something wacky and different. Ziplining across the Tyne ticked all the boxes.” Home manager Ann Mielnik treated staff to a restorative tipple at a nearby hotel after their cold ziplining experience. She said: “Many staff members wanted to take part, so we had to do it as a first come, first served basis, as we still needed staff on duty. “I’m so proud of everyone that took part, as it took real guts to jump off the edge of the bridge.”
Chocolate Treats For All Gives Care Staff A Golden Glow
Care sector staff who told Investors in People inspectors how much they ‘love coming to work’ have even more reason to be happy after being rewarded by their employers – with chocolate! Comments from staff were instrumental in the Regard Group, the UK’s third largest private care provider in its sector, retaining the coveted Investors in People Gold status. Staff across the whole organisation were randomly selected for interview by the inspector and encouraged to be open and frank about their views on how they felt Regard meets the Investors in People standard. Less than half of organisations nationwide succeed in retaining the Gold status when they are reassessed. To celebrate, everyone who works for Regard received a golden envelope with ‘Gold’ chocolates. There were also a number of randomly-placed lucky golden tickets which entitled the members of staff who found them to a Virgin Experience voucher. This created much excitement and a real sense of fun across the organisation nationwide as part of the celebrations to recognise the Investors in People gold re-accreditation. Regard has a dedicated staff of more than 2,600 and all of them, from maintenance staff to regional directors to support workers had an equal chance of finding a golden ticket. Carole Edmond, CEO of the Regard Group, said: “We were delighted to retain the Investors in People Gold Award and to learn that almost all our staff who were interviewed talked about high levels of job satisfaction and how interesting, challenging and inspiring they find their work. “We thought it was only right that we said ‘thank you’ and gave a little something back to staff, so we organised the Find a Golden Ticket event, sending out envelopes with the chocolates and generating some excitement and anticipation as people opened them to see if they had a lucky golden ticket inside.” Carole also delivered a podcast to all staff to thank them for their contribution to retaining the highly-coveted and respected gold Investors in People status. Despite successfully retraining the gold accreditation, Carole said the Regard Group will not be resting on any laurels and remains fully committed to a process of continuous improvement. She said: “We have evaluated the reports and feedback, and as a result, are determined to continue to create the conditions where our staff can enjoy their work. “We will continue to create career pathways, to empower staff to grow and develop and we will keep focusing on the health and wellbeing of staff, enabling them to fulfill their potential. “The Investors in People inspectors said they had noted our staff’s ‘deep-seated commitment’ to the people they support, and staff’s expressed conviction that Regard delivers truly person-centred support, which was extremely satisfying and heartening to hear. “We need to ensure we continue to encourage that kind of culture as it means our staff will have the skills, motivation and desire to provide the very best levels of care to the people we support.” Regard has a dedicated staff of over 2,600 people on 167 sites across the UK, caring for more than 1,300 people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and acquired brain injuries through specialist residential services, supported living services, outreach support and day resource centres (OWL), all focussed on positive outcomes. ‘Investors in People’ is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. For further information see www.regard.co.uk
Elf Day sees care home raise funds for dementia fight
ELVES were running around a Tyneside care home spreading Christmas cheer and raising funds for the fight against dementia. Willowdene Care Home, in Hebburn, near Newcastle, took part in The Alzheimer’s Society’s annual Elf Day. Staff and residents’ family members all dressed as Santa’s helpers for the day. The residents enjoyed watching Elf, among other Christmas movies, singing carols, playing a Name The Elf game and tucking into a selection of cakes. Lynda Jones, daughter of resident Joan Welsh, baked pumpkin cake and iced lime cake for the occasion. The home raised £54 for the Alzheimer’s Society, with the funds going towards supporting those with dementia. Resident Pat Greig said: “I love the outfits the staff members are wearing. It makes the home look like Christmas already.” Christine Chandler, activities coordinator at Willowdene Care Home, said: “Christmas is all about giving and it’s great that everyone wanted to support the Alzheimer’s Society on Elf Day. “We all had such a laugh and raised a brilliant amount for a charity very close to the hearts of everyone at Willowdene Care Home.” Bannatyne Lodge Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Huddersfield Giants teens entertain care home residents
BINGO brought teenagers and elderly care home residents together in Huddersfield. National Citizenship Service (NCS) students from the Huddersfield Giants Community Trust have been paying regular visits to Aden Court Care Home. The 15-to-17-year-olds organised a bingo night with nibbles and drinks, as well as a games afternoon, quiz and arts and crafts sessions. Pairing up with the home’s residents, the students helped create gift tags and decorations for Christmas. Resident Jean Heapworth teamed up with volunteer Cameron Parks. She said: “No matter how old you get or how long your husband has been gone you always miss male conversation. Cameron has made my day.” Resident Ruby Hobson said: “It was such a shame they had to leave. I thoroughly enjoyed having them in the home.” The visit also saw the students add to the home’s memory cloud project, which invovles residents writing down their most treasured memories, which are then displayed in their rooms. The students wrote their own memory clouds, to remind residents of their visit. Lisa Boyd, home manager at Aden Court Care Home, on Birkhouse Lane, Moldgreen, said: “The NCS students and staff brought loads of energy and enthusiasm into the home. “The residents and staff all loved having them here. The activities they organised were fantastic and enjoyed by everyone. “They are welcome back anytime. We look forward to working with the Huddersfield Giants Community Trust again in future.” www.hillcare.net
Exemplar Health Care – residents getting into the Christmas spirit
As the countdown to Christmas begins, care home provider Exemplar Health Care have revealed how they are working to make this Christmas special for their residents. Providing care for adults with complex needs, Exemplar homes and services are tailored to the needs of the individuals in their care. With the aim to make every day better, it’s no surprise that there is a great deal of activity and enthusiasm about the Christmas season. Supporting independence is at the core of care plans and this year Exemplar have worked with their Service User Council to develop a Christmas card competition. Residents across the care homes have been involved in designing cards to be sold from their home with regional winners announced. Exemplar’s Service User Engagement Manager, Sophia Feurtado said “We were impressed with the entries to the competition and loved seeing residents’ creativity come to the fore. Over the last year we’ve seen the people in our care show entrepreneurial spirit and I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to support them in creating the Christmas cards to help them increase the money available in their activities funds.” The winning homes have received £100 towards their activities fund and each individual home that sells the card designs will be able to use the income towards fun, additional activities such as cinema trips, visits to National Trust properties and simply a coffee in town. The card competition follows other entrepreneurial activity from residents such as the opening of a pop-up coffee shop, The Platform at Quarryfields in Doncaster. The space is being transformed for Christmas and has a new menu of festive-themed treats and gifts available, alongside a cookbook of recipes that the volunteer-led team have created since the pop-up opened in April. For food lovers in Exemplar’s care who have swallowing restrictions, Exemplar’s Catering Manager at Willowbeck Care Home, Claire Fretwell has been developing pureed food techniques to provide plates of pureed meals that look like the whole foods. Claire has utilised moulds, piping bags and blenders to display the food so that it looks like a traditional Christmas dinner, mince pies, Christmas cake, and cheese and crackers. Claire and her team have been working with her team since the summer to perfect the creations so that they look as realistic as possible. Claire said “Christmas can be an incredibly joyful time of year, but it can also be difficult for some of our residents. This might be because it’s the first year in a home setting or because it evokes memories. Food is usually at the heart of gatherings at Christmas and we understood that those in our care would enjoy and benefit from us transforming their meals into recognisable Christmas treats.” She added “We always try to make anything that’s requested, and we’ve included a few other dishes to our Christmas selection to make it even more special. The team are excited to see the faces of our residents when the foods are served over the Christmas period.” As well as supporting food related traditions, the care team at Havenmere in North East Lincolnshire are working together to present a Panto-like nativity performance to delight their residents. The performance will be made up of short scenes with lots of music and dancing to get the Havenmere residents into the Christmas spirit. The nativity isn’t going to be your traditional Christmas nativity with lots of Pantomime tropes such as ‘me-to-you’ scenes as the stage is set and Angel Gabriel lecturing on health and safety policies and procedures. For more information about the care Exemplar provides for adults with complex needs please visit www.exemplarhc.com
Abbotswood Court Coffee Morning Supports Carers In The Community
Abbotswood Court, a luxury care home in Romsey, Hampshire, hosted a carers’ coffee morning on November 29, to mark Carers Rights Day 2018 (November 30), with expert speakers. Some 20 carers attended a special information event organised by Abbotswood Court care home in Romsey, marking Carers Rights Day 2018. The coffee morning, which was open to carers from the Abbotswood Court family and the wider community, saw staff at the home and expert speakers, from Hampshire County Council, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Unity Volunteering, sharing information and tips to help carers understand their rights and how to access the vital support they are entitled to. Sharing information about the ways in which their organisations can support carers were Sue Pidduck, Head of Transformation, Design and Implementation for Adult’s Health and Care at Hampshire County Council, Jenny Little of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Hampshire, and Terry Bishop, Chief Executive of Unity Volunteering. The free event was held at the home on Thursday, November 29, ahead of Carers Rights Day on November 30. This annual day, organised by the charity Carers UK, brings together organisations from across the country to help and advise carers in their local communities. Gemma Ridout Bowden, General Manager of Abbotswood Court, said: “This is a cause close to our hearts; as a day care and respite care home, as well as a residential home, we work with many families caring for loved ones at home, so we well understand how isolating and overwhelming an experience it can be. “We were so pleased to welcome this group of carers to join us here at Abbotswood Court for this special event, and to provide an opportunity not only to share useful information, but also a chance for them to meet fellow carers, chat and take a little time for themselves.” Sue Pidduck, Head of Transformation, Design and Implementation for Adult’s Health and Care at Hampshire County Council, said: ““One in eight adults in the UK is a carer, meaning that they help to look after someone on an unpaid basis. That’s around 6.5 million people throughout the UK making a huge contribution to their communities and to the lives of those they care for. “We know that caring responsibilities can take a heavy toll on carers, impacting their relationships, their mental and physical health, and their finances – especially for the 1 in 5 carers whose caring responsibilities lead them to give up working entirely. “It is vital that every carer is aware of the support that is available within their communities and that they know how to access this support. For everyone in Hampshire the Connect to Support Hampshire website is an excellent starting point. Community events for carers, like the one held [today] at Abbotswood Court, help to ensure that carers are supported with the right information, which they can use themselves and share with others.” To find out more about Abbotswood Court, please visit https://www.cinnamoncc.com/care-homes/abbotswood-court/ To find out more about Carers Rights Day, please visit https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/carers-rights-day
Charity inaugural ball raises over £20K
Local provider of at home and live in care, Bluebird Care, were headline sponsored of a charity’s ball, where all proceeds go to fighting chest, heart and stroke conditions. Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) put on a night to remember at their first ever St Andrew’s Ball at The Hub set on the historic Royal Mile. In true Scottish fashion guests were piped in to celebrate a night of fine-dining, ceilidh dancing and supporting the charity’s vital work of helping people in Scotland rebuild their lives after diagnosis of a chest or heart condition or a stroke. Celebrity hosts, much loved weather present, Judith Ralston and Scottish comedian, Bruce Devlin made sure that everyone had a fabulous evening. Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “We are absolutely delighted at the success of our first ever St Andrew’s Ball! “It was fantastic to welcome over 200 people in their finery to help us support the 1 in 5 people in Scotland living with chest, heart and stroke conditions. And thanks to their support we raised over £20,000, which is just incredible! “These vital funds will help people to rebuild their lives, regain their confidence and live their lives to the full. “It was our first time putting on this event and we are so grateful to everyone who supported us and made the night possible. Special thanks to our headline sponsor, Bluebird Care. Their sponsorship enabled us to host the event and ultimately move closer to delivering our ambition to ensure there is no life half lived in Scotland.” Jane Perry, Director and Owner of Bluebird Care Edinburgh & Bluebird Care Glasgow South, said: “We are delighted to have been involved in the inaugural CHSS St Andrew’s Ball. The evening was a wonderful celebration of all the excellent work that CHSS do and highlighted the vast differences that their work can make to people. “I myself have had a defibrillator fitted due to a defective family gene and know only too well how families are affected by strokes and heart attacks. I have been given a lifeline and an opportunity to make a difference which is why I am so passionate about the work I do at Bluebird Care and with this special charity. “This cause and the differences the charity makes really matters to us at Bluebird Care and getting the message across that people can live full lives with the right support at home is crucial.” www.bluebirdcare.co.uk
Father Christmas helps raise over £1,000 for care home residents
FATHER Christmas made an appearance at a Chester-le-Street care home’s festive fayre – helping to raise over £1,000 for residents. The event at Pelton Grange Care Home, on Front Street, attracted dozens of visitors, including family and friends of residents and staff. Santa’s grotto, jewellery and bric-a-brac stalls, homemade Christmas cards, cakes and hotdogs all helped raise £1,016. The money will be added to the residents’ fund, which helps pay for events, activities and outings throughout the year. Resident Florence Besford said: “It’s lovely to see you, Father Christmas. Christopher Hogan-Hind, home manager at Pelton Grange Care Home, said: “A massive thank you to everyone who came along and supported our Christmas fayre. “We had a fantastic turnout and everyone had a wonderful time, including our residents, who enjoyed meeting Santa and chatting to visitors. “The support Pelton Grange Care Home gets from the community is fantastic and has helped give our festivities a great start this year.” Pelton Grange Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
