Bringing New Life to Our Sensory Garden: A Special Collaboration with Heatherfields School

We recently had the absolute pleasure of working alongside the wonderful students and staff from Heatherfields School, and the impact they’ve made on our sensory garden has been truly remarkable.

The students took on the project of caring for our garden, spending time tidying up and planting a variety of seeds and bulbs. Thanks to their efforts, our garden is now looking more vibrant and beautiful than ever. Their contributions didn’t stop there—they even brought along a greenhouse and a few cheerful garden gnomes to add a touch of charm and fun to the space!

We’re incredibly grateful for their hard work, creativity, and generosity. The garden has truly been transformed, providing a welcoming and peaceful space for everyone to enjoy. Our residents especially loved spending time outside during the students’ visits, watching them work and chatting with them as they helped bring new life to the garden.

The sensory garden holds a special place in the hearts of our residents. It serves as a tranquil retreat where they can connect with nature, engage their senses, and find moments of peace and reflection. The beauty and accessibility of the garden encourages them to spend time outdoors, fostering social interaction and promoting overall well-being. With the recent enhancements made by the students, we are excited to see how this cherished space will continue to enrich the lives of our residents.

Sonia Tenniswood, Manager at Manor House, shared:” It’s moments like these that remind us of the power of community and how much we can achieve when we come together. We can’t thank the students and staff of Heatherfields School enough for their dedication and kindness. The garden is a more beautiful place thanks to their efforts, and we’re excited to watch it continue to flourish.”

 

Summertime at Manor House

We love the summer and the joy it brings here at Manor House. It’s a wonderful time of year to get outside and soak up the benefits of Vitamin D! Our activities calendar is ever-changing as we continuously seek fun new activities that benefit our residents.

 

Recently, we celebrated the American 4th of July. The garden was beautifully decorated with stars and stripes, and residents enjoyed themed bingo. Keeping with the American theme, we were thrilled to host an Elvis tribute act in the hub. Everyone had a fantastic time singing along to some of Elvis’ all-time classics and reminiscing about the good old days.

 

We seize every opportunity to get outdoors, whether it’s playing games in the garden or taking mindful walks to appreciate nature’s beauty. We’ve also enjoyed excursions, including community walks and a trip to the local pub for some delightful food. Our residents had a wonderful time socialising and enjoying the community atmosphere.

 

July at Manor House has been all about staying active, and one of our favourite activities has been Balloon Badminton. This game provides both physical and mental benefits for our residents. Throughout July, we’ve also hosted regular keep-fit sessions tailored to accommodate all abilities, ensuring that everyone can participate and stay engaged.

 

We’ve also embraced mindful activities such as aqua painting, flower arranging, and pamper days. These activities encourage relaxation and well-being. Our art and craft sessions have allowed residents to explore their creativity.

 

Recently, we welcomed Otto, our new therapy dog. Otto has captured the hearts of everyone at Manor House, spreading smiles and joy with his cuddles. His visit provides comfort and companionship, which has proven to be incredibly therapeutic for our residents.

 

Sonia Tenniswood, Manager at Manor House, shared: ” July has been an exciting month filled with a variety of activities. It’s wonderful to see the residents enjoying themselves, and a highlight this month was everyone meeting our new therapy friend, Otto.”

 

As we look forward to more sunny days, we have many exciting events and activities planned. Stay tuned for more updates and join us in celebrating the vibrant life at Manor House!

“It’s A Wonderful Life” – Out and about in our minibus…again!

On Wednesday, 22nd February, we went to see the Stafford Gang Show’s 25th Anniversary special, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, at the Blessed William Howard School, located just 10 minutes down the road from the Manor House. It was the first outing in our minibus for quite some time, so there was much excitement!

We were really fortunate to have been contacted by the Stafford Gang Show team, offering us tickets. In total, 14 of us attended the local event. We were made to feel so welcome, with great seats and parking right by the door. Sophie, Facilities Manager at the Manor House, said, “we had the most wonderful time; it was so nice to take some of the residents out for the evening.”

Stafford Gang Show is a traditional variety performance presented by the members of the Scout movement in Stafford. The show includes several sketches, dances and musical items based on the original idea by Ralph Reader CBE. Stafford Gang Show started in 1998, performed at Walton High School and has been performed every 2 years since. The show was initially produced by one of the original London Gang Show members, Dave Cregeen.   

The amazing gang of over 60 Scouters from Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Leaders put on such a fantastic show.

Jayne, Registered Manager and Director of Nursing, said, “both staff and residents thoroughly enjoyed themselves; we can’t thank the Stafford Gang Show team enough for their kind hospitality.

We had to stop our minibus outings due to Covid, and it is just brilliant to see the minibus up and running again; to be able to take our residents to events such as shows, afternoon teas or sight-seeing will be a welcome addition to the activities we offer.”

We can’t wait to have many more outings in our minibus in the months ahead.

Introducing Doll therapy

We are introducing doll therapy into our suite of activities and support sessions at The Manor House.  Research has shown that many people with dementia are soothed and comforted by holding a doll or a soft animal.

We regularly bring in animals and pets for our residents to stroke or hold as this brings both joy and feelings of calm and comfort and now have introduced the use of dolls.

Doll therapy is not ‘playing with dolls’ as it may first appear, as with all of our activities these are provided to offer different types of benefits.  The introduction of dolls is a form of therapy that is intended to promote feelings of relaxation and pleasure and can be particularly beneficial to someone feeling anxious.

Holding a doll can be very soothing and often takes people back to a time when they had young children of their own which invokes feelings of content, calm and happiness.  As well as holding a dolls, giving residents the chance to care for a doll can give someone with dementia a sense of purpose which impacts their energy levels and mood.

As with all of our activities, they are introduced gradually and appropriately for every resident, we explain why they are there and encourage residents to take part in the activity alongside the Activities Team and Healthcare Assistants.

Jayne Wood, Director of Nursing said, “we’re hoping the introduction of doll therapy will be another activity that can offer improved wellbeing amongst many of our residents in the way we see when we bring in pets and animals.  Every new therapy we introduce is backed up by research and evidence to have a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of our residents.”

Residential Care

Meet the team: our Healthcare Assistants

Our Senior Healthcare Assistants

We have a team of Healthcare Assistants and Senior Healthcare Assistants at the Manor House whose role is exactly as the job title suggests – to care.  This care covers everything from assisting with washing and dressing, assisting residents in moving around the home, nutrition including meals, drinks and snacks including keeping a comprehensive log of every resident’s consumption, as well as spending time with the residents supporting the activities team, chatting with them, sharing stories and anecdotes, singing and dancing and ensuring their happiness and comfort within the home.

We chatted to two of our Senior Healthcare Assistants to find out a little bit more…

Sarah Evans has worked in care for 27years, having worked with elderly people as a youngster, after her children were grown up, she returned to care and hasn’t looked back.  Sarah has worked at several nursing homes in Stafford and joined the Manor House 3 years ago as a Care Assistant on the Mental Health Unit.  Sarah has recently been promoted and works on the General Nursing Unit.

Sarah says, “I love looking after people.  The people here have in the most part lived a long life and done everything for others or perhaps raised a family, now it is their turn to be looked after and I find it a privilege to spend this time of someone’s life with them.   It’s the last and most important thing you can do for someone, and I find it an honour to spend this time with our residents.”

Diane Wright has nearly 40 years’ experience as a carer. Like Sarah she has worked in a number of care and nursing homes across Staffordshire and has been with the Manor House for over 15 years.  Diane works on the Mental Health Unit.

Diane says, “doing this job brings a reward that comes from the heart.  It’s the kind of job I would do as a volunteer if I could, getting to know our residents and care for them in their hour of need is incredible fulfilling.  Also, at the Manor House I feel incredibly supported, we are one family, and this is everything from the comprehensive training to the equipment, for example we all receive manual handling training, and, every room has a hoist we are all trained to use meaning we can move residents in a way that is safe for both them and us.”

Diane and Sarah are both currently undergoing their Level 5 training to become nursing assistants as part of the Manor House’s commitment to ongoing training and development of the team.

If you would like to join the team and discover how rewarding a career in care can be we’d love to hear from you.  Our latest vacancies can be found here.

Dementia Care

Meet the team: Unit Manager Bertha

Read about Bertha and find out about working life for our Unit Managers

Bertha joined the Manor House nursing home in 2015 as a registered nurse and has since been promoted to Unit Manager.

Bertha is a highly experienced medical professional, having qualified in 2013 from Buckingham University then working with people with specialist needs such as epilepsy in Slough and as a nurse at the Royal Stoke Hospital.

Bertha says of the Manor House,

it feels like a second home coming to work here, it’s such a lovely team who work together to look after each other and everyone who lives here

Bertha has a very varied role and can be found in all units across the home.  Bertha’s day typically consists of completing a comprehensive handover, checking in on residents, completing medical rounds, reviewing care plans and any health issues that need to be address such as dressings, taking bloods if required, re-stocking medication and auditing medication, and taking the time to sit with residents. Bertha continues,

my role is really varied, the clinical side always comes first and foremost to ensure all of our residents are cared for, but alongside that is the wonderful time we get to spend alongside the Healthcare assistants with the residents that makes this so much more than a job and why it feels like being in my second home, it’s truly rewarding job and I could never imagine being anywhere else.

If you’d like to join our team, find our current vacancies and apply here.

Manor House Nursing Home

DanceSing on Demand: Staff Wellbeing

The wellbeing of our team is incredibly important to us which is why as well as launching DanceSing for the team to enjoy with residents, we have also invested in their ‘on Demand’ programme for our staff to use.  Every member of our team now has access to a pool of resources they can enjoy at work or at home with their families.

Angela Sands, Director of Operations said, “we are like a family here, we care deeply about our residents and about each other, therefore it’s essential we look after every single member of our team.  At the staff launch of DanceSing, the smiles across the team, the feeling of togetherness and the energy from the room was palpable; the launch alone demonstrated the impact on someone’s wellbeing this can have.

We will be actively encouraging the team to use the package available to them now.  We’ll seek their feedback throughout the trial and as long as the team find it valuable to them, DanceSing will remain a resource our staff can access on a permanent basis.

Natalie Garry said, “the beauty of DanceSing is it is an inclusive, intergenerational, feel-good wellbeing experience that can be used anytime, anywhere”

Angela added, “We don’t need to run marathons to add physical activity into our lives, and there is a proven link between activity and our overall well-being, our intention is to support our team at work and at home, whenever they need a little boost or as part of a daily routine.  The beauty is this programme offers so much variety so everyone should be able to find something that makes them smile”.

Find out more about working at The Manor House Nursing home here.

Care Home Staffordshire

What is Respite Care?

Sometimes we all need a little help.  Being a carer for someone you love is not easy.  And whilst we know it can be really hard to think, let alone say out loud and make the steps to get a little support – it is ok to need a break.  To look after the person you love – you have to look after yourself too.

Respite Care can offer the little break you need – take some time for you, have a holiday, read a book – do what you need for you, for a little while and we can help.

Respite Care is temporary residence within a Nursing Home. Our Respite Care provision can be taken up for as little as a week or over a month.  Anyone coming to The Manor House for a period of respite is treated in the same way and with the same level of care as if they were coming here permanently.  They will receive a personal care plan created in conjunction with you and any medical professionals.  They will be recommended suitable accommodation within the Nursing Home based on their care needs and have access to all of the activities we offer – again, all suitable for their needs and tailored if necessary.

If you are contemplating respite, please contact us and we can talk you through how it works.

Jodie McVay, Managing Director says, “our Respite Care Service is used by people who need a little break from being a full-time carer, or sometimes as a taster to see how a relative would get on in a Nursing Home.  We understand it can be an emotional decision and our team are here to support you in anyway we can and help you to understand how it works”.

Nursing Home Stafford

Our 2021 Pudsey Party 

This November we joined the nation in going all out for Children in Need.

With decorations throughout the home and in our central dining and event space, The Hub – covered in brightly coloured balloons and bunting, staff dressed up, Pudsey ears all round, arts & crafts, music, dancing, and dinner accompanied by iced fairy cakes it has been quite the week!

Everyone had so much fun – the residents love it when our team pick up the microphone and start to sing for them, and there is no doubt music and dancing brings lots of smiles and joy.

Occasions such as this where we can throw a party and turn up the music are a great way of igniting a real sense of community spirit, warmth, and friendships here at The Manor House Nursing Home. Our Activities Team create a calendar of events to ensure there is always a range of entertainment for residents to get involved with. We also ensure, that if for any reason a resident cannot attend the main event in The Hub, the team will take the event to them in their bedroom or one of the communal lounge spaces to ensure no one misses out.

To find out more about Activities and daily routines at the Manor House, or if you have any other questions, please call us on 01785 250600.

Care Homes Stafford

Well done Connie

Our resident Connie has been working hard alongside our dedicated dieticians to manage her weight and has lost a very impressive 1 stone.

At The Manor House, someone’s diet and nutritional intake is a key part of their care. Whether a resident is struggling to consume proper meals or needs to gain weight following a period of illness or, whether their health would benefit from losing a little weight, our team of experts carefully plan meals to ensure every resident receives what they need as part of their individual care plan.

All meals are made here at The Manor House by our chef in our on-site kitchen. As well as nutritionally balanced meals we can offer fortified build-up shakes, nutritionally balanced finger foods, or meals that need to be pureed to ensure a resident can eat them. We pay close attention to details too, with pureed meals for example, we then re-shape and mould the food to look like the original meal.

Jayne Wood, Director of Nursing said, “Well done Connie! Delivering effective Nursing Care is multi-layered and nutrition plays a vital role in everyone’s wellbeing, which is why we are passionate about ensuring every resident receives exactly what they need to support their health needs. Managing someone’s weight whether sustaining, gaining, or losing requires as much focus as administering medication, our dedicated Nutrition Champion and chefs work really hard to ensure residents receive the food and drinks they need.”