The Lakes Care Centre welcomed their wonderful volunteers for High Tea, as a way of saying thank you for all their hard work and commitment over the past few months.  The residents and team spent time decorating the garden room with crisp white tables cloths, cake stands laden with goodies and beautiful hand tied flower posies.

Once the volunteers had arrived, they were able to soak up some of the glorious spring sunshine while sitting in the garden room with the patio doors wide open for the first time this year.  The home management team served tea and coffee whilst our wonderful chef presented the Afternoon Tea selection… Delicious! 

After everyone had enjoyed the tea, it was time to present a very special envelope to one of our volunteers, Anna, who has been shortlisted for ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at the Employee awards in May.  We are very excited to be able to accompany Anna to the awards with both residents and staff too! We have everything crossed for her as her tireless work here is so appreciated and we certainly couldn’t do half the things we do without her.

Once the last crumbs had been eaten and the tea pots emptied; we gave each volunteer a hand tied posy to take away with them.  It was a fabulous afternoon with lovely company and a perfect way to spend time with our volunteers and to show them the gratitude they all deserve.

In addition, Monkscroft in Cheltenham, has been bestowed the same rating accolade and again for the South West Region.

Carehome.co.uk is the largest online referral site for national care homes and a forum for independent customer feedback which we value greatly. This opinion allows us to ensure as a Trust we keep on delivering the highest quality of care and support to our residents and their families.

Dan Hayes, CEO, comments: “Carehome.co.uk is very important to us as a Trust in understanding the views of our residents, families and volunteers.  To have achieved Top 20 status in the Large Care Home category is fantastic. Equally good news is the fact that Monkscroft Care Centre also achieved Top 20 status within the South West Region.”

He concludes with, “A big thank you to the teams in all our care homes - these awards are a testament to their dedication and commitment to putting the wellbeing of our residents at the heart of all they do.”

On Monday 4th March The Lakes Care Centre in South Cerney hosted ‘time for a cuppa’ with animal friends in conjunction with Dementia UK.  The day consisted of an informative talk from our admiral nurse Nikki Rowe and our activity co-ordinator Chloe Gibbins, they talked about the positive effects animal therapy can have on those living with dementia.

Amongst those who came along to hear Nikki and Chloe talk were our resident’s family members, local professionals, volunteers plus members of the local community who are interested in dementia or animal therapy.

We also welcomed a variety of animals including - dogs, chickens, tortoises, rabbits, guinea pigs and of course the stars of the show were the gorgeous alpacas, they even came with some baby alpacas who had never been inside before, and they were adorable! Everyone was delighted to see the animals and to stroke the alpacas; their fur was very soft and thick and the change in atmosphere when the animals arrived put into practice all that Nikki and Choe had been saying.

We also held a cake sale ran by our fantastic volunteers along with a raffle which included tickets to Highgrove gardens. The raffle was drawn by some student paramedics who came along to learn more about animal therapy and we managed to raise £174.

After the talks everyone had an opportunity to see the animals and speak to our local professionals while enjoying a cup of tea and slice of cake.

Edwardstow received a visit last week from Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown the Conservative Member of Parliament for The Cotswolds. Sir Geoffrey had a tour of the care home but also had the opportunity to speak with many of our residents. Many of our residents have met Sir Geoffrey in the community before they moved into a care home.

Sir Geoffrey was impressed with the modern surroundings and the facilities available. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said, “Having spoken to residents, and hearing their excellent reviews, as well as seeing the vast range of activities on offer, I am very impressed by Edwardstow Court Care Centre.”  

Edwardstow Court’s deputy manager Sian Howse showed Sir Geoffrey around and introduced him to Gemma our Activities Co-ordinator, Gemma was painting rocks with our residents which are then hid around the local community for people to find and then re-hide. We gave Sir Geoffrey a rock to take away and hide, we look forward to this popping up somewhere soon.

It was great for our local MP to visit and to see the facilities available at one of the newest care homes in his constituency. Sian Howse said “We were delighted that Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP was able to visit Edwardstow Court and thankful to him for taking the time. Our residents and staff greatly enjoyed his visit. Interaction with the local community is very important to the home and to the Trust and we look forward to continuing this mutually supportive association.”

Residents at The Elms have been welcoming year one children from Stonehouse Park Infants since October as part of a project with Gloucestershire Academy of Music. This project has been an opportunity for children to interact with older people, they have been able to teach each other new songs and learn from one another.

Becky Chevis from Gloucestershire Academy of Music said “The residents light up when the children walk in and it is wonderful seeing them singing and doing the actions to songs along with the children!

Most of the songs we have been singing have been suggested by the residents and I hope they feel a sense of ownership over the sessions – they have so much they can offer these children!

As is to be expected, I think the children were nervous when they started to visit The Elms but they now seem a lot more comfortable here and they are a lot more keen to meet the residents! The children love seeing the residents joining in and knowing that they have made the residents happy!

Both the children and the residents have so much to offer one another. They have enjoyed having fun together over the past few months, as well as growing musically and learning more about one another.”

Some of the children have had very little interaction with older people as they are only 5 and 6 years old and this project has broken down those barriers.

Lauren Katt class teacher at Stonehouse Park Infants said “The experience has been good for the children and they’ve loved it. They’ve learnt new songs and practised songs they knew, and they’ve really built their confidence”.

One of the residents gave a heart-warming speech to the children as they have enjoyed the children visiting weekly so much. We hope our residents and the year one children will be reunited again soon.

The fayre had many very kindly donated prizes for the raffle which included wine, toys, gift vouchers and even an MOT from Warners Citroen. There was also a car for the day which we filled with balloons for our ‘guess the number of balloons in the car’ competition.

The team in our kitchen baked and beautifully decorated a Christmas cake for our ‘guess the weight’ competition. The cake was full of fruit and booze and weighed a staggered 13lbs!

Monkscroft café was a hive of activity with people congregating for tea and cake while eagerly anticipating if they had winning raffle tickets!

Thank you to everyone who attended on the day, volunteered and kindly donated items. The funds raised will go towards an intergenerational project with Live Music Now and our local nursery which our residents are hugely looking forward to.

Each day Avonbourne had a mini make over. Residents in the previous week had worked hard on decorations to match the eras, that was set to culminate in a 40s celebration. To make the day more authentic the kitchen made the daily menu match popular foods of the decade. Avonbourne’s cinema also showed blockbuster movies of the era for residents to reminisce about.

For the 1970s Avonbourne residents made the ever-popular bread and butter pudding, which filled the home with a wonderful smell. There wasn’t even a morsel left after it had cooled down. The 1960s seemed to be everyone’s favourite era. We celebrated with psychedelic music and a craft session where residents painted and coloured in Beatles LP covers, staff donned afro wigs and groovy glasses which provided the residents with much entertainment.

The 1950s rolled round and it was time for a long time Avonbourne entertainer lovingly known as ‘Ukele Piddle’ or Paul for short to entertain the residents with famous 50s hits. Including hits such as Jail House rock by Elvis and a number of Buddy Holly songs. Many of which had the residents on their feet dancing away.

The 1940s was set to be Avonbourne’s big party. The Compass café was transformed into a 1940s theme that was truly striking. Camo nets and old war time posters were hung to support the 1940s theme. Residents were presented with ration books that contained their menu for the morning. War time tunes played in the background and residents enjoyed some popular foods from the 1940s. Residents loved ones and the local community joined in to hear stories of how many lived through the 1940s and what life was really like then.  It was truly a party to remember.

If you’d like to get involved at Avonbourne to help enrich the lives of its residents, the home is always on the lookout for people who share their passion for care. There are many ways you can get involved:

• Our Jobs Page
• Volunteering
• Entertainment and Activities

The home’s ‘Time for a Cuppa’ afternoon tea was part of an annual event promoted by Dementia UK with an aim of raising money for Admiral Nurses. These specialist dementia nurses work alongside people with dementia and their families, providing them with the support they need.

OSJCT works closely with Dementia UK and was among the first care providers to employ its own specialist Admiral Nurses, two of whom attended the afternoon tea. Angie Williams and Rose Elliot entered to cheers and applause. “It was the best welcome we have ever had,” says Angie. “It is so great to raise awareness of Admiral Nurses and how they benefit the families who need support.” Rose adds: “It is fantastic to see everyone coming together and enjoying themselves.”

Home Manager Anna Odeyemi says: “We are privileged to care for some residents who are at different stages of their journey with dementia here at Spencer Court. Living with dementia is a different experience for everyone and OSJCT’s Admiral Nurses do such important work in supporting families. We felt we wanted to show our support to them and get involved.”

Spencer Court welcomed local organisations, the local community and residents’ family members to its afternoon tea and raised over £230. This amount will fund the training of two Admiral Nurses which ensures they stay at the forefront of excellence in dementia care.

Steve Pomfret, whose mother is a resident at Spencer Court says of the event: “There is such a friendly atmosphere at the home and it’s been a lovely way to raise money for such a good cause.” Ms Odeyemi added: “We were so pleased with the amount we raised and will definitely be doing a similar event next year.”

OSJCT Development Director Tim Hurdiss’ daughter was admitted to PICU at 18 months of age with a severe asthma attack resulting in respiratory failure. Tim says: “The Unit took such wonderful care of Abbie and we are to this day immensely thankful. It is clearly apparent how hard the doctors and nurses work in PICU and the challenges they themselves face dealing with such sensitive situations daily. The intensity of the environment and ethos of trying to help in any way possible is a testament to us all.”

Abbie Hurdiss is now 16 years old and an energetic teenager who will be joining on the day of the charity run alongside her father, his colleagues from OSJCT and members of the PICU.

Dr Avishay Sarfatti, Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care medicine at PICU, comments: "We are delighted to have found this common thread with OSJCT and very much looking forward to associating with the Trust and running together in the OX5 Run. Their support and understanding of our Unit and the care we provide has been much welcomed."

Tim Hurdiss concludes: “We are really pleased about the collaboration between two organisations on either end of the intergenerational spectrum. Dr Sarfatti and I wish the best of luck to all the runners and in raising awareness and funds for the Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity which is such a worthy cause.”

The Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity run sponsored by the Oxford Mail is on Sunday 24th March at 10am. For more information visit:

www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/ox5run

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/ox_5/

Edwardstow Court in Stow-on-the-Wold and Grace Care Centre in Thornbury were recognised across the board with a ‘Good’ for services of safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness, and being well-led.

As a Trust we are delighted by this recognition and thankful for all the hard work delivered by our colleagues to ensure this independently endorsed success. Equally importantly the knowledge that our residents are happy and receiving the best possible care with tailored needs being met along with a happy and fulfilling life met in the home.

Deputy Home Manager at Edwardstow, Sian Howse, says: “I would like to say what a fantastic outcome for our home and I am very proud of the whole team.  Everyone has worked very hard to achieve this all-round ‘Good’ rating and from the report it clearly shows that our residents love to live here and our staff love to work here.” 

Peter Moore, Home Manager at Grace Care Centre, comments: “We are delighted with the result of our CQC inspection. Every member of the team has worked so hard to achieve this and it is fantastic to see their passion and dedication being acknowledged in this report. Grace Care Centre is a wonderful place to work and to live and I am very thankful to the whole team for making this so.”

Some quotes from the CQC report:

Grace Care Centre, Thornbury:

‘We were introduced to people throughout our visit and they welcomed us. They were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. The feedback we received from people and relatives was good. Staff we met and spoke with were happy and proud; they were loyal and fully committed and this was reflected in their attitudes and integrity during the inspection. All staff on duty were excited about the inspection and wanted to be part of it.’

"The carers here are very good and I feel very well looked after. There is plenty of staff to look after you here", "There is always plenty of staff around and I believe my wife is very safe here" and "I feel that all the staff here are great with my father and I feel he is very safe here".

Edwardstow Court Care Centre, Stow-On-the-Wold:

People and relatives commented on how knowledgeable and skilled staff were. One relative said, "I know that lots of staff have had dementia training; diversion and distraction training. I have watched them, they usually find a way." Another relative told us how well staff had looked after their relative following an operation. They said, "They were brilliant in their use of the hoist, they dealt with it very well."

We observed staff exhibiting genuine kindness, concern and friendship towards people. People and their visitors were keen to praise the staff. They spoke highly of them without exception. One person said, "They've all got lots of halos here." People were keen to comment about staff individually."

For further information, please contact Lak Siriwardene (PR & Communications Manager) on 07342 069807 or l.siriwardene@osjct.co.uk