This year’s theme was the 1920’s, with every home engaged and some fantastic outfits on show. Each home was tasked with creating three unique baubles to bring with them to represent their homes, with some truly skilled crafting done by residents across the Trusts homes.

Grace Care Centre exceeded with their Christmas baubles as well as completing their very own ‘Hand Wreath’; led by our activities team, each of our residents drew around their hands to create a felt cover to be made into a Wreath.

The event started with a welcome message from OSJCT Chris Bamford who was delighted to see so many faces and thank everyone for attending with their decorations.

Guest at the party were treated to a fantastic Christmas meal; although for one of our residents, there never seems to be enough Parsnips!

Following this great feast everyone was entertained by live music keeping in the 1920’s theme with some great renditions of some classics as well as more recent songs. It did not matter what was playing as residents enjoyed every bit of it with some great dancing happening all over.

Grace Care Centres three baubles and the ‘Handy’ wreath was picked out as a special nomination for its creativity and outside the box thinking by OSJCT Chief Executive Dan Hayes.

All of us from Grace Care Centre would like to everyone who organised the event, also a BIG thank you to all the homes across the region in making the Christmas party a great success; amazing time had by all.  

Monkscroft Care Centre in Cheltenham enjoyed spooky mocktails consisting of Spider Cider and Beetle juice whilst dressed as witches and wizards. Monkscroft invited their local community along to join in the fun with our residents and the team. The residents carried on the party all afternoon and enjoy themed food, Halloween cakes, games and crafts. 

Over at The Lakes in South Cerney they got into the spirit of the season and threw a Halloween Party. Residents, staff and family alike dressed up and congregated in the Garden Room to enjoy Halloween punch, cake, games and quizzes. It was a super day and everyone had an absolute blast! A huge effort was made to make the Home look so brilliantly halloweeny! 

Edwardstow Court in Stow-on-the-Wold loved seeing the smiling faces of the children from the local primary school who joined then for some Autumn and Halloween themed Arts and Crafts. Many of the children left their paintings to be displayed around the home. The children were given a goody bag filled with treats as a thank you for visiting. 

Ghoulish times are over for another year but our homes have loved getting in the spirit of the celebrations. Thank you to all who supported the home with decorations, cakes and games.

Along with greeting Santa, residents, the team and guests will be marking Christmas Jumper Day at the coffee morning by wearing colourful festive woolly jumpers and will enjoy their hot drinks with homemade Christmas cakes and cookies.

If you can’t wait until then, the home is also holding its Christmas Fayre this Saturday 8th December where there will be fun, food and Christmas spirit aplenty. Find a gift for a loved one, enjoy the festive food or try your luck in one of the competitions.

There'll be an extra-special dash of festive spirit on offer at both events with gifts available to buy that have been prepared by the residents. Give Rudolph and his pals a treat on Christmas Eve with Langford View’s homemade reindeer food, and special reindeer themed hot chocolate gifts will make a lovely stocking filler for the chocoholic in your life.

So join us for festive fun at Langford View. Everyone is welcome and it's free to attend. Anyone who wears Christmas jumpers will be on Santa’s nice list!

The Reverend John Hunt has been visiting Grace Care Centre for the last few months and has been getting to know our residents better with each visit. On his most recent visit a selection of favourite hymns was chosen, including many classics such as, ‘Holy Night’ and ‘Come All Ye Faithful’ to name a few.

With mince pies and some mulled wine at the ready, there was a feeling of great fellowship and enjoyment with everyone either singing the carols or listening intently.

Reverend John Hunt gave us the news that he will be moving to Macclesfield over the Christmas period, so he thanked the home and the residents for spending time with him. He also performed a beautiful and very powerful solo rendition of ‘O Holy Night’ which was very well-received by the audience.

We are sad to see Reverend Jonathan move on to pastures new but all at Grace Care Centre wish him and his family all the very best for their next adventure. 

We look forward to our next Christmas adventure here at Grace Care Centre with our first ever Christmas Fayre on the 8th December which begins at 10am.

Day eight – housework with Jayne

Today I spent the day with the Head Housekeeper Jayne, whom  I had already met on my first day when she so kindly unpacked my bags. Jayne had been told by Sian that I enjoyed housework and so I spent some time helping her with dusting the shelves. She then took me up to the home’s laundry room where she supported me to do some ironing. It was great to see what happens behind the scenes of the home. I was glad to see that Jayne ran a very tight ship with the help of her team. She ensures that all our clothes are labelled so that they a[RC5] [RC6] re always returned to the right owners. Jayne explained that whilst all the resident’s rooms are refreshed daily, if I wanted to do any of the jobs myself then I could just let her know.

Day nine – library and baking

Today I spent some time in the library. The home’s library is a lovely space with double doors leading out onto a large balcony which looks onto the central garden. Beyond the fence, two schools can be seen and at lunchtime the sound of children laughing and playing fills the air. The home has an extensive collection of books which can be found not only in the library but also in  bookcases throughout the home. One of the carers explained that thanks to a Facebook appeal, many of the books had been donated by the local community. It was nice to know that the books had been loved previously and would be loved by many others in the future. That afternoon I joined a few residents and the activities team to make some home-made mince pies. I have never been much good at baking, so it was nice to have the support of some more experienced residents in the home. The residents talked of memories of baking with their parents and later with their children. One of the residents had a young grandson visiting and he was invited to join in the fun. It was lovely to watch him learn; I think he did a better job than me!

Day ten – friendships formed and bath time

Today I spent time relaxing around the home. In the garden lounge and in one of the sitting rooms I enjoyed a chat with a few residents. I met some of their families and they shared their experiences with me. I am starting to get familiar with quite a few residents now and I know most of their names. The feeling of familiarity is really helping me to feel at home now. I feel like part of the home and I am happy to be spending more time in the common areas. I mentioned to a carer that I would like to have a bath. I have a daily shower in my lovely en-suite wet room but when I was more able and living on my own I used to love a soak once a week. I had heard that baths were available in the home. The carer explained that each household has its own fully accessible jacuzzi bath. She said I could have one whenever I wanted. I said I would love one once a week and she arranged for me to have on that evening. The bath has a chair lift fitted to it so no matter what your mobility is like, you can enjoy a soak. It was wonderful!

Day eleven – sing-a-long

Today some ladies came in to sing with us. Song sheets were handed out and the residents and I sang some golden oldies as well as some Christmas Carols. It was hard for me spending Christmas alone. I couldn’t really do all the usual things you do at Christmas without support and although I have a loving family,  they have very busy lives and so at times it could be really lonely. As we sang away to ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’, I got a sense that I would not be lonely here this Christmas regardless of my family’s commitments. The carers have been sharing all their plans for Christmas with me and it sounds like it will be fantastic. I am looking forward to making wreaths and Christmas decorations with the team and my fellow residents. I think this year will be one to remember.

Day twelve – a family visit

Today my family came to visit. Not all of them had seen the home yet so I showed them to the coffee shop and they grabbed a hot drink and slice of cake before I proudly showed them around. At the end of every corridor is a little snug area which the home refers to as ‘destination lounges’ and each has its own theme. My family are very well travelled so I took them upstairs to a snug where a huge world map covers the wall. The destination lounges are quiet as they are located at the end of corridors away from the centre of the home and this means you can have some private time without having to go back into your own room. We looked at the map and discussed our travels over the years. Many of the residents tell me that they use these snugs when they get time with their family. I think this is  a great tip!

Day thirteen – Christmas craft fayre

Today I visited the home’s Christmas Craft Fayre. They had invited in some stallholders to sell their wares and I grabbed myself a few stocking fillers for my family and friends. They played Christmas music and they sold tea and cake to visitors. It was a great atmosphere and afterwards I returned to one of the lounges and some of my new friends and I showed each other what we had purchased. The home regularly hold community events where the public are invited in. This is a great, informal way to get a glimpse of the home. If you don’t fancy a big event like this, then contact the team to find out about the daily activities. People from the local community are always welcome to join a cheese and wine afternoon or a game of giant scrabble to get a feel for life in the home. Or to immerse yourself a little more, you can book a week or twos respite. Many residents here did this before they committed to becoming a long-term resident as a ‘try before you buy’ approach. The home is so accommodating!

Day 14 – blogging

Well today I have mostly been writing this blog! It’s been great to tell you all about my first few weeks in the home and it has really helped me to evaluate my thoughts and feelings. I think it’s important for everyone to know what happens as so many people have pre-conceived ideas of care homes. Hopefully I have shown that every day is different. There is so much to do, so many people to meet and so much support on offer that it really is an all-inclusive experience. I am glad I chose Goodson Lodge. I will continue to share my experiences with you via the home’s Facebook page and I hope that you will follow my journey. If you would like to come and meet me at the home, then I will be very pleased to spend some time with you and maybe take a selfie or two!

I decided to write a series of blogs to illustrate my time settling in to the home, to let others who might be considering a move know what to expect. I have also been speaking to other residents about their experiences so that I can make my blog as informative as possible. This is a big step and for some it might be an anxious time, so I hope this will help explain what it’s like becoming a new resident.

For my first blog I thought I’d explain a little about my journey into the home. Luckily, I have a big family who are very internet savvy. They did lots of research for me. They tell me they did the following:

• They checked the Care Quality Commission’s website. CQC is the regulator and all care services are listed on their website, each is given a rating, from Outstanding at the top to Requiring Improvement at the bottom. My family were able to read reports here and find out how each local home’s inspection had gone. Goodson Lodge had a ‘Good’ rating so my family made further investigations.
• They checked a website called https://www.carehome.co.uk/ . This website has reviews from people who have used care homes in the past so you can find out about their experiences and how the homes are rated by their customers. Goodson Lodge had a score of 9.8 which I thought sounded brilliant. My family were also able to use this page to look at pictures of the home as well as taking a virtual tour and seeing their upcoming events. It was good to see that the home was welcoming in the local community.
• Next, they visited The Order of St John Care Trust website here: https://www.osjct.co.uk/ This is the organisation which runs Goodson Lodge as well as 69 other homes across 4 counties. They learned that it is a charitable organisation which we liked. From there they found this helpful guide explaining the process of moving into a care home. We found this very helpful.
• This is also where we discovered the home had a Facebook page, OSJCT Goodson Lodge, so we had a look and we were able to see all the special things they get up to with their residents.

At this point we had decided that Goodson Lodge was a home we were seriously interested in so we called them up and spoke to a lovely lady who arranged an appointment for us to visit the home. My first impressions of the home were fantastic. Did you know they have a cinema, coffee shop, hairdressers, and a shop? They also have a library and lovely landscaped gardens with raised planters for the residents. We were all very impressed with the spacious rooms which were all en-suite and fully furnished, although we were told that we could bring in my own things if we preferred. We also loved the comfy lounges which were all very much like the lounge in my old house. I instantly felt that I could make it my home. The team at Goodson Lodge recommended that I saw other homes. They explained that each one has its own unique character and that it is good to get a feel of what’s available. I took their advice and visited other homes but in the end we all agreed that Goodson would be the place I would feel most at home.

Over the next few weeks my family worked with the home to complete all the paperwork. I packed up my things and decided what furniture I wanted to bring with me. The Deputy Manager, Hannah, also came to visit and did an assessment of my needs to make sure they could write a care plan about the way I like to live. I visited the home a few more times joining them to play scrabble and on one occasion for lunch to help me prepare for my move a little more.

On the 19th November at 2:00pm I stepped through the doors for the first time as a brand new resident. I was a little nervous, but we had done so much research and spent many hours in the home, so I was happy that I had made a good decision.

Stay tuned for my next blog when I will share my experience of week one in my new home. 

In South Gloucestershire, OSJCT’s newest home Grace Care Centre has welcomed patients of Sirona care & health to their premises and in doing so helping to support care in the community. This relocation by Sirona has been supported by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) and North Bristol NHS Trust who is responsible for Thornbury Hospital in Bristol. Individuals with rehabilitation needs at Thornbury Hospital have now been moved to the purpose-built nursing unit (named Henderson Rehabilitation Unit) at Grace Care Centre which is registered, managed and staffed by Sirona.

The aim of this service is to provide a safe and dedicated area for those to recuperate through intensive therapy and once medically well to swiftly return back to a home environment or their preferred location

Kerry Dearden, Deputy Chief Executive at OSJCT said, “We are really pleased to support the community of Thornbury and South Gloucestershire by enabling the use of our new home, Grace Care Centre, for the benefits of individuals to be rehabilitated and then be able to move to their preferred onward location. We look forward to working with Sirona and making the facilities of Grace Care Centre available to their service users and the wider Thornbury community.”

Caroline Dunagan, OSJCT Assistant Area Operations Director, comments: “Adult Day Care is well established in OSJCT Lincolnshire homes and we are delighted to be in a position to enhance this provision across a wider range of services. This will enable those to access care in rural areas where we are also being informed of a need for the service. We will have a greater emphasis in not only assisting people to stay at home longer but through assessment and reablement help people stay out of hospital.”

“The key aims will be to improve the quality of people’s lives and who have experienced frailty or recent illness. To help preserve independence and to improve overall wellbeing through socialisation. Carers often face the dilemma between maintaining their own health and wellbeing and supporting a loved one with their own needs. Day care can provide an outlet for carers to help them cope with care at home longer. Our revised service can now offer care by the hour to full days visits 7 days per week.”, continues Caroline.

Lincolnshire is the county The Orders of St John Care Trust originated in 1992 and where established local authority links as a reputable care provider exist and continue to develop. OSJCT is dedicated to elderly person-centred care and our colleagues are highly experienced in understanding how best to support and to help meet individual needs.

Please contact us for more information and an informal chat or to arrange one of our free ‘taster’ days. You can call us on 0800 988 8133 or email us at enquiries@osjct.co.uk.

Edna Belcher, who is 101 years old, along with the other residents were delighted to have the monkeys sit on their shoulders, laps or on their walking frames chattering away. They were also taken around the home to visit residents who were in their rooms or gathered in the social areas for morning tea. Animal engagement with the elderly is not only proven to be therapeutic but also an important interactive social factor between residents, their carers and the community who in this case provided the animal therapy service.

The two dedicated activity co-ordinators at the home who helped to organise this special visit, Carly Willimont and Kerry Hyatt, commented: “OSJCT encourage all activity coordinators in the Trust to think of innovative ways to do something different to help residents gain new life experiences or to reminisce on times gone by. It is wonderful for us to see residents engaging with animals and with each other which we find really rewarding and incredibly fulfilling.”

The two monkeys have a historic past and were in the first Paddington Bear film, a Tinie Tempah music video and the BBC drama ‘Our Zoo’. Malcolm and Mitchell are two brothers and aged 21 and 22 years old with their own distinct characters and traits. Their residence is at Heythrop Zoological Gardens along with a host of other animals who actively participate in various events.

Shelly joined the Trust in 2016 as Care Services Manager at one of our Grantham home’s, Apple Trees, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge in Dementia Care. She clicked straight away with her then Manager; Denise Booth, whom she says was a great support in developing her management skills.

At Apple Trees Shelly’s main focus was being the Care Services Manager. One of her achievements was supporting Denise in creating a person-centred care model for people living with dementia as independently as possible. This was done through innovation and using best practice research.

In April 2018, Shelly spent a short time at Whitefriars inducting and developing the new Deputy Manager. Then in August 2018 she was promoted to the role the Interim Manager at Whitefriars for 8 weeks – in this short space of time Shelly had an amazing impact on the Home, Residents and staff who are delighted that she has been successful in her appointment to the role permanently.

Shelly is particularly passionate about End of Life Care and for it to be recognised as important as the beginning of life, she states:

“What we have to remember is it is the last memory for families that we delivered high quality End of Life Care, not only to their loved one but the ongoing support to their family; as they may have a lot of questions, especially if this is the first immediate family member that has passed away – they will look to us for guidance and support”

Shelly did a lot of observations when she first arrived at Whitefriars. She noted a number of Carers shared her particular passion for End of Life Care, so she approached four that stood out individually and asked if they would become End of Life Champions - they jumped at the opportunity and all began bouncing ideas around immediately.

One of them advised another Carer at the home was an avid knitter – so Shelly asked if this Carer could knit something to go in the residents’ End of Life Comfort Boxes, which remain with residents in their room until the time comes and are then passed on to the relatives. The Carer knitted mini dolls – that represented the residents’ personalities, including a Nurse, a resident that loves baking, an ex-military resident with his medals, a swimmer and a Scottish resident!

This is a work in progress, but just a small token of the difference Shelly is making to Whitefriars already and a taste of things to come!

Shelly has an open-door policy which is warmly welcomed by her staff, residents and families, whom can sometimes also be greeted by Ella her 6-month-old pug – who entertains residents on a daily basis!