CornwallCare
s w e N r u O Winter 2016
CARE HOMES IN THE
SPOTLIGHT FINDING OUT WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON
e r a C l l a w n r Co
CELEBRATES A CLUTCH OF AWARDS! TOP STORIES Greg Woods, Music Therapy Gardening Club and Tilley’s Tea Room celebrations Luke Bond wins Home Care Co-ordinator Award
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Welcome
TO THE WINTER EDITION OF
Our News
The clocks have gone back and the leaves have fallen. Winter is upon us. Over the last few months, our homes and services have had a busy time enjoying various events and activities, from Halloween parties to musical therapy sessions and everything in between.
us across our homes, services and in our office. It is a privilege to know so many kind and dedicated people. It’s been a brilliant year for Cornwall Care – so let’s keep the trend going and make 2017 even better!
Once again, we have also been celebrating the success of our incredible staff, many of whom have been recognised internally and externally for providing excellent care.
Cornwall Care Cornwall Care House Glenthorne Court Truro Business Park Truro, TR4 9NY 01872 261787 welcome@cornwallcare.org www.cornwallcare.com
Contents
We are so proud to have such caring, compassionate and hardworking individuals working with
Robert Black, CEO
Top Stories ...................................................................3 Feature Story: Music Therapy Greg Woods .............................................................4 Sound Healing..........................................................6 Our Events: Homes in the Spotlight ...........................................8 Our News: Homes in the Spotlight .........................................12 Cornwall Care Noticeboard: ....................................14
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TOP STORIES THE LATEST NEWS AND HEADLINES FROM CORNWALL CARE
Staff shortlisted for a clutch of awards We are very proud to tell you that Cornwall Care has been shortlisted for a clutch of awards for the quality of its care and commitment to apprenticeships.
The Great British Care Awards are a celebration of excellence across the care sector; they put the frontline care workers at their heart. In their seventh year, Cornwall Care staff were nominated in six categories in the regional South West finals. The nominees were Julia Tyldesley, Care Home Manager category; Katie Dean, Front Line Leader category; Luke Bond, Home Care Co-ordinator category; Tania Williams, Ancillary Worker category; Sade Callaway, Activities Co-ordinator category; and Natalie Hudson, Care Innovator category. Cornwall Care was also nominated as Apprentice Employer of the Year in the Over 250 Employees category in this year’s
Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards. Robert Black, Chief Executive of Cornwall Care, said: “It is a huge credit to our skilled and dedicated staff to be nominated in so many categories in the Great British Care Awards and we hope to see them go forward to the national finals next year. “Apprentices also make a vital contribution to our business and we pride ourselves in offering award-winning training towards a rewarding career, where a genuinely caring, sensitive and respectful approach is at the core of everything we do.” Cornwall Care were also shortlisted for the Truro & Penwith College – Large Apprentice Employer of the year award, and; sponsored the Inaugural Care & Support Awards at the Eden Project on Friday 28th October. The awards were organised by the Cornwall Adult Health and Social Care Learning Partnership.
Luke Bond wins Great South West Care Award We are delighted to announce the success of Luke Bond, who was awarded the ‘Home Care Co-ordinator’ prize at the Great South West Care Awards.
Other internal awards:
On Saturday 12th November, 300 of the very best in social care attended a glittering awards ceremony at The Marriott City Centre Hotel, Bristol, for the finals of the Great South West Care Awards, where the category winners were announced.
Mary Simpson – described as Cinderella, quiet and dedicated, gets on with the job and makes the residents look lovely.
Luke Bond, Area Manager for St Ives and Penzance, has worked for Cornwall Care since 2013 and has become a well-loved member of the charity.
Kensa Vincent-Garland, Suzanne Roach, Chloe Pritchard and Denise Jarvis – planners who have worked extremely hard during and after the Oasis transition.
Not only does Luke provide exceptional care to his clients in the community, working out of his way (and hours) to help those in need, Luke also regularly promotes Cornwall Care, referring new staff to the services and sharing posts on social media.
Last but not least, Gail Lennon and Sara Rees have been awarded Long Service Awards for 20 years of service at Penberthy.
Jamie Cubeddu – recommended by a resident’s family for the extra special care given to their dying father.
Eddie Dunstan – Eddie is one of our residents and was nominated for his kindness to another resident.
Congratulations everyone!
We are so proud to have Luke as part of the team at Cornwall Care – he is a kind, hard-working young man who lifts the spirits of people wherever he goes – he definitely deserves to be awarded for his accomplishments and efforts. Luke was up against around 500 other nominees, a fantastic achievement. “I couldn’t believe it. It was such a proud moment to not just be there, but to win as well. It was just amazing!” said Luke Bond. Luke, humble as always, also said that he felt “none of this would have been possible without the commitment and support of my amazing community team in St Ives and Penzance, as well as the support of the team at the office, my boss Samantha Collins and planner Suzanne Roach.” Luke is looking forward to taking the next step to Birmingham, where the regional award winners will be shortlisted into the national awards. Best of luck Luke!
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FEATURE STORY
WHAT IS SAM? SAM stands for Sing Along Machine but is actually a musical gym for the brain. Why is exercising the brain important and how does SAM work? Learning to play a musical instrument can take many years. SAM is a basic instrument that you can learn to play in minutes. It uses five colour-coded keys that, along with a choice of styles, speed and pitch, can be used to accompany most western songs ever written. By adding colour-coded lyrics, the player can quickly sing a song from their past. These songs have been picked because for many, they lie deeper in the memory, but this is not the end of the story. Players can research their own favourite songs, colour-code them, print them off, and use SAM to create songs for every occasion. What is cognitive reserve and what impact does a song have on the brain? Imagine that the brain is made up of ten million brain cells, now
picture each of these brain cells looking like a fried egg! The yolk is the nucleus and the white is the body of the brain cell. Messages are sent from certain brain cells to other brain cells. We all have different amounts of brain cells but we can increase how many cells we have by regularly exercising our brain. For example, person “A” has done the same job since he left school 45 years ago, he visits the same holiday destination each year, believes study is for children, and prefers to spend his evening watching the TV. Person “A’s” brain has not been regularly exercised, so we will say that he has 100 million pathways in his brain. Person “B”, through study and promotion, has had a number of jobs in the last 45 years. She spends her holiday time visiting different locations in the world and tries to learn the language of the country she is going to visit. In her spare-time she has joined a rock choir, loves walking and is learning to play the piano.
Her brain is being exercised, so we will say she has 120 million pathways in her brain. The different amount between person ‘’A’’ and ‘’B’’ is 20 million pathways. This difference is her cognitive reserve which is like having a bit of money put aside for rainy days. So if ‘’A’’ and ‘’B’’ were to be diagnosed with dementia on the same day, person ‘’B’’ has more pathways and can withstand dementia for longer and have a better quality of life. The health of person ‘’A’’ could go downhill faster than person ‘’B’’ because they don’t have as many pathways. This is why building cognitive reserve is important. It does not prevent dementia, but could certainly hold back the tide for longer. So why does a song have an impact on our brain? Let’s think on that for a moment. What is our brain thinking when we sing a song? How long is the note? How high or low is the note? What is the next note, and the notes after that? What is the
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melody or tune? What words fit this tune? What memories does this tune make me remember? Important ways of creating cognitive reserve are aerobic exercise which brings fresh blood, nutrients and liquids to the brain, like learning new languages, seeking new challenges and, last but not least, playing, listening to or singing music. SAM is currently being used at home, in hospitals, day centres and care homes. Of course it would be beneficial to build cognitive reserve from birth. But by using SAM you can start at any time. SAM cannot reverse dementia, but it can improve the quality of life for people with early stage dementia. Their families, friends and caregivers
Greg Woods, founder and creator of SAM, believes that it is not acceptable to use an APP purchase to create funding, after all SAM is intended to help people avoid or deal with memory issues in the present. So his team have placed SAM onto the Apple Store for just £2.29. They need to sell 16,000 copies to recover the development cost, then they will use additional profits to make SAM available on all platforms.
department, so they need help from as many people as possible. Nobody will ever buy SAM if they do not hear of it or what it can do. Can you help us to build awareness of SAM and cognitive reserve? Do you have a large social network that you could use? Do you know anyone with memory issues that might benefit from using SAM? Are you a marketing expert? Are you a philanthropist that would like to invest in this project? Or would you buy a copy for just £2.29 in order to crowdfund the project? Greg and his team would really appreciate your help and support.
SAM is a small independent family initiative. They do not have infinite funds, large social networks or even a marketing
For more information, please visit: www.unitherapies.com or email: marketing@cornwallcare. org to register your interest.
will also benefit from their loved one having a better quality of life. And of course SAM is great for parties!
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SOUND HEALING Music therapy for older adults with dementia As the number of people being diagnosed with dementia increases, ways of alleviating symptoms are often at the forefront of the healthcare professionals’ minds. A key feature of dementia care is in the use of music as a form of therapy. Singing, for example, can engage more than just the brain and the area related to singing.
quiet group discussing vividly and telling stories about their experiences connected to those photos and music. Some of the issues that older adults experience can be helped through the power of music: • Cognitive skills: Music can help them process their thoughts and maintain memories.
Even if people suffering from dementia cannot talk, they may be able to sing, whistle, clap or tap their feet. It helps them, and their carers, to feel that their lives are worthwhile. It has been known that people with advanced dementia, with no language or recognition of people or things, can actually access certain parts of their brains and play a musical instrument!
Music can be used together with old photos or pictures (taken from old postcards or famous paintings), by looking at the old family pictures or making musical paintings or drawings. This can lead to a normally
• Physical skills: Music can inspire movement in older adults. Music and dancing promote co-ordination and can help with walking and endurance. Even if your loved one is not mobile, music can inspire toe-tapping and clapping, which gets the blood flowing once again. • Social skills: Increased social interaction with caregivers and others is another benefit music therapy can offer older adults. It encourages bonding with others, which in turn can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression. Music therapy is an amazing thing to give and to experience. Even at the end of life, a person can be contacted through the power of music and how wonderful is that?!
Music therapy for healthy older adults Music therapy is also beneficial for those without dementia. It is the therapist’s task to create favourable conditions where the person can access his or her own memory. The therapist should try to choose music that they can identify with and recognise from their own past.
help relax and ease some aggressive behaviours. Slow songs like ballads and lullabies can help prepare loved ones for bed or deal with changes to their routines that may cause agitation.
Many people associate music with past events and just hearing a song can evoke a memory even many years after an event.
We regularly see our home residents light up with joy in the presence of music. It really does make a difference.
• Speech skills: Music therapy has been proven to help older adults answer questions, make decisions and speak more clearly. • Stress reduction: Some caregivers have difficulty managing their loved one’s stress and agitation. Playing music that they enjoy can
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AN AB FAB
SURPRISE Joanna Lumley wrote a personal letter to a resident of Cedar Grange in Launceston Legendary British actress Joanna Lumley, best-known for her role as Patsy Stone in TV’s ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, brought a smile to the face of Susan Beale, a resident at Cedar Grange in Launceston. Susan has an advanced form of dementia and earlier this year became a resident at Cedar Grange, a 60-bed specialist residential care home with a focus on nursing care for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s and mental health conditions, in Lanstephan, Launceston. One day, Susan told the home’s manager, Michelle Wray, about her life in London. Susan explained how her neighbour had once been former Bond girl Joanna Lumley. This led to them contacting Joanna’s PA to ask if Joanna could do something
nice for Susan. The much-loved British actress, who has enjoyed parts in shows like The New Avengers, sent a present and letter in return. Cedar Grange manager, Michelle Wray, said: ‘’Susan spoke to me about Joanna whenever she saw her on television, and told me that when she used to go shopping and was on her way home, Joanna would often pick her up in her sports car and they would go for a ‘jolly good adventure’.’’ Michelle continued: ‘’We always take the time to get to know our clients and their life histories. Often, when a short-term memory becomes unreliable because of dementia, a long-term memory remains strong, and Susan’s memories of Joanna were very clear. Joanna
was unable to visit the home owing to her busy schedule but she remembered Susan fondly and sent a hand-written note along with a signed copy of her autobiography, which was gratefully received. Talk about making someone’s day! The note Joanna Lumley wrote to Susan, which brought a smile to her face, read: ‘’Dear Susan, if I may – I do hope you enjoy looking through this book which comes to you with my very warmest good wishes and kindest thoughts – love from Joanna.’’ Susan and the team at Cedar Grange were delighted to receive the letter and book from Joanna. It was a really special moment that brought a sparkle to the day.
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OUR EVENTS HOMES IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IT’S TEATIME AT TREWARTHA EARLIER THIS YEAR THE GARDEN CLUB AT TREWARTHA CELEBRATED THE GRAND OPENING OF TILLEY’S TEA ROOM The team at Trewartha opened their garden summerhouse as a tea room in honour of one of their residents, Herbert ‘Rex’ Tilley. It was created as a space for families to spend quality time together; a welcoming and colourful room to relax in. Rex, who sadly passed away earlier this year, had been a resident at Trewartha since February 2010. He was a lovely, kind gentleman who was well loved by staff. Trewartha would like Rex and his wife Betty to be remembered. Betty has been very supportive over the years and is still involved with Trewartha, so the staff at the nursing home felt that naming the tea room after them would be a great way to say thank you for all she has done and for their wonderful time together. Betty was invited to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the tea room, and the gardening group invited relatives and staff to join the celebrations. Trewartha’s manager, Julia Tyldesley, opened the afternoon with a beautiful speech. She presented bouquets of flowers to Di Webber and Wendy Mears of the garden club and thanked them for all their hard work, and for Geraldine Lavery (from the Board of Directors) and Dawn Matthews-Smith (Operations Director) for attending. ‘’Di and Wendy have helped make the garden look so beautiful again’’, said 8 Our News 13th/12/16.indd 8
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Natalie Hudson, Cornwall Care’s deputy manager at Trewartha. ‘’This year the garden club has been a huge success with flowers, fruit and vegetables in abundance. It has been a joy for our residents to get outside, get their hands dirty and feel included.’’
flowers. It was a truly lovely afternoon.
The garden club and residents have also produced some delicious jams and cakes this year, which they sold on the day to raise money for future gardening projects.
‘’It was a day which I shall never forget and one which I shall always remember with great pride and love’’, said Betty. ‘’I’m sure Rex was watching from above and feeling very proud too.’’
It was an emotional opening, especially when Betty was presented with her
A lot of people turned out to support the team and residents, and they enjoyed the delicious homemade cakes and tea in the tea room, celebrating the moment together in their sun hats and paying their respects to Rex Tilley.
BARN DANCE A barn dance was held at Trewartha to say thank you to all the staff who have worked so hard over the past year. Families of the staff were also invited and many of the relatives of the residents attended too. The band The Newlyn Revellers, entertained us and made it so much fun. Everyone had a great time, which was clearly evident by the end of the evening when everyone was exhausted with all the dancing and laughter! A big thank you to all staff from Central Office who attended – Robert Black, Katie Dean, Margaret Trengove and Melanie Hayne with their families and friends.
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OUR EVENTS HOMES IN THE SPOTLIGHT PENGOVER DONKEY SANCTUARY VISIT In October 2016, Pengover had a visit from the staff at the donkey sanctuary. They brought a gorgeous, friendly donkey with them to give the residents a chance to meet and stroke him. Animals can play an important role in the lives of many people and can help with lowering stress levels and improving moods. The residents were really happy to meet this lovely little donkey as you can tell by the photos included here!
CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN COMPETITION Once again, all residents, clients and employees were given the opportunity to take part in this year’s Christmas Card competition. Pictured are residents at Pengover showing their works of art.
PLYMOUTH PRETTY MUDDY CHALLENGE Employees of Pengover took part in the Plymouth Pretty Muddy 5km challenge recently to help raise money for Cancer Research. A fun, but muddy, time was had by all those that took part.
TEXTILE COURSE Sue Field held a 6-week textile course for our residents at Pengover. They created bunting to reflect their own special memories. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. 10 Our News 13th/12/16.indd 10
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BLACKWOOD CAR WASH Earlier this year, Blackwood took part in raising funds for our residents by dressing up and washing cars. Great fun was had by all and the cars came out gleaming!
GARDEN FETE Our Summer Fete was a great success. We raised a total of £1,588 for our Residents’ Comforts Fund which is amazing! Everybody had such a fun time – we had entertainment, a BBQ, raffle and a live auction as well as fun stalls for all to enjoy. We would like to thank all staff and relatives that took part, as well as the local businesses that kindly donated. Special thanks goes to Bernie Richardson (HCA1) who, with her fabulous input and organising skills, made the day even more spectacular and to Mia, who is our little star fundraiser! 11 Our News 13th/12/16.indd 11
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OUR NEWS
HOMES IN THE SPOTLIGHT WEAR IT PINK DAY IN SUPPORT OF BREAST CANCER NOW! In October, the staff in Central Office wore pink in support of breast cancer. The girls looked pretty, the boys looked even prettier! Donations were collected, cakes were made and sold, and each had a chance to take part in the ‘pick a number game’ to raise even more funds. The winner of the game was Tracey Symons who won £15! All proceeds collected will go to Breast Cancer Now. Thank you to all who took part; it’s important to us that we support these incredible charities and good causes.
EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUAL’ – MARIA GOLDSWORTHY – 35 YEARS AT ST MARTIN’S, CAMBORNE Maria was celebrated and rewarded by her work colleagues for long service at St Martin’s. Leaving school after completing the youth training scheme (YTS), Maria started at St Martin’s in 1981 and spent six and a half years in the laundry department. Maria trained as care assistant and has worked here ever since – helping to provide a happy, safe and welcoming environment. “Very caring, reliable, trustworthy, friendly, conscientious, very hardworking and wicked sense of humour,” commented our residents, relatives and staff. Maria supports residents, their families and her colleagues, and is not afraid to speak out if she has concerns. Maria excels at training new staff and building up their confidence. She has had opportunities to join management, but thoroughly enjoys her care role with her personal touch. Maria and her family helped to raise large amounts for the funding of garden projects by joining staff and residents in the ‘walking for St Martin’s sponsored walk’ some years ago. She is well-loved by all. 12 Our News 13th/12/16.indd 12
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LETTER FROM MR AND MRS JOHNS We are incredibly proud to share with you this letter from Mr and Mrs Johns, who have asked for April Benning to be recognised.
To Mr Robert Black, changed and it seems that we will has e stat l nta me and h t l hea l sica phy s r’ the mo Over the past year my n diagnosed with dementia. bee ntly rece has she r afte e hom care a into g goin soon need to start to consider her been a very stressful time for us. has t i and re befo do to had e hav us of her t nei t This is something tha recommended to us by a neighbour to t i had but ns tow g urin hbo neig in es hom care t We organised to visi we had when we arrived. nce erie exp an at wh and , ston nce Lau , nge Gra dar visit Ce t, she didn’t hesitate showing us visi cted xpe une an s wa t i ugh tho and dly n ki so us A young lady, April, greeted it gave us reassurance and ia ent dem of g n i and erst und t grea a had She ed. around and made us feel really welcom impressed with all the staff greeting us very re we We ess. n ill the h t wi g n li dea on able cap that the staff are all very d one way or another. pie occu ed seem ts den resi the how and nd arou ed k l as we wa en they saw her. She is clearly wh ess pin hap h t wi t li eyes ir the and ril Ap ed A few of the residents recognis ia! She explained about the range of ent dem ing hav h t wi even n, otte forg er nev t me e someone that onc she made, she spoke to us about nus me ekly we the , rds boa ice not y t ivi act the us different staff, she showed colates! Launceston and she even made us two great hot cho quite the strong, warm not is r the mo my t tha fact the h t wi s term It is very hard for us all coming to herself and now the time has come by s boy ee thr up t ugh bro She s. wa e onc she n and independent woma barely recognises us; she has she ly sad and e gnis reco ely bar I o wh e eon som for us to care for her. She is now become feisty, stubborn and demanding.
because of er th mo r you e lov can u “yo us; to th tru ke spo Something April said really is now.” who she was but we will love her for who she
ril is recognised for all the hard work she Ap t tha e sur ke ma to s wa er lett s thi ing t i wr The reason for us e for suc h a young person and wis so e eon som t me of to t grea is t i her g isin ron naturally does. Without pat she is a true asset to Cedar Grange. feel mother isn’t ready for We e. eas at nds mi our put lly rea has it and She answered all our questions all for when the time comes and we it ut abo e itiv pos re mo lot a ing feel are we the wa iting list but as April was. hope that Cedar Grange will be as welcoming Yours Sincerely, Mr and Mrs Johns 13
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CORNWALL CARE NOTICEBOARD r! e t t i w T n o s t e e Share our tw tter.com/ www.twi e TheCornwallCar
A BIG THANK YOU to all our employees who s submitted their comment ff ta S s ie an p m o C t es B e h t for Survey this year!
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E
WE CARE Welcome Everyone Care Aware
We welcome everyone. We listen to each other and offer ideas to improve our organisation Everyone is part of our team. We are positive and reliable. We respect and care for our clients and each other. We are aware of ourselves and others, we have honest conversations and take personal and social responsibility.
Respect
We respect each other and work to support individual’s choices
Excellent
We strive to be excellent, to be the best we can be, by helping each other learn to grow
DESIGN A CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION Residents and clients were asked to design a Christmas card and the winning design would go on the front of the official Cornwall Care Christmas cards for 2016. We want to thank all the residents and clients that
took part. There were so many fantastic entries and it was a very difficult decision to choose a favourite, but one design did shine through. Our winner for 2016 is Mary Gregory from Cedar Grange, who is over the moon!
Left to right is Sarah Brodie – Activities Co-ordinator Mrs Mary Gregory – Resident at Cedar Grange & Competition Winner Sarah Perkins – Mary’s daughter Left to right is Back Row left to right is Pam Mercer – Administrator Tamsyn Crook – Deputy Manager Ali Venning – Customer Relations Administrator Pam Mercer – Administrator Robert Black – CEO Mrs Mary Gregory – Resident at Cedar Grange & Competition Winner
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CARING FOR CORNWALL 16 CARE HOMES Caring for the people of Cornwall
COMMUNITY CARE Caring for you in your own home
SUPPORTED LIVING
Caring for your independence
WE CARE ABOUT YOU
01872 261787 Would you like to join our caring teams? www.cornwallcarecareers.com
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