With our best laid plans put to one side, everyone is making the most of what they have to work with, albeit mainly indoors and with those with whom we live.
This is no different for our residents residing in our care homes across Dorset and Hampshire. With every effort and careful consideration, our Home Managers, care team and Activities Managers are continuing to provide the best possible care to our residents.
Ensuring everyone is staying positive, keeping their spirits high and trying to make every moment matter; despite not being able to see their loved ones and typical routines being set aside.
From external entertainers utilising modern technology to broadcast live to our residents through to good ‘old fashioned’ letter writing, there hasn’t been a dull moment at our care homes!
With the creative juices flowing from our activities teams to adapt to the situation we find ourselves in, we thought it would be nice to share some of what our residents have been up.
While we may not be able to go out and about, all our care homes benefit from having beautiful outside gardens and spaces. Donning warm coats and hats, some of the residents from Great Oaks have ventured out into their garden with some of the care team to enjoy the fresh air and get some much-needed vitamin D.
Our Hamble Heights care home lit up the sky with a message of love for their families. Vanessa, Wellbeing Manager at Hamble Heights used light sticks to create the display so residents cold pass on their love to their friends and relatives. The glowing heart could be seen from all floors.
Residents at our Oakdale care home are embracing the wonders of modern technology allowing them to continue having their weekly Tai Chi session. Instead of Robert from Elemental Tai Chi coming to visit them at the home, some of the residents still managed to get involved via a live stream direct onto the TV in one of the home lounges. The residents enjoyed the session just as much as they normally do!
For many, Mother’s Day this year wasn’t celebrated in quite the same way as perhaps it usually is. Although our ‘Mums’ at our Fairmile Grange care home couldn’t see their families this year, they still had beautiful cards, gifts and flowers delivered. Relatives still managed to chat with their mums using FaceTime, Skype and via the phone during the day.
We appreciate that these are difficult times for our residents, relatives and care teams, but it’s going to take more than a pandemic to knock our spirits! Everyone at Encore is considered part of the family. So, while we may be limited in what we can do, we are there for each other.
Our residents are lucky to have like-minded company to chat to, members of the team to take care of them and plenty of space both indoors and out to enjoy; sadly, this isn’t the case for all of our local elderly community.
If you, or you know of someone who is perhaps having to ride this storm out on their own and are feeling lonely, Encore are offering 12-weeks short-term respite stays at our homes during this difficult time. For more information about this or a more permanent stay, please get in touch with our Home Relations Manager at your nearest Encore care home.
- Oakdale Care Home, Oakdale, Poole – 01202 878 149
- Great Oaks Care Home, Kinson, Bournemouth – 01202 476 960
- Fairmile Grange Care Home, Christchurch – 01202 082 722
- Hamble Heights Care Home, Fareham, Hampshire – 01489 888 950
Or visit – www.encorecarehomes.co.uk
