Hallmark Living Summer 2017

Summer 17

MY STORY a home from home The philosophy behind our lifestyles experience

by Ty Enfys resident Merle Davies

Moving into care packing list

Hallmark Care Homes is 20!

2017 marks the 20th anniversary of Hallmark Care Homes.

A message from

Avnish I am delighted to welcome you to the third edition of our magazine, Hallmark Living.

This edition is particularly special as it celebrates 20 years of Hallmark Care Homes. Throughout the magazine, you will be able to see how we have changed since we opened our first care home in 1997. This year is also special, as my brothers Vidya, Ram and I are celebrating 40 years in business. Throughout 2017 all our teams will be organising many different events to celebrate these milestones. I am particularly looking forward to being part of the road trip to visit all our homes. During this trip, Ram and I will visit all 15 homes in the Hallmark Group in four days! I hope you have enjoyed seeing the Hallmark Care Homes journey over the past 20 years, and I am looking forward to the Hallmark family growing when Chamberlain Court, in Tunbridge Wells, opens.

I am really pleased to see that Cheryl Wanklyn is being featured in this 20th anniversary edition as she has been a real asset to Hallmark Care Homes over the last 15 years and really epitomises the Charter and everything we aim to achieve. In her role she has worked hard to continually improve our standards in line with our vision, as well as being committed to the empowerment of her team.

Our lifestyles programme is continually improving for the wellbeing of our residents.

Under Debbie Sharples-Kirkbride we are seeing many innovative and creative ideas. The inaugural Arts Festival in Wales was a great success and demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with our local communities.

Throughout our 20 years we have been committed to providing high-quality relationship-centred care. A key part of this is understanding the stories our residents have and the lives they have led before joining the Hallmark family. To this end, it was really interesting to read of Merle Davies’ experience of being an evacuee during World War II. This year has also seen the launch of regular Advanced Empowerment Days for our team. These culminate in a fire walk, which demonstrates to our team that they can achieve anything! I would welcome any of our relatives and volunteers to attend one of these events to see the effect that walking on fire can have on them, both personally and professionally, as it has with our team.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the magazine!

Managing Director

In this issue... page 4

page 10

page 16

News

A Home from Home

Moving into care packing list

page 6

page 12

page 18

Hallmark Care Homes is 20!

Make your own - Sweet Tree

12-Week Property Disregard

page 8

page 14

Role Model - Cheryl Wanklyn

My Story by Merle Davies

www.hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk

@HallmarkCare

Hallmark Care Homes

News Ty Enfys, our care home in Pentwyn, Cardiff, has celebrated its 10th birthday with a party to mark the milestone event.

The popular home, which had its grand launch in 2006, put on a bash for residents, family, team and members of the local community complete with a tree-planting ceremony and entertainment from Britain’s Got Talent 2016 finalist and singer Melanie Bell.

General Manager at Ty Enfys Care Home, Sujjata Singh, said: “I am really proud to be a part of the team at Ty Enfys and its 10-year achievement, each year progressing from strength to strength.”

Residents and team enjoy the American-themed party

Country and western hoedown at Anisha Grange Residents, relatives and team members at Anisha Grange, our care home in Billericay, Essex, enjoyed a traditional country and western hoedown.

The team at Anisha Grange, which offers residential, nursing and dementia care, donned their best shirts, boots and hats to enjoy a karaoke singalong with residents.

Residents and guests were invited to play westernthemed games, such as tin can alley and hook a ring on a cactus – while sipping moonshine beer and enjoying hot dogs and popcorn.

Lifestyle Leader, Sue Edwards, said: “We had a wonderful afternoon. The scene was set with gingham tablecloths, straw bales, ‘wanted’ signs and a photo booth, and everyone enjoyed participating in games and our country music karaoke.”

4 | Hallmark Living Summer 17

Ty Enfys celebrates

10 years

Rhys Webb with Monica Walsh, Karen Grapes and Hallmark’s Managing Director, Avnish Goyal.

Shire Hall unveils its new look Shire Hall, our care home in Cardiff, South Wales, has unveiled the results of an extensive refurbishment to the local community with help from the Mayor, Councillor Monica Walsh, and Welsh rugby star, Rhys Webb.

The care home revealed its new look on an official launch day, offering tours for guests, and demonstrating the new facilities for the residents, which now include an old-fashioned pub, a luxurious hair salon, a farmhouse kitchen, a cinema, a sensory room and a café.

General Manager at Shire Hall, Karen Grapes, said: “I was so pleased to be able to host such a successful relaunch event. We look forward to ensuring Shire Hall continues to offer outstanding relationship-centred care to all of the residents.”

A photo of the bedroom in our show suites

Show suites now open at Chamberlain Court

Hallmark Care Homes commits to making 1,000 Dementia Friends

The show suites are now open at Chamberlain Court, our care home in Royal Tunbridge Wells, which will offer residential and dementia care.

Opening in summer 2017, Chamberlain Court on Mount Ephraim will feature award-winning design innovations and home comforts.

Facilities at the home will include a cinema, a hairdressing salon, a barber shop and a therapy room.

Each bedroom will be elegantly furnished, have an en-suite bathroom and those on the ground floor will have access to their own patio.

To arrange a visit to get an idea of what our new home will look like and discuss whether we will be able to assist you or your loved one, please call Customer Relationship Manager, Darren Hill, on 01892 620910 or email darren.hill@hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk

Dementia Champions at our 15 homes will attempt to create 1,000 new Dementia Friends as part of our commitment to help transform the way the nation thinks about dementia.

Dementia Champions at our UK-wide locations will attempt to educate 1,000 people about dementia by running various informative Dementia Friends sessions, which are delivered in association with the Alzheimer’s Society for team members, relatives and members of the local community.

If you are interested in finding out more about dementia and helping us to reach our goal of making 1,000 people Dementia Friends this May, please contact your nearest Hallmark care home via www.hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk

Hallmark Care Homes receives high praise in national survey

Resident Primrose Spurrell, 87, with her work

Art exhibition shows residents’ masterpieces Residents at five Hallmark Care Homes have displayed their best artwork to members of the local community at an exhibition held at Penarth Pier Pavilion.

The exhibition depicted memories of the artists working and growing up in Wales, and included 40 exhibits from individuals who reside at Ty Enfys, Regency House, Shire Hall, Greenhill Manor and Cartref Annwyl Fan care homes.

Resident Beryl Lee, 77, said: “It felt lovely to display my work. My favourite piece is of a fountain I drew, where I would play in my home town, Merthyr Tydfil, as a girl. It brings back happy memories and still stands today as a monumental treasure.”

Hallmark care homes Bucklesham Grange, Lakeview, Cartref Annwyl Fan, Cherry Tree, Bryn Celyn and Ty Enfys have been given a high performance rating in a nationwide survey of care home residents.

Team members, residents and relatives have celebrated the results, which show the care homes received an overall performance rating above the national average of 88 per cent, with Bucklesham Grange achieving a wonderful 91 per cent.

Now in its fifth year, the Your Care Rating survey is the country’s largest and most authoritative survey of care home residents. The nationwide survey gives residents a voice and is an insight into how well care homes perform.

Over 18,000 residents in 914 care homes across the UK took part in the 2016 survey.

Mark McDonald, General Manager at Bucklesham Grange, our care home in Ipswich, said: “It’s great that the residents value the care they receive at Bucklesham Grange. Our scores across all four themes are really positive, which show that the people who matter most, our residents, are very happy with the care they receive.

“My team and I are strongly committed to the home and foster an atmosphere of care and support, which enables residents to live full, interesting, independent and active lives.”

Hallmark Living Summer 17 | 5

Hallmark Care Homes is 20!

2017 marks the 20th anniversary of Hallmark Care Homes. We caught up with Hallmark Care Homes’ founders, Avnish Goyal and Ram Goyal at Anisha Grange, our multi-award-winning care home in Billericay, to find out what have been their highlights over the last two decades and what the future holds for our industry-leading group of homes Tell us a bit about your personal history and how you first found your way into the care home business

What’s your philosophy on care, and how do you think that may have changed over the last 20 years?

AG: I qualified as an accountant but didn’t really like accountancy, and I wanted to be more creative, so I moved into property investment. I became very successful at it, but I wanted a new challenge. Some of my relatives ran a care home in South Wales and, when they showed me around, I was quite excited by it. I liked the idea of making a difference, so we bought our first care home back in 1997, in Pontypridd.

AG: I don’t think my philosophy has changed. You’ve got to look after your team if you want great care, and you’ve got to invest in your buildings. Those fundamentals have always been there, but how we execute that has definitely changed because I’ve learnt more about how to design care homes, improve the facilities and empower and inspire the team.

RG: I left university in 1983 with a degree in economics and joined the family business, which started off as a retail business. I then started to do property investment, and Avnish asked me to join him to help support the care home business.

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RG: As you develop and get more successful in business, you think more about giving back. I think what I see clearly now is you need to look after your team; if you don’t have a team, you don’t have a business.

You won the Pinders Healthcare Design Award for Best New Care Home from 2010 to 2015. What drives your innovation?

AG: Awards are a nice accolade for the team, but I think what drives me is making sure that we have care homes that people enjoying living in and visiting, that offer facilities that are of a high standard.

RG: For me, it is that we are building care homes that are fit for purpose and that they are evolving as the needs of the residents change.

What differentiates Hallmark Care Homes from other providers?

RG: We really care about people, and hopefully that feeling cascades throughout the organisation as we are always striving to maintain the best team levels for the residents, give the homes the best equipment and create the best facilities that we possibly can.

AG: What differentiates us is our company vision and charter.

We are also committed owners who are approachable, and our values have always been that we want to do the best and be the best.

What have been your biggest learnings from running a care home business?

RG: It is important to spend time in the homes to get first-hand information from the team to find out what the challenges are for them but also see all the good that happens too.

When you see a resident’s face after they have been out for the day, or received breakfast from their favourite carer, you come back and you feel really good.

What do you think the future holds for Hallmark Care Homes?

Avnish and Ram at the opening of Ty Enfys Care Home in Cardiff

What have been your highlights over the last 20 years?

AG: Getting married, winning Care Personality of the Year at the 2015 National Care Awards, being named Care Home Group of the Year in 2014, winning Pinders five times in a row, and becoming Chair of Care England, the largest representative body for the independent care sector. I am proud of the impact Hallmark has had on the sector and our empowerment seminars, which have been adopted by other providers, are another real highlight for me.

AG: We will continue to innovate for the needs of older people, not just of today but for years to come. We are looking at new models of care and, along with our building partner Goldfinch Developments, we will continue to lead the way in the design and building of high-quality care homes.

We will also continue to empower and inspire our team and come up with new ways of training and supporting them, as well as changing the perception of care homes and care workers. This is a challenge for us as it is for the sector, but it is one we look at with great positivity.

RG: There have been a number of opportunities where I have been able to support people through difficult times and mentor them during their role, and that for me has been very powerful.

Why do you think Hallmark Care Homes has been successful over the last 20 years?

AG: Having that ethos and commitment to continuous improvement is the key to our success. We never rest on our laurels, and we are always trying to improve, investing in our people and facilities and sharing those ideas with the industry.

RG: I think we are successful because of the passion we bring to the business; it is true ownership. We never switch off or say we are not available. We don’t see the business as work; we do it because we want to do it and we enjoy it.

Avnish accepting the award for Care Home Group of the Year at the 2014 National Care Awards

Hallmark Care Homes will mark its milestone by recognising our long-serving team members and having an individual celebration at each of our 15 homes in England and South Wales.

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Role model

Cheryl Wanklyn

Acceptin g at the 20 the award for Ca re 13 Nation al Care A Operations Man ager of th wards e Ye

Managing the Welsh region of Hallmark Care Homes is a busy but rewarding role.

It is a position which ensures that all of Hallmark Care Homes’ seven Welsh homes continue to provide the highest standards of relationship-centred care and compliance.

We caught up with one of Hallmark Care Homes’ longestserving team members and South Wales Regional Director, Cheryl Wanklyn, who has been part of Hallmark for 15 years, to find out what it takes to be a Regional Director and how operations play a vital role in the care we provide.

ar

What does a usual day in the homes look like for you?

My day tends to start early. I am based in Wales, so you will usually find me in one of the seven homes in the region – it tends to be a different one every day of the week! The role is diverse and covers a broad spectrum of areas, and no two days are ever the same. I could be visiting as a Senior Manager or auditing the systems and processes that are involved in delivering the residents’ care. I also frequently meet with the residents, their families and our team members to make sure everyone is content and comfortable, and I like to actively get involved in Hallmark’s recruitment and training programmes to ensure that the team have the skills they require and we are recruiting the best people.

As much as I can, I join in with the daily activities throughout the homes. I always take the time to listen and thank team members for all of their hard work, care and devotion to the residents. I like to make sure I leave the team members feeling empowered, acknowledging how well they are doing and the huge difference they are making to the residents’ lives.

What skills does it take to become a Regional Director?

Being involved in the operations side of the company requires a wide skill set. Every day is different and interesting, which helps keep me focused on what really matters and how much our homes make a real difference.

From flexibility, to being empathetic, to managing finance and helping to organise training and recruitment, I am always busy and focused on ensuring we are achieving our vision, working within the Hallmark Charter and driving our business forward.

A key skill for my role is to be organised as a variety of topics can arise during a day; some of them can be more challenging to deal with than others. I believe that being organised helps me remain focused on goals and allows me to give everything to my role.

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How do you encourage the team to get to know the residents and expand their relationship-centred care approach?

I am very focused on the residents having a great life while they live in a Hallmark care home. I see it as my job to ensure that all of the team understand the Hallmark Charter and the company vision and values. We must get to know the residents, their families and other team members in every home – who they are and what they have done throughout their lives. This will aid the delivery of relationship-centred care, helping us to achieve our vision of being recognised as the leading provider. After all, we are the Hallmark family and we love having new members join us. We want every resident and team member to have an outstanding day each and every day. The aim is for everyone to have fun being part of the Hallmark family as you would with your own family. I believe that our lifestyles and care teams within our homes are vital in this aim, as they are at the forefront of driving relationshipcentred care, along with the hospitality and housekeeping teams and the senior management.

What have been your highlights over the last 15 years?

I trained as a nurse in 1976, and I worked as a nurse in a hospital when I qualified. I decided to make the move to the care sector in 1995, as I wanted to progress my career and move into a management role. My first role as part of Hallmark Care Homes was as a Matron/Manager at Cherry Tree Care Home. After a few years, I became the Regional Director for Wales, which was incredibly exciting, and I learnt a lot very quickly. My next opportunity came a few years later, when I became the Operations Director, which is a personal highlight in my career. In the last few years, I have returned to lead the Welsh team, and I am also a part of the Executive Leadership Team for Hallmark. I have also been honoured to win a Charter Award in 2015 at the Hallmark Care Homes’ Awards, as well as winning a National Care Award as Care Operations Manager in 2013. I was also incredibly proud of our group achievement for the business when we won Care Home Group of the Year at the National Care Awards in 2014.

Celebrating after completing a walk across hot coals

What do you love about your job?

I feel very proud to be a member of the Hallmark family, where I am able to use my experience, skills and knowledge of the sector to deliver outstanding relationship-centred care and have amazing relationships with residents, their families and, of course, my colleagues. I feel empowered to do a great job, as I have a group of fantastic long-standing team members who I am very proud of, as they consistently amaze me with the passion they show towards their work.

My previous role as a nurse has made me aware of the importance of having high standards of care, and this is something that I see in all of the team members that I have the pleasure of leading. This helps me concentrate on ensuring the business develops so others get to appreciate all of the hard work that is put in by every single member of the team! I love this company so much that my husband has said to me that if you were to cut me open, it would say Hallmark right at the centre of my heart!

How do you spend your free time?

I spend most of my free time with my family or reading. My main passion is spending my free time in the sun on holiday.

I do not waste a moment of my annual leave! I go straight to wherever the sun is, no matter what season it is back home in Wales! I do, however, still like to be kept up to date with what is happening and have been known to respond to emails while sunbathing on the beach!

What do you think makes a good care home?

With the team at Ty Enfys Care Home at their 10th anniversary celebration

A good care home is a place that is dedicated to delivering outstanding care that is built on family values. Nothing should be too much trouble, as everyone works together as a team to deliver relationship-centred care to the residents, and to one another. In a good care home, residents are living the life they want, and everyone feels the warmth and love surrounding the home as soon as they walk in the door. This is what I believe that Hallmark Care Homes has achieved in each and every one of our homes, and I am proud to have been a part of this amazing journey.

Hallmark Living Summer 17 | 9

A Home from Home The philosophy behind our lifestyles experience 10 | Hallmark Living Summer 17

Hallmark Care Homes aims to enable residents to continue their favourite pastimes and take part in new activities.

We sat down with Group Lifestyles Manager, Debbie Sharples-Kirkbride, to discover how she creates this lifestyles experience

Sarah Savidge winning Care Activities Coordinator of the Year at the 2016 Dementia Care Awards

Debbie opening the Welsh Arts Festival I started working at Hallmark Care Homes in August 2016, and what a time to start. This was right in the middle of awards season, which gave me the privilege of seeing our team members recognised for their hard work throughout the year. We were lucky enough to be awarded with two trophies at the Dementia Care Awards.

I was also very excited to attend the Hallmark Care Homes’ Awards in my second month, witnessing our team being recognised at the glittering ceremony.

Since starting with Hallmark Care Homes, I have been working with our 60-strong lifestyles team to devise new initiatives, including our most recent Welsh Arts Festival.

Residents from our Welsh homes had been working with a local artist to create works of art to display to the public, and they did a fantastic job. The festival was held at Penarth Pier Pavilion and was attended by residents, families and local dignitaries.

I have also been working in partnership with Our Yesterday, a reminiscence tool consisting of a bi-weekly newspaper, focusing on what happened in history during that week. It is accompanied by an app through which residents and their relatives can find interesting videos of the past, have a look back at previous fashion trends and sample the music from their era. It is very popular with our residents and is especially powerful for residents living with dementia. The power of imagery and music touches everyone.

It is this standard that I want to continue and improve upon in my new role within the company. I have a passion for delivering engaging activities for older people and understand how this contributes to residents’ quality of life. I was honoured to be presented with an MBE for my work with activities and services to older people, and this has spurred me on to go the extra mile for everyone I work with.

A resident enjoying the company of Dylan, a regular guest at Anya Court Care Home, Rugby Work has now begun on a full strategy for our lifestyles programme, aiming to maximise the use of our company minibus to take residents to their favourite spots, get even more animals on board as part of our team and add in more light-hearted competitive activities to increase physical activity and exercise.

Debbie pictured at the Welsh Arts Festival with just some of the residents’ artwork

My guiding principle is that everyone should be asked “How do you want to spend your day?” It is this philosophy that I believe will drive Hallmark Care Homes forward as a leader in care and truly provide high-quality, relationship-centred care for all residents.

Hallmark Living Summer 17 | 11

Make your own:

Sweet Tree you will need: • Plaster of Paris • Polystyrene ball 120mm • Pot, bucket or jar (200mm in height) • Wrapped sweets • Wooden dowel (16mm x 300mm)

• Cling film or tissue paper • Ribbon • Scissors • Double-sided padded tape • PVA glue

method: step 1.

step 4.

step 6.

Use the PVA glue to cover your dowel in a decorative ribbon of your choice.

Pour the mixed casting plaster into the bucket. It should fill the bucket to about 1/3 full. Hold the dowel in place until the plaster sets.

Cover the polystyrene ball with cling film or a decorative tissue paper of your choice.

step 2.

Put some PVA glue onto the end of your dowel and push it into your polystyrene ball.

step 7.

TIP: Make a hole in the polystyrene ball first using a skewer.

Attach the wrapped sweets using double-sided padded tape to create your colourful tree.

step 3.

Take your pot/bucket and stand the dowel (with the ball on top) in the centre.

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step 5.

Once fully dried, cover the plaster with something pretty like gravel or wrapped sweets, and wind ribbons around the dowel to decorate.

REMEMBER: Clay or pebbles are not strong enough to hold a sweet tree – plaster is the only suitable material for the job.

Resident’s Recipe Sausage Rolls John Sprakes, 90, a resident at Kew House Care Home in Wimbledon, has become famous within the home for his sausage rolls. He said: “The secret to this recipe is in the sausages. For my whole life I have used Newmarket sausages. They originate from Suffolk and are also Her Majesty’s preferred choice of sausage.”

Serves: 10-12 sausage rolls

prep: 1 1 /2 hours

cooking time: 35 mins

Puff pastry

Filling

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 600g plain flour • 125ml cold water • 125ml whole milk • Pinch of salt • 1 egg • 500g unsalted butter from the fridge

3. Remove the pastry from the fridge and lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface.

Roll the pastry out to a 1cm depth, trying to maintain a rectangular shape.

4. With the remaining 250g of butter, place it on a piece of greaseproof paper on a cold surface. Put another piece of paper on top of the butter and method gently roll it out to the same 1. Use your fingers to rub 250g shape as the pastry. Place the of the butter into the flour. You rolled butter onto the pastry want it to have a crumby feel. and roll it in. Your pastry is now ready.

2. Slowly add the water and then the milk, gently kneading the pastry into a ball. Wrap this up and pop it in the fridge for at least half an hour.

3. Brush the top of the roll with egg wash and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

• 8 Newmarket sausages, skinned

4. Heat the oven to 180°C.

method 1. Roll out the pastry into a rectangle around half a centimetre thick. Using your fingers, place the sausage meat evenly along one long side of the pastry, leaving 4cm space from the edge.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the sausage roll up to make smaller sausage rolls of your preferred length. Place them on a heated baking tray lined with baking paper.

6. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes. When they’re golden 2. Brush the 4cm edge with a brown, remove them from the generous layer of egg wash oven and transfer them to a and then fold the other side of rack to cool. the pastry over the top of the sausage meat to form the roll.

Crimp the edges together well to seal. I use a regular kitchen fork for this.

Hallmark Living Summer 17 | 13

With Avnish Goyal and Ty Enfys General Manager, Sujjata Singh, at the home’s 10th anniversary celebration

My story

by Merle Davies

Merle Davies, 94, who lives at Ty Enfys, our care home in Cardiff, South Wales, has shared her experience of being evacuated during World War II. I was 18 years old when I was evacuated to Newquay, Cornwall, from Bergman-Ă–sterberg Physical Training College in Kent, where I was training to be a PE teacher. Naturally, I was nervous about moving, but my fellow students were evacuated to the same place as me, so we were all together and could support each other.

Unlike most, I did not stay with a family when I was evacuated. Around 30 of my school friends and I were sent to a hotel to finish our studies, with the teachers keeping an eye on us. Unfortunately, this hotel was not that nice, but regardless, I still had a good time there.

Merle as a teenager

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“I look back at my time as an evacuee fondly. I enjoyed Newquay and all of the things that the Cornwall beaches had to offer.”

My favourite thing about the hotel was that they had a garage, which they had transformed into a gymnasium for all of us students to keep training so we did not fall behind in our work. I was always an enthusiastic sports student and particularly enjoyed playing hockey and lacrosse.

I remember my school work being difficult, and it took three years to gain my teaching qualifications. As well as all of the physical training we had to do, we also spent two years on all of the theory work for my exams, being taught things about anatomy and physiology. I was very concerned that I would not pass these exams, but I was proud of myself when I discovered that I passed and could move on to my dream career as a PE teacher after the war was over!

I did have to leave Newquay temporarily for three months during the war because Newquay did not have enough grammar schools to teach us everything that we needed to know, so I moved back to Kent and stayed with a very nice family.

Kent was very different to Newquay during the war, and the people were a lot more concerned about bombings! There was no telling when a bomb could have landed because we were fairly near an air base but, during the time that I was there, we were lucky to not be bombed that much.

It was still quite strange, moving from Newquay, because Cornwall never seemed as impacted by the war as Kent was – the rationing was not even that noticeable in comparison!

I look back at my time as an evacuee fondly. I enjoyed Newquay and all of the things that the Cornwall beaches had to offer. I was known for swimming in the sea no matter how cold the weather was, and I enjoyed still being able to continue playing all my favourite sports and bike around the Cornish countryside.

I was sad that my parents never came to visit, but it was a 12-hour journey from my home in Treorchy, South Wales, so I did not blame them. I did miss them terribly and I tried to write as many letters as I could, but there was very little contact apart from when I was allowed to go home during the holidays. I enjoyed going home because I got to see my family and friends but also because, as part of my school uniform, we had to wear a cloak, and I used to wear it all the time when I was at home, as it made me feel like royalty!

After the war, and after I had finished my training, I moved back to Wales, where I got my first teaching job in Port Talbot. Teaching PE was not

Pictured at the recent We lsh Arts Festival with her artwork

like it is now where you work at one school – I was working between two schools and had to cycle between the two after my lessons. These schools did not have fields, so there were times when I took my students to the beach so I could teach them more outside games. Not all of them were very good at sports, but it was great to see all of the students who participated trying so hard.

I also met my husband, Prothero, while teaching as he was working at one of the schools I was teaching in. We went on to have two children and raise them in South Wales. They’ve grown up now and had children of their own, so now I’m a great-grandmother!

I enjoyed my job as a teacher and retired in my mid-50s to look after my husband and mother. I spend my time now keeping active by engaging in as many activities as I can, speaking to lots of different people and keeping up with my grandchildren and great-grandchildren on the internet, some of whom live overseas.

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Moving into care packing list Moving into a care home can be both an exciting and an emotional time for residents and their families.

It’s a time to embrace new beginnings, meet new people and experience new activities, and it’s also a time to leave a place that, for some residents, has been called home for many years.

We have tried to make the transition of moving into a care home easier with this packing list.

Often what makes our houses feel like homes are the creature comforts collected over the years that bring back all the wonderful memories created over a lifetime.

Packing list Spend some time thinking about what personal items you would like to take with you. Below is a list of essentials that we recommend:

Clothing • D aytime clothing – Two or three sets including that favourite of night clothes cosy jumper or cardigan.

• A dressing gown We recommend enough • Slippers changes of clothes for two weeks.

• T wo pairs of shoes • Gardening/arts and crafts • S ocks or stockings clothing – items you don’t • U nderwear mind getting messy!

• L oose clothing – some of our homes run tai chi and other exercise classes •

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• A coat or jacket and hat/scarf • S omething dressy – we often run events and parties in the home

Home comforts

• Body lotion

Below is a list of home comforts that we recommend bringing. Please check with your home of choice before bringing furniture and large electrical items as we will need to do a health and safety assessment on these.

• Face products, e.g. moisturiser

• Photos/pictures

• Talcum powder

• O rnaments

• Shampoo and conditioner

• B ooks/e-reader

• Hairbrush or comb

• Games or hobbies, e.g. knitting

• Make-up (if used)

• W riting materials

• Perfume

• Favourite cushion for your bed/chair

• Hair-styling equipment, e.g. rollers/hair pins

• Furniture, e.g. your favourite armchair

• Shaving equipment

• Television

• Nail varnish – we have our own nail salons, but if you have a favourite, bring it with you

Toiletries We recommend packing toiletries that you’re used to using. The familiar products and smells will help you to feel more at home. Of course, the list of toiletries you bring should be tailored to what you are used to using; however, the list below should help. The list includes items for both men and women.

• Body wash/shower gel • Soap

Other items • M obile phone or tablet and charger • G lasses • M edicines – two-week supply • M obility aids

• Toothbrush

• P ets – check with the home before bringing

• D eodorant

• P et supplies (if applicable)

Hallmark Living Summer 17 | 17

12-Week Property Disregard Funding residential care is a topic we are frequently asked about. There are many different aspects to consider, one of which is the value of property.

Here, we offer advice on the 12-week property disregard.

Nicky Cave is a Care Fees Adviser and Managing Director of Eldercare Solutions Ltd and is an Advisory Board member of the Society of Later Life Advisers.

What is a 12-week property disregard?

Your local authority must disregard the value of your property for the first 12 weeks of you moving into a care home on a permanent basis, provided your other savings total less than £23,250 in England and £24,000 in Wales and provided you meet their ‘eligibility criteria’ (i.e. they agree you need to move into a care home).

How much will they pay?

Your local authority will have a standard amount that they will be prepared to pay towards your care and, if this is less than the fee charged by your chosen care home, the home may require a top-up payment. This can be made from any remaining savings you have or a ‘third party’ could pay the top-up.

It is only the difference between your assessable income and the local authority’s standard contribution that will be paid by them. For example, if your local authority’s standard contribution is £500 per week and you have assessable income of £300 per week, they will be paying just £200 per week. If the fees at your chosen care home are £1,000 per week, for example, the care home will probably expect a £500 per week top-up to be made. This money (i.e. the £200 per week contribution x 12 weeks) does not have to be repaid to the local authority.

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What happens after the 12 weeks?

If the property has still not been sold, or you have decided not to sell it, the local authority should be able to lend you the money to pay for your care through a ‘deferred payments agreement’ to be recovered when your property is eventually sold. Before entering such an arrangement, you should take independent advice from a care fees planning specialist, such as ourselves, so that you can fully consider any alternatives.

NOTE If the local authority knows you own your own home but do not tell you about available disregards, they could be liable to reimburse you if they fail to allow a statutory disregard and you pay more towards your care costs than you should have as a consequence.

For more information on all aspects of financing a stay in a care home, please visit www.eldercaregroup.co.uk where you can download a free copy of our Guide ‘Paying for Care’, or call us for a chat on 0800 082 1155.

Contact your nearest care home ENGLAND

Admiral Court

Alexandra Grange

Anisha Grange

Manchester Drive, Leigh-On-Sea, Essex, SS9 3HP

Oaklands Drive, Molly Millars Lane, Wokingham, RG41 2RU

Outwood Common Road, Billericay, Essex, CM11 2LE

01702 472288

0118 912 3210

01277 658529

Anya Court

Bucklesham Grange

Kew House

286 Dunchurch Road, Rugby, CV22 6JA

141 Bucklesham Road, Ipswich, IP3 8UB

58 Spencer Hill, Wimbledon, London, SW19 4EL

01788 811976

01473 237338

020 8971 0190

Lakeview

Maycroft Manor

Chamberlain Court

Lightwater Road, Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5XQ

2-8 Carden Avenue, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, BN1 8NA

77 Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8BS

01276 480430

01273 859790

01892 629154

WALES

Bryn Celyn Maesteg Park, Maesteg, Bridgend, CF34 9LS 01656 736839

Cartref Annwyl Fan Woodlands Park, Betws, Ammanford, SA18 2HW

Cherry Tree

Greenhill Manor

209 Newport Road, Caldicot, Monmouthshire, NP26 4AF

Duffryn Road, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4BE

01291 421940

01685 721046

01269 592447

Regency House

Shire Hall

Ty Enfys

Mill Road, Ely, Cardiff, CF5 4AH

Overstone Court, Dumballs Road, Cardiff, CF10 5NT

Marle Close, Pentwyn, Cardiff, CF23 7EP

02920 566000

02920 537800

02920 548920

Visit www.hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk for more information and helpful advice.

Hallmark Living Summer 17 | 19

f o l e l f Fu li

For residents at Hallmark Care Homes, life never stands still.

Our residents may need a little more help than they used to, but they’ve still got a lot to give. So whatever they’re doing – whether they’re tending the garden, being pampered at the hair salon or taking a trip down memory lane over a cup of tea, our team is there to support them every step of the way.

To find out more information, call 01277 655655 or go to www.hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk