Woodland View was very happy to present its 'Employee of the Month' award to Nurse, Soma Page.

A rather surprised Soma was thrilled to have been chosen to receive the accolade and was as modest about it as we know her to be.

Soma received a bottle of fizz and a gift card to spend how she chooses. Residents and colleagues kept her smiling as they each saw her in turn, congratulating her on the very well-deserved recognition.

On Wednesday 14th June, Deputy Manager, Karen Greenland, requested that the on-duty Carer's report to the reception, as she wanted a word!

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the mercury in the thermometer had been climbing higher and higher as the day progressed. Was there a problem? Was something wrong? A degree of anxiousness was detected on the faces of the care staff.

Once gathered in reception, Karen appeared out of her office carrying a rather large hamper full of chocolate boxes and other sweet treats. As part of National Carer's Week, Woodland View wanted to thank, reward and celebrate the terrific and hard work that Carer's do here each and every day. Anxious faces instantly turned to smiles, laughter and real appreciation for the gesture shown and, of course, the potential sugar increase they were about to enjoy.

The goodies were taken back onto the home's communities to share with the other care staff over the coming days. Woodland View is clearly very fortunate to have such a wonderful team of Carer's, who are such a valuable asset to the home.

General Manager, Juliet Driver, just can't say no to a dance when the opportunity arises!

New respite resident, Tony Coot - a former dance teacher - heard a visiting singer in full flow and took Juliet for spin, covering the coffee lounge floor.

The Woodland View weekly activities programme regularly features music-based events, including musicians, singers, sing-a-longs and musical movies, offering something tuneful for everyone.

Dedham Community Farm have some gorgeous new arrivals and Woodland View residents just couldn't wait to meet them.

The farm provides animal therapy for a range of organisations in the Colchester area as part of occupational therapy, and Woodland View have a regular slot booked for residents, so that they can interact with the animals.

There was a veritable rush by those on the most recent trip to get their hands on one of the six soft and fluffy Border Collie puppies. Before long, the puppies were pretty worn out and were lying on top of each other, fast asleep.

Woodland View residents have always been cultured; they are hip, cool and always looking for new challenges. So, what would people not expect? An idea emerged that would surprise a few:
the multi-skilled and talented Woodland View residents have agreed to come together and form their own small rock group.

Watch this space for further news as the project develops.

Woodland View embraced Dementia Awareness Week by hosting two 'Dementia Friends' talks. The Alzheimer's Society set up the 'Dementia Friends' initiative to promote dementia friendly communities. Volunteers who deliver 'Dementia Friends' sessions help others learn about dementia so they can gain a better understanding of some of the issues and what it is like living with the condition.

The first 'Dementia Friends' session held at Woodland View was aimed at residents already living at the care home. They would already be aware of others in the home living with dementia and might benefit from a better understanding of how the condition can have an impact on behaviour and emotion.

The second session was opened up to relatives of residents and advertised to people in the local community. It featured a couple of interactive activities to highlight and demonstrate what it's like trying to cope with dementia on a day by day basis for both the person living with the condition and those who care for them. People attending were very grateful for the eye-opening information and stated that it would genuinely help their approach to communication and care with their loved ones who have dementia.