Celebrating life at Barchester

Bedewell grange is getting lots of love and support from the local community in our pen pal scheme. Children and their families in the Hebburn area have been popping in with letters and little gifts for our residents for mother’s day.

Jill Wright, Activities coordinator said “We are overwhelmed by the response of the local community. This is so important for our residents especially now as our residents cant receive visitors from their families due to us being on lock down. Thank you all so much and keep them coming!”

Epsom Beaumont Care home recognises that people have basic needs: to feel safe, accepted, loved, and a sense of belonging. They also see that the use of technology in care can help support these needs—as well as improve health and wellbeing. With a vision to enhance care with technology, the organisation has been using Skype in their care home at present time when families aren’t able to see their loved ones on a daily basis due to restrictions and keeping residents safe to tackle corona virus.

Epsom Beaumont continues to use technology in care. They use devices like Amazon Alexa to have story telling sessions which helps them to bolster social inclusion and wellbeing in residents. Make activities fun such as using VR glasses with residents to bring things from outside – inside. Like taking residents on European trips like Rome and Paris. Reminiscing times they spend during their youth. Currently our residents are able to use Skype and Facetime to connect to each other. We are also using social media platforms—including Skype, email, and Facebook—with residents who had never before used social media or a computer. “Skype was the most used and enjoyed platform, as per Nikki Harris our activities coordinator.

“Each of our care homes has tablets for the residents to use. Our residents use these in a variety of ways, including Skype, playing games, and emailing relatives,” says Nikki. “

Residents especially enjoy the ability to contact their friends and family members. “It’s particularly useful when a resident has first moved into a care home,” says Nikki, “as this can be unsettling for the resident and their family.” Many of the success stories speak for themselves.

“We encourage our residents to experiment with technology to find out what works best for them,” Nikki continues. “One of our residents wanted to use Skype to connect with her daughter on a more regular basis. During Skype video calls, our activities team and carers assist residents to ensure they have a relaxed experience stress free.

Since our home is closed to visitors and loved ones, we have decided to send personalised and to  include a photo of some of our residents holding their messages. The residents really enjoyed doing this as they hope it puts their loved ones' minds at ease.

Rothsay Grange received this very kind donation from our local TK Maxx branch here in Andover. The bags were filled with delicious treats for our hard working, dedicated team here at Rothsay Grange. We would like to pass on our gratitude for being considered at this time of uncertainty, and hope everyone stays safe and well.

Juniper House is clearly the hub of its community. We have excellent relationship with a private school nearby, and yesterday they arrived here with flowers, cards and pictures for all the residents. The school has launched a campaign to support us through this difficult time, and they have called it 'Flowers for Friends'.

Residents at Newlands Care Centre, Workington have joined the worldwide ‘Postcards of Kindness’ scheme last week. They have already received their first postcard from Stirlingshire with a lovely letter from the writer. Residents are excited to respond to the sender and start connecting with many others around the world.