Alive has been using touchscreen technology to enrich the lives of older people in care settings for almost a decade since its inception. We use touchscreen devices during our meaningful activity sessions in a multitude of ways, allowing us to respond in the moment to the needs, interests and wishes of individuals.

A TEESSIDE care home transformed into a pizzeria for the day as residents baked their own Italian creations. National Pizza Day was celebrated by staff and residents at The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane, Stockton-on-Tees.

Alwyn Behan, 86, Marian Knightly, 83, Jane Monaghan, 72, and Sylvia Smith, 77, were among those who created their own pizzas.

The residents chose their favourite toppings, including pepperoni, chicken, ham, and a variety of vegetables, before baking them in the oven.

Jane Monaghan said: “Pizza making has gone very well. Only I've got tomatoes everywhere. I've always been a messy cook. 

“It brought back memories of pizza-making parties with my grandchildren. My favourite pizza is double cheese with herbs.”

CARE home staff are continuing to raise hundreds of pounds for stroke survivors and their families – as part of a year-long fundraising campaign.

A tombola at the University Hospital of North Tees was run by staff from The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane, Stockton-on-Tees.

Deputy manager Rachel Harris and activities coordinator Jess Roth manned the stand, selling tickets and giving away prizes including scented candles and toiletries.

Alongside a coffee morning at the home, this has added another £97 to the £660 total the home has already raised for the Stroke Association throughout last year.

Previous events included a supermarket bag pack, cake sale and sponsored walk.

At Care Home Support and Training we work with Managers, Nominated Individuals and Providers to meet and exceed the regulatory requirements.

Expectations on social care services mean that Managers and Providers can sometimes feel overwhelmed with what appears to be increasing demands and ever changing requirements.  Care Home Support and Training work with you, offering professional support and expertise to find creative solutions to your challenges and problems.

You never have to worry about forgetting your keys again thanks to The Key Safe Company’s Supra C500 KeySafe™, which can store up to six keys and we’re giving one lucky person the chance to win their very own.

The leading mechanical secure key box provides a secure method of externally storing keys to the exterior of a property and is accessed by correctly entering the set code via the mechanical keypad. The product offers peace of mind for homeowners in a variety of circumstances.

The police accredited C500 KeySafe™ has undergone rigorous tests devised by security experts, who concluded that it is as attack resistant as a domestic front door.

For your chance to win a Supra C500, simply tell us how many keys a Supra C500 KeySafe™ stores?

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Great Oaks in Bournemouth has appointed a soft food diet specialist to allow for a wide range of diet requirements to be catered for at the care home.

Patrick Fensterseifer, head chef at Great Oaks, specialises in the production of dysphagia meals which means he is able to cook dishes for residents who have difficulties with swallowing. Patrick is passionate about preparing meals that are flavoursome, nutritious, well-presented and meet the specific dietary requirements of every resident. 

Former church band member Keith Keenan has been gifted a guitar to continue playing in his care home in Skelmersdale.

Keith, who lives at Aaron Crest Care Home, on Tanhouse Road, was given the instrument by Rev Dr Anne Kazich.

The community priest in the parish of St. Paul’s has been visiting the home on a regular basis to lead monthly singing sessions with the residents.

She learned Keith used to play guitar in a church band, so decided to find someone willing to donate a guitar to get him strumming again.

Keith said: “I’m so happy with my new guitar and it will be looked after. I’m looking forward to learning the chords again that Dr Rev Anne has given me.”

Registered nurse Sara Muslin has joined the team at Great Oaks in Bournemouth as care home manager.

Sara has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years and has vast experience in the care sector, having managed care teams for over 20 years. Sara has spent the past six years as a registered manager for care homes which specialise in nursing, residential and dementia care.

In her new role, Sara is responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home, ensuring that the highest standards of care are maintained and that the Care Quality Commission standards and guidelines are adhered to at all times.

A care home in Lincoln was joined by the Mayor to celebrate the launch of their new homecare service, with an official cake cutting. The Mayor of Lincoln, Councillor Keith Weaver, was invited to launch the new service at Bernadette House and to learn more about the valuable homecare that care workers would be providing to the local community. 

Owner of Bernadette House care home and homecare service, Elizabeth Stephens, welcomed the Mayor and introduced him to homecare staff, as well as local health partners who also attended the event.
Elizabeth, commented: “We were honoured to have the Mayor of Lincoln and Cllr Chris Burke join us to celebrate the launch of our new homecare service.

Residents of a HC-One care home based in Coventry have been decorating their Zimmer frames, along with staff to help reduce the number of falls.  

The Pimp My Zimmer project aims to reduce falls after a care home matron noticed people with dementia sometimes find it hard to recognise their own frame. 

Zimmer frames are usually grey, making them hard for people with dementia to tell apart or, in some cases, see them clearly.

But with the help of staff at Brandon House, Residents have had their frames transformed into colourful works of art.

HC-One’s care home manager, Sheryl Davis, said: “Our main priority at Brandon House is to ensure Residents recognise their frames, which will help to reduce the number of falls. 

Bluebird Care Gosport, a home-care provider in the Hampshire area is embarking on an ambitious, and possibly life changing campaign, to try and bring about an end to loneliness. Unite Against Loneliness will be ongoing throughout 2019; the Bluebird Care Gosport team will be running a yearlong campaign to raise awareness of, and ultimately, try to eradicate loneliness within the local community and beyond.

FORTUNE cookies are having a therapeutic effect on those living with dementia in the North East.

Residents at Pelton Grange Care Home, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, have been making the popular takeaway biscuits in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The home’s cooking enthusiasts took over the kitchen to create the cookies using a traditional recipe – before inserting their own handwritten fortunes.

Using their culinary skills has proven beneficial for those with dementia, according to home manager Chris Hogan-Hind.

He said: "We are always looking for activities to get the residents using familiar skills, especially for those living with dementia, as it has a very positive effect on their mood and wellbeing.

Encore Care Homes is proud to introduce ‘Mind the Gap’, an insightful dementia training programme, across its care homes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Fareham.

The programme comprises four modules and is led by a trained expert from Encore who covers various topics, including wellness and behaviour, the positive impact communication can have on a person with dementia and the strategies which can be used to ensure they feel positive and comfortable at all times. 

The new stylish EnviroStep pedal bin from Leafield Environmental is rapidly becoming a favourite for the collection of food waste.

Slim enough to stand back against the wall in corridors and open offices, yet with a 90-litre capacity, the durable, rotationally moulded EnviroStep stands some 970mm high, ideal for ergonomic efficiency. The bin sports front castors and an integral handle, overcoming the problem of carrying full, vulnerable and potentially heavy sacks to collection points.