Meet the Drummond Grange Care Home Team

Anamaria is our Deputy Manager here at Drummond Grange. After training as a nurse in Romanian Ana came to Drummond full time in 2014 as a Carer and quickly moved up the ranks to Senior carer, Nurse, Senior nurse, Charge nurse before becoming the homes deputy manager in 2022. Ana has a real passion for not only providing the best clinical care for our residents but also emotional and mental and is a massive advocate to the activity team and carers in supporting them provide the very best al round care for our residents. When Ana is not working she enjoys spending time with her family including daughter Sara who often comes into the home to visit everyone. 

My Name is Brian I have been a nurse all told for nearly 16 years. Having studied at Napier university in Edinburgh. I have worked with Barchester altogether for around 12 years I first joined as part of the night shift team which I done for 7 years. Being in charge of a unit has its own challenges one which I relish in. Making a real difference in our residents lives is a wonderful thing to see for most of our residents we become a surrogate family. It is important to us all that a strong family feel is important.

My life outside Drummond is all about my family including my two dogs and of course my football team shhhhhh. Be it as a resident, staff member or volunteer come join us you won’t regret it.

Angelita is one of our Charge Nurses here at Drummond and id head of our Buccleuch unit. Qualifying as a nurse in the Philippines in 1992, Angelita spent time working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia before coming to the UK in 2006 to work for the NHS. In 2018 she started working as a peripatetic nurse for Barchester before becoming a full time charge nurse in Drummond in 2022. When she’s not at work she enjoys Philippian churches charity organisations and leading the church choir. 

Gail head a team of dedicated nurses and carers on our Pentland unit. She qualified from the royal infirmary in 1991 and started working for Barchester in 2000 working in a few of our homes in various roles including charge nurse, deputy manager and home manager. She returned to work at Drummond Grange in 2019. She is very passionate in her work and involves herself in all aspects of the unit workings. Gail is helped by her ‘assistant’ Rosie, her rescue dog who will often come into work with her.

Hi I’m Susan I joined Barchester in 2017, working across the 4 Barchester homes in the Edinburgh area. Coming to Barchester has allowed me to combine my passions of Health and Social care and training. Prior to my role in Barchester I was a trainer in retail and a Support Worker for adult with learning disabilities. I am passionate about ensuring everyone who attends our Barchester training has a positive experience that allows then to carry on shining in the care homes for our fantastic residents

Outside work I enjoy live music and going to gigs and spending my free time with my family and friends. My daughter is a regular visitor to the homes and loves joining in the many activities that our amazing homes organise.

Mary is the Non-Clinical Service Manager here at Drummond Grange, and has been here since the home opened in 1993. Mary has worked as many roles in the home including domestic and activities so holds a wide knowledge in all of the non-clinical roles here at Drummond. In 2016, she was named as a Divisional Winner for Home Administration Champion in the Barchester Care Awards. When Mary is not at work she is kept busy with her four grandchildren who she spends a lot of time with.

Laarni, is one of our Charge Nurse and head of our Melville unit here at Drummond Grange. She trained as a nurse in the Philippines qualifying in 1995 before coming to Scotland and continuing her training in 2003 as a senior care in our other Barchester homes before qualifying as a nurse and moving to Drummond in 2005. When Laarni is not at work she enjoys hosting her large family and adding to her large collection of handbags.

As a Registered Nurse at a Drummond Grange care home, we look after the physical, psychological and social needs of our residents to help us deliver the quality care they deserve.

We’ll look to you to create a safe and supportive environment for residents with range of physical and mental needs, whilst also relying on our professional judgement to make critical clinical decisions. As a Registered Nurses (RGN), we have the autonomy to do things the right way

David Krage-Smith is the Home Administrator at Drummond Grange since 2021.  Having worked in care homes for the past 6 years and prior to that working in management/HR roles David has a wealth of experience. David is always willing to help and wherever possible and it’s not unusual to see him with a hoover in hand.

Katie Nicolson is our Head of activities here at Drummond since August 2023 beforehand she worked as an activity assistant in the home for two years. Before coming to Drummond Katie has worked in many care roles over the years and studied Psychology and Sociology at Queen Margaret’s University and was awarded a Degree of Bachelor of science in Psychology and Sociology at the start of 2022. Katie loves being part of the Activity department here at Drummond Grange and bringing new and exciting opportunities and experiences to the residents. When she’s not at work Katie is a local Girl Guide leader and youth leader for her churches youth group. 

Chris Lewis is our head chef here at Drummond Grange having joined us in 2021. Chris has worked if many different sectors of hospitality including commercial kitchens and running his own catering business. In his work Chris strive to provide a wonderful choice of beautiful, delicious and nutritious meals and he insures our residence needs are not only met but exceeded. When he is not at work very much the family man, spending time with his wife and young daughter.

Rory is our head of Maintenance here at Drummond Grange having started at the start of 2024. Before his time at Drummond Grange Rory worked in construction management and as a maintenance officer in a housing association. Rory strives to provide to highest standard of work in all he does at Drummond Grange. When he is not at work, he spends his time volunteering for his local Church of Scotland Church and spending time with his family.

Megan arrived at Drummond Grange as the Receptionist in September 2024. She has worked in Administration and Customer Service roles since leaving school. 

She enjoys the friendly work environment and having a laugh with the residents. 

In her spare time Megan enjoys walks in the countryside with her camera, baking, sewing, and spending time with her friends and family.

Angela started as the admin assistant here at Drummond in December 2023. Before her time at Drummond Angela worked as a care assistant in home care. She is patient and friendly and willing to help out when and where she can. 

Hi, my name is Susanne and I am Drummond Granges resident ambassador. I have been in Drummond grange since March. As an ambassador I want to keep the home a nice place to live and help with another concerns and to be the voice of the residents. I have a husband and a four year old little girl who both visit the home often. Prior to coming to Drummond I worked in the financial industry as manager and mentor as well as a health, wellbeing and engagement coach. I now use my previous skills to help in my role as ambassador and love that through this role I can continue to help others.  

Julie started at Drummond as a care assistant in 2002 and soon progressed to senior care assistant before completing the care practitioner course and was the first care practitioner in Scotland. Julie has worked in all areas of the home but truly found her calling working with dementia care and took on the role of Drummonds Dementia care champion. This year she has been promoted to regional dementia champion helping all the homes in the north division. 

When she is not working she likes to spend time with her daughter and partner and has recently found a love for exercise and will exercise 3-4 times a week as a way to relax and unwind.

As Care Practitioners at a Drummond Grange care home, we carry out a range of tasks that help us give our residents the quality care and support they deserve. The role of Care Practitioner is the highest level of Care Assistant we have, so we are trained to lead, motivate and inspire a team of carers, as well as confidently take responsibility for resident medication, wound management, continence, physiological assessment and care planning under the guidance of the on-site Registered Nurse. This is a very rewarding and fulfilling role that will gives us real scope to make a difference to the lives of our residents

As Care Assistants at Drummond Grange care home, we help residents enjoy each day by making sure they get the quality care and support they deserve. We assist with daily living, providing support and companionship – and sharing great moments and memories too. Every day is different, and our work is as varied as it is rewarding. As Care Assistants, you could be doing anything from supporting residents with their food and drink and following care plans to ensuring that each of our residents has one-to-one time.

Ryan joined the activity team in February 2024 having previously worked in finance and investing. Coming to Drummond for a complete change and looking for a more rewarding and fulfilling job Ryan throws himself into everything he does with enthusiasm and energy and is loving his time here at Drummond.

Gilberto started his journey in February 2024 as the physiotherapist here in Drummond grange. He has over 20 years of experience working in physiotherapist, Gilberto graduated from Lutheran University of Brazil in 2007 before completing a 2 year Master in acupuncture in 2009 which let to him working in spas on-board cruise ships and traveling all over the world doing what he loves, before coming to Edinburgh in 2015 to work in Health and social care/ NHS as a learning disabilities Physiotherapist team Manager. Gilberto strives in making sure everyone stays as healthy as possibly can and ensuring the gym is always upbeat and exciting place for our residents and staff members to work on and improve their fitness and health. Outside of work Gilberto loves to continue traveling and exploring new places around the world.

Amy is one of our physio assistants here at Drummond Grange. She started working in the home as part of the activity team in 2022 before moving into the physio department putting her HND in sports therapy to good use within the home. she loves working daily with the residents and striving for the best quality of life for everyone at Drummond. Outside of work she is navigating the world of motherhood with her son Oliver who was born in 2023. 

Rosie is a regular face here at Drummond Grange especially in our Pentland unit as she is Head of Pentland unit’s Gail’s Clapperton’s dog. Everyone loves when Rosie comes to work and she have very quickly became part of the team here at Drummond Grange.