West Abbey Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare

A few residents from West Abbey would like to give children a few wise words to all the children just starting school , or moving up to secondry school .

Residents and all the staff wish the best of luck and happiness for the future .

For more information on life at West Abbey , please visit our website -

htts:/www.barchester.com/home/west -abbey-care-centre

After a little shopping trip , what a better way to end with a trip to petes buns. The residents always enjoy a trip out whether its local or far away .

For more information on life at West Abbey care centre , please visit our website

htts:/www.barchester.com/home/westabbey-care-centre

🏍️ Community Bike Night! 🏍️

Here at West Abbey Care Home we would like to extend a huge thank you to Westlands Classic Motorcycle Club based in Yeovil for hosting our first ever bike night!

A selection of 30 bikes arrived for our residents to admire and reminisce of memories involving motorcyles. We would like to extend a thank you to the community members of Yeovil that joined us, our kitchen and host team for a fantastic selection of refreshments and hot dogs! The residents were extremely grateful for the event and would like to thank Nikki & Lois for their hardwork planning the evening.

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

🍺 Walk and talk 🍺

Here at West Abbey, the residents enjoyed a walk and talk around our community , with a stop to our local pub for a refreshing beverage! Sometimes its the simple things in life that makes us 🙂

For more information on life at west Abbey please visit our website -

htts:/www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

Its Summer BBQ time!

Here at West Abbey we have been celebrating summer by hosting ourannual summer BBQ here within the grounds.

Residents and relatives enjoyed a selection of homemade treats and refreshments, served by our Host Ryan.

Alongside enjoying the food, everyobe was up swinging to performer and singer Jan.

It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all.

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit our website -
https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

Join us here at West Abbey care home in Yeovil for our open day on Saturday 31st of August. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore our grounds, meet the team and enjoy some entertainment! Please feel free to pop in or book a tour by call 01935 411136

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit our website on - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

Join us here at West Abbey this Thursday for our Motorbike Night! We have paired up with local Yeovil Bike Club to create a bike show within our grounds. Resident, relatives and community members are welcome to join us.

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre/life-at-our-home

☀️Summer fête reminiscing☀️

With the buzz of our upcoming Summer party, residents gathered and reminisced about summer fetes and garden parties, from baking a cake for the school fair to winning a coconut or putting on a whole spread for friends to enjoy.
Resident’s took part in a mini fete with guess the amount of sweets in a jar 🍭🍬and name teddy 🧸.finishing of with a taste of coconut water And good old fashioned sing along.

🏋️Keep Fit 🏋️‍♀️

Craig from Communifit leads our weekly seated exercise class with expertise, guiding us through a variety of beneficial exercises.
Physical health, mental well-being, cognitive function, and sleep all benefit greatly from regular exercise, especially for the elderly.
The best part? It's enjoyable!

Thank you, Craig, for your dedication to keeping us fit! 💪

Following the success of our first Menopause event, join us here at West Abbey on the 13th of September for our support group.

For more information on our care home or to reserve your place please visit -

https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

🚂All aboard the West Abbey Express! 🚂

Residents embarked on a memorable train journey, exploring the scenic views along the Yeovil railway center. The picturesque countryside was a delight to behold from the train. Another highlight of the trip was the intricate model railway that captivated everyone's attention. A special thank you to all the dedicated volunteers whose hard work made this experience truly remarkable. 🚂🌿

Rural Rhymes and Reminiscing

While many are looking forward to summer holidays, farmers are focused on the upcoming harvest season. Jan shared captivating farming stories and displayed a variety of items from the agriculture industry.

🌾🚜

🍦🍨 Icecream for all 🍨🍦

With the warm weather here, reminiscing about seaside trips, and the familiar sound of the ice cream van on a warm day, childhood memories come flooding back, and inspired some creativity. Recently, our baking group united to craft our own West Abbey lemon and lime ice cream. Residents eagerly gathered to savor this unique flavor and indulge in an ice cream sundae station. The experience was a delightful treat for all! 🍦🍋🍨

🎶Music is food for the soul 🎶

We have had a musical extravaganza with Jan McNeill - Entertainer and Speaker kicking us off with a song request special and singing all our favourites in between she had us all singing along,
And Emma pike sang all our favourite songs from the musicals and we just had to show her our dance moves.

We offer residents a diverse array of activities to enjoy, including garden games, exercise class, baking, scrabble, and weekly outings. Engaging in these activities is crucial for their enrichment, fostering both physical and mental well-being. Join us in promoting a healthy and vibrant community through these engaging initiatives!

🚰 🚚 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.

🗞️ 📰 Read all about it! 🗞️ 📰

Here at West Abbey we want to thank Western Gazette for our press coverage this week! In this weeks issue you can read all about our Managing Director, Natasha’s fantastic charity efforts.

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

🚌 West abbey on the road 🚌

When Robbie was asked what he would like to wish for, he had a simple request – to have a traditional lardy cake fresh from a bakery. Laura and Nicky were happy to oblige, No wish is to big or to small for our Activities Team.They set about making a trip to The Bakery A303, set just to the side of the A303, surrounded by beautiful countryside. Residents were spoilt for choice with brownies, shortbread, doughnuts, and more. Taking their goodies, they then headed over to the Camelicious Cafe for refreshments and to enjoy the freshly baked goods they brought.

☀️Fun in the Sun ☀️

Residents had a great time today engaging in some lawn games under the sun! From boules and croquet to lawn darts, the morning was filled with fun activities. To top it off, everyone enjoyed a delightful tea and cake session. Perfect way to kickstart the day! 🌞🌿🍰

🥣🥐Professional breakfast 🥐🥣

Our monthly gathering, featuring delicious pastries and nourishing porridge to kickstart our day. 🌞

Join us for an enriching session where participants engage in lively conversations, exchange brilliant ideas, and foster valuable connections. 🤝 Don't miss this opportunity to network, collaborate, and explore synergies to work together towards shared goals. 💼✨

Staff and residents at West Abbey care home are celebrating because their wonderful Managing Director, Natasha Lazovic, from Barchester’s South Division, has stepped completely out of her comfort zone to compete in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2024.

Natasha went head to head with the Managing Directors from Barchester’s four other divisions and cooked up a storm to raise a phenomenal £24,595 for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life. Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2023 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £225,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to 160 small groups and charities, plus 87 individuals in one year alone.

Natasha made some fabulous dishes for her Cook Off Challenge, first she prepared Roast Chicken Breast with smoked bacon mash and a wild mushroom veloute sauce before she moved on to her Sticky Date and Ginger Sponge with caramel sauce both of which were very well received by the judging panel made up members of Barchester’s Executive team. She was pipped at the post but highly commended by the judges none the less and her division raised the most amount of money for the Foundation, an impressive £11,595.

🚌West Abbey on The Road 🚌

Residents at west Abbey had a special day out this week visiting Glenda Spooner Farm, an international charity dedicated to horse welfare.

One resident, Rosemary, had a childhood dream fulfilled as she longed to see horses again. The visit allowed them to see the horses up close in the stables and running free in the fields, making for a delightful morning.

🚘🏖️Holidays and Travel🏖️🚘

Reflecting on a delightful trip down memory lane with Jan Millward from Rural Rhymes and Reminiscing! Dive into the nostalgia of family beach days, travel adventures, and the classic "Are we there yet?" moments. Exploring old maps, reliving the modes of travel that got us there, and cherishing holiday keepsakes has been a true joy.

🌊

☀️ Our residents here at West Abbey have been thoroughly enjoying the recent sunny weather. Its great opportunity to enjoy our gardens! The gardens are utilised for activities and relatives visiting.

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

Here at West Abbey we successfully hosted our first Menopause Awareness event on Friday hosted in collaboration with SS&L

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Janet Phillips our host and the ladies that attended. The group was informal, supportive and interactive. The group decided to formally meet here once per month with a selection of guest speakers and topics to concentrate on going forward. The group is looking forward to expanding so please follow our page for more information.

If you are interested in life at West Abbey Care Centre please visit our website - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre

FINAL CALL!

Join us here at West Abbey in Yeovil for our first ever Menopause Awareness Event hosted by SS&L. This is a free event to learn about symptoms, emotions and therapies. Please RSVP to 01935 411136.

For more information on life at West Abbey please visit - https://www.barchester.com/home/west-abbey-care-centre/life-at-our-home

🍰 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

⭐ 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.

🏳️‍🌈🌈 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

👏 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

💃 Florence, a resident at Epsom Beaumont Care Home, used to dance for Italia Conti in London. 💃

Founded in 1911, Italia Conti is one of the leading Performing Arts institutions in the country. Recently, Florence had the amazing opportunity to go back to the Italia Conti and relive her dancing days.

Florence is now 98 years old. She danced at the Italia Conti from the age of 8 until 15 years old. During her time there, Florence was selected by a film company to dance in the film ‘The Land Without Music’. She learnt ballet and even had the opportunity to perform for the founder, Miss Italia Conti herself. Unfortunately, aged 15, Florence was evacuated because of the war, but she always kept her passion for dancing throughout her life, and still dances now.

On arrival, Florence was greeted by Principal and CEO, Hayley Newton-Jarvis. Hayley was very interested to meet Florence and learn about her past, she was amazed to learn that Florence had the privilege to meet Miss Italia Conti and perform for her 90 years ago. Florence and Louisa, Activity Coordinator at the home, were then invited to watch a ballet class with the students at the Italia Conti.

Florence said: “It was so lovely to be able to observe the ballet class, the girls danced beautifully! I was very impressed. I am so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity to visit the Italia Conti again, and revisit my past and love of dancing”

To find out more about life at Epsom Beaumont Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/epsom-beaumont-care-home

🎉 Staff and residents at Bushey House Beaumont Care Home were delighted to welcome Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden CBE and Councillor Paul Morris OBE for a visit to the home. 🎉

Oliver and Paul met with residents and team members at the beautiful Hertfordshire home with its impressive landscaped gardens.

Oliver Dowden spoke to the residents about being a local boy and told them he went to school in the area. As the former MP and Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hertsmere, he has huge interest in the local area. He outlined current conservative policies on key topics such as green belt and the economy and then Oliver and Paul took questions from residents. One of the residents gave the Deputy PM a bit of a grilling regarding how many new homes have been built in this area during his term.

Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, commented: “It was really important for me to visit Bushey House Beaumont to see first-hand the amazing work the staff here do. It also gave me a very timely opportunity during Carers’ Week to thank the team for all that they do. I very much enjoyed meeting and chatting to all the residents, everyone gave me such a warm welcome, although it did remind me of a recent interview with Fiona Bruce at times!”

Mary Jane Bague, General Manager at the home, said: “It was wonderful to meet Oliver and Councillor Morris and to introduce them to our fantastic team and our fabulous residents, everyone very much enjoyed chatting to them and showing off our beautiful home.”

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