COLTEN www.ColtenCare.co.uk Spring 2021 Life-enhancing care * Our homes’ Companionship others. “It’s wonderful,” she says. “We are looked after very well. I had a very Teams are delighting residents good impression when I first visited the with new and inspiring home, I was very impressed, and that hasn’t changed at all. Every night I say experiences during lockdown thank you for my care. I’ve felt very reassured since coming here.” “It’s wonderful!”. So says one of our residents describing the care, activities There is similar praise from families at and experiences we continue to offer our Outstanding-rated New Milton despite lockdown. home, Kingfishers. Derek Brown was a Thanks to a dramatic expansion of our resident there for just under a year Companionship Team, we have been having been admitted after a hospital helping all colleagues maintain and stay. His condition stabilised sufficiently enhance our residents’ wellbeing and that he was able to return to the home he quality of life. shares with son Ewan at the start of 2021. “It’s amazing what the team did to We appointed 18 new recruits over the care for him,” says Ewan. “It has been a winter to help with group activities such horrible period for people everywhere as arts and music sessions and deliver during lockdown but it’s no-one’s fault. meaningful and inspiring one-to-one The staff were absolutely wonderful in time. keeping him safe.” The new team members include singers, Tracey Tarrant, whose mother lives at musicians and teachers. Together they Bourne View in Poole, said: “It is a have been providing our residents with worrying time for everybody, and people an extra 469 hours of companionship everywhere are trying to get their heads opportunities each week. around the severity of it all, but we have Shaign Hancock, whose mother Frances as much peace of mind as it’s possible to lives at our Salisbury home Braemar Singer and pianist Nicky Stevens, a member muster knowing mum is receiving Lodge, said the Companionship Team of the 1976 Eurovision-winning group excellent care in a comfortable, safe there have given her great Brotherhood of Man, has joined our environment. encouragement. “She participates in Companionship Team. Find out more about most of the activities and she comes our musical activities with residents on p4. “The staff are truly caring, loving people who treat your family member as if they onto Zoom smiling and engaging in and a half years ago. Since then, Shaign were their family member. With their conversation about her social life. It is says she has become a ‘new person’ amazing. In fact, on Zoom, she looks thanks to the care she receives. support, mum has come on in leaps and younger and younger every time.” bounds and re-found her confidence and Frances agrees, saying she would independence to a level we never Frances moved to Braemar Lodge three certainly recommend the home to thought possible.” * Correct at time of going to print Inside p3 p6 p7 How music has helped The day our residents Love is in the air for 15 Lush indoor oasis brighten up the lives of had a Zoom dance couples celebrating brings the outside residents and staff in lesson with ex-Strictly Valentine’s Day at our in all year round at lockdown - p4-5 dancer Robin Windsor homes Belmore Lodge www.ColtenCare.co.uk Mark Aitchison, Chief Executive, Colten Care Bringing joy with music Nurses at Dorset County Hospital with hampers prepared by Colten residents Welcome to our spring 2021 edition. We have strengthened our focus on companionship to Hampers of gratitude keep providing a broad range of activities and choices for residents, delivering them in Hospital staff on the frontline of imaginative ways so we can navigate the intensive care during the pandemic constraints of the pandemic. have been receiving hampers and messages of support from our Residents have continued to enjoy regular residents and staff. celebrations such as birthdays and Valentine’s Day along with fantastic new experiences such We have made a series of donations as a Zoom dance session with Strictly to several intensive treatment units, professional dancer Robin Windsor. or ITUs, in hospitals serving the same communities as our homes. We have deliberately invested in new Companionship Team members with the ability to They include the Royal Hampshire perform and entertain. They include Nicky County Hospital in Winchester, the Stevens, a singer from the Eurovision winning band Dorset County Hospital in Brotherhood of Man, and Sam Hurst, a guitarist Dorchester and Queen Alexandra and singer who has worked with residents to Hospital in Portsmouth. produce a music video for a Covid-themed song The idea of donating hampers to Castle View resident Hilda Steed with he wrote called ‘Hands, Face and Space’. ITUs came from Helen Smith, Home soaps and toiletries ready to include in We have boosted our team strengths because Manager at Wellington Grange in a ‘pamper hamper’ we know just how powerful and valuable Chichester. Helen has worked companionship is for people’s daily living. The previously as an Accident and The second is a ‘munchies’ hamper, past year has heightened the need for a renewed Emergency Sister and her partner, with goodies to eat such as energy- focus on activities, companionship and Dr Matthew Williams, is an ITU boosting snacks, granola bars and experiences because of the lack of opportunity consultant at Queen Alexandra. bags of nuts. for face-to-face contact with loved ones. Helen said: “Many hospital staff Each hamper includes heart-shaped In wider community activities, we report on our have been experiencing added notes from residents and staff. We initiative to provide pamper and goodie hampers pressure, anxiety and fatigue during have called these written messages for those heroic frontline staff working in our the pandemic. ITU is such a highly ‘Hearts of Kindness’. local hospitals’ intensive care units. We all need skilled area of a hospital and you Wellington Grange resident Pen some pampering from time to time. can’t just replace colleagues who go Trinnick said: “This comes from the We continue to receive much praise from off sick. Some people have been at heart, from all of us to them. Their care residents and families for doing our best to keep breaking point. Most of the public for us is much needed and they need people safe during this terrible pandemic. We don’t know what it’s like. to take care of themselves as well.” report on some of their comments in this edition “We had a think about what we All the hospitals receiving the and we thank everyone who continues to write could do to make ITU staff feel a bit hampers have expressed their to us. We will always put our residents at the very more supported and we thought thanks. “We were overwhelmed by heart of everything we do and your recognition some hampers and messages from the generosity of this,” said of that commitment is very much appreciated. our residents and team members, Winchester Hospital representative I hope you enjoy your spring Chronicle. You can showing their heartfelt appreciation, Lynn Eathorne-Long. receive more information on individual homes by would go down well.” At Dorset County Hospital, joining the mailing list for our quarterly community We have gifted two different types Fundraising Manager Louisa Plant newsletters. Please speak with your Home of hamper to each hospital. One is a said their delivery was a “lovely, Manager, or email [email protected] ‘pamper’ hamper, containing thoughtful treat” while speaking for and we will add you to the list. If you have any toiletries such as moisturisers, hand Queen Alexandra Hospital, Dr feedback on the Chronicle, please tell us at cream, body lotion, luxury soap and Williams described the hampers as [email protected] . shower gel. an “extremely generous donation”. 2 NEWS Spring 2021 Ex-Strictly pro Robin invites our residents to dance It’s not every day you enjoy your very own dance session with a professional from TV’s Strictly Come Dancing. That’s why it was so special for our residents to go online and meet Robin Windsor, who starred on the show from 2010 to 2015. They are among the first in the UK to practise moves and receive personal tips under Robin’s new ‘A Step Back in Time’ dance initiative for older people delivered via Zoom. Homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and West Sussex all logged on for the live and exclusive session with our residents using Zoom chat to interact with Robin and ask questions. As well as a focus on jive, the fun included upper body movements for chair-based participants and the chance to sing along with Robin’s fellow presenter, West End performer Rebecca Lisewski. “It was absolutely great,” said John Parfit, who joined in from the residents’ lounge at Braemar Lodge in Salisbury. Professional dancer Robin Windsor with his Colten Care students on Zoom “Robin and Rebecca got the whole tapping along. Amid smiles and laughter Colten group swinging.” all round, he singled out two residents There was similar praise at The Aldbury for special mentions. He said Rita Clay, in Poole, with resident Marion who lives at Newstone House in Humphreys saying: “I loved it. The Sturminster Newton, was “good enough interaction was really good.” to be in next year’s Strictly” and he gave Ruth Horrocks, from Whitecliffe House After opening the session with a talk in Blandford, the top score of ‘Ten’ for about his time on Strictly, Robin went on her dancing.