Care South goes to Hollywood as we celebrated the online finalists event
19
15TH ANNIVERSARY
Louise Fidler celebrates 15 years at Care South at Home and talks about why she loves being part of the team
13
MEET THE RESIDENTS
Jean, Margaret and Rosie explain why they love living at St Ives House
20
MARJORIE HOUSE UPDATE
As our new care home nears completion, we give a sneak preview of how it looks inside
7-11
STARS AWARDS
Find out who took home a trophy at this year’s awards ceremony
16-17
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Learn about the ways that we have been welcoming the community into our care homes
23
CATERING FOR RESIDENTS WITH DIABETES
Top tips for meals and snacks for residents living with diabetes
Welcome to this very special Stars Awards edition of Take 5.
As I write this introduction to Take 5 and gaze out of my office window at the near horizontal rain lashing against the windows, it seems hard to comprehend that we’re in the middle of summer! Yet, as always, it is so pleasing to read about all the food, fun and friendship you’ve been enjoying whatever the weather! Amongst many other things, we’ve celebrated summer fetes, played football with the cub scouts, visited garden centres, had ponies and donkeys in our homes, and taken to the water for boat trips around Poole Harbour.
We were all able to get together online at the beginning of June, with parties at your homes and offices, to announce the short-listed finalists who would join us for the Stars Awards ceremony at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth on 18 July 2024. These parties looked great fun and congratulations to Fairlawn, Sussexdown and our Care at Home Somerset Office who, judging by the photos, seem to have celebrated longest and hardest!
The theme of this year’s Stars Awards was very much centred on the Food, the Fun and the Friendship across Care South. There were more than 130 of us at the Vitality Stadium to celebrate all that is good about the amazing care that you provide.
Teamwork is an important aspect of our HEART values, and as always we were pleased to be able to celebrate so many strong teams across Care South - whether that be the catering team at Kenwith Castle who won the award for the Best Dining Experience for the second year in a row, or the housekeeping and maintenance team at St Ives House in winning Pride In Your Home, or the activities team at Maiden Castle House who very deservedly won the award for the Best Activities Team.
The Pride In Your Service award was won by our co-ordinators and admin team at our Somerset Care at Home Office, and Celia Reith and Julie Tanton-Joy at Fremington Manor celebrated winning the award for Admin Team of the Year in our care homes.
Our Bournemouth Office and Alexandra House management teams won awards in Best Management Team for care at home and residential care, respectively – well done to both!
WELCOME TO TAKE 5
Insofar as the silverware was concerned, our Chair Chris Kean presented Sarah Broom and the Crewkerne Office with the Care at Home Cup, and Ash Smith and Maiden Castle House with the cup for Residential Care Home of the Year. Well done to both services for a fantastic year!
Chris was also delighted to present the 2024 Chair’s Award recognising an exceptional whole home performance in the most challenging of circumstances to all the staff at Beauchamp House
Really well done to our head office extended Operations team who won the award for Best Head Office Support Team – an award which was voted on by all our services.
Many, many congratulations to all our winners.
Some of you were lucky enough to be nominated for an award and some even more fortunate to win an award. However, competition this year was intense with quality and compliance across all services in Care South being at such high levels, and whilst your contribution may not have been recognised in this way, please be assured that it is greatly appreciated.
These are exciting times at Care South as we prepare to open Marjorie House, our newest care home on Evening Hill in Poole in September, and a new care at home office in North Devon very shortly.
As ever, our HEART values remain incredibly important to everyone throughout the organisation, and I know those values are ever present in all your hard work.
As is always the case, you have continued go that ‘extra mile’ in keeping all our residents and our care at home clients warm and safe, with Food, Fun and Friendship in abundance, and at the heart of everything you do.
Thank you to all of you for your commitment to Care South!
Simon
A MOMENT WITH MAGGIE
Director of HR and Training
I hope you have been enjoying the recent warm weather. As always, the HR, Recruitment and Learning & Development team have been busy.
We regularly look at ways we can create opportunities for learning and development. We currently have over 50 employees undertaking studies including: Adult Care Worker Level 2, Lead Adult Care Worker Level 3, Team Leader or Supervisor Level 3, Lead Practitioner in Adult Care, and Leader in Adult Care Level 5. We are
Online Stars Awards
The care home teams had a fantastic time celebrating the online finalists event for the Stars Awards on 5 June.
This year the theme was ‘Hollywood’ with each home putting on an ‘award-worthy’ event featuring colourful costumes and decorations.
Fern Brook Lodge took a trip down the yellow brick road as they dressed as the characters from The Wizard of Oz. Over
currently identifying the next group of employees to be invited to take part in our leadership development programme this year. If you would like to increase your knowledge and skills and take the next step in your career, please inform your manager and the Learning & Development team at Head Office so we can talk through your plans and aspirations and get you started.
You may recall that last September we ran an Employee Engagement Survey across our Residential teams, and in June this year we rolled out the Head Office and Care at Home employee engagement surveys. Thank you to everyone who took part. We look forward to hearing and sharing your feedback.
It takes a special someone to provide good quality care, and each one of you is exceptional. Your wellbeing in your day-today role is important to us, so keep a close eye on your emails and local noticeboards for key insights, information and tips on how we can further support you.
The trophies at the Stars Awards have now been handed out for another year. A great afternoon was had by all at the online event on 5 June 2024congratulations to all our finalists! And a huge congratulations to everyone who took home a prize at this year’s live event at AFC Bournemouth on 18 July!
in Dorchester, Maiden Castle House staff dressed up as the characters from Grease and were joined by Care South at Home’s West Dorset office.
However, our congratulations must go to the worthy winners of the Online Stars Award Event Photo, Fairlawn, whose team went for a black and gold theme. Together they enjoyed a barbecue, before handing out the prizes to all of the home’s finalists.
STAFF BENEFITS
As part of the Care South team, you can access a host of staff benefits including:
• Blue Light Card
• Refer a Friend scheme (£500 bonus!)
Details of staff benefits can be accessed via your local device (e.g. tablets) or contact Human Resources.
WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?
CARE SOUTH LOYALTY RECOGNITION
If something is troubling you in your workplace then you should share your concerns with your line manager.
Following that, if you still have concerns then you can escalate those concerns - without worry of recrimination, or anonymously to an Operations Manager, Director or the Chief Executive. You can raise your concerns in-person or over the phone with them.
If you feel uncomfortable about speaking with someone then we have a dedicated email address to use: Whistleblowing@care-south.co.uk
Please remember that if you do choose to remain anonymous in raising your concern, we will still treat your concern seriously. However, we will not be able to communicate any response or outcome with you directly.
Full details of the type of concern that could be raised are shown on our Whistleblowing Policy availble to view in the Policies folder on Sharepoint accessed via the Internet Shortcuts folder on your desktop and the Policies tablets in every staff room.
Ami Meaden 10 Years | Fern Brook Lodge
Leanne Pearce 10 Years | Fern Brook Lodge
Beverly Mansfield 10 Years | Crewkerne
Georgina Smale 10 Years | Kenwith Castle
Louise Fidler 15 Years | Bournemouth
Sasha Biss
15 Years | Maiden Castle House
Sarah Cornick
15 Years | Castle Dene
Christine Irvin
20 Years | Alexandra House
Jill Desmond
20 Years | Buxton House
Jacky Watts
20 Years | Castle Dene
Debbie Andress
20 Years | Castle Dene
Valerie Moore
25 Years | Maiden Castle House
Michelle Peatfield
25 Years | Beauchamp House
Gail Beer
25 Years | Kenwith Castle
CELEBRATING OUR APPRENTICES
We will support every member of the team across Care South to undertake relevant training to gain skills and knowledge to progress in their career and provide even better care for the residents.
Huge congratulations to the following team members who have completed their apprenticeship courses over the past year:
Chloe Paul, Beauchamp House, Level 2 Adult Care Worker
Yordanka Lyubcheva, Beauchamp House, Level 2 Adult Care Worker
Jasmine Stockley, Buxton House, Level 2 Adult Care Worker
Paul Thornewill, Fairlawn, Level 2 Adult Care Worker
Amy Loxton, Maiden Castle House, Level 2 Adult Care Worker
Siobhan Greenall, Fairlawn, Level 2 Production Chef
Nathan Benn, St Ives House, Level 2 Production Chef
Heather Oakes, Maiden Castle House, Level 3 Business Administration
Anthony Birtwhistle, Alexandra House, Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker
Michele Chana, Dorset House, Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker
Robyn Ball, St Ives House, Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker
Sarah Thompson, Talbot View, Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker
Claire Mack, Talbot View, Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker
Natasha Sansom, Somerset, Level 3 Team Leader
HOME MANAGEMENT TEAM CHANGES
As we count down to the opening of a brand new home, Marjorie House in Poole, there are a few changes within the team.
As previously shared in the last edition of Take 5, Sebastian Wiencelewski will be the Home Manager for Marjorie House which is due to open in September. He will be replaced at Talbot View by Neil Dominy, currently Home Manager at Dorset House.
We’d like to extend a big Care South welcome to Tracy Jennings who is the new Home Manager at Dorset House. Tracy joined the care industry in 2012 and worked her way up to Registered Manager by 2017. She is keen to continue driving high standards of care for the residents at Dorset House.
Congratulations to Conner Frecknall who has been promoted to Deputy Home Manager (Maternity Cover) at Elizabeth House.
Conner joined the Care South team as a Care Assistant in 2015 before being promoted to Senior Care Assistant. He became the relief Night Care Team Leader before transferring to become a Learning and Development Advisor in 2017.
He said: “I am excited to start a new opportunity and enhance my existing knowledge and skills and put this into practice. I enjoy working for Care South because of the core values and the opportunity for career development.”
Stars Awards
Now in its 15th year, the Stars Awards offer a great opportunity to celebrate the great work of our team.
Congratulations to all of the winners who took home a trophy at this year’s glittering awards ceremony at AFC Bournemouth.
Care Home of the Year
Maiden Castle House
Care at Home Office of the Year
Chair’s Award
Head Office Support Team of the Year
Carer of the Year
Home Carer of the Year
Care Team Leader
Night Care Team Leader
Robyn Ball - St Ives House and
Donna Wesson - Talbot View
Gabbi Andronachi Castle Dene
Pride In Your Home
Pride In Your Service
Dining Experience
Alan Osbourne and Danny Payne
Bela Racz
Kenwith Castle
Activities Team
Emma Norman Maiden Castle House
UPDATE FROM PHIL
Director of Residential Care
Firstly, I would like to say how good it was to see so many winners and finalists at the Stars Awards this year. Please never underestimate how much we appreciate the hard work ALL of you do day in, day out.
Well, it’s again been a busy few months within Residential. We have had our first two Care Quality Commission inspections under the Single Assessment Framework at Elizabeth House and Alexandra House. I am delighted to report that both homes achieved a ‘Good’ rated outcome. Congratulations to both teams. It is so good to see the great care you give being acknowledged by CQC.
All homes have also been so busy holding D-Day events and open days. I have seen many photos and videos and personally witnessed some of the amazing events you have all put on for the residents and visitors.
CARE HOME OPEN WEEK
All of our care homes hosted fun-filled events and activities during National Care Home Open Week in June to encourage the community into our homes.
The annual event is dedicated to showcasing the warmth, care and vibrant communities in care homes, and we can all agree that you did a great job with that.
Scores of families and local businesses turned out to enjoy the open day at Kenwith Castle Care Village which the team held in aid of Age UK Devon.
Residents and local families took part in a host of activities including arts and crafts, garden games, tombola, an ice cream van and tours of the care home.
Elsewhere, Buxton House hosted Big Bingo and summer fayre events featuring stalls, face painting, games and music. Wickmeads hosted an Ascot-themed garden party and summer fayre events.
Sussexdown opted to play croquet on the lawn with tea and scones; and Fern Brook Lodge welcomed a live singer and provided animal therapy sessions.
The busy agenda does not stop now though. By the time the next edition of Take 5 comes out, we will have opened our new home, Marjorie House, and we will be holding the next team member survey in September/October. The response rate last year was truly staggering. Let’s see if we can beat it this year!!
Finally, enjoy your summer breaks when you have them and as always, thank you for all you do!
Phil
80TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY
Our care homes held commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day in June to honour those who lost their lives.
Residents at Fern Brook Lodge gathered for a special service led by Rev Angus Mayhew. Taylor Crowther (Senior Care Assistant) played The Last Post, initiating a two-minute silence silence while Roger Weeks (Mayor of Gillingham), and Claire Davies (Deputy Home Manager) delivered tributes. Annie Kings from Dementia Friendly Gillingham led songs and hymns. Later, residents enjoyed live music and a garden party with afternoon tea.
Alexandra House residents gathered in the garden for a special service led by David Squire (Poole Town Crier), and Rev Elaine
MEET THE RESIDENTS
McCourt of St Peter’s Church. They sang hymns and songs, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. Local singer and guitarist Angus Todd performed favourites like My Old Man Said Follow the Van and Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag.
Kenwith Castle residents welcomed six Royal Marines to exchange stories of being in the military, including D-Day veteran, John, who lives at the care home. They also enjoyed afternoon tea together and sang traditional wartime songs.
Everything we do is with the residents’ best interests at heart to ensure they live happy, fulfilled lives in our care homes. Here we chat to some residents at St Ives House to hear what they think of the care they receive.
What is the care like at St Ives House?
Jean said: “The care is excellent. Both in the day and at night. You couldn’t wish for anything better. You know when you go to your room at night that the staff will come in and check that you’re okay in bed. I went home after staying here for respite care and I knew I couldn’t manage there, so I came back to St Ives House.”
Meanwhile over at Sussexdown, the residents enjoyed live music from a brass band, and were joined a number of local GPs who came out to support the event.
How does living at the care home give your family peace of mind?
Margaret said: “It’s an added feeling of security for my family that they know I’m alright, well looked after, and no harm will come to me. The staff are very kind and considerate, and you know that you can talk to them if something is bothering you.”
What is the best bit about living in the care home?
Rosie said: “I had a fall and my family thought it would be better and safer if I came into a care home like this. Everybody’s very kind and helpful. The food is very good. Every Sunday we have a roast dinner and my favourite is fish and chips on a Friday. There’s lots of activities going on. It couldn’t be better.”
SUMMER OF FUN
We have been enjoying a host of food, fun and friendship through a range of activities in our homes, out in the community and with our Care at Home teams including crafts, baking, animal visits, themed events and more.
Alexandra House residents enjoyed live music and fun at their summer fete
Dorset House residents met Sammy the pony from Pony ‘n’ Paws
Elizabeth House residents visited Compton Acres gardens and cafe
Buxton House residents attended their Big Dementia Coffee Morning
Beauchamp House residents welcomed the West Hatch Scouts to play garden games
Fairlawn residents sang and danced at their D-Day commemoration event
Castle Dene residents watched a colourful performance from the Quayside Cloggies
Talbot View residents listened to stories and received cards from Glenmoor and Winton Academies students
Wickmeads residents enjoyed a meal at a pub and then took a trip out on the water around Poole Harbour
St Ives House residents walked along Mudeford Quay to take in the views of Hengistbury Head and the Isle of Wight
Sussexdown residents enjoyed live music and entertainment at their D-Day event
Maiden Castle House residents received a visit from the Weymouth Donkeys
Fremington Manor residents took part in a six-week poetry residency with Poetry Cares
Fern Brook Lodge residents had a kickabout during their chair-based football sessions with AFC Bournemouth
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
It’s great to welcome the community into our care homes to foster social connections, build intergenerational relationships, and enrich the lives of the residents in our care. It promotes our care homes and gives us a chance to display the great care we provide to our residents.
ELIZABETH HOUSE’S CHARITY CAR WASH
Elizabeth House residents hosted a charity car wash to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society during Dementia Action Week.
All donations from the day went to Alzheimer’s Society. The home also cooked burgers and hot dogs on a barbecue for people to tuck into while waiting for their cars to be cleaned by the residents and care home team.
Elouise Powell, Home Manager for Elizabeth House, said: “We had a fantastic response to our event. It was great to see the residents having fun and getting involved in washing the cars which is something they would have done in their everyday lives. The car wash and barbecue was a perfect way to kick off our summer programme of events.”
In addition to members of the public, a routine transport visit from an ambulance enabled the drivers to take advantage
of the car wash event, with food served up for them to enjoy while they waited.
Peter, who lives at Elizabeth House, said: “It was nice to get everybody outside and to all sit together and have a chat inbetween washing cars.”
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
We have five prizes of £30 each to give away!
All you need to do for a chance of winning is identify the eight differences between these two photographs from the D-Day party at Sussexdown.
Send your entry to marketing@care-south.co.uk by Thursday 12th September.
DORSET HOUSE’S TOGETHERNESS TUESDAYS
The Dorset House team have launched Togetherness Tuesdays on the third Tuesday of every month in St Michael’s Church Hall. The sessions are open to local people living with dementia and their carers, as well as any local older people experiencing loneliness.
There is a different theme each month. In June, they invited Donna Galway, Service Support Worker for Dorset Council, to advise on ways that carers and those living with dementia can get additional support and signposted people to services that can help.
Vikki Ekema, one of Asda’s Community Champions, also attended as part of the supermarket store’s efforts to provide practical support to charities, projects and initiatives in the local community.
MAIDEN CASTLE HOUSE VALUATION DAY
Maiden Castle House residents were thrilled to meet celebrity antiques expert, Paul Martin, during a special valuation day event.
Paul, who presented BBC1 show Flog It for nearly 20 years, gave a talk about his career in antiques, as well as hosting a book signing and valuation event.
All events on the day led by Paul were free for the public to attend, with donations going to the care home’s chosen charity, Weldmar Hospicecare, which provides care to people with life-limiting illnesses in Dorset.
Residents, their families and friends, and members of the public congregated in the ground floor lounge of the care home to
hear Paul, who is now Head of Valuations at Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd, talk about his life-long love of antiques. After the talk, Paul signed copies of his books, and then alongside his colleague, Marc Eidlestein, they provided valuations of
items which the residents’ families and members of the public had brought in, including a pair of decorative urns, gold jewellery, silver boxes, paintings and ceramics.
Children from the Little Angels nursery also joined the sessions to sing songs and enjoyed eating some cake with the residents.
UPDATE FROM MARTIN
Director of Care South at Home
In the last edition I spoke about our future mission to raise our profile, grow our private market share, and enhance our community offering. I am pleased to say that we are starting to see progress on all fronts.
There is no doubting that we are still in a period of transition but so far, so good and everyone is working so hard to achieve this mission.
You may well have heard us on the radio or seen us in local newspapers and on social media. It was so lovely to see the schoolchildren proudly wearing their Care South at Home sponsored football shirts. It was also great to be a part of Age UK’s summer fete, helping to raise money for this important community charity. I recently met with some of their Dorset volunteers – they are truly inspirational, but they also spoke about how important Care South’s role is in supporting people in local communities, alongside voluntary services.
Karen Hodges, our Dementia Lead, is excited to be launching the dementia framework in Care South at Home.
Thank you to everyone who has put themselves forward to be a Dementia Care Coach. We will contact the shortlisted applicants soon, ready for training to start in August.
I am looking forward to feedback from colleagues in the staff survey. I will share the results in due course – your feedback really matters as it helps us to learn and improve. It was lovely to join client Paul, the West Dorset team, and Ash and the Maiden Castle House team to celebrate the Stars Awards nominations. Thank you also Ash and the team for your wonderful initiative – inviting Care South at Home clients to enjoy a lunch with a member of the Activities team. Also, a special mention to all long-serving staff who I have met and celebrated with over the last period – truly inspirational.
A special welcome back to Bex Symes, Operations Manager, who has returned from maternity leave, and a big welcome to Diane Loates, Assisted Living Team Leader, who will be managing the Assisted Living service in Kenwith Castle Care Village, including The Pavilion shop and café. This will be the platform for our (next) new Care South at Home office. Take care and keep on doing a great job.
Martin
MEET OUR CLIENTS – HAZEL
Hazel receives daily visits from our Care South at Home team to get her day started with personal care and the preparation of her breakfast.
Hazel said: “Every morning, I wait for somebody to come and get me up. We have a chat and then we make my breakfast together. We talk about everything, and we have a laugh. They can come in and see me, which I enjoy as I like to chat.”
For the rest of the day, Hazel’s care is provided by her sister and brother-in-law, who she lives with.
One of her carers, Alison, has supported Hazel for seven years. As well as providing care support, Alison has also introduced Hazel to a range of crafting hobbies including decoupage, card making, and diamond art.
MEET THE CARE SOUTH AT HOME TEAM
Louise Fidler joined the Care South at Home team in 2009 as a Home Care Assistant and has progressed to become Deputy Manager of the Bournemouth office.
She said: “I started as a Home Care Assistant at Bure House in Christchurch working night shifts and then worked in the community until 2022.
“The year before I had been promoted to Senior Care Assistant, but I felt like I needed a challenge and wanted to continue learning. A year later, I became a Care Supervisor managing
the care provided to people being discharged from hospital, and then in March this year, I was promoted to Deputy Manager.”
Asked how it feels to look back over her career in care so far, Louise said: “It has been challenging at times, but I know that is the case across the care industry. I like to feel that I’m gaining knowledge every day on this journey. I like knowing that I can support my team in the way I was supported, and that experience has given me the opportunity to be where I am today.”
Speaking about why she enjoys working for Care South, Louise said: “Care South is an inspiring company to work for. The last 15 years have been great, and I look forward to many more.”
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – CARE AT HOME
The Care South at Home team have been busy engaging with the community this summer.
We are now the proud sponsors of the Piddle Valley CE First School’s sports kit after the school appealed for local local businesses to show their support.
Meanwhile, the team attended Age UK’s Summertime Fayre in Poundbury at the end of June.
The event was organised by local charity, Age UK North, South and West Dorset. It featured live music and family-friendly entertainment including stalls, food and drink, a bouncy castle and tug of war.
Rahul Gohulan (Operations Support Manager), Esther Sheppard (Senior Customer Relations Manager), Vicky Withers (Recruitment Coordinator), and Akeem Akanbi, (Home Care Assistant), represented the West Dorset office at the event.
Marjorie House
Work is nearing completion on Majorie House, our brand new state-of-the-art residential care home on Evening Hill in Poole, which is set to open in September.
Purpose-built in an Art Deco-style to complement the local environment, Marjorie House will have 50 ensuite bedrooms with a variety of sizes, styles, and sea views.
There will be a café, bar, hair and beauty salon within the home and each of the three floors will have a dining area, dedicated activity area, lounge, and smaller private lounge.
The terraced gardens, circular walkways, viewing areas and balconies will enable residents and their visitors to enjoy the stunning panoramic views over Poole Harbour towards Brownsea Island. There will also be a private courtyard providing an ideal spot for residents to enjoy garden parties as well as quieter moments of relaxation.
A bedroom in Marjorie House
The bar at Marjorie House
The terrace at Marjorie House
Marjorie House care home
5 MINUTES WITH… HAYLEY BONNER
As a not-for-profit charity, we have a fantastic Board of Trustee Directors who volunteer their time to guide the direction of Care South and decide how we run. In each issue of Take 5, we introduce you to a different member of the Board. In this edition we meet Hayley Bonner who joined the Board in September 2023.
Hayley worked as a carer before qualifying as a registered nurse in 2002 with a career spanning across primary and secondary care teams within the NHS.
In 2022, Hayley joined the Lewis-Manning Hospice Care team as Director of Clinical Services and registered manager. Hayley has a strong passion for service redesign and the development of new services and is a member of our Care Governance Committee.
Thank you Hayley for sharing some fun facts about yourself. It’s great to have your valuable knowledge and insight to guide us as part of the Board of Trustee Directors.
FIND THE STAR
What’s your favourite food?
I love all food but if I had to choose it would be roast lamb.
Do you have any pets?
I don’t have any pets. However, our neighbour’s cat is always in our house so we feel like we have one!
Where have you always wanted to travel to?
I’ve never been to America, and I really want to take my kids to New York.
Why do you love being a trustee?
It’s such a privileged position to be in. I have been a nurse for over 20 years and started my career as a carer in care homes, so to be able to give back in this way is so lovely. It’s such a positive organisation to be a part of.
Reading through this edition of Take 5, it’s so inspiring to read about the outstanding achievements of every single one of you, but especially the individuals and teams who won a trophy at this year’s Stars Awards.
We’ve hidden this star symbol (see right) across the pages of this edition of Take 5 – Simply tell us the correct number of times that this symbol appears and five entrants will win £30 each!
Send your entry to marketing@care-south.co.uk by Thursday 12th September.
FOODIE FUN IN THE CARE HOMES
The residents have been enjoying food-related fun this summer including baking workshops, tasting sessions, themed quizzes and even a visit to a honey factory. These activities provide a great opportunity for the residents to socialise together and build friendships while trying some tasty food.
Dorset House residents visited the Field Honey factory in Corfe Castle. They listened to a talk by Robert Field, owner of Field Honey, who spoke about how honey is extracted from hives, treated and jarred ready for sale.
Beauchamp House residents have been tucking into ice creams in the sunny weather. The residents were thrilled to see an ice cream van turn up outside, which had been arranged by the care home team. They loved having the chance to pick a treat of their choice.
Alexandra House residents enjoyed an afternoon of chocolate tasting. Amanda Green, Activities Assistant, brought in a range of chocolate bars including Fry’s chocolate cream, mint Aero and Terry’s chocolate orange which the residents had to rate on taste, texture, and flavour.
105-YEAR-OLD
JEAN TRIES MUAY THAI BOXING
Maiden Castle House resident, Jean, who turned 105 this year, tried her hand at some boxing moves alongside the other residents at the care home.
The activity was arranged by Ashley Smith, Home Manager, in honour of Mental Health Awareness Week held in May. Ashley is keen for the residents to have access to a host of hobbies that they may not have tried before.
The centenarian was guided through a host of moves by Lee Grinrod, a former K1 World Champion, who now teaches K1 and Muay Thai at Valhalla Martial Arts based in Weymouth.
Speaking about her first-time trying boxing, Jean said: “I enjoyed it. I have never tried it before and never thought that I would try it, but if somebody suggests something different at the care home, I’m always ready to give it a chance.”
Asked what the secret is to reaching 105, as well as keeping active, Jean said: “Being happy with my life and believing that people are nice. I’ve got some lovely friends here.”
CATERING FOR RESIDENTS WITH DIABETES
Did you know that one in four care home residents is diabetic according to Diabetes UK?
Patrick Fensterseifer, Regional Catering Support Manager at Care South, shares some top tips on catering for residents who have diabetes.
Residents with diabetes should not be conditioned to only eat ‘sugar-free’ or food labelled as ‘Suitable for diabetics’
Instead, the residents should be encouraged to eat a wellbalanced diet throughout the day, which includes tasty treats that can be included as part of their total daily food intake
Communication between the care and catering teams is crucial to providing a person-centred approach to ensure that the residents living with diabetes can enjoy food and don’t miss out on delicious meals and treats due to their condition
The National Advisory Panel on Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD) recommends:
• Regular meals and snacks containing a source slow-release carbohydrate such as wholemeal bread, pasta, rice, noodles, potato with skins, and breakfast cereals with no added sugar
• Not offering a sugar-free diet but encouraging avoidance of sugary drinks or sugar added to drinks or cereals
• Continuing to offer desserts and snacks - Encourage plainer varieties of cake, biscuits, or alternatives
• Consider portions sizes, especially regarding starchy carbohydrates
• Offering two – three portions of fruit a day but making the ‘Five a day’ using vegetables
Patrick added that our chefs provide well-balanced, nutritionally-dense meals and snacks in a variety of ways for diabetics including adding healthy fats to starchy carbohydrate options to reduce the rate of digestion which can minimise the spike in blood sugar. Vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts can be added to cakes to make them more nutrient-rich, such as courgette chocolate loaf and apple cake. High protein snacks can be offered such as peanut butter bagels and cheese omelettes.
NATHAN SHINES IN COOKING COMPETITION
Nathan Benn, Head Chef at Alexandra House, won the Highly Commended Dessert Award at the South West regional heat of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Care Chef of the Year 2024 competition.
Nathan was one of six chefs in the South West region to show off their culinary skills. He had to work to a brief of creating three portions of a main course and three portions of a dessert within a set budget which caters for the residents’ nutritional needs.
For his main course, Nathan served smoked haddock and saffron risotto with a parmesan basket topped with a poached egg. This was rounded off with a dessert of butter rum sponge cake served with coconut cream and a pineapple gel.
This all had to be made from scratch within 90 minutes using the ingredients and equipment that Nathan brought with him to the competition, while the judges looked on and asked probing questions.
He impressed the judges on the day with his dishes, so a huge congratulations and well done must go to Nathan for taking part in the competition and bringing home an award for his dessert on the day.
TEAM MEMBER NEWS
As well as the fantastic care we provide in our care homes, our team are also keeping busy outside of their roles.
BEACH TRIATHLON
Dan Banks, Care Team Leader at St Ives House, will be doing the Salty Sea Dog triathlon on Southbourne Beach on 10th August. Dan’s challenge will start with a 750m sea swim, before taking on a 23.4km cycle, and finishing with a 5km run.
SHOWJUMPING COMPETITION
Sue Bassett, Activities Lead at St Ives House, supports her daughter, Satin Barnes, at showjumping and cross-country competitions. Sue and Satin own two horses, Jack and Guinness, who take part in different events around the country.
Amy Hoyland, Activities Assistant at Dorset House, is in training for the Bournemouth Half Marathon on 13 October. She often leads fitness sessions for the residents and staff, as well as the many other activities enjoyed at Dorset House. Here’s just a snippet of what some of the team are up
CHARITY CYCLE
Natasha Wilkins, Activities Lead at Fern Brook Lodge, and Trudie Stimson, Care Assistant, are taking on a 30-mile charity bike ride on Friday 6 September from Gillingham to Bridport for Teddy 20, which supports children and young people with cancer and their families.
SCOUT LEADER
Sarah King, Senior Care Assistant at Alexandra House, volunteers as a Scout Leader with the 24th Bournemouth Scouts. In September 2020, she was invited to meet Kate, Princess of Wales, when she was appointed as Joint President of the Scouts alongside HRH The Duke of Kent.
DORSET PHOTOGRAPHER
Stephen Maskell, Information Governance & Data Protection Manager, enjoys taking photos of the local scenery across Dorset. His favourite subjects to photograph are nature, wildlife, animals and pets.
