St John s Court Monthly News Letter

Transcription

1 St John s Court Monthly News Letter April

2 Forth coming Residents Birthdays: Geoff Griffin 4 th April & Olive Jones 28 th April All residents Birthdays are celebrated with a Card from all at St John s Court & a Birthday Cake. If families wish to stay for lunch or have a room made available for family to hold a get together then please let us know. The activity team will also be happy to support with any entertainment you may wish to book. Welcome: We welcome Irene Baker who is staying with us at this time and we hope that Irene is happy in her new home and we look forward to making some new memories with her. Goodbyes: Sadly we say goodbye to Derek Woollaston who passed away. Derek had lived with us since October Our thoughts are with Derek s family at this sad and difficult time. We also say goodbye to two team members who have moved to Housman Court as part of their career progression. Lisa Dews has been at St John s Court for 10 years and has progressed from the role of care assistant to HCA. The opportunity arose to apply for the Deputy Managers position at Housman Court which is part of the Trust and she was successful. Collette has been at St John s Court for two and half years as a care assistant then onto HCA and again the opportunity to progress into the role of a Care Supervisor at Housman Court came up full time and Collette was successful in her application. We wish both Lisa and Collette well in their new roles and I m sure we will see them both popping in! Lisa at her leaving meal & the team saying farewell to Collette Forth coming staff Birthdays: Heather Mitchell 15 th April, Amy Sherrington 16 th April, Emily Price 20 th April & Wayne Wilkes 27 th April We wish you all a very Happy Birthday. 2

3 Special Celebrations: Ffion and Lucia both celebrated special birthdays and received cards and gifts from the team. Ffion Lucia Resident & Relative Questionnaires: Thank you to those of you who took the time to complete the resident and relative questionnaires. These have now been taken away by Keren Wilkinson Director of Operations to collate the information which will then be shared with you all. Thank you for sharing your comments, suggestions and thoughts with us, these help us to improve our support and service. Gold Standards Framework: Myself (Laura Home Manager) & Faye Deputy Manager continue with the progression of instilling the GSF within the home and the team. The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a well established programme which provides tools & guidance to help care homes & other health providers to all work to the same high standards when supporting with end of life. End of Life is recognizing when someone is entering the last twelve months of their lives & ensuring that their wishes are communicated & documented to allow us to support them & their loved ones at what can be a difficult time. This is extremely important so that we can ensure we adhere to individual wishes & make their End of Life & death a good death. 3

4 We already hold details of individuals wishes but we will be developing this further to provide a very clear picture. We will also be sending out letters & a brochure about GSF & holding a meeting in the near future date to be confirmed. Any questions in the meantime please speak to us. All members of the team will be involved in the programme as it will only work with everyone being aware & committed to the framework & this will also include additional training for the team. We are very excited to be working towards the home having recognition for the end of life support & developing our knowledge & skills further. Also just to remind you all that if loved ones need to stay with one of the ladies or gentlemen living at St John s who are in the final days or hours of end of life we have the guest room which is available for you to use & there are a range of toiletries & drinks available for you to use. For those who have not seen the room please speak to a member of the team who would be happy to show you. We also have our End of life Champions who work closely with those who are particularly in the final days of life & support their loved ones. They also work closely with the nursing team, updating plans of care & support & advising the care team to ensure they receive the best possible support & have continuity. The M Technique: Ffion Birch Activity Organiser attended a training course to train her how to be a giver of the M Technique and continues to support with this. The M Technique is suitable for individuals who are very fragile or critically ill, someone who is actively dying or stressed & when massage is not appropriate. This technique can be used when sitting or lying down & without having skin exposed & it can be received on hands/arms & lower legs/feet. It is a method of structured touch using gentle strokes & works on the skin receptors sending signals to the brain. It has been described as a physical hypnotherapy, a kind of meditation & a spiritual dance. Studies have shown that the M technique can be effective in reducing a variety of symptoms such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain & terminal agitation. MoVE: Heather is the star of the Avamen MoVE clip which is on their site promoting the importance of keeping active & is available to view on Youtube. It is also accessible on out St John s Court Facebook page. The clip shows our ladies & gentlemen enjoying the movement classes & has demonstrated the benefits of keeping active. Somerset Redstone Trust Values: All team members are currently participating in training to cascade the Trust Values to all team members who work here at St John s Court. We were all involved in putting forward suggestions for what we felt the Trust Values should be and look like and the following have been agreed on from a long list: Passion & Joy o Smile and show you care o Be proud of everything we do Working Together o Teams embrace diversity o Problem shared, problem halved Open & Honest o No blame here only responsibility o Giving and accepting feedback 4

5 Kindness & Respect o Kindness is contagious o Respect and support for all Positive Attitude o Every problem has a solution o Go the extra mile These values will be the basis of the support we offer as a team how we go about our daily lives. As part of these values we will incorporate these values at interviews, supervisions, training and appraisals so they are part of everyday. We have these values outside each bedroom and will include who your Senior team member is and your keyworker so that everyone has sight and is reminded of our Values. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated. Planned Events for the coming Month: PLEASE SEE THE ACTIVITY BOARDS FOR DETAILED SHCEDULE Thursdays Pet Therapy Maisie the Black Labrador visits Tuesdays see the return & Bromsgrove School Games Evening (term time only) 4.00pm- 5.00pm We also have students from the local schools and colleges on work placements during term time, throughout the year who are doing a wonderful job Mondays & Wednesdays MoVE exercise classes The Move Program is so popular we are now holding two classes a week to which our ladies & gentlemen are invited to attend together with their family & friends if they would like to join us. The class lasts for around 45minutes & is a gentle program of exercises & movements to music. The classes will take place Monday & Wednesday Mornings. We look forward to seeing you all. Friday Mornings Stroke Club which will be run by Ffion activity Organiser For more information on weekly/daily activities please see the information boards. Monday 2 nd April Easter Monday Easter Bonnet Parade in the Dining Room 11.15am Wednesday 11 th April Geoff Griffins 80th Birthday Bash with entertainment provided by his family and a buffet from 4.00pm in the dining room Saturday 14 th April Grand National Sweep Stake for those who would like to take part and watching the race live Tuesday 18 th April Progressive Mobility with Steve in the dining room at 11.15am, always very entertaining with lots of energy Wednesday 19 th April Qi Gond with Alan always very popular and relaxing in the dining room at 11.00am Monday 23 rd April St Georges Day, we will be wearing Red & White and have a good old fashioned English menu Tuesday 24 th April Canal Boat trip with a picnic lunch Saturday 28 th April Poetry Reading with Ffion Monday 30 th April Find you voice with Claire at 3.15pm in the Dining room, again these are always enjoyable sessions with everyone enjoying a good old sing a long 5

6 St John s Fundraising: We continue to have cards for sale in the reception area which are handmade, they range from if you would like to purchase these. If you have a special request you can let Ffion know & she will create a card of choice for you. Book Sale: We currently have a trolley in reception full of books which we are selling with all proceeds going to the Residents Welfare Fund so please have a look, there is a large selection. Spring Fayre: We held our Spring Fayre on Friday 30 th March Good Friday Everyone who attended had a great time taking part in the tombola, raffle, bric a brac and cake stall. We willlet you know how much we raised for the residents Welfare Fund. Thank you to everyone who supported us with donations, help to prepare and helping on the stalls and visiting us on the day. It is greatly appreciated. Employee of the Month: I would like to thank all of the team at St John s Court as you all work really hard to make it a lovely home for the residents & a happy place to work. You all deserve to be nominated for Employee of the month for making such a difference to all the ladies and gentlemen who live with us here at St John s Court - but.. The winner of Employee of the Month for March is: Karen Wycherley Karen was presented with a certificate & a small gift. Well Done Karen & thank you for making a difference. The reasons given for the nominations for Karen were: Karen Wycherley She is a fairly new team member and it has been a pleasure working with her, she has fitted in well with the team and residents. She has always got a smile on her face and has time for our residents and a chat. Those socks! Other nominees were: Michelle Du-Roe she goes out of her way to please the ladies and gentlemen with food menu. Zoe Barr she has returned to us full time with renewed vigor and unwavering commitment. Kim Price for her efforts in the kitchen and resolving any mealtime issues. 6

7 Amy Mountford she goes that extra mile for the residents and is helpful towards staff even when she has things going on outside of work. Lucia Tranca for always being helpful and friendly (family member) Please support us & let us know who has made a difference to your daily life, nomination forms are in reception & these can be put through the office letterbox. Events which took place in March: Thursdays Pet Therapy Maisie the Black Labrador visits Tuesdays see the return & Bromsgrove School Games Evening (term time only) 4.00pm- 5.00pm We also have students from the local schools and colleges on work placements during term time, throughout the year who are doing a wonderful job Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays MoVE exercise classes The Move Program is so popular we are now holding three classes a week to which our ladies & gentlemen are invited to attend together with their family & friends if they would like to join us. The class lasts for around 45minutes & is a gentle program of exercises & movements to music. The classes will take place Monday Afternoons & Wednesday & Friday Mornings. We look forward to seeing you all. Friday Mornings Stroke Club which will be run by Ffion activity Organiser Thursday 1 st March St David s Day Members of the team wore Yellow and we had a Welsh theme to the day Monday 5 th March Find your voice with Claire As always this session got everybody warmed up and they enjoyed it Wednesday 7 th March Progressive Mobility with Steve always a lively and fun exercise session with lots of laughter and fun Thursday 8 th March Pub Lunch we enjoyed an afternoon in St John s pub with a ploughmans lunch a pint for those who wanted one Thursday 15 th March Cuppa & Cake meeting with Pat the Cook to discuss meals, choice and menu s, this was a productive meeting with residents discussing their preferences. Pat will make changes to menu s to include preferences. 7

8 Saturday 17 th March St Patrick s Day Wear Green, Irish theme to the day with Guinness for those who wanted to try. Thursday 22 nd March Qi-gong (tai-chi) with Alan always a very relaxing and popular visit which is enjoyed Monday 26 th March Epilepsy Awareness Wear Purple for the day to raise awareness Tuesday 27 th March Minibus Trip to The Motor Museum in Coventry. We had a lovely trip and looking at the old vehicles and memorabilia brought back a lot of memories and there was a lot of reminiscence over lunch. We will definitely be going back! 8

9 Thursday 29 th March Maundy Thursday Church Service and coffee morning Friday 30 th March Spring Fayre & everyone enjoyed the hotcross buns with afternoon tea Donald Enjoying a game of Bingo and on a trip out as he was Resident of the Week 9

10 Joan M enjoying a mothers Day treat, a chocolate rose & Joan C making Easter Cards Dot and Kath making Easter Bonnets ready for the Easter Bonnet parade Exciting History: 10

11 When Wayne and Gareth were in the loft area recently they uncovered a lovely carved beam with the date of which it was built, who the vicar, architects and builders were. This is a fantastic piece of history, it is just such as shame it is hidden away and not on display. At this time, I do not know anymore information regards the Vicar, Architects or Builders but I have contacted the Bromsgrove Society which are a Historic group to see if they can help with anymore information. If they do I will update you in the next news letter. If anyone has any information in relations to this please let us know. Development of the Home & Our Dementia Home Buttercup Walk: Buttercup Walk is now nearly complete and looking really homely, inviting and lovely. We will be planning the next stage within the home, focusing on the ground floor dining room next as we have already have some new tables and chairs, which have arrived, so we will decorate this next after consulting regards papers and colour etc. Staffing Levels: At present some of you are aware that myself (Laura-Home Manager) continues to support our other home in Bromsgrove, Housman Court but they do now have a new Manager in post and I am helping with their induction. During this time either myself or Faye will be at St John s, unless we are both scheduled to attend training, meetings or we have annual leave so there will be one of us who you can speak to. If we are not available, as always if you speak to the nurse in charge or Mel (office manager) & they will let us know if we need to call you. Alternatively you can me on my usual address laura.wilkes@somersetredstonetrust.co.uk & I will respond as soon as possible. 11

12 We also often get asked how we calculate staffing levels within the home. Each resident has a dependency tool which we review regularly & this determines their level of support needs. This information is then put into a staff calculating tool and this then generates the amount of care hours we need to support those we care for. I will now start to include our dependency/staff hours in the newsletter for you to view. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Current care staff levels: Morning 1 Nurse, 2 Health Care Assistant s (senior Care), 9 care assistants = 81hours of support per morning, 567hours a week Afternoon 1 Nurse, 1 Health Care Assistant (senior Care), 8 care assistants = 67.5hours of support per afternoon, 472.5hours a week Night 1 Nurse & 4 care assistants = 56.25hours of support per night, hours per week Weekly total provided: Dependency Tool & staff Calculator Hours: The tools we use to calculate the support needs of our ladies & gentlemen, show we require 1218 hours per week based on our current residents needs, so as you can see we work at higher levels than that of which the tools indicate are required. I hope seeing this information allows you to understand the staffing levels within the home. Craft Meeting: The Crafty Crafters who meet monthly & have brought their meetings here for anyone to join in with if they wish to. During these meetings they chat about new ideas & craft items they are doing at the time & share ideas so it is a great opportunity to learn new skills. Everyone is welcome to come along & join the meeting. This is held the first Saturday of the month. Residents & Family Meeting: The minute from the last meeting are on the notice board if you would like to have a look. The next residents & family meetings are listed below & everyone is welcome to attend. (These dates may be subject to change) Tuesday 6 th March am & 6.00pm taken place and minutes are displayed on the activity board and have been distributed to rooms. Thursday 7 th June pm Thursday 11 th September am & 3.00pm Wednesday 6 th December am & 6.00pm Cuppa & Cake Meetings with the Cook: The very popular Cuppa & Cake meetings continue with Pat our Cook alternate months & these are listed below: Thursday 18 th January at 3.00pm in the Dining Room taken place Thursday 15 th March at 3.00pm in the Dining Room taken place Thursday 24 th May 3.00pm in the Dining Room Thursday 19 th July at 3.00pm in the Dining Room Thursday 20 th September at 3.00pm in the Dining Room Thursday 15 th November at 3.00pm in the Dining Room 12

13 Coffee Mornings & Afternoon Teas: Themes to be planned Thursday 25 th January noon taken place Thursday 22nd February pm taken place Thursday 29 th March noon taken place Thursday 26 th April pm Thursday 31st May noon Thursday 28th June pm Thursday 26 th July noon Thursday 30th August pm Thursday 27 th September noon Thursday 25 th October pm Thursday 29 th November noon Friday 28 th December Remembrance Service Time to be confirmed Everyone is welcome, ladies & gentlemen, relatives & team members, to join us for this social event where there will be refreshments & cake & information on relevant subjects to help make improvements in the support we offer. Inter House Competitions: As you all know we have taken part in competitions which have been organized by Somerset Redstone Trust & these have included: Garden Competition we came in second place as per August newsletter but the plans are already coming along nicely for us to start getting ready for this years competition with the focus being on the rear garden and the front. Anyone who is able to lend any knowledge or support please speak to myself, Faye, Heather or Ffion. Christmas Decoration Competition judging took place 13 th December and sadly we did not win, the winners of the competition were Housman Court. We were also judged on the look and design of the Christmas cake and this has been tasted in January and again the winners were Housman Court so big congratulations to them. Facebook Page: We have our facebook page for St John s Court so if you would like to have a look if you have facebook & like & share that page we would be really grateful. We will be using the page to advertise forth coming events & to add photo s of events which have taken place. If you have anything which you feel would be good to add the page please let me know. Website: PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ALL YOUR FEEDBACK IS GREATLY APPREACIATED AND ALLOWS OTHERS TO READ YOUR REAL EXPERIENCES WHICH CAN BE INVALUABLE. St John s Court website has a link to carehomes.co.uk on which you can leave feedback & this is really useful information for those who are looking for a care home so they can read real comments so please take the time if you can to leave your feedback. April Facts 13

14 APRIL Facts about APRIL * April showers bring May flowers DAISY and the sweet pea are the flowers of the month. The Cuckoos The arrival of the cuckoo is the signal that Spring has come, it arrives some time in Mid-April. Here is a traditional rhyme about the cuckoos life cycle: In April I open my Bill In May I song night & day In June I change my tune In July far far I fly I August away I must. DATES TO REMEMBER: William Shakespeare, the playright, was born on April 23, He also died in England in St George is the Patron Saint of England & we celebrate this day on April 23rd. The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when South Vietnam surrendered. April 1969 Concordes maiden flight took place 8 th April 1973 Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter died aged 91 years 9 th April 1806 Brunel Great Western Railway began 12 th April 1606 The union flag became the official flag of the United Kingdom 15 th April 1912 RMS Titanic struck an iceberg & sank 18 th April 1934 the first laundrette opened April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month. The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meaning 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love. Special days celebrated in April begin with the first day of April, when children and grown-ups play jokes on one another. April Fools' Day, or All Fools' Day, is the first day of April. No one knows where the custom began, but some historians believe it started in France. They had a New Year's festival that was celebrated from March 25 to April 1, and they would then exchange gifts. But, later, King James IV changed the holiday to January 1 for New Years. The people that still celebrated it April 1 were called 'April fish' and sent mock presents. April Fools' Day may also be related to the ancient Roman spring festival Hilaria, which celebrates the resurrection of the god Attis. 14

15 The first of April, some do say Is set apart for all Fools Day But why the people call it so, Not I, nor they themselves do know. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, thus making it the most important Christian festival of the year. On the third day, Christ' tomb was empty, he arose, and people talked with him. Christians believe his resurrection means that they too will some day receive a new life after death. The holiday can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25, since it is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon in the Northern Hemisphere. The new plant life that comes in the spring is associated with the new life that Christians gain because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The word Easter may have come from the English word, Eastre. Some believe Eastre was the name of a pagan goddess of spring, a spring festival, or the name of a season. Astrological Signs Aries March 21 to April 19 Taurus April 20 to May 20 April Quiz 1. The Union flag was officially adopted as the flag of Great Britain in which century? 2. Born in 1941, for which club was Bobby Moore playing when he lifted the World Cup in 1966? 3. Known as The Brown Bomber, which former world heavyweight boxing champion died in 1981? 4. Who tested the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft in Rugby in 1937? 5. Daydreamer and How Can I Be Sure? were hits for which 70s teen idol, who is 58 today? today (2008), actor Paul Nicholls first found fame in which TV soap opera? 7. Who became the first man in space in 1961? 8. Tiptoe Through the Tulips was a novelty hit in the 1960s for which American musician who was born today in 1932? 9. The first shots of which war were fired in Charleston, South Carolina today in 1861? We hope that you have enjoyed our Monthly Newsletter. If you have any news, facts or poems to go into our News Letter then please let Laura, Faye, Mel, Heather, Ffion or Doreen know so that it will feature in the next News Letter. 15