Poppy gown created by care home in tribute to veterans
A POPPY gown has been created by a Sandiacre care home residents to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. The elaborate frock has been covered in handmade poppies of different sizes and is adorned with the phrase: “Lest we forget”. Residents at Longmoor Lodge Care Home, on Longmoor Lane, came up with the idea after informing care home staff they wanted to do something special for the centenary. Treetops Hospice charity shop, on Derby Road, loaned a manikin to the care home for the project. Residents then painted paper plates and cut them into poppy shapes before attaching them to the gown. The final design has been on show in the care home lounge in the week running up to Remembrance Day. Julie Mulvany, home manager at Longmoor Lodge Care Home, said: “The residents, staff and visitors have all loved seeing the dress and we’ve had some lovely comments. “Everyone enjoyed taking part in making it. The dress is our tribute to the service men and women who have given so much for our country.” Alongside related activities in the home, residents were taken to the Stapleford Remembrance Day service to pay their respects. One resident in particular, Ray Winfield, enjoyed chatting with police officers on duty and calling into the pub on the way back to the home. Longmoor Lodge Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
WW1 centenary marked with 100 poppies at care home
100 POPPIES were created by Barnsley care home residents to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. Marion Batty, Joan White and Annie Oakley, all living at Deangate Care Home, on Towngate, Mapplewell, created the memorial. They made poppy wreaths and a canvas of finger-painted poppies surrounding a silhouette of a First World War soldier and the words “We Remember”. Nicola Smith, activities coordinator at Deangate Care Home, said: “As it has been 100 years since the First World War ended, we thought it would be nice to make a memorial. “The activity was to remember all the people who fought for us and to talk about what the war meant to our residents. “We made 100 poppies and these have been placed all around the home.” Deangate Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Care home provider in court over alleged sexual abuse of resident
The CQC is taking a care provider to court this week over alleged sex attacks at one of its homes. In July 2017, it was reported that Hillgreen Care Limited found a 28-year-old known sex offender, one of its residents at the home in Colne Road, Enfield, in the room of a 23-year-old male. The victim, a severely disabled autistic man, had allegedly been raped by the man who had been left unsupervised despite being a high-risk resident. The alleged attacker is currently serving a jail term for the rape of a 14-year-old girl, and the Crown Prosecution Service said he will not be prosecuted over the care home incident due to a lack of evidence. The CQC said in a statement: “Hillgreen Care Limited has been summonsed in respect of two offences: Between 1 April 2015 and 1 November 2015 at 14 Colne Road, Enfield, London, Hillgreen Care Limited failed in its duty under Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations 2014 in that it exposed service users at the care home to a risk of sexual harm and thereby failed to provide safe care and treatment. “Between 1 April 2015 and 1 November 2015 at 14 Colne Road, Enfield, London, Hillgreen Care Limited failed in its duty under Regulation 13 to establish and/or operate effectively systems and processes to prevent abuse of service users and thereby failed to protect those service users from abuse. Consequently a service user at the care home sustained avoidable harm.” Amid the original investigation, it came to light that the deputy manager of the care home was himself a convicted sex offender and working illegally in the UK. It was also reported that Hillgreen only told the victim’s family about the alleged attack 24 hours later, and only called police two days after the incident had taken place. The trial continues at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court.
Portsmouth care home residents dance with Golden Toes
Portsmouth care home Hartford Court welcomes dance company Golden Toes to provide seated dance classes for the residents. The summer sessions include simple choreography influenced by different dance styles such as samba, flamenco and salsa to bring sparkle and joy through dance and music. The benefits of the sessions are numerous: The sessions are taught regularly by credible and talented dancer Alex Hewitt who began dancing at the age of eight then studied ballet, tap and modern and said: “I first visited Hartford Court in March of this year and each time I visit Hartford Court I get to know each resident a bit better! “I really enjoy seeing residents become more confident in the classes and getting to know more about all the personalities in the room. The best feedback I’ve recently received after a recent class included a man who told me that I had made him smile and that he hadn’t smiled in nearly six months.” Michelle Presdee is the General Manager at Hartford Court care home and said: “I think that the classes encourage residents to talk about their lives and share stories with each other which always lifts their spirits. The classes and shows are about making people happy and it’s wonderful seeing the smiles on our residents’ faces when they are dancing!” Veronique A Murdoch is the Managing Director of Golden Toes and commented: “Our classes encourage the residents to move their bodies in new ways, the most important part of the class is that the residents enjoy themselves.” Open since 2016, the prestigious purpose-built facility is located at the heart of Guardians Gate, adjacent to St. Marys Hospital on Milton Road in Portsmouth. The state-of-the-art 60-bed care home offers residential and dementia care including respite care and daycare services to the elderly people of Portsmouth and surrounding areas. The facilities at Hartford Court care home are truly exceptional and welcoming. The reception area incorporates a comfortable seating area, a resident’s shop and a hairdressing and nail salon. The rest of the home boasts a library, a choice of formal and informal dining rooms, a number of lifestyle kitchens and of course plenty of restful communal lounges including The Colonial Lounge, The Captain’s Quarters and the Parlour with lots of subtle influences from local author Charles Dickens. The quality of build, design and finish are second to none with nautical touches, inspired by the proud Naval History of the city of Portsmouth. Hartford Care is a family-owned business that has been established for over a century and its respect for residents’ privacy, dignity and individuality is central to its ethos. Michelle added: “We firmly believe that each and every one of our residents has an absolute right to choose the way they live their lives. We believe this ethos is why we have been recognised for three years in a row as a ‘Top 20 Care Home Group’ in the UK.” See golden-toes.com to find out more about the care home activities offered by the dance group or visit hartfordcare.co.uk to discover how Hartford Care offers person-centred care.
