We would like to wish all of our teams, families and loved ones and our wider health and social services teams a very merry Christmas and holiday period. Our teams are working hard to ensure a safe and peaceful Christmas can and will be enjoyed for all the people we support. We have seen the introduction of Lateral Flow Device tests (LFD) and our staff are busy attending the webinars and training to ensure that these can be delivered in a timely manner. You can see more information regarding these tests here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-lateral-flow-testing-of-visitors-in-care-homes Our teams have gone over and above this …
From all of us at Apple House care homes, to all of you, we hope your Easter weekend has been peaceful and joyous. When the world about us seems fraught, with tragic news, and peace seems a distant hope, it is the small things we do together with those closest to us that remind us of the true meaning of hope and peace. Simple things like baking bring us together. With this in mind, our teams have worked hard to create little masterpieces of Springtime joy. Yes, the Great Apple House Bake Off is today! This afternoon the Easter Bunny …
Last Thursday Apple House care homes’ Director of Operations, Romaine Lawson, was proud to attend the offices of Care England in London to participate in the inaugural meeting of a steering group headed up by John’s Campaign. John’s Campaign was founded by Julia Jones, daughter of June who lived with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, and Nicci Gerrard, daughter of Alzheimer’s sufferer Doctor John Gerrard who sadly passed in 2014 after a prolonged hospital admission. Doctor Gerrard’s health deteriorated during a five week hospital stay during which time he was detached from the care and support of family members by a …
This Thursday we are excited to be travelling to London, to the offices of Care England, to join a steering group headed up by Julia Jones of ‘John’s Campaign’ which will focus on the importance of collaboration with families and loved ones in the care sector. Joined by CQC and leading representatives of the sector, presentations and discussion will centre on what is already being achieved and what work can be done to take John’s Campaign’s ethos even further forward. John’s Campaign was founded in 2014. Since then, overwhelming support has been shown from across the UK. Over 1000 wards, …
A heartfelt blog post by Pam, support worker at Summerwood care home: I was thinking about what to talk about on our company blog. I could have written something funny or about an interest that I have. But instead I thought I would share something. I have a brother who is four years older than me who has a learning disability. Since I was a little girl I have always been very protective towards him. I have worked in care for over 30 years now, and so I have seen almost all there is to see from the care provider’s …
It’s very easy to announce that a care home is family friendly, but what does that mean? Historically, care homes and nursing homes followed the hospital model of rigid visiting times. This in turn meant that families may not have been considered to be intrinsic in the planning of care pathways or, in fact, in the individual’s life inside a care environment. Today, things are changing for the better but there is always more work to be done. Apple House care homes embrace an ethos of inclusion. Families and loved ones have a hugely crucial role to play and, as …
Honoured Guests is a new publication produced in partnership with Care England and John’s Campaign–a national movement that focuses on recognising and actively involving families. Apple House care homes are proud to have joined John’s Campaign as part of our ethos of inclusion, of recognising the important role of family and friends to care residents’ wellbeing and personal identity. “I quite like the title ‘Honoured Guests. It reminds people, whether we are family or friends, that we are there as guests of the resident. This title also reinforces that staff and relatives should have one purpose, which is to support the …
“Staff [in care homes] should do all within their power to make access easy for family carers and utilise their expert knowledge and their love.” —John’s Campaign We posted an article right here on our blog back in March 2017, about John’s Campaign, about our reasons for signing up to it, the importance of really welcoming families and friends of residents in residential care. Not doing so as visitors, but as an intrinsic part of the wider team that encompasses the individual themselves, care staff, and the circle of family and friends who often know the individual in a far …
