Winners at the East of England Care Awards 2018

The team received their award at a Gala Dinner at the Holiday Inn in Peterborough on November 15^th.  The awards form part of the Great British Care Awards and the home will now progress to the National Finals in March 2019.

The purpose of the awards is to pay tribute to those individuals and teams who have demonstrated outstanding excellence in their field of work.

Notable in the Care Home Team award submission is the home’s innovative approach to exercise. The team have developed a unique, individualised exercise programme that is now embedded into the life of the home. The programme has three levels – low, medium and high intensity. One to one sessions are available with a fitness instructor to help residents move through the levels and progress is monitored so they can see how they are improving. Local people have also joined the programme – helping to cement links with the community.

Home manager, Lisa Houghton says:

The exercise programme is bringing huge benefits to residents, enabling many of them to try things they have never done before. This really helps to boost self-esteem. But it is also the thoughtful, small, everyday things the team do with individual residents that makes such a difference. Such as spending time with a resident gardening; quietly sitting sharing stories; taking a resident swimming, as that is the only exercise they really enjoy. I’m very proud of them. They richly deserve this award.

Popular Tai Chi classes, also open to the community, are now run in the home, led by local expert Dr Lesley Holly.   These have proved very beneficial for residents who have restrictive movement – allowing those who would not normally attend an exercise class to really enjoy the experience and reap the benefits.

The programme overall has demonstrably improved individual confidence and well-being and some residents who were unable to walk previously, are now mobile again.