Specialist housing and care provider Blackwood has purchased the shopping vouchers as a thank you to its social care staff working at the front-line of the Coronavirus crisis.

Each of Blackwood’s 284 care staff received a £90 Aldi voucher to help with their essential shopping, as a token of the appreciation of their dedication to their job through the pandemic.

The donation from Blackwood is part of its continuing #ImInAwe campaign, which is dedicated to shining a light on the important front-line role care employees are playing, and to encourage more people to look at different ways to show their gratitude.

Blackwood operates across 29 local authorities in Scotland, providing housing and care support to people with a wide range of care needs.

Blackwood Chief Executive Fanchea Kelly said: “We’re so immensely proud of all of our staff who have continued to provide excellent care to all of our customers during a difficult time.”

“We have so many incredible stories of how our staff have helped customers manage during this national lockdown and have worked hard to keep spirits up along the way, use technology to keep families in touch and come up with some innovative ways to fill days with fun where possible.”

“The vouchers are a token of our appreciation for our staff. They are a way of recognising the hard work our carers do, and saying thank you to everyone for continuing to inspire us and keep our staff and customers safe.”

“One of the reasons Aldi was chosen was its range of supermarkets across the country and their dedicated opening hours for care staff – both of which will hugely benefit our team.”

Natasha Murray, Interim Care Services Manager at Blackwood, said: “The staff truly deserve the vouchers as they have gone above and beyond to support all our customers.”

“Care staff have worked extremely hard through the pandemic and are putting our customers first, before anything else. We’re proud of each and every one of them.”

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Care workers remain an essential support for communities to ensure vulnerable people are looked after at this challenging time, and we’re delighted to play a part in this initiative from Blackwood to recognise the important contribution their staff make in the field.”

It is estimated that up to 150,000 staff work in the social care sector across Scotland, providing vital care to people in care homes and retirement developments as well as care-at-home services.

Blackwood believes it is essential to publicly recognise the important work of its care staff, showing support and keeping morale high at a difficult time.

Fanchea added: “Often, the work of carers can go unnoticed. We would love it if more people got involved in supporting the #ImInAwe campaign, by sharing and resharing our efforts to show our carers how much they are valued and how important their work is.”

“If you or your business would like to get involved and help, we’d love to hear from you to continue to show a collective sense of support across the country.”

Blackwood aims to help people live their life to the full, by providing services which support individuals to live independently. It specialises in technology and design innovation to support the role of its housing and care staff across Scotland.

For more information, please visit: https://www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk

 

Springhill celebrate Nurses Day 2020

The 12th of May 2020 marks International Nurses Day, an annual event which celebrates the work of the nursing community, now more vital than ever as the world’s nurses remain essential in combating COVID-19.

Here are some of our staff from Springhill enjoying a little tea party as an extra special thank you and also in recognition of the nurses and key workers in our local and wider communities at this difficult time.

Springhill staff have spring in their step

Staff in Springhill have been trying hard to keep mentally and physically fit during these uncertain times by holding their own slimming club.

It has been a great motivation for the team while their usual classes have been closed during lock down.

After just a few weeks, the staff are certainly maintaining a spring in their step and having a positive mental attitude as they compete for slimmer of the week.

Well done Gill who was the most recent winner!

Since the club started, we’ve had members join who are looking to gain weight.

Being underweight can also make people feel vulnerable and affect mental health so now all the club members are motivating each other as they try to reach their goals.

 

VE day celebrations start early at Springhill

The second Friday of May 2020 will mark 75 years since VE Day as the United Kingdom remembers the end of war in Europe.

May Day bank holiday has been moved to coincide with the landmark day.

While celebrations are very different this year, our tremendous teams having been doing little bits and pieces to help mark the occasion.

Here you can see the residents from Springhill are already well prepared and are looking forward to enjoying the long weekend together.

Cakes and smiles at Springhill

Here we have Eileen, Jim and Jean from Springhill busy in their kitchen making (and eating) some delicious cakes before having a little dance.

We also have Nan looking through old photographs and reminiscing.
Just another lovely weekend in Springhill.

Springhill ladies enjoy table tennis tournament

Staying mobile during lockdown is extremely important for our residents as the movement not only benefits muscles and joints but is an invaluable way of helping them to maintain good mental health.

Here is Jean and Irene, residents in our Springhill Care Home, having a great time playing table tennis thanks to a make shift ‘court’ created by our staff.

The ladies felt wonderful after the activity and had such fun, that they didn’t even really realise they were exercising!

Hearts to help support Spiers residents during lockdown

Spiers Care Home received some lovely identical pairs of hearts from Lisa at Hearts for Crosshouse. These were made by nurses and volunteers across Ayrshire who had the idea that one heart is given to a resident and the other to their family.

Hopefully the hearts will give some comfort to residents who are unable to see their families at the moment.

Forestview Primary pupils send supportive pics to Spiers

Thank you so much to the youngsters from Forestview Primary who have sent these fab drawings and messages to Spiers Care Home.

Also thanks to resident Tommy McCann’s grandchildren for the rainbow picture. All have been displayed in pride of place and have really helped cheer up our residents and staff.

We so appreciate you thinking of us.

Spiers mark 75th anniversary of VE Day

On Friday 8^th May, staff and residents celebrated the 75^th anniversary of VE day at Spiers Care Home.

The home and garden was decorated with bunting and various items of memorabilia.

Our ladies and gents enjoyed sharing stories about the war, talking about their memories from days gone by and were also treated to an afternoon tea.

Arran Aromatics’ kind gesture to Spiers staff

Here are some pictures of gifts donated to Spiers Care Home for staff by Arran Aromatics.

As you can see, our team were extremely chuffed by this act of kindness and would like to say thanks!

Spiers mark 75th anniversary of VE Day

On Friday 8^th May, staff and residents celebrated the 75^th anniversary of VE day at Spiers Care Home.

The home and garden was decorated with bunting and various items of memorabilia.

Our ladies and gents enjoyed sharing stories about the war, talking about their memories from days gone by and were also treated to an afternoon tea.

Hawkhill House Nursing Home celebrated International Nurses Week last week by creating a film dedicated to all the care home nurses, recognising all the work that they do and how important they are during this Covid-19 crisis.

Please give this film a watch, you can view this film by clicking the button below.

Care homes as a sector has been significantly impacted by Covid-19, from residents falling ill, to being separated from their loved ones. The young people at Scouts UK want to help with this, they usually help care homes throughout the year and feel that the current crisis shouldn’t stop that from happening. Over the next few weeks, they want to ‘care for care homes’ and are working with the British red Cross and the National Care Association to do 10,000 acts of kindness. Their aim is to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing of people in care homes.

These acts of kindness include crafts such as creating kindness rocks. This involves decorating and adding positive and kind messages to a stone or a pebble, then sending them care homes to boost morale. Scouts can also get in touch with care homes residents by writing letters or using video messaging to reduce isolation in care homes. Or they can take part in a ‘skill swap’, using letters, videos and photos to teach a care home resident a new skill.

Initiatives like these are really positive and uplifting to hear generally, but especially during these difficult times with the current Covid-19 crisis. Find out more about this initiative and how you can get involved: scouts.org.uk/careforcarehomes 

 

I would like to share with you what we have been doing at our home since we have been in lockdown.

Every week I have sent out a blog to give families a wee picture of their loved ones.  We have also been on Tik Tok with staff and residents to lift moral. Making the films and having a few moments of fun and laughter has been so good for everyone.  Each unit, even night shift have taken part.

We have set up gardens in lounges with residents  to enjoy – planting bulbs – scarecrows and beautiful items to make it special.  Residents have given everything names and they look after the plants daily.  

We have also set up an easter challenge – for the community to get involved and help the residents in isolation.  We asked if any one was fed up with the lock down and struggling with things to do – to make an Easter picture which was meaningful to them and then email it to me with picture of person who created the picture and we would open a Parksprings Art Gallery for all the wonderful creations. 

We got around 200 pictures from as far north as Orkney .  This boosted the residents in lock down knowing that they were not forgotten and the community / strangers took time to create and send to us.  It lifted everyone’s spirits staff, residents, and the people who participated.  Local news papers got involved, The deputy provost, councillors , MP, schools, families, Leonard Cheshire group, Lingo Flamingo, Tai Chi group, Local churches, local charity groups and many more. 

The art gallery is amazing and will remain until its opened and shared with all the groups who helped.  The pictures are displayed on the residents lounge TV’s and they all helped with the Gallery and the judging of the competition.  The winners were chosen by all the above groups and then the final judge was Tina Chapman – our director in Leeds- selected the winners.  The feed back from everyone was that it made people cry as it was something so nice in such a difficult time.  The residents and staff were also really emotional to all the wonderful items sent in and just the kindness was fantastic – and the isolation was not so bad.. The Easter challenge just took everyone’s minds off the difficult time for just a moment and spread in smile.

Boxing classes have been great fun and as the residents will tell you – here at Parksprings we are fighting the Covid-19 – great exercise and fun. We will beat this !!

We are so busy with so many different projects –  all with purpose and meaning which helps but it is still hard. 

The garden after winter is looking tired and grey even though we had a sing-a-long with instruments- the sun worked its magic on everyone.  If anyone has any garden items they would like to donate please contact me.

We have also enjoyed corridor party’s with the residents staying at the edge of there room doors and singing and dancing.  Everyone can join in and it’s at social distancing. 

Rosie Brennan

Lead Activities Co-ordinator

Parksprings Care Home

BLOG 5 MAY 2020

Although the coronavirus pandemic has majorly impacted the daily routine of Abbeyfield Irvine, we have adapted out activity programme to adhere to social distancing guidelines set out by the Scottish Government.

We have started a daily ‘window visit’ programme where relatives can use their daily exercise to come past Abbeyfield and have a short visit with their relative, through the front window. This has proved popular within the relative group and helps to keep our residents spirits up by seeing their family and friends, albeit it through a window! Where it is not feasible to have a window visit, we actively encourage video chats, phone calls and even good old fashioned letter writing!

Our activity programme has had to be adapted as our residents maintain social distancing, and this has included movie days, online church services, personalised boredom buster books and even a homemade version of Kerplunk! We have had a Piper come and play for us and also some young highland dancers to entertain us for the afternoon, all from our car park!

We are lucky to have 2 enclosed garden spaces, where residents have been able to enjoy the lovely weather that we have had, even if it is just for a cup of tea in the sunshine.

We celebrated Easter and the Queen’s Birthday in April, we commemorated the anniversary of VE Day in May and we have had several birthday celebrations of our own, celebrated more calmly than planned, but still with plenty of cake for everyone!

During this lockdown, like many others, we have come to realise that it is not always about the ‘big things’ in life. Something as simple as a post card from a daughter, a call from a son, a letter from a friend and even a rainbow drawing from a grandchild mean so much more.

Here are some photos of our VE day Celebration on Friday.

We decorated our areas with flags and enjoyed Everything British throughout the day.

Everyone enjoyed fish and chips on newspaper for lunch followed by a Celebration trifle. In the afternoon we enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea with lots of lovely cakes.

We also had a sing song of all the old songs that were sung during the war years, Vera Lynn was the favourite of course.

I downloaded lots of pictures of VE day from the internet and we had a reminiscence session which everyone enjoyed I also made the pictures into placemats for the dining room.

Margaret Russell

Manager – Belleville Lodge

We have always valued, maintained and nurtured our links to the local community, however it is in times like these that we are left truly humbled and elated by the words of encouragement and support we have received since the pandemic begun.

This was valued more recently, when we were facing a true crisis that left the team feeling very low in morale and devastated, by the pandemic. The unexpected kindness and gifts by local groups and businesses as well as families and friends of Dryfemount have given the team a much needed boost and put smiles on their faces.

Early on, Jane Power and a large number of individuals within our community immediately responded when Dryfemount posted an appeal for DVD Players and DVDs to distract residents attention away from the news and constant negativity of the pandemic. We were overwhelmed by the response,  with DVD Players, DVDs and even some TVs being delivered to the home.

Arla Creamery in Lockerbie delivered  Easer Eggs to all residents and staff, TK Max delivered many goodies and gifts, the Young Farmers brightened out surroundings with a donation of plants and kindly offered assistance of planting them.

Needlework of Lockerbie Cluster Group and NHSD&G for the Love of Scrubs also contributed wash bags. Many of our residents family members have dropped of little things to lift spirits within the Care Home and shown their support as well as messages of support, reinforcing and  reminding the staff they are doing a great job, playing an important role in ensuring the wellbeing of the individuals in our care.

I have seen many other homes being given that same kindness, support and encouragement.

It is in times like these that we truly see how bright our communities shine, providing that much needed ray of hope and happiness that encourages many to keep on going no matter how bleak it may seem at this time.  We all must continue to support each other and lend strength where it is needed.

Melanie Wilson

Dryfemount Care Home Manager