Issue 69 11.08.21
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Dementia-friendly garden is blooming marvellous
Time capsules capture highs and lows ...
RESIDENTS at a care organisation are keeping in touch with nature thanks to a dazzling dementia-friendly garden. The vast array of thousands of varieties of flowers and plants at Pendine Park’s 11-acre site on the outskirts of Wrexham is providing a blaze of colour and a profusion of mother nature’s perfumes. There are similar sights and scents and Pendine’s other sites in Wrexham and Caernarfon with all eight homes situated in acres of lovingly-tended grounds. The spectacular multi-coloured spectacle is down to the imagination and hard work of head gardener Andrew Jones, pictured right. and his six-strong team of green-fingered staff. Offering everything from roses to rhododendrons and aliums to geraniums, the gardens across each site have been described as looking “absolutely stunning”. Andrew has been given free rein by Pendine’s nature-loving owners Mario and Gill Kreft to choose exactly how the gardens should look, working without the constraints of “a plant budget” as he continually eyes up ways to further enhance the grounds. As well as making the sites look visually appealing, Andrew plays another key role when it comes to choosing what flowers should be planted next. He said Pendine Park values the importance of sensory plants, which allow residents with individual needs such as dementia and limited eyesight to have their senses stimulated – such as through touching or smelling. Andrew regularly chooses brightlycoloured plants or those which are easy to feel or smell when deciding what should next adorn the grounds. “A lot of credit should go to my
RESIDENTS at Rogers House care home in Wigmore joined the ‘Moment in Time’ project and have created a time capsule based around the past 18 months. Inspired by sharing the highs and lows of pandemic life, NAPA and the National Care Forum created the Moment in Time project, focusing on the social care sector and the experiences of those living and working in it. Home manager Jackie Miles said: “The pandemic has been tough for us all, but in the social care sector it has been particularly challenging, as heightened restrictions have been needed throughout to keep the vulnerable safe. “Our residents have missed visits and outings, but we’ve really pulled together as a family to keep one another’s spirits up and the community have rallied around us too. We wanted to capture that in this capsule and include our story for future generations to hear.” Residents filled their capsule with photos, news stories and collages they had created. They also included notes with their own experiences and letters they’d received from the community and local school children. The aim of the boxes is to pull together the various stories and feelings from the past 18 months, including the difficult times and the things that made us feel supported or loved, and keep them together in one place. The boxes were sealed and will be reopened again next year.
predecessor who considered this to be important,” he said. “They had clearly given some thought to it and I am happy to take the same approach. It’s about residents having the chance to touch something and engage with it. The idea is that they are getting to use their senses such as touch and smell.” Andrew recognises the benefit of including “bright and brash” flowers throughout the grounds to help stimulate the sight of residents, while familiar floral delights such as Lamb’s Ears are ideal for touching. “We look at all the senses that can be stimulated,” he said. “If any of our residents can benefit from it then we are happy to help. “You could even potentially include taste, as there are plants such as nasturtiums which you can eat the leaves from.”
The desire to meet the needs of residents is also important to Andrew when it comes to choosing which new plants should be on view each day. He works tirelessly with his team to ensure the gardens are immaculate and the residents are afforded attractive views from their windows. Not only can they cast their eyes on a spectacular range of plants of all shapes and sizes throughout the sites, but there are also added attractions such as water features. The spacious lawns and courtyards are ideal for residents to enjoy picnics and outdoor activities during the summer months. Andrew is determined that residents should get the best possible experience from the gardens he loyally tends to. “The residents live here. This is their home,” he said.
A BIG THANK YOU
FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …
WE’RE IN AWE OF YOUR SELFLESS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Equine visitors delight horse lovers at Dorset care home A PAIR of horses who normally work with young disabled people have brought joy to elderly residents of a Dorset care home. Colonel and Elvis made a 15-mile round trip in a twin horse box from The Fortune College, a centre for riding therapy in Bransgore, to Colten Care’s Avon Reach home in Mudeford. Their special visit served as a personal thank-you to Avon Reach resident and horse-lover Margaret Barnes who has contributed to Colonel’s living costs for more than 15 years. Margaret first became involved with the college around 20 years ago when she was editing the New Milton talking newspaper for blind and partially sighted people in the New Forest. She became interested in sponsoring a horse after hearing that a local bank provided support that way. Margaret said: “I really liked the idea of what the college was about and all the good work they were doing with the children. I love horses but have never ridden one except as a child. “It was delightful to see Colonel and Elvis making the trip to Avon Reach. I continue to support Colonel with sponsorship and it was such a joy to welcome both horses for an afternoon
Avon Reach residents Peter Denning and Jean Davies with Elvis with us.” gentle and the smell and feel of them The visit came about after college contributed to a really pleasurable representatives offered to bring the experience all round. Many of our horses to see Margaret and fellow residents have spent time with horses residents in line with the relaxing of in the past and it was fantastic to Covid restrictions on care home visits. witness the precious moments when Jane Roberts, Companionship team they could renew hands-on contact member at Avon Reach, said: “Our with a pat and a stroke.” residents thoroughly enjoyed meeting For resident Jean Davies, the the horses. They spent time stroking experience broke new ground. the pair and feeding them carrots, “I had never stroked a horse before which were consumed very quickly. and I was thrilled,” said Jean. “It was “Both Colonel and Elvis were very the highlight of my year.”
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College Principal Jane Delves and Equine Manager Claire Wesson both accompanied the horses. Jane said: “This was a lovely trip and we were so happy to see the residents come outside and greet the horses. “We’re grateful to Margaret for her continued sponsorship of Colonel. We rely on such support to help towards to help towards the costs of essentials such as feed, hay, shoes and teeth checks.”
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CARINGWEEKLY
Brian sees book go to print at 87
Friendships forged as residents support each other during Covid FOUR residents at CHD Living’s Surbiton Care Home have forged a strong, last-lasting friendship during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unable to see their own family and friends due to the Government enforced lockdowns, residents Beryl Boseley (81), Gay Vaughan (88), Susan Heath (76) and Audrey Roberts (96) looked internally for support, becoming best friends over the last year. Activity co-ordinator Heidi Bradbury said: “It’s been inspiring to watch the beautiful friendship between four of our lovely residents develop. “Lockdown could potentially have been a lonely experience but, together, they have demonstrated that kindness, compassion and support are glowing beacons of hope during dark times. “It is wonderful to see something so positive come out of the
pandemic.” What started as a simple hello has since become a heart-warming comradeship, proving that timeless friendships can be forged at any age, anytime, anywhere. Sharing a passion for wildlife and the outdoors, the group can often be found feeding the birds and squirrels in the gardens of the home. Utilising the outdoor space, the women also like sitting in the garden to chat, drink tea and enjoy each other’s company. There for each other during the difficult times as well as the good, the ladies have helped each other through isolation, and also recently supported Gay with the grief of losing her husband of 68 years, Michael. Understanding the magnitude of the loss, the other ladies have been there for Gay every step of the way, offering a hot drink, a kind word and a shoulder to cry on.
A RESIDENT at Sunrise of Hale Barns care home has received the green light for the publication of his book. After an initial draft, Brian Green OBE, 87, has had his book ‘The Analysis of Human Haemoglobin variants using Mass Spectrometry’ produced ready for publication, with the support of his company, Waters. Director of community relations Sharon Parkes said: “This is an extraordinary achievement. We are all aware of how incredible Brian is, but this recent publication is testament to his extremely tenacious, hardworking, and committed attitude. We’re so proud of him.” Brian has spent much of his life devoted to the design, construction and use of a scientific instrument called a mass spectrometer. An early pioneer for the device, his work on mass spectrometry is wellregarded, with the Queen herself recognising his contribution with the awarding of an OBE in 1985. The tool can be used not only to tell you what something is made of, but also for the analysis of a variety of different chemical substances. From moon dust to medical drugs, the instrument is universal and omnipresent within its space. For Brian, his most recent utilisation of the mass spectrometer was for the analysis of haemoglobin in blood, a protein essential for the oxygenation of the body, and, in some cases responsible for diseases if irregularities exist. His book provides information on how to analyse this protein using mass spectrometers, in order to find these ‘haemoglobin variants’, and holds potential to be highly influential in helping to understand
Brave Cheryl takes to the skies again for Taunton care home A PLUCKY mum is completing a skydive for a second time, after raising more than £2,400 for a dementia charity last year. Cheryl Clavey admitted to being terrified of heights when she decided to jump from a plane at 10,000 feet last year, but she is doing it again – and this time aims to raise at least £200 for Oake Meadows care home in Taunton. The care home looks after her dad, Cedric Lewis, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about eight years ago. “My previous sky dive was amazing and terrifying,” said Cheryl. “I wanted to highlight dementia as a worthy cause to as many people as possible, as it’s affected our lives so much. This time I am not raising money for any organisation as I have paid privately – but anything I raise will go to Oake Meadows Care Home.”
Cheryl says her dad will be at the forefront of her mind when she bravely jumps from the plane. “This jump is all about my dad as a focus,” she added. “His health has deteriorated, and I want to show him a picture of me jumping for him to see on a DVD or in pictures. Oake Meadows Care Home has gone above and beyond for my dad with his complex dementia. “The staff care so much and do such an outstanding job especially through the tough Covid crisis.” The staff at Oake Meadows Care Home, which is part of Larchwood Care, provide lots of activities both inside the home and outside for residents. Cheryl says her dad has been “amazingly well cared for” at Oake Meadows for years now and wants to see him and his friends from the home benefit directly from any
money she raises. She hopes the care home will be able to use the funds raised to do something nice with all the people who live at the home. She said: “I would love to see a picture of my dad enjoying live music like he always did. He loved socialising with live music and ran the Watchet Music Festival bar for years; It’s still named after him.” Cheryl says she is almost more nervous about jumping out of a plane again than she was the first time – as she knows what to expect. However, she believes having the opportunity to do a skydive for a second time, at Skydive Buzz, Dunkeswell, makes it more special. “I want to enjoy the experience more this time but I’m still very scared!” she added. “I know what to expect, but I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.”
Brian Green the illnesses caused by these blood disorders. Brian is already a published author; however, this latest publication carries even more significance. At an age when many have retired, Brian continued to go to work, writing this book that documented the techniques he had developed over many years. And, as he passed 80 years old, despite a reduction in mobility and consequential ability to work in his laboratory, Brian remained committed to writing this book, eager to share his knowledge and hopefully better the lives of others.
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