Rowan Court Care Home – Home of the Quarter
The Home of the Quarter for this issue is Rowan Court Care Home in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The home has shown great teamwork in embracing new ideas and bringing staff and residents together, and has been nominated for this recognition for their incredible community links, online presence and a fantastic new initiative: ‘A Day in the Life Of’.
A Day in the Life Of
This initiative was born out of Rowan Court’s residents expressing curiosity about various staff jobs. Led by Tracy Moody, Well-being and Activity Co-ordinator, the team formulated a way for residents to experience elements of key roles in the home. Jacinta Greatrex, Home Manager, gave the project a huge thumbs up, saying, “It is a fantastic idea, as it promotes resident involvement and engagement within the home across all departments”.
Beryl Bowker was the first resident to try the initiative with Sue Cooper, Head Housekeeper. Following this, Head Chef Lynda Garner was joined by resident Jean King in the kitchens (“It was a day I will always remember” said Jean), and residents Marie Sumnall and Roy Brownsword enjoyed being part of the Maintenance Team with John Barker, particularly the ‘well-earned brew’ afterwards.
Resident Vera Preston tried her hand at answering the front desk and following her experience, she now works on reception twice a week. Vera’s daughter, Ros Blood, commented: “Mum is thrilled, she really looks forward to it!”.
Excitingly, Dorothy Maylin spent ‘A Day in the Life Of’ a Home Manager. The daily ‘flash’ staff meeting had been tailored for her to chair; she undertook the usual inspection tour of the building, met all departments and gave staff direction. As a result of Dorothy’s success, she has been invited to join in with the regular Friday staff meeting as the Residents Spokesperson.
This creative initiative highlights the strong bond between residents and staff and its success is due to everyone’s enthusiasm to get involved. “We want to make residents lives and experiences meaningful,” said Tracy. “They are at the forefront of all that we do for them in their home”.
A Welcome Home
Rowan Court’s doors are always open to visitors and you can be sure of a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Regional Manager Mike Wilson said, “Jacinta and her team are amazing. Everyone enjoys visiting Rowan Court, including external companies such as Bee Active. One relative recently asked me ‘Are all Avery Homes like this?’ I’m very proud to be associated with this lovely home”.
Being active is an extremely important part of life at all our care homes, and it’s fantastic to see how involved Rowan Court are in their consistent focus on the well-being of their residents. From exercising with pompoms to practising boxing, joining in with a local football match, presenting at local schools on living with dementia, the fantastic partnership with Bee Active is going from strength to strength.
Social Media Champs
Rowan Court has fully embraced the benefits of social media too. Angus Matthew, Senior Marketing Manager at Avery, said, “Rowan Court post genuinely interesting content almost daily on their Facebook page. The variety of activities and the authentic interactions between staff and residents give a true insight into the home, which resonates positively with the public, as shown in their comments on the page.” It also delights relatives, friends and staff too. One relative said, “It is a great comfort to me to see my mum joining in and enjoying life through the Facebook page”.
Article by Helen Bates, Marketing Executive, for Welcome Home Issue 10.
