The highly successful NHS vaccine programme along with the arrival of summer weather spells great news for care home residents and staff. The easing in lockdown restrictions has meant residents have started to enjoy their weekly outings and seeing loved ones again.
Within certain limits, friends and family can make visits to our care homes. Our clients can also get out to have a much-appreciated change of scenery. The pandemic showed just how much we take for granted the simple everyday pleasures that make such a difference to our lives. For residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s, restoring regular personal contact with family members is particularly important.
Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll obviously be keeping a close eye on local infection rates and the emergence of Covid-19 variants. We’re hoping that we’re on the road to a complete return to normal with unrestricted visitor numbers and times (as of May 17, up to five people could be nominated as visitors, with a maximum of two at a time). We’re also looking forward eventually to no face masks or social distancing and no need for regular testing.
Ready for Anything
But the team is also ready to act swiftly if needed and do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. We have an outbreak management plan prepared, just in case.
Perhaps everything won’t go fully back to as it was before Covid. Like many care home providers across the country, we’re looking at some of the measures introduced over that last year and deciding what, if anything, we should retain.
As you’d expect, our infection control measures were always rigorous. But now that regular hand sanitising – particularly when people enter our care homes – has become a routine, it seems sensible to keep doing it.
Many of our residents have become much more used to using technology and video calls to keep in touch with friends and family. This is certain to continue between visits and could be a positive legacy of the awful virus.
After a difficult year and a bit, the news is looking better. Hopefully, before too long it really will be back to normal.
What’s On
Pub Lunches
We are delighted to welcome back our weekly pub lunches for residents, where we take residents out to enjoy their favourite meal in a local pub. Today marks the first pub lunch in a long time as three of our residents left in high spirits to enjoy their meal in the sunshine.
Resident, George, Is About to Enjoy His Meal 
Resident, Freda, Is About to Enjoy Her Pub Lunch
Bus Trips
Our twice-weekly bus trips will commence again next week, whether it’s to enjoy a day at the seaside, visit a local attraction, or do some shopping with a friend or family member.
Sherborne House: Nothing Beats Home-Grown
The fantastic weather has meant the residents’ vegetables in the gardens are all growing well. Since nutrition and diet is such an important part of wellbeing, it’s great to see that residents can begin to enjoy their very own home-grown vegetables fresh from the gardens. On the menu will be lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, leeks and many more.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SHERBORNE HOUSE
Staff Welcome Party at Sherborne House
What better way to welcome new arrivals to the team than with a party. Sherborne House staff got to enjoy a party with food and soft drinks to welcome new staff from overseas. We are pleased that our new staff members are settling in well.
1970s Memorabilia
It’s always astonishing to see just how far technology has come. Residents got to enjoy some 1970s memorabilia, being shown old tv detectors, old police cars, old telephones and bicycles.
To find out more about our care homes, contact 01305 300 161 or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.
