Larchwood Life Keeping in Touch A s the world deals with the outbreak of
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Larchwood Life May Edition
Keeping in Touch
A
s the world deals with the outbreak of face-to-face. You By Lynn Fearn,
coronavirus (COVID-19), the health, safety, and can also find regular
wellbeing of our residents and dedicated team updates on important Managing Director
members remain our highest priority. With older information, daily
people in care homes amongst the most vulnerable activities, and a sense of how life is continuing at the
in the transmission of the virus, we have taken homes by liking your Larchwood Care Home’s own
preventative steps to protect those in our care and Facebook page, or the ‘Larchwood Care’ Facebook
employment. page.
At the time of printing, we have decided to close
Larchwood Care Homes to all visitors. We believe I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you
that reducing the number of people entering our that we are doing everything we can to safeguard
homes will positively reduce the risk of our residents your loved ones in these unprecedented times, and to
and teams contracting the virus. We are constantly thank you for your patience and understanding.
reviewing our approach in line with the latest
guidance from the UK government. I am sure you will join with me in offering sincere
thanks to our outstanding workforce at this
Alongside the risks COVID-19 poses itself, the risk of time. It takes a vast array of individuals,
social-isolation for older people has never been so many of them unseen, pulling together
great. We have been working hard to ensure that to deliver high quality services to our
any restrictions on visitation do not significantly residents.
reduce your ability to stay in touch with your loved
ones. As always, you can phone your Larchwood I have personally witnessed over many
Care Home at any time to find out how your loved years a great many of these individuals
one is doing. We can also arrange for you to speak to putting our residents needs above their own,
them directly over the phone if you do not have your and those of their families. We are hugely
own means of direct phone contact. indebted to them and are incredibly
proud that at this time of national crisis
All of our homes also have video call capabilities via they have once again stepped up to
a variety of apps allowing you to chat to your relative the challenges we face.
Rainbows
R
ainbows have become a symbol of hope in these unusual
times, brightening up windows of businesses and houses across
the country, enjoyed by keyworkers and those taking their daily
exercise as they pass by.
Many Larchwood Care Homes have decorated their windows and
foyers, both with artworks created by staff and residents or sent in
by local children.
To find your nearest Larchwood Care home visit: www.larchwoodcare.co.uk, search for ‘Larchwood Care’,
or call our central office on 01564 820140 and our team will be delighted to help.
Search for your local Larchwood care home on Facebook
Please note: some of the photos in this newsletter were taken before the latest guidance from the government & public health bodies
Inspection
Update
Staff at Nether Hall Broomfield Court
T here have been more great reports from the
Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Care
Inspectorate since our last newsletter.
Whitby House in Ellesmere Port was given an
overall rating of ‘Good’ following its CQC inspection.
One resident told the CQC representatives: “I
The CQC and the Care Inspectorate are the feel safe because I had a bad fall at home and I
bodies which regulate care provision in England was frightened on my own, here there’s always
and Scotland, respectively. Their reports rate someone looking in on me.”
care homes on levels of care, responsiveness, A relative added: “The Home is spotlessly clean,
safety, effectiveness, and leadership and include and my relative’s room is always clean.” Another
comments from residents and their relatives. resident said: “The staff are very kind and I know
“Very dedicated” and “caring” staff at Cameron them very well because I have been here so long.
House were praised in the CQC’s report which They are patient and always have time to listen.”
gave the home an overall ‘Good’ rating. The report Maxine Fearnehough, home manager at Nether
commended the home for providing choice to Hall Care Home, which also recently received a
residents and the staff and home management for ‘Good’ rating from the CQC, said: “We’re delighted
their commitment and enthusiasm. that the CQC has recognised the hard work of
Broomfield Court Care Home in Barmulloch, everyone at the home. We took the feedback from
Glasgow, was given an overall rating of ‘Good’ our previous inspection very seriously.
following its inspection. “The ‘Good’ rating is a testament to the whole team.
The report findings highlighted the care home’s “Providing great care for our residents is our main
attentive staff, and excellent communication priority and we will not rest on our laurels but
between visitors, staff and residents to enhance the will see this rating as motivation to become even
services available and meet individual needs. better.”
Staff and Residents at Whitby House
To find your nearest Larchwood Care home visit: www.larchwoodcare.co.uk, search for ‘Larchwood Care’,
or call our central office on 01564 820140 and our team will be delighted to help.
Search for your local Larchwood care home on Facebook
Please note: some of the photos in this newsletter were taken before the latest guidance from the government & public health bodies
Staying Safe
At Larchwood Care, we have been working closely
with Blue Leaf and other trusted suppliers to make
sure PPE such as face masks, aprons and gloves
are all readily available to all care home staff. The
team at head office are in daily contact with our
PPE suppliers to ensure that deliveries arrive as
scheduled, and are ready to quickly source items
from elsewhere if they are in short supply.
Although some items have seen occasional scarcity,
in general Larchwood Care has had no major issues
in obtaining the PPE required.
Ashley Groombridge, Larchwood Care’s regional
administration manager, said; “Head office is holding
a large stock of PPE items and members of the
Facilities and Regional Administration Teams have
been co-ordinating allocation and delivery.”
“A small number of staff at Head Office have been
helping unload pallets of boxes and are all now well
versed in the use of sack trucks!”
Embracing the Spirit of VE Day
M
any of our homes had big plans for Healthcare Management Solutions,
celebrating the 75th anniversary of who made a cameo appearance in the
VE Day on 8th May. While the events video, said: “While the majority of care
had to be adapted to reflect current homes everywhere will still be having
measures restricting external visitors, a celebration for residents on 8 May,
staff around the UK were still able to we wanted to send a clear message to
put on wonderful parties for residents, the loved ones of our residents, and our
many enjoying the fabulous weather communities everywhere. We will meet
on the day. There were decorations, tea again.
parties, sing-alongs and many took the “These are challenging times, so it’s
time to record staff and residents joining more important than ever that we all
together in a rousing chorus of Vera channel the spirit of our parents and
Lynn’s classic wartime song, We’ll Meet grandparents, taking inspiration from
Again, for a company-wide video. those who lived through World War
Lynn Fearn, managing director of Two.”
To find your nearest Larchwood Care home visit: www.larchwoodcare.co.uk, search for ‘Larchwood Care’,
or call our central office on 01564 820140 and our team will be delighted to help.
Search for your local Larchwood care home on Facebook
Please note: some of the photos in this newsletter were taken before the latest guidance from the government & public health bodies
Keeping Families in Touch
U
nder normal circumstances, keeping
in touch with our loved ones is
incredibly important to us, whether
we pay regular visits, make telephone calls,
send letters, email, or video call. Our care
homes across the UK have been working
hard to ensure that, even throughout this
unusual period, our residents keep in contact
with both their families and the wider
community.
Mundy House has been keeping residents
chatting with their loved ones with a
dedicated mobile phone.
Video calling has been the order of the day
at Whitby House.
Members of the community have been
rallying round to offer support and
encouragement to our homes and residents.
Eastwood Court residents were delighted to
receive bundles of letters from local primary
school children, written especially during
this time to keep them connected with the
community.
The Tesco supermarket near to Kingsgate
Care Home donated all kinds of goodies
to residents at the home to keep them
entertained and their spirits up. Magazines,
puzzles, chocolate, and sweets were all
parcelled up by supermarket workers for
residents to enjoy.
Going All Out for
BBC Big Night In
Following on from Peter Kay’s
call for key workers to join him in
a special version of his landmark
“Amarillo” video, many of our
homes made a huge effort to join
in!
The videos were all fantastic and
have been viewed 1000s of times
by social media users across the
UK.
To find your nearest Larchwood Care home visit: www.larchwoodcare.co.uk, search for ‘Larchwood Care’,
or call our central office on 01564 820140 and our team will be delighted to help.
Search for your local Larchwood care home on Facebook
Please note: some of the photos in this newsletter were taken before the latest guidance from the government & public health bodies
Fun and Games
T he health and well-being of our residents
remains our top priority at Larchwood.
That’s why, in addition to all of the enhanced
While the visits from a local singer to Oake
Meadows have had to be temporarily put
on hold, the performer has pre-recorded a
safety protocols we have been putting in special concert of residents’ favourite musical
place in recent weeks, while we’ve been numbers. They’ve been able to enjoy private
unable to welcome our usual range of visitors, concerts using the home’s tablet.
our staff have been exploring even more ways Danielle, a domestic at Avonbridge had her
of keeping up morale and entertaining those hen weekend cancelled recently and her
in our homes. wedding postponed until 2021.
Hope House has been hosting outdoor games Rather than celebrating her hen party, she
parties so that residents can enjoy the good spent the weekend working hard, so staff and
weather as well as good fun! residents threw her a hen party to remember!
Birthdays as Usual
W ithout being able to invite family
and friends to visit for tea and cake,
birthdays haven’t been quite the same for
Here are a few of the birthdays we’ve
celebrated over the last few weeks:
Staff were very happy to celebrate with
residents who’ve celebrated milestones Mary at Bryan Wood when she turned 100
in the last few weeks. Nevertheless, recently. Congratulations Mary!
Larchwood Care Home staff have been Les enjoyed a tasty cake on his 90th
pulling out all the stops to ensure that birthday at Oake Meadows.
residents didn’t miss out on having a good And Margaret was made to feel special on
time. her birthday at Great Horkesley Manor.
Les’ 90th Birthday, Mary’s 100th Birthday Margaret’s Birthday,
Oake Meadows Bryan Wood Great Horkesley
To find your nearest Larchwood Care home visit: www.larchwoodcare.co.uk, search for ‘Larchwood Care’,
or call our central office on 01564 820140 and our team will be delighted to help.
Search for your local Larchwood care home on Facebook
Please note: some of the photos in this newsletter were taken before the latest guidance from the government & public health bodies
Loving Life at Larchwood!
To find your nearest Larchwood Care home visit: www.larchwoodcare.co.uk, search for ‘Larchwood Care’,
or call our central office on 01564 820140 and our team will be delighted to help.
Search for your local Larchwood care home on Facebook
Please note: some of the photos in this newsletter were taken before the latest guidance from the government & public health bodies
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