About UsIssue 15 | Winter 2019/20

A leading provider of residential, dementia, nursing and home care across the south of England

Bournemouth Rugby Club players visit Castle Dene care home - Featured on page 14

The second half of 2019 has been every bit as exciting as the first half! Our programme of continued investment in our buildings, our procedures and our people has reaped further reward with another home - Kenwith Castle, near Bideford - being rated “Outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission. We are all very keen to see other homes and home care offices follow suit.

As ever, residential and home care are not without their fair share of challenges - never more so than at St Martins Grange in Gillingham. In recent months, the home has benefitted from new local management and a significant refurbishment. We will be relaunching the home early in the new year to highlight the excellent care we offer in North Dorset.

In September, we purchased a former hospice overlooking Brownsea Island and Poole Harbour. Refurbishment work will start in the spring of 2020 to create a 40-bed home in this stunning location. We anticipate being in a position to open this very special new home early in 2021. It will be known as Marjorie House after Marjorie Lewis-Manning who was a local businesswoman and dedicated fundraiser.

Investment in all our homes is continuous and we are currently midway through an extensive programme of refurbishment and redecoration of our existing homes.

Our engagement with local communities surrounding our homes and home care offices is stronger than ever…many of our staff have raised funds for local charities and good causes.

Dementia Friends are becoming more involved with our homes and, as ever, we are immensely proud of our volunteer groups at a local level. Our partnership with AFC Bournemouth enters its sixth year and the frequent visits to our Dorset homes are an important and eagerly awaited fixture each week.

Activities remain an important part of daily life for our residents and it is always pleasing to see such a wide variety of entertainment in all our homes.

As always, our Values of Honesty, Excellence, Approach, Respect and Teamwork remain at the HEART of everything that we say and do, and everyone at Care South is dedicated to providing the very best care possible to all our residents and clients. Their relentless hard work can never be taken for granted.

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Welcomefrom Simon Bird, Chief Executive of Care South

About UsIn this issue...

Crewkerne Home Care Office celebrates 20th anniversary 4

Kenwith Castle care home rated ‘outstanding’ by CQC 6

A few words from Aaron Whitehead, our Director of Residential Care 7

Fundraising for great causes 8

Queensmead care home helps turn Christchurch ‘Dementia Friendly’ 9

Animal antics in our homes 10

AFC Bournemouth partnership 12

Plenty of green fingers in our sunflowergrowing competition 14

Bournemouth Rugby Club players visit Castle Dene care home 14

Your guide to choosing care 15

We’re here to help 16

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A few words from Carolyn Collins, our Director of Home Care

Crewkerne Home Care office celebrates 20th Anniversary

Care South’s Home Care has celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Crewkerne office by inviting 50 special guests to a celebratory lunch. Past employees, colleagues from other care agencies, the local authority and community services, as well as suppliers, all came together to reminisce about the office and its success. This followed an earlier celebration in July when they marked the occasion with their clients by holding an afternoon tea event. Since it opened its doors, a large number of innovative care and support services have been run from the office, as well as standard home care, including night response, home from hospital support, prevention of admission to hospital, reablement, general home support, care line response, extra care housing support and the company’s Care South Select services for self-funding clients. The office has close links with the community and also works with the local police and fire service to keep vulnerable people in the area safe.

Caring for people in their own homes can present unique challenges, which is why it is vital to have the right tools to support an independent lifestyle. Thanks largely to fundraising efforts, Home Care has now bought a Raizer lifting chair for each of the three offices, which cover Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth and Christchurch, and Somerset and West Dorset. This is an invaluable tool to assist care assistants when people have fallen and are uninjured, but unable to get up without assistance. This will also help to reduce the strain on the under-pressure ambulance service.

As you will see on this page, we have also been celebrating milestones in Home Care. In September, the Crewkerne office marked 20 years of caring for people in their homes. This was something we celebrated with the most important people in Home Care, the clients, delivering more than 200 handmade cupcakes to them.

Here’s to the next 20 years!

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Care South’s Home Care service handed out more than 200 homemade cupcakes to their home care clients as the Crewkerne office celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Emily Chastey, who is Head Chef at Alexandra House care home in Poole, baked the cakes, which were given to clients in their homes. Emily, who also baked a special anniversary cake for the 20th year celebration last month, called in the support of Carolyn Collins, Director of Home Care, and Home Care Operations Manager Lyn Couldwell to individually box the cupcakes.

Carolyn Collins said: “We thought this would be a great way to celebrate our milestone with the people who have helped make the past 20 years so special – our clients. We are now looking forward to maintaining our quality and often-vital services and looking forward to what the next 20 years will bring. Special thanks must go to Chef Emily, who went the extra mile to bake and decorate 220 cupcakes by hand.”

Sweet treats to help clients join the Home Care celebrations

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Staff at Kenwith Castle are celebrating after being given the highest overall rating by inspectors

CQC gave the North Devon home the highest overall rating for its “high-quality, person-centred care”. Kenwith Castle Home Manager Rae Vanstone said: “I’m very proud of the work that has gone into achieving this rating from CQC. This was a team effort; it would not be possible to offer the ‘Outstanding’ care without an outstanding team. We now look forward to continuing that high standard of care for the most important people at Kenwith Castle, the residents.”

Care South’s Director of Residential Care, Aaron Whitehead, said: “It is great to see inspectors recognising the ‘Outstanding’ standards at another Care South home. The rating is a great achievement for the team at Kenwith Castle and I’d like to thank them for their hard work and passion to provide excellent care.”

Kenwith Castle care home rated ‘Outstanding’ by CQC

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A few words from Aaron Whitehead, our Director of Residential Care

It has been an exciting year for the care teams here at Care South, with many having their passion and hard work rewarded by inspectors – none more so than the team at Kenwith Castle who, as you will see on this page, achieved the highest rating of ‘Outstanding’.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we put people ahead of profits and that is shown in the inspectors’ reports, who regularly point out how carers will go above and beyond to make residents’ transition to their new home as comfortable as possible.

I’m also proud to see the great fundraising work that has been going on both inside and out of the homes. Staff regularly put on coffee mornings and activities for charities, while some have even gone so far as competing in marathons or a 70-mile ‘Ironman’ triathlon for dementia and Alzheimer’s causes.

It’s thanks to this community spirit and passion to improve the lives of others that Care South can offer such a high level of person-centred care.

Debbie Preston, Dorset House

Emma Cotton & Natalie Hosking, Alexandra House

Not content with just running, the Home Manager at Dorset House, Debbie Preston, raised nearly three times her fundraising goal when she competed in the Weymouth Ironman challenge.

Debbie swam 1.2 miles in open water, cycled 56 miles, and ran 13.1 miles during the challenge, raising hundreds of pounds for Dementia UK.

That followed Emma Cotton and Natalie Hosking, of Alexandra House care home, walking 8km along Bournemouth’s coastline in Alzheimer’s Society Memory Walk.

Emma Cotton, Home Manager, said: “The aching feet were worth the money that we raised for such a worthwhile charity who work to find a cure for all kinds of dementia.”

Angie l’Anson, who was a registered nurse at Care South’s St Martins Grange care home before being promoted to Regional Support Manager, took on the gruelling 26-mile Bournemouth Marathon in aid of Alzheimer’s Society.

Angie said: “Alzheimer’s Society not only offers help and support to those with Alzheimer’s, but all forms of dementia and also the families and those around them who are impacted.”

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Angie l’Anson, Regional Support Manager

Fundraising for great causes£

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Queensmead care home helps turn Christchurch ‘Dementia Friendly’

Home Manager Tracey Walker and Deputy Manager Anne Tarum went along to the Christchurch Dementia Friendly Community Alliance launch event at The Kings Arms Hotel Pavilion to share how the Queensmead home helps people with dementia.

Tracey said: “A ‘Dementia Friendly’ community will give individuals the tools to enable all those who are affected to feel supported, understood and empowered to live their lives as they choose.”

Dementia Friends donate £600 to St Martins Grange

St Martins Grange care home will be putting on special dance sessions for residents of the care home and members of the local community thanks to support from a Dementia charity.

Dementia Friends Gillingham presented a cheque for £600 to the care home, which will go towards the fortnightly ‘Movement to Music’ sessions in The Circle, St Martins Grange, run by Paris Helen.

Gillingham Mayor Barry Von-Clemens joined staff, residents and representatives from Dementia Friends for the cheque presentation at the home, and also joined residents for a dance in The Circle.

Home Manager Stanley Haruzivishe said: “We are extremely grateful for the money donated by Dementia Friends. We put on regular activities to help keep residents active and engaged, and this money will go a long way. We like to be part of the Gillingham community, so the Movement to Music sessions are a great opportunity to welcome people into St Martins Grange and engage with residents.”

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The partnership with the Trust enables residents, Home Care clients and staff to get involved in a variety of activities including meeting players, coffee mornings, walking football and visits to the Vitality Stadium.

Since signing up, the partnership has gone from strength to strength and sees members of the Trust regularly visiting Care South’s 13 homes across Dorset, running sessions for residents including seated football and ball skills.

The club also puts on a coffee morning at the Vitality Stadium for residents and guests each year. While Richard, a resident at Castle Dene, was invited to be a flagbearer at one of the club’s home Premier League matches. Richard has been an AFC Bournemouth supporter his whole life and used to be a volunteer on match days at the club.

Care South is celebrating the 6th year of its partnership with AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust

Care South and AFC Bournemouth community partnership

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Steve Cuss, Head of Community at the Trust, said: “It’s a really good, strong relationship we have with Care South and we are very proud to continue such a great partnership. The sessions we run aim to improve physical and emotional health and fitness, as well as promoting social interaction. The special events provide a good opportunity for residents to come out of their normal environment, socialise and reminisce.”

Residents enjoyed some festive entertainment during the annual coffee morning at the Vitality Stadium in December.

A highlight of the year, residents from nine care homes in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Ferndown, as well as some Home Care clients, were invited to the stadium where there was entertainment, including Christmas carols from the schoolchildren at Avonwood and Talbot primary schools.

Residents were also given the chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium.

At Care South, we love welcoming guests into the homes to brighten up residents’ days, and they can come in all shapes, sizes… and species. Research has shown the positive impacts animals can have on people living in care homes, which is why we, and the residents, love having them around.

Animal antics in our homes

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When Marin met Biscuit… Marin and owner Jan, from Caring Canine visited the residents of Elizabeth House in Poole. Marin even got to meet Care South’s very own pet therapy dog ‘Biscuit’.

Talbot View, in Bournemouth, welcomed some exotic animals to the care home, such as this corn snake, to mark World Animal Day.

Elvis has left the building! Residents and staff at St Ives House, near Ringwood, got up close to the visitors from Hawks in the Forest, who brought along their owls Elvis, Chico and Ed.

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Residents at Maiden Castle House in Dorchester were keen to get some pets for the care home, so they loved it when they were introduced to their new rabbits.

Invasion of the Alpacas! Kenwith Castle were paid a visit by Devon-based Cadenza Alpacas. The guests were walked around the home to meet residents.

Two residents at Kenwith Castle who were accomplished horse women got to reminisce about their stable days during a day out to The Calvert Trust stables in North Devon.

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Residents at many of Care South’s homes put on their gardening gloves to take part in a nationwide sunflower growing competition.

The competition, in association with Premier Foods, was open to all care homes and saw one resident at St Ives House, Norman, growing a sunflower that reached a whopping 223cm.

Residents at Fremington Manor also took part in the Bisto Sunflower Growing competition. The seeds were planted in late spring and everyone enjoyed watching them grow over the summer as part of their Monday morning gardening club.

Although summer has long since passed, the residents said they will continue to enjoy growing what they can, and look forward to planting more sunflowers in 2020.

Bournemouth Rugby Club players visit Castle Dene care home

To mark the Rugby World, Castle Dene care home welcomed Bournemouth Rugby Club (BRFC) to visit residents and take part in a morning of activities.

Players from the first team joined the carers and residents at the Bournemouth care home in Throop Road, where they took part in games with the residents that were designed to allow everyone to get involved, regardless of their ability.

A Castle Dene spokesperson said: “It was brilliant. One of our residents used to play rugby and he was quite proud of the fact he has cauliflower ears. As well as signing balls, the team also donated raffle prizes, and invited residents to one of their matches. We’d like to thank the players for volunteering their time and for their generosity.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Pictures on this page and front cover courtesy of the Daily Echo Bournemouth.

Plenty of green fingers in our sunflower growing competition

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Your guide to choosing care

Research It’s important to look at all the options. Different care homes have different facilities and offer different ranges of care. Care South has residential care homes across the south which offer a mix of residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as close-care cottages and apartments for those who are looking for independence with a little bit of extra support when needed.

Get the details Contact the homes and ask for a brochure to find out more information. It is difficult for care homes to tell you the exact price of their services until they have made a full assessment, but they should be able to tell you their price ranges.

Book your visit Make sure you visit the care homes you are considering. Try to compare areas such as facilities, staff, meals and activities, as well as the atmosphere and the friendliness of the staff.

Explore your needs Once you have picked a home, book a time for an assessment. Everyone’s needs are different and care homes will want to ensure they are fully aware of your needs and requirements to offer the best blend of independence and person-focus support. Care South works with every family to discover your individual needs, helping to make the process as smooth as possible.

Easing your move Care South encourages residents to bring their favourite furniture and possessions with them to help create familiar and comfortable surroundings. The care teams are keen to work with families closely to make it as easy and comfortable as possible.

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As a not-for-profit charity with care at the centre of everything we do, our staff will always go the extra mile to help you feel at home. However, you still need to be sure you are picking the right care home for you.

Here are five steps to help you find your new home:

Need a little extra help at home?

Care South’s Home Care service offers a personalised, flexible service to meet a range of care and support needs aimed at improving the quality of life for people of all ages.

Well-trained staff can help with everything from personal and night care to general support and companionship. They can help you around your home with some light cleaning and even assist with your weekly shop, preparing meals or accompanying you to and from hospital and other appointments. We also provide life skills support such as cooking and using modern technology.

DORSETAlexandra House 88a Alexandra Road, Parkstone, Poole BH14 9EW | 01202 747001 alexandrahouse@care-south.co.uk

Buxton House 423b Radipole Lane, Weymouth DT4 0QJ | 01305 760834 buxtonhouse@care-south.co.uk

Castle Dene Throop Road, Bournemouth BH8 0DB | 01202 397929 castledene@care-south.co.uk

Dorset House Coles Avenue, Hamworthy, Poole BH15 4HL | 01202 672427 dorsethouse@care-south.co.uk

Elizabeth House Dolbery Road, Parkstone, Poole BH12 4PX | 01202 744545 elizabethhouse@care-south.co.uk

Fairlawn St Mary’s Road, Ferndown BH22 9HB | 01202 877277 fairlawn@care-south.co.uk

Maiden Castle House 12-14 Gloucester Road, Dorchester DT1 2NJ | 01305 251661 maidencastlehouse@care-south.co.uk

Queensmead 1 Bronte Avenue, Christchurch BH23 2LX | 01202 485176 queensmead@care-south.co.uk

St Ives HouseHorton Road, Ashley Heath BH24 2EE | 01425 481220 stiveshouse@care-south.co.uk

St Martins Grange Fern Brook Lane, Gillingham SP8 4QD | 01747 834020 stmartinsgrange@care-south.co.uk

Talbot View 66 Ensbury Avenue, Ensbury Park, Bournemouth BH10 4HG | 01202 537571 talbotview@care-south.co.uk

Wickmeads Wickmeads Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth BH6 4LG | 01202 436490 wickmeads@care-south.co.uk

SOMERSETBeauchamp House Hatch Beauchamp, Taunton TA3 6SG | 01823 481500 beauchamphouse@care-south.co.uk

NORTH DEVONFremington Manor Fremington, Barnstaple EX31 2NX | 01271 377990 fremingtonmanor@care-south.co.uk

Kenwith CastleAbbotsham, Bideford EX39 5BE | 01237 470060kenwithcastle@care-south.co.uk

WEST SUSSEXSussexdownWashington Road, Storrington RH20 4DA | 01903 744221 sussexdown@care-south.co.uk

We’re here to help

To arrange a visit, request a brochure or find out more, contact us

care-south.co.uk | 01202 712400 | info@care-south.co.uk

Whether you’re looking for care in your own home, a short respite stay or a new home, we offer a warm welcome, comfort and peace of mind.

We have locations throughout the south of England:Residential Dementia Nursing

Beauchamp GardensHatch Beauchamp, Taunton TA3 6SG 01823 481500

Kenwith Castle GardensAbbotsham, Bideford, North Devon EX39 5BE 01237 470060

St Ives PlaceHorton Road, Ashley Heath, Dorset BH24 2EE | 01425 481220stiveshouse@care-south.co.uk

Strome ParkWashington Road, Storrington, West Sussex RH20 4DA | 01903 744221 sussexdown@care-south.co.uk

Bournemouth & ChristchurchCastle Dene, Throop Road, Bournemouth BH8 0DB | 01202 394000 hcbournemouth@care-south.co.uk

West Dorset & South Somerset4a The Linen Yard, South Street, Crewkerne TA18 8AB | 01460 270500 hccrewkerne@care-south.co.uk

Bath & North East Somerset3 The Office Village, Roman Way, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8SG 01761 422920 | hcbanes@care-south.co.uk

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Registered Charity No. 1014697