31

Mar

Our care home keeps car-mad Barry’s memories fresh with the smell of engine oil and car polish

Memories of maintaining milk trucks at the North Staffs Dairy are being kept alive for our resident, Barry Webb, 83, thanks to a specialist kit to help him reminisce.

Barry is transported back to his years as a mechanic at the Cooperative dairy in Sneyd Green in the 1980s with a ‘Scentscape’.

Designed to recreate the smells of Barry’s career the kit includes scents of engine oil, sawdust and car polish. It even includes a soundtrack which plays sound effects of someone working on a car engine.

A photograph of the Cooperative dairy hangs in Barry’s room at Barrowhill Hall and our team researched Barry’s life story with him and his family and discovered his love of vehicles went back even further.

Prior to working at the dairy he spent his days working with his dad, who owned a mechanic business repairing and servicing cars.

Barry’s son, Andrew, says, “Dad loves cars! He loved working with them and fixing them. He used to love visiting any scrap yard he could find and his favourite car was a Saab. It’s brilliant the staff at Barrowhill Hall are able to bring so much joy to him by recreating his memories through his favourite smells.”

The combination of using smell and sound together, gives Barry access to memories that may otherwise be difficult to reach.

Ruth Hoult, activities coordinator at the home explains,

“Smell is very evocative and it can be used to evoke memories, which is great for our residents living with dementia and memory loss. As well as recalling memories, sensory experiences help to improve communication as it encourages conversation. Smell can also create a warm feeling of familiarity for our residents and that can be very comforting.

“We always want to support our residents with their hobbies. We know Barry loves cars and so this sensory kit is perfect for him. When he uses it, it really brings his memories of fixing and working on cars to life. It certainly got him talking about car mechanics!”

When Barry uses the sensory kit he says, “I love the smell of engine oil and car polish!” He talks about his time as a mechanic and he tells the staff and other residents how to maintain their cars.

Ruth says, “It’s great hearing Barry’s stories and on a practical note I now know how to fix my car if I get an oil leak!”

31

Mar

Ex-professional footballer still enjoys a kick about with residents

Paul Williams, 79, lives with us at Barrowhill Hall and our staff were impressed to learn that in his younger days he’d had a short spell as a professional footballer for Shrewsbury Town!

Paul ended his short time with Shrewsbury Town to become a civil servant but when he later moved to Uttoxeter, his passion for football found him back on the pitch. He played centre forward, this time at amateur level, for Uttoxeter All Stars and Uttoxeter Amateurs and he continued to play for both teams for over five years.

Paul’s two sons Mark and Darren Williams used to watch him play his Sunday matches.

Mark says, “Dad loves football, it’s been a huge part of his life both as a player and as a fan.”

Darren says, “He used to love going to watch games – his passion is Hereford United.  He went to most home games and he has a framed shirt signed by the team hanging in his room at Barrowhill Hall.

“While he can no longer go to the matches the home makes an effort to put football games on the TV for him.”

Whilst Paul may have swapped the stadiums for the residents’ lounge, Ruth Hoult our activities coordinator, makes sure football is one of the activities Paul can enjoy with his fellow residents.

She says,

“The thing I love about my job is making sure the residents are happy and can continue to do what they love. We get to know all our residents as individuals and we find out what they enjoy doing and also what they don’t like!

“Paul is not as mobile as he’d like to be these days, but we play seated games.  It keeps him connected to what he loves.”

Maintaining skills and hobbies, like football, is beneficial for residents’ mental health, from improving confidence, self-esteem and cognition to supporting social interaction, general happiness and improved mood. However, the physical benefits are also equally important. Sports and exercise for residents living with dementia improves strength, maintains strong muscles and flexible joints as well as improving cardiovascular health.

Our care home manager Dania Meadows says,

“The main thing for residents is stimulation and our activities team here work tirelessly to provide that, in a whole range of ways. Our games are a lot of fun but most importantly they maintain the health and wellbeing of our residents.

“Our resident’s lives should be full of meaning and purpose and we help to make that happen by ensuring the things that are important to them, are important to us.”

31

Mar

Our gardener creates a dementia-friendly garden

Jack Beddows has been the head gardener here at Barrowhill Hall for over four years. Our home has a large garden, which he has evolved whilst keeping the residents at the heart of all his garden planning and decisions.

Three years ago Bob Flowerdew, from Radio 4’s ‘Gardeners’ Question Time was a special guest at our home, where plans for a dementia-friendly garden were discussed. With hard work and dedication and despite delays due to COVID and lockdown, Jack has brought the plans to fruition.

He has created a dementia-friendly garden and is always “inspired” by the care home’s residents.

He says,

“For me, having a dementia-friendly garden is all about making it a sensory space, which positively impacts the residents. I make sure everything we do in the garden is tailored to their needs. I prioritise scents, bright colours and textures and we use a lot of very tactile plants, which the residents get a lot of enjoyment from.

“A great part of my job is chatting to the residents, they love a chat! They’ll ask me the names of the different plants and they let me know the garden is looking nice.”

Jack uses foliage with powerful aromas including Lavender plants, Rosemary bushes and Bay trees, which is the most appealing thing about the garden for resident Joan Gough, 79.

She says, “I love looking at and smelling the flowers, it brings back memories of my own garden.”

Jack makes the garden inviting, inclusive and accessible. He explains, “We have wide flat paths for easy access, outdoor seating and social areas and I use raised beds and hanging baskets to give our residents better access to the flowers without having to bend down.

“I always prioritise the flowers beds next to the home’s windows and these beds have also been extended so the residents can enjoy the garden as much from indoors as outdoors. I make sure the hedges and trees are trimmed so the residents and visitors can enjoy the extensive views across the countryside.”

Resident Diann Boden, 73, likes walking in the garden and makes the most of the outdoor seating, she says, “I enjoy sitting on this bench because I love looking at the beautiful views over the fields.”

Val Barnes, activities coordinator at Churnet Lodge, the home’s specialist household for those living with young onset dementia says, “Being younger, a lot of our residents have different needs to the main house and are very mobile, so the garden is a space we utilise a lot. We play games out there, our residents help with the gardening and plant bulbs, it’s also the inspiration for a lot of our art and craft sessions!

“There’s a lot for our residents to look at, they enjoy watching the birds on the bird feeders and we have the cows which come up to the perimeter fence. The dementia-friendly garden is also a very peaceful place and being able to touch the leaves gives our residents a physical connection with nature, which is very calming and grounding.”

Jack says, “Although I’m the gardener here our garden is certainly a joint effort with lots of people getting involved. It’s very rewarding to know it brings so much joy to the residents.”

31

Mar

Robotic pets bring ‘comfort and happiness’ to our residents

Our home has two communal robotic dogs and one robotic cat and our residents enjoy the calming effects of stroking the ‘animals’.

The life-size pets include a sensor which allows them to move in response to our residents’ voices, and the cats purr and meow and just like real cats.

For nursing resident Richard Rogers, 71, known as Kev, the robotic pets bring a lot of happiness to his daily life.

“Kev is bed bound so it’s really nice to be able to sit the robotic animals on his bed with him, they bring him a lot of comfort,” says his wife Bev Rogers, “he does joke about them not being real, but he’ll still strokes them and it’s very therapeutic for him.”

Ruth Hoult our activities coordinator has seen the special bond that residents form with the robotic pets and the benefits they bring. She explains;

“Most of our residents here at the home live with dementia and we’ve found over the years that animals promote a very calm and relaxing atmosphere.

“These robotic pets are a lovely substitute for the pet therapy animals and they have a very positive impact on our residents’ day-to-day wellbeing. They bring a lot of happiness to our home.”

Pet therapy has been proven to have many long-term health and wellbeing benefits for older people, such as reducing anxiety and helping to lift their mood.

Another benefit of the robotic pets, particularly for people who are living with dementia, is that they are less likely to behave unpredictably, allowing people to relax. They provide company and residents can enjoy a sense of independence in ‘taking care’ of the animals as if they were their own pets.

Resident Patricia Clegg, age 88, was bought a robotic cat for her birthday by her daughter Louise Forsyth and she named him Toby. Ruth says, “Patricia really loves Toby, when he’s with her he calms her and she holds him almost like a baby, she’s very nurturing with him.”

Our care home manager Dania Meadows says,

“The main thing for residents is stimulation and the robotic pets help hugely with this. They help to keep their minds focused. Like real pets, they can be stroked, cuddled and pampered. Many of the residents talk to the dogs and cats and take responsibility for them, which helps them to feel a sense of ownership and purpose.”

“We all love our robotic dogs and cats and better still they are very easy to look after!”

31

Mar

Care is a rewarding career say our young team members

Abigail Hudson, 21, Kirstyn Williams, 20 and 19 year old Chloe Beardmore, are all healthcare assistants here at Barrowhill Hall.

Abigail, from Rocester, has been working in the care sector since she was 18 and has been a private carer and a community carer in Staffordshire before she began working at Barrowhill Hall. She says,

“I enjoyed community work but the travel was a lot. I was driving everywhere from Kings Bromley to Tamworth and all the travel was affecting my mental health.

“My boyfriend’s mum and sister work at Barrowhill Hall and they encouraged me to apply for a job here. I would definitely recommend care work to other young people. The best part of the job is the satisfaction you get from helping others.”

Kirstyn, from Tean, is currently in her second year of a Psychology degree at Keele University. And works part-time at the home. She wants to go and study medicine and says her role as a carer has taught her invaluable resident care skills.

“With the hands-on skills, I’ve learnt so much about resident care, more than I ever could learn from books. It’s an incredible experience. For me a huge part of the role is learning how to interact with different levels of resident care. All residents are completely different and what works for one doesn’t work for the other, we have to always tailor our care to the individual.

“I love meeting people. Meeting the families is a big part of the job and we have to work as a team otherwise nothing would get done!

“My favourite bit of the day though is seeing the residents in their happy element and the satisfaction you get from it.”

For Chloe, from Cheadle, it was her grandad, Ken, who motivated her to take on a role caring for and helping elderly residents.

“My grandad is my favourite person!,” she says. “He really inspired me to work in the care sector. Seeing the residents happy and giving them the care they need makes me happy. It’s such a rewarding job and it’s fun too; we are always doing all sorts of activities from painting the residents’ nails to drawing with them.

“You get really close relationships with the residents, we’re like a family.”

Care home manager, Dania Meadows, says, “

“It’s brilliant to see young people in care roles and we would love to have more on our team. I think there’s something in the bond they create with the residents, having had a more recent relationship with grandparents. Our residents certainly love them!

“I’m very committed to all the staff here and if they want to progress, we will help them. This doesn’t just have to be a job, it can be a career, there’s no end to where it could lead.”

 

31

Mar

My grandad inspired me to become a carer says 19-year-old Chloe

19 year old Chloe Beardmore is a healthcare assistant here at Barrowhill Hall and she says working in care is hugely rewarding and recommends other young people consider it as a career.

She says there are many reasons why someone should consider a career in care but for her, it was her grandad, Ken, who was her motivation in taking on a role caring for and helping elderly residents.

“My grandad is my favourite person!” she says. “He really inspired me to work in the care sector. I used to look after him a lot and he just lives around the corner.

“Seeing the residents happy and giving them the care they need makes me happy. It’s such a rewarding job and it’s fun too; we are always doing all sorts of activities from painting the residents’ nails to drawing with them.

“You get really close relationships with the residents, we’re like a family.”

Prior to working at the care home Chloe was a qualified lifeguard and swimming teacher at Cheadle Leisure Centre and she wanted to continue working a role where she was able to help people. She says;

“The great thing about being a carer is that I didn’t need to have qualifications. I have been able to train on the job and the home is going to help me to do my NVQ qualifications whilst I work here. When you first start you are always working with someone experienced so you can shadow them and learn the ropes. It’s very hands on and there’s a lot of team work involved.

“It’s also great because I’ve been able to continue the swimming lessons and I teach 2-3 days per week alongside my role here.”

Care home manager, Dania Meadows, says;

“It’s brilliant to see young people in care roles and we would love to have more on our team.  Qualifications aren’t always necessary – those can be studied for – but what you can’t teach is care and compassion, and Chloe has that in spades.

“You can see her bonding with the residents, no doubt because of that special relationship she has with her grandad. Younger carers often have that due to their more recent relationships with their grandparents. Our residents certainly love Chloe!

“I’m very committed to all the staff here and if they want to progress, we will help them. This doesn’t just have to be a job, it can be a career, there’s no end to where it could lead.”

23

Oct

Families applaud Barrowhill Hall’s “brilliant job” during lockdown

Kaz Williams’ dad, Jim Simnett, has lived with us for 18 months, while Wendy Burton’s husband, Ian, moved into the home’s Churnet Lodge household four years ago because of his young onset dementia.

“Dad really settled into Barrowhill Hall after we tried a couple of places nearer to home,” said Kaz, who lives in Stapenhill in Burton on Trent.

Jim looks at cards and photos from his family
Jim with cards and photos from his family

“He’s very happy here.  He loves to sit in the lounge in front of the fireplace and put his feet up.

“I can’t fault the staff.  They are doing a brilliant job.  I’d love to be able to touch him and hug him but I know that’s not possible at the moment.”

Kaz, her two sisters and her mum, used to visit two or three times a week.  Their children and Jim’s grandchildren did, too.

They now visit weekly at the window or, when it’s permitted, in a chalet that’s been installed in the garden.  This is where families can sit with their loved ones at a safe distance and wearing masks.

“We’re not sure how much he realises what’s going on,” said Kaz, “but the first time I saw him in the family chalet, he said to me, “Where have you been?”  That’s the most he’s said to me in ages!”

Reassuring care offers Wendy a chance to rest

Wendy used to regularly make a 42-mile round trip from her home in Derbyshire to visit husband, Ian.  Much as she misses him, the lockdown has been a chance for her to have a break.

“The whole situation has only been concerning in that it’s out of my control.  But, I feel really confident in him being at Churnet Lodge,” she said.

“I know I can call at any time to see how he is and we get weekly updates every Wednesday.  Our daughters and I went to see him a while ago in the chalet.  Although we were wearing masks, he knew who we were, even though he can’t speak to us anymore.

“He put our coffee cups together, which was really romantic, and he sat with us for maybe half an hour.  He usually wants to walk all the time.  He looked so well, it was wonderful to see him.”

Churnet Lodge offers care for those living with early on-set dementia and memory loss.  Our main building, Barrowhill Hall, offers both residential and nursing dementia care.

Keeping residents and families in contact

Our families have access to a private Facebook group where staff can share photos and information.  Home manager, Matthew Whitfield, holds monthly meetings for families via Zoom so they can share any questions or concerns.

“I’m always available at the end of the phone should a family member want to speak to me,” he said.

“We keep them in touch with their loved ones as much as possible.  We know it’s not the same as being able to hold their hand.  Their patience and understanding has been amazing and we would like to thank them for that.”

Recent research suggests confidence among the public to move a relative into residential care has fallen during the pandemic.  Around a third of respondents are now less likely to seek a place for their loved one.

Confident to come into care

Sharon Farnell’s mum, Eileen, has lived at Barrowhill Hall for just over a year.  She said people should have confidence in choosing to move a relative in.

“I would like to be able to see Mum more but I know the staff are trying to keep her and all the other residents safe.

“I’ve recommended Barrowhill Hall to a number of friends,” she said.  “They are getting to a point where their relative needs care and I don’t want them to be put off by the pandemic.”

30

Sep

Tean nurse speaks of ‘brilliant’ social care industry during pandemic

A nurse from Tean hopes social care workers will get more recognition as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lucy Salt, a nurse at Barrowhill Hall
Lucy Salt at work at Barrowhill Hall

Lucy Salt, 28, started work at Barrowhill Hall – her first job in the care sector – just three months ahead of the national outbreak.

“Before this happened, I think care homes were forgotten,” said Lucy. “Now, I think there’s more awareness.  I hope people will have more respect for us and the job we do.’’

Day-to-day care of more than 60 residents at Barrowhill Hall changed in advance of the pending pandemic.

Strict infection control measures were put in place.  Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and checking their own and residents’ temperatures became mandatory for all staff.

“As a nurse I am used to minimising infection but the pandemic changed things completely,” said Lucy.

Because our residents are living with dementia they don’t all understand why things have changed, why we’re wearing masks or why they can’t see their family.”

Keeping residents and staff safe continues to be the priority for Barrowhill Hall.

The home closed its doors to all but essential visitors two weeks ahead of government recommendations.  It introduced hand sanitising at the door as well as a disinfectant mat for staff to walk through.

Resident safety is priority

Through close liaison with Public Health England, managers at the home act on the very latest guidance.   Staff check their temperatures before starting care and residents’ health is closely monitored.

Lucy, a former respiratory nurse for the NHS, believes the events of the last three months have brought her and her colleagues closer together.

“Everyone’s worked as a team.  They’ve all been really supportive of me.  I have a two year old little girl at home and I was worried about keeping her safe, but everything has been done to protect us and the residents.’’

The community has given Barrowhill Hall a huge amount of support.  Encouraging messages have been posted on social media and donations including masks, hand creams, and treats for residents and staff, have been sent in.

Lucy hopes their recognition of care workers will continue.

Every day is different

“I may not work in a hospital setting but I am still a Registered Nurse, and social care is a brilliant place to work,” said Lucy.

“I’m thankful to the NHS for the experience it gave me but here I can build relationships with the residents. I’ve got time to talk to them and to hear their stories.  And every day is different.  I love it.”

“These are unprecedented times but Lucy has coped amazingly well,” said home manager, Matthew Whitfield.

“As well as being caring, you have to be adaptable in a care setting.  I’m proud of the way Lucy, and her colleagues, have supported one another and have responded to the demands placed on them’’

30

Sep

A huge “THANK YOU!” to the community for its support

Staff have been overwhelmed by the support the local community has shown for them and its residents during the coronavirus outbreak.

Barrowhill Hall has received donations of personal protective equipment including masks and visors.  Plus, hand-made laundry bags, hand creams, sanitisers, and treats for residents and staff.

Paintings and messages from children at Dove First School
Paintings and messages from children at Dove First School

Support from young friends

Children from Dove First School on Ashbourne Road sent in pictures and messages.

Residents received paintings and letters from youngsters from Abbotsholme School who would normally visit the home every week.

“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone,” said the home’s manager, Matthew Whitfield.  “’We’ve been deeply touched by the goodwill in our community.

Carers at Barrowhill Hall show off masks made by students at Denstone College
Carers at Barrowhill Hall show off visors made by students at Denstone College

Denstone College made visors in their Design and Technology department that we were very grateful to receive.

“Food sent to staff has fuelled their hard work and they have had lots of messages of support.

“It is a testing time for our team and to know there are people thinking about them means a huge amount.”

Biscuit and pizza treats

Uttoxeter-based Fox’s donated biscuits and Domino’s in the town sent in pizzas.

Two staff at Barrowhill Hall enjoying pizzas donated by a local takeaway
11 pizzas from Dominos in Uttoxeter went down well with staff

Local seamstress, Joan Sandbrooke, made laundry bags, fabric face masks and hairbands for staff to help protect their ears from the masks’ elastic.

“I thought it would be a good gesture to help the community at such a difficult time,” she said.

Families have shown their support

The home has received countless messages of appreciation from residents’ families.  They’ve been kept in touch with loved ones via video calls and phone-calls.

A private Facebook group has been set up where they can exchange photos and messages.

“Their patience and understanding has not gone unnoticed,” commented Matthew.  “We’ve always been close to our community here, but we feel it even more so now.”

Matthew and his colleagues have come in for praise from the home’s director, Dion Meechan.

“I can’t say enough what a fantastic team we have here,” he said.  “They have all been putting the extra hours in where needed and always with a smile.

“The residents are their priority.  Although the staff have tough days, they always step up to the mark and do their very best.  I’m immensely proud of them.”

30

Sep

Barrowhill Hall celebrates more than 370 years of love!

Love was most definitely in the air on Valentine’s Day when our residents celebrated 372 years of love!

Husbands and wives were invited to Barrowhill Hall on February 14th 2020 to celebrate their relationships.  A special lunch included lamb stroganoff, chocolate cupcakes and heart-shaped truffles.

A special wedding anniversary

Among them were Ian and Dulcie Thornewill.  They were also celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary.  The couple met when they were just teenagers at a church youth club in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

Ian and Dulcie Thornewill celebrate Valentine's Day at Barrowhill Hall with their wedding photos
Ian and Dulcie with their wedding photos

“We decided to get married on Valentine’s Day because it just seemed a suitable date,” remembered Dulcie.

“Ian enjoyed looking at our wedding photos.  He could remember his mum and dad and his brother.

“This is our first anniversary since he moved into Barrowhill Hall.  Being apart is difficult, but the staff made it very special.”

Barrowhill Hall is a 74-bedroomed specialist dementia care and nursing home on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border.

It consists of two households. Churnet Lodge offers care for those those with early on-set dementia and memory loss.

Barrowhill Hall offers both residential and specialist nursing dementia care.

A celebration of love

Becky Buckley is the home’s activities manager.

“The event was an opportunity to celebrate love,” she said, “and for the couples to reminisce about what brought them together.

“We get to know partners really well when people move in with us.  There were so many wedding photos to look at!  They brought back happy and comforting memories.  There were smiles, laughter and lots of hand-holding which was lovely to see.”

Love at first sight

Sean enjoys the special lunch with his wife, Joan, and their dog

Sean and Joan Devlin were one of the eight couples treated to lunch.  Now in their early 80s, Joan didn’t meet Sean until she was 43.

“We got together because of my mum,” Joan remembered.  “She’d been out for a walk and stopped for a rest opposite Sean’s house.  She was 82 and he offered to give her a lift home.  He was always helping people.

“When he dropped her off, he saw my photo hanging on the wall and that was it – it was love at first sight!”

The couple got married and bought a farm in Tutbury.  They turned it into Little Park Holiday Homes which they ran successfully for 20 years.  They then travelled the world in their retirement.

Twinkly eyes!

“He won me over with his twinkly eyes!” said Joan.  “He has vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease but he still has a sparkle.  He’s always been a one off!

“The lunch was spectacular!  A five-star hotel couldn’t have done better.  They are so good here, so kind; I can’t fault them.”