Ashcombe House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

At ashcombe we are lucky to have such
amazing volunteers, Marianne and her team delivered an interactive Bible story, followed by prayers. Residents said they these sessions. The Lounge is always full

To find out more about life at our home visit
https://www.barchester.com/home/ashcombe-house-care-home/life-at-our-home

One of our favourite places to go is garden centre. The residents loved seeing the beautiful flowers and the garden centre starting to set up for Christmas. We will be back soon.

A lovely day out at the garden centre and enjoying the sun with tea and cake. . We were very lucky with the gorgeous weather today.

Yesterday we celebrated over 6 years of our brilliant Activities Lead, Michelle who will be taking on a new venture which sounds exciting. We had a lovely day with entertainment and a Mad Hatters tea party. We wish you all the best in your new role 🎉

A mad hatter kind of day for us at Ashcombe, the fabulous Tony Allgood from Reminisce Entertainment filled the home with laughter and music

Boccia was getting quite competitive this afternoon with the blue taking the win this week ! We always have good fun and plenty of laughs playing and it's also good exercise.

It's a rainy Friday and we have been getting crafty with an art workshop with Kayleigh from Creative Minds . Using watercolours we have been making decorations to hang in our rooms.

Revd Claire Simpson and church volunteers hosted a Harvest service today at the home with prayers blessings and hymns. Residents were invited to have communion and Revd Claire also provided this in rooms making it fully inclusive to all. Thank you all once again.

Residents have had a wonderful day at Marwell Zoo, seeing all the animals. It was lovely to enjoy a day out we had a picnic lunch and loved being out in the fresh air. Many thanks to staff Eric & Mel and to Clare our volunteer for making it a fantastic day !! I think we will all sleep well tonight. Marwell Wildlife

🎒 Back to School Wisdom from our Residents 📚

As the school year starts soon, our residents have been busy preparing some special messages for our local schoolchildren.

They’ve shared their funniest, most inspirational and motivating words of wisdom to help the children kick off the term with a smile.
Check out the photos we’ve taken of their advice!

A big thank you to everyone involved and a special shoutout to our team for pulling it all together.

To find out more about life at our home, please visit our website https://www.barchester.com/home/ashcombe-house-care-home/life-at-our-home

Thank you Basingstoke Gazette our residents love seeing themselves online and in the local paper sharing their activities :)

Resident aged 95 joins others at Basingstoke care home for her first-ever hen party Residents at Ashcombe House care home in Basingstoke proved that you are never too old to enjoy a hen party when they surprised a staff member by…

A fabulous trip down the basingstoke canal with Accessible Boating Jim and Liz great at looking after us all. We took in all the beauty of the canal before a picnic lunch onboard.

Time to Work out !!!! Our seated chair exercise class with Dee is always a full house, we love to see friends, family and staff joining in. Using resistance bands today we worked our arms and legs to some great music !

At Ashcombe we are very lucky that Sarah one of our care team is also an ambassador for the RSPCA Basingstoke and Andover Branch , Today we met 8 gorgeous puppies that Sarah is currently looking after, the residents were over the moon because who can resist a cuddle with a puppy !!!

Today we celebrate Agnes, who has worked in housekeeping for 6 years. Over the last three years she has been juggling work, being a mum and studying as a nurse. We are pleased to say she has now qualified and she will be leaving Ashcombe to gain some experience working within the hospital.

We are incredibly proud of her and we hope to see her back, one day working in a Barchester home as a nurse. Congratulations Agnes and we wish you all the best.

Hen party fun at Ashcombe to celebrate one of our senior Carers Mel upcoming wedding. Residents enjoyed games, drinks and a guess which dress video, some of our residents had been wedding dress shopping with Mel so to have a Hen party just seemed a perfect send off before her big day.

To find out more about life at Ashcombe house please visit https://www.barchester.com/home/ashcombe-house-care-home/life-at-our-home

🚰 🚚 Attention Local Post Office Delivery Drivers and On-the-Go Personnel! 🚰🚚

Need a quick refresh? Stop by our care home for a free water bottle refill anytime. We’re here to keep you hydrated.

Stay safe and thank you for all your hard work.

It's National cheesecake day !!! So we have been busy making our own flake inspired cheesecake, we cannot wait to enjoy this with a cup of tea this afternoon. to find out more about life at our home please visithttps://www.barchester.com/home/ashcombe-house-care-home/life-at-our-home

A fabulous summer show performed by Carousel Theatre Company had us all laughing and singing along as we took flight and went on holiday !!! to find out more about life at ashcombe please visit https://www.barchester.com/home/ashcombe-house-care-home/life-at-our-home

Move it seated exercise class this afternoon, using soft balls we got our hands and arms moving to music. Using a simple soft ball can increase hand dexterity and gets the fingers moving more freely, this class is always such fun and today some boxing moves were thrown in, Some of these have definitely been used before ! !

We are absolutely thrilled to announce another Divisional winner for Ashcombe house!!! Janet Cook for the Lifetime achievement award for the South division.

Jan has been an integral part of the ashcombe care team for almost 29 years !! She always gives her best and is well respected in the home.

Jan will join winners from across the UK at a special awards event in October .

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS JAN !

Barchester Care Awards – Divisional Winner

We are over the moon to announce that our very own Bianca Garcia has been crowned Registered Nurse of the Year for the South Division!!!! Bianca is very well respected and loved at the home, not just by staff but by residents, families and other health professionals. The next stop is…the nationals!

Over 5,250 incredibly high-standard nominations were received this year.

Bianca will join winners from across the UK at a special awards event in October to celebrate their outstanding achievements and see if they’ve won a national award.

Huge congratulations!



To find out more about life at Ashcombe House, please visit our websitehttps://www.barchester.com/home/ashcombe-house-care-home/life-at-our-home

Our family and friends party today was a huge success and enjoyed by All. Many thanks to our fab volunteers Maureen and Julie, Tony Allgood from Reminisce Entertainment who knows how to wow a crowd, and team ashcombe who pulled out all the stops to ensure our residents had the best day !!

What lovely weather to be out enjoying the garden. Weve enjoyed a little tipple whilst getting our nails painted. We all want to look our best for our friends and family party tomorrow :)

All hands on deck. Getting ready for our Family Fun Day on Saturday 20th July. We are looking forward to seeing you from 12 -3pm

Congratulations to Neelam for winning June employee of the month. Neelam is a Care Practitioner with Ashcombe and we are so pleased to say, she is completing her nurse training with us. Neelam shows commitment and works extremely hard. The Team, Residents and Relatives have all voted for you. Keep up the amazing work.

🍰 Happy 107th Birthday, Joyce! 🍰👏

Everyone at Kingswood Court Care Home in Bristol was over the moon to celebrate Joyce's 107th birthday recently.

On her special day, Joyce received nearly 900 birthday cards from well-wishers near and far! She was truly amazed by everyone’s outpouring love and support.

What's even more amazing is that ITV News and the BBC visited the home to capture this memorable occasion. Joyce's story is spreading joy far and wide.

A big thank you to all involved in making Joyce’s celebration such a success.

Join us in wishing Joyce a very happy birthday! 🎉

To find out more about life at Kingswood Court Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/kingswood-court-care-home

We love our Thursday afternoon move it seated chair exercises with Dee. Today we used hula hoops to tap, turn, twist and move to music. This class is very popular amongst residents, family and friends and everyone is always welcome .

⭐ Staff and residents from Henford House Care Home in Warminster are rooting for their hard-core General Manager, who is taking on a mammoth 100km running challenge along the oldest path in Britain. ⭐

On Saturday, 13th July, Trish Alton will attempt to run the 100km Race to the Stones to raise money for Barchester's Charitable Foundation, which supports hundreds of vulnerable individuals and small charities in local communities, helping to prevent isolation and loneliness.

Trish first started running in 2020 after unintentionally signing up for the London Marathon, she got a charity place and so couldn’t turn it down. Since then, she has completed three marathons but admits she has never taken on a challenge this big before! She will be digging deep and using all of her grit, guts and determination to try to complete the gruelling 100km race towards the 5,000-year-old Avebury Standing Stones.

Everyone is hugely proud of Trish for attempting this run. 👏

🔗 If you'd like to support Trish, please click the link below:

Trish's 100km run for Barchester's Charitable Foundation Help Patricia Alton raise money to support Barchester's Charitable Foundation

👏 We are happy to share that Upton Bay Care Home in Poole has been awarded the ultimate accolade at the Dementia Care Awards - Best Dementia Care Team in the UK. 👏

The Dementia Care Awards celebrate outstanding practice in dementia services and recognise a commitment to deliver outcome-focussed, person-centred care for people living with dementia. The awards ceremony took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, where teams from care homes across the UK competed for the prestigious awards, acknowledging accomplishments at all levels within the social care sector.

The team from Upton Bay was named the winner at a gala ceremony where their achievements were celebrated, and they were announced the winners of the Best Dementia Care Team category. The judges commented: “A truly amazing care home team who put the residents at the heart of their work. Fantastic projects and initiatives and the willingness to share best practice is what really set the Upton Bay team apart.”

Congratulations! 🥇

To find out more about life at Upton Bay Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/upton-bay-care-home

💥 Three of our care homes are joining forces to raise funds for a local charity. 💥

Residents and colleagues at Wimborne, Denmead Grange and Bere Grove care homes are taking part in an 18-mile hike on Wednesday 10th July to raise money for the You Trust – Cycling Without Age.

Staff and residents at the homes are looking to help raise funds for this very important which unfortunately faces closure due to insufficient funding. Everyone is welcome to join in with the walk and all donations are welcome.

Cycling Without Age is a wonderful charity run by volunteers that provides freedom, movement and so much joy with their accessible trikes, enabling residents to explore their local area. Cycling Without Age helps care home residents live life to the fullest, enjoying the outdoors and gaining a new lease on life.

Sarah Peach, General Manager at Wimborne Care Home, said: “Taking part in fundraising for this charity is so important. Not just for Cycling Without Age but also for our residents that get such tremendous benefit from being out on the trike. The volunteers that come to the home and take our residents out have become part of the home so we want to do our very best to raise further awareness and money for the charity.”

You can make a donation by visiting: www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/cyclingwithoutagedonate

All contributions will be gratefully received.

At Ashcombe House, we always like to fill the home with fresh flowers, always on the dinning room tables. The residents like seeing the different seasonal flowers

🏳️‍🌈🌈 Residents, patients and colleagues across many of our care services came together to celebrate Pride Month in style with themed parties, live entertainment, fashion shows, delicious cakes and refreshing mocktails. 🏳️‍🌈🌈

Throughout June, the homes and hospitals were decorated with vibrant rainbows and bunting, embracing festivities from around the world.

Residents and patients, along with staff members, families and friends had a fantastic time experiencing the different parades and carnivals on offer, celebrating individuality, friendship, and equality.

A lovely time was had by all.

Please see a selection of photos below.

🌎 https://www.barchester.com/

👏 Join us in congratulating our CEO, Dr. Pete Calveley, on 10 remarkable years of leadership. 👏

Dr Pete Calveley comments: “It is never about one person’s achievement but about what you achieve as a team and we have achieved so much together. When I joined the business, our Good or Outstanding ratings were at just 40%, now we are at 86.6% Good or Outstanding which makes me incredibly proud. “

“Fundamental to great care is ensuring our residents and patients are safe and I’m exceptionally proud of our health and safety record. For the fifth time in six years, we have won the internationally acclaimed RoSPA Health & Safety Award for the entire healthcare sector which is no mean feat given the size of our business. This is incredibly important as we look after some of the most vulnerable people in society and their safety is paramount.”

“My vision for Barchester is continuous improvement – we have to ensure that we are always learning from the feedback we receive.”

To read the full article, please click on the link below:

https://www.carehomeprofessional.com/interview-ten-years-later-barchester-healthcare-ceo/

Barchester Healthcare

💐🌿 Virtual Visit to the Eden Project 🌎🍃

Residents and patients across our care services had a fantastic time exploring the Eden Project virtually - an educational charity and visitor attraction based in Cornwall, featuring sprawling outdoor gardens and breathtaking biomes that house the largest indoor rainforest in the world.

During the session, everyone had the chance to reconnect with nature through their senses, memories and stories. It was truly a heartwarming experience.

A big thank you to Claire and Tracey from the Eden Project’s Community Team for the wonderful event.

Eden Project Communities

To find out more about our Life Enrichment Programme, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/life-barchester/activities

Students from Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke delivered today's activities. Residents took part in Bingo, made a family tree and ended with a great quiz ! We were all shocked at some of the answers. It was a wonderful afternoon and the residents love spending time with the wonderful students studying Health & social care.

👏 Staff, residents, families and friends at Field House Care Home in Shropshire have taken part in a charity rounders tournament and also held a coffee morning to raise funds for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. 👏

Staff and residents at the home got stuck in to help raise funds for this very important cause. Lingen Davies Cancer Fund is celebrating 45 years of providing outstanding cancer care and they are hoping to raise £45,000 in order to mark this special occasion.

At Field House, everyone agreed that this charity was their choice because it has helped each and every person at some point in their lives. Staff and residents also agreed that the charity provides the utmost support during the hardest times.

Paula Wiggan, General Manager, and Caroline Davis, Activity Coordinator, at Field House shared the home’s donation with Karen Roberts, Community and Volunteer Fundraiser.

Jean, Resident Ambassador at the home, said: “Taking part in fundraising for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund has been a huge amount of fun and everyone at the home has been behind us all the way. It is great to have visitors in our home, especially when it raises money for such an important cause and one very close to our hearts here at Field House. We’re very glad to be able to do our bit to raise further awareness and funds for the charity.”

Field House raised a grand total of £400, which has been donated to Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. The home has pledged to raise further funds by dedicating all of their upcoming coffee mornings and charity events to the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.

To find out more about life at Field House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/field-house-care-home

🎵 Red Oaks Care Home in Henfield was buzzing with excitement when music royalty, Dave Rowntree from Blur, joined an intergenerational music therapy session hosted by Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity. 🎵

The fantastic team from Nordoff and Robbins are regular visitors to the home and their wonderful intergenerational sessions as part of Henfield Community Partnership are always loved by all the residents and members of the local community, however this one was at another level!

Nordoff and Robbins are hosting the O2 Silver Clef Awards on Friday 5 July where Blur, one of the most iconic and enduring bands of the last three decades, will receive the O2 Silver Clef Award for outstanding contributions to music.

Dave Rowntree commented: “Today has been a truly magical experience, it really is what music is all about – connecting with people and seeing the transformative effect music has on their lives. It was fantastic to see how people’s faces lit up when they were playing and listening to the music. As a professional musician, you’re often quite far removed from seeing the real effect music has, either locked away in a studio or on a huge stage far from the crowd but seeing people’s faces up close has been absolutely wonderful. I hope to do lots more sessions like this, it has been so joyful. Thanks so much to everyone at Red Oaks for having me.”

To find out more about life at Red Oaks Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/red-oaks-care-home

📚 The bookshelves at South Chowdene Care Home in in Low Fell, Gateshead were treated to some new additions last week, following a talk from published local author, Glenda Young. 📚

South Chowdene residents Maureen and Edna went to Birtley Library recently for a talk by Glenda Young - Author, a talented local author. The residents heard about how Glenda got into writing and her early books about ‘Corrie’. Glenda talked about growing up in Ryhope and the mining background which gave her the inspiration for her books. Her latest book however is set further afield and is about the Toffee Factory in Chester le Street and the story also uses the Belgian area ‘Elisabethville’ during WW2 in Birtley. The book is named ‘The Toffee Factory Girls’.

Edna is an avid reader and it is a dream come true to actually meet an author in person. She very much enjoyed the local history angle in Glenda’s talk, so much so that she now has five Glenda Young books to read so it is fair to say that Glenda has got a new fan!

Julie Baron, General Manager at the home, remarked: “Our residents all love to read and to discuss their favourite books, so to have a talk from a published, local author who has written about topics that are so close to their hearts and is part of the fabric of their memories, was such a great experience.”

To find out more about life at South Chowdene Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/south-chowdene-care-home