Residents at Barking Hall nursing home in Barking, near Needham Market, are enjoying remembering the fun of the fifties thanks to a new Reminiscence pod that has been created in the grounds of the home.

Staff at the home, which is part of the Healthcare Homes Group, have transformed a summer house in the garden, converting it into a Reminiscence pod which resembles an 1950s style American diner.

The pod was officially opened by resident Marjorie Abbott during a recent open day celebration at Barking Hall at the end of April.  Marjorie has lived at the home for 16 years – longer than any other current resident.

As part of its ongoing commitment to resident safety, earlier this year New Care took the decision to install Dechoker devices across its existing and increasing portfolio of high-quality care homes. Last month, it was this decision that resulted in the first UK life to be saved using a Dechoker since the device was launched here late last year.

In April, a resident at New Care’s Ashland Manor Care Home in Sale, Manchester began to choke on a piece of food whilst eating breakfast. Care Staff responded immediately however within a very short space of time the 97-year old became unresponsive and started to turn blue.

Royal wedding celebrations have taken place at care homes across Teesside – from a mock ceremony to parties.

The Gables Care Home, in Middlesbrough, made the most of the sunshine and held their royal wedding ceremony outside.

Home manager Kate Charlton played the groom and care assistant Farrah Brannigan was the bride.

Care assistant Julie Pink was bridesmaid, resident Jean Polano was mother of the bride, and activities coordinator Cath Taylor was the vicar.

Homemade cake from resident Margaret Thomas’s daughter, Alison Small, was served after the ceremony, when a picnic with party food and bucks fizz was held.

When Kate, a nurse and re-enablement champion at Balhousie Coupar Angus care home, joined Balhousie Care Group in late 2016 she thought it would be a temporary move for her. After four decades working in a range of demanding, high-octane nursing roles, Kate's perception of what it took to work in a care home has altered dramatically.

"When I qualified as a nurse, I wanted to work in A&E so that's what I did for 14 years," Kate explained. "It was hard work, but always interesting and no one day was ever the same. After I had a career break to have my three children, I went into occupational health working for companies such as NCR in Dundee and Gleneagles Hotel. Each job was diverse and I was always learning."

Returning to Villa Park Stadium on 3rd July, Care Roadshow aims to inform and inspire its visitors throughout the one-day event. Free educational seminars will be running across the day from 10am onwards and include an array of speakers from Care Quality Commission to Ladder to the Moon focussing on innovation and outstanding practice.

Developed with care practitioners in mind, the programme has been carefully selected to ensure that all aspects of the care industry are considered from a diverse range of exhibitors providing support on the latest technologies and innovations, to speakers covering inspections, dementia and training that consistently innovates, improves and delivers high quality outcomes.

A leading Sheffield care home, Fulwood Lodge, is opening its doors to the public next weekend in order to introduce its move into high quality dementia care.

Fulwood Lodge Care Home is launching the new service in addition to its existing nursing  and residential care following its recent CQC report.

The home - set over three floors - can cater for up to 40 residents.

Fulwood Lodge Care Home is now duel registered and able to offer both nursing care together with high-quality dementia care and residential care.

A dance aerobics class has seen elderly Teesside residents making the most of the sunshine in their care home garden. Residents at Ingleby Care Home, in Ingleby Barwick, are benefitting from the fitness and wellbeing sessions following a Lottery grant last year.

They are being run by Billingham-based social enterprise Nouveau Wellbeing, who won the grant to engage with more than 600 people over the age of 60. The firm’s specialist practitioners have been visiting the care home to put the residents through their paces. 

Emma Bryan, a member of the dance aerobics Nouveau Tees Valley Team, decided to run the latest session in the care home garden to take advantage of the spell of good weather.

Did you know that wedging your fire door open with an object could be a breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005? If you are the responsible person in your setting you could face prosecution, which could lead to a heavy fine or even imprisonment, if you allow fire doors to be held open in this way. Fire doors form a vital part of your fire safety provision and help protect residents and staff from the spread of a fire. For elderly residents fire doors can become a barrier to their free movement, reducing their independence, which can also have an effect on their mental well being.

NHS staff, former clients and representatives from the Department of Transport and Driving Mobility came together in Haydock on 8 May to celebrate The North West Driving Assessment Centre’s 25th anniversary.

The service, based in Haydock, Merseyside and delivered by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Bridgewater), welcomed over 650 people with a range of disabilities, illnesses and health conditions across the region through its doors last year.

CARE home workers held a supermarket collection for the Stroke Association – raising hundreds of pounds for the charity.

Staff from The Oaks Care Home, in Blyth, Northumberland, spent two days in the town’s Morrisons store with collection buckets.

They raised £442 before running a raffle and taking collections at the care home to bump the total up to £542.

Residents’ family members, staff and friends of the home all donated prizes for the raffle and put hands in pockets to donate an extra £100.

Paige Gallagher, activities coordinator at The Oaks Care Home, on Durban Street, said: 

“We just wanted to do our bit to help the Stroke Association as they do brilliant work.”

Ann Mielnik, home manager, added:

Louise Spooner has worked at The Laurels Care Home, on Manchester Road, Sheffield, since 1993.

The home was originally opened in 1987 and bought by the Hill Care Group in 2008, one of the company’s 38 homes across the north of England.

Owner John Hill attended the surprise party to congratulate Louise personally and present a gift from everyone at the company.

Directors, regional managers, nurses and care assistants were also among those at the surprise party

Louise said: 

Yorkshire Care Equipment have announced that it is launching its own care chair – the Lento. This is the first time that the care and mobility equipment company has developed and designed its own chair.

Having worked with healthcare professionals for so long, Yorkshire Care wanted to create a care chair that would fill a gap in the market. The company estimate that the Lento will suit the needs of approximately 80% of the population.

Padraig Finn, band 6 physiotherapist at Yorkshire Care said: 

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) is asking: are we coping with stress?

After carrying out research into the prevalence of stress in the UK and its implications, the MHF is urging people to raise awareness of mental health issues: the report found that 74% of people have at some point felt so stressed that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. The survey, commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation and undertaken by YouGov, polled 4,169 adults in the UK in 2018. 

As Mental Health Awareness Week takes place, a study has revealed that people working in healthcare are amongst the most stressed in the UK.

Two thirds of those working in healthcare reported suffering from significant levels of work-related stress, according to a study of 3,000 UK workers – making them amongst the most stressed employees in the UK, behind financial services (69%) and Government (68%).

Work was significantly more likely to cause stress and emotional strain for healthcare workers than any other aspect of their lives.

48% of healthcare workers reported experiencing stress relating to money and finances, 47% relating to loved ones and family life, 39% relating to their own health and wellbeing and 35% relating to romantic relationships.

Alex Dawson is one of many residents at Waverley Lodge Care Home, in Lemington, to add his name to the home’s wish list.

The staff are aiming to fulfil as many wishes as possible, with the latest being Alex’s trip to the coastal town.

He traveled on the bus to Newcastle and then the Metro to Cullercoats with the home’s activities coordinator, Michelle Park.

The pair talked about the pubs that used to line Scotswood Road and stopped for a chat with soldiers holding a meet and greet in Newcastle town centre. Alex spoke of his time in the Army doing his national service.

He was then treated to a fish and chip supper on the seafront, after taking a tour of the town.