NewsletterDecember 2019

Issue 48

Christmas PreparationOur homes have been very busy preparing for our Christmas festivities and our residents and staff have been working very hard over the last few weeks creating some beautiful art and decorations to make our homes look and feel Christmassy. Meadow’s Court created their very own advent calendar as pictured below! All the decorations look absolutely fantastic, well done everyone!

We have a lot planned over the festive period. Our main event is our residents’ Christmas Parties held on Wednesday 18th December and Thursday 19th December at Spencefield Grange and Meadow’s Court respectfully. There will be music, party games, Christmas party treats and we will also be distributing our residents with Christmas gifts. We are very much looking forward to these and we hope you will be able to join us.

Season’s GreetingsDear Reader,

We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you all for your support throughout 2019. We hope you have a very successful and prosperous new year.

Kind regards,Satnam and Sue Nanuwa (Directors)

Overall Standard Facilities Care & Support

Cleanliness Treated with Dignity Food & Drink

Staff Activities Management

Safety & Security Rooms Value for Money

2

Christmas Preparation...ContinuedWe actively encourage community engagement within our care homes. This has a positive impact on our residents making them feel that they are a valued member of society, as well as showing our local communities how warm, friendly and homely our care homes are. We have lots of events and trips planned including visits to see the Christmas lights, visits by choirs and orchestras, visits by local schools, Church services and much more. For a full list our festivities with date and times, please speak to the managers of the homes or our Activities Co-ordinators.

Our staff will also be cooking a delicious home-cooked Christmas dinner for the residents on Christmas day as well other Christmas treats and cakes.

*Ratings taken over a 14 month period and are a combination of both care homes. Full detailed ratings are available online.

Star ratings below are based on reviews from www.carehome.co.uk if you would like to leave us a review, please pick up a card from one of our homes.

2 3

Remembrance Day: Lest We ForgetRemembrance day has been observed since 1919, one year after the First World War and as such is celebrating its one hundredth year this year. It commemorates all of those who lost their lives in war.

Remembrance Day is always a poignant occasion at our homes. Many of our residents are ex-servicemen and women so Remembrance Day is especially meaningful to us. Both Meadow’s Court and Spencefield Grange created poppy displays for display in the homes and were visited by their local churches who held memorial services in honour of all of those who lost their lives.

It was a solemn day for all, but much appreciated by all our residents, staff and their families.

4

Happy HalloweenHalloween is a centuries old tradition that has developed over many years into the celebration that we know and love today. It is celebrated in many countries across the world.

Both our homes, Spencefield Grange and Meadow’s Court held some spooktacular Halloween celebrations. The staff and residents at both homes worked hard creating art and décor to decorate the home. This really set the scene and gave the homes a ‘Halloween-y’ feel.

Meadow’s Court started their day with some Halloween themed puzzles and games before having a Monster Mash Halloween disco. All the residents and staff enjoyed dancing away to some classic hits from the 50’s and 60s as well as some timeless Halloween tunes! Our kitchen staff baked some delicious cakes and treats which we tucked into before our staff entertained residents with some apple bobbing.

Spencefield Grange had a visit from a singer, Steve who sang some 50’s and 60’s hits from Elvis Pressley, Tom Jones, Doris Day and Bobby Daren. All the residents were singing, dancing or toe tapping along. The residents also enjoyed playing along with tambourines and maracas. The kitchen staff at Spencefield Grange also prepared some delicious treats to tuck into. We had a Halloween raffle and raised £115 for

residents’ comfort funds. The main prize was a Halloween hamper which was won by Roger, the husband of one our residents. Well done Roger and thank you for your support!

4 5

Diwali: Festival Of LightAt Hicare. We try to include many different cultural events in our activity schedule, not only to support our residents and staff of different cultures but to encourage multiculturalism and community spirit within our home and the local community.

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. Outside of India, the biggest Diwali celebrations are held here in our very own city of Leicester. We decided to have our very own celebrations here at Hicare homes and bring the Festival of Light to our residents.

Meadow’s Court had a variety of activities. Many of our staff dressed in traditional south Asian clothing and took part in a traditional dance which they performed for our residents. They were also visited by a mehndi artist who used henna to draw intricate designs on the hands of the staff and residents. The home was decorated in a traditional style with handmade decorations made by our staff and residents.

Spencefield Grange also prepared art work and other décor to display around the home. One of the residents, Amba worked hard to create a beautiful garland of artwork to give to her family as a Diwali gift.

Both Spencefield Grange and Meadow’s Court listened to traditional music and enjoyed some traditional snacks. The day was really well received by the residents and their families and a lot of fun was had by all. There were smiles all around as residents joined in. It was heart-warming to see residents coming out of their shell and embracing a different culture.

6

‘Just Another Day’Many elderly people across the UK have no one to spend their Christmas Day with. In fact, in 2017, nearly a million people over 65 said they felt lonelier at Christmas with two fifths of these people being widowers. Chronic loneliness in the elderly is a nationwide issue that can have a devastating effect on a person’s physical and mental health. Nearly 5.7 million older people feel their days can be repetitive. Many feel that Christmas is “just another day” and over half rely on the television as a form of companionship. At Christmas time, this can be especially relevant, as Christmas is traditionally a time spent with family and friends, and the absence of this can bring back feels of missed loved ones.

At Hicare, we ensure that all our residents have a festive and fun Christmas. We entertain our residents with a variety of activities over the festive period with parties, pantomimes, choir visits, Christmas dinner. Staff performances and much more.

It is a sad truth that many of our residents do not have family or friends they can spend Christmas with or even to receive gifts from. Therefore we gift all our residents with a personal gift to unwrap on Christmas Day.

We also ensure that our homes are well decorated over the festive period. This not only helps everyone get into the spirit of Christmas but acts as reminders for residents who have dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease.

At Hicare we are one big family and we encourage our residents to take part in our activities with the other residents to minimise feelings of loneliness. Our doors are always open to the family and friends of the residents wanting to visit and if any resident’s family or friends wish to spend Christmas with us, we offer a plate of delicious Christmas dinner on Christmas day with our residents. This needs to be booked in with the home manager. Space is limited and is first come, first serve. If you are interested, please contact the home managers for more information.

Loneliness is a national concern and fortunately, there are charities available that provide befriending services for the elderly. If you know any one that is alone, we encourage you to reach out to them. It can make a big difference on a person’s life. For more information, please visit www.ageuk.org.uk/services/befriending-services/

6 7

We Are Very Proud Of Our QualityQuestionnaire Results...

Our Quality of Care was rated Excellent, Very Good or Good by 100% of Families/Friends of Residents.

100%100% of Families/Friends of Residents would

recommend our services.

The Helpfulness of our staff was rated Excellent, Very Good or Good by 100% of Families/Friends of Residents.

Security of our Homes was rated Excellent, Very Good or Good by 100% of Families/Friends of Residents.

Macmillan Coffee MorningAt Hicare, we were proud to take part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Every year cancer affects thousands of people across the UK and all the money raised at fund raising events like ours goes towards those who are affected by the disease. This is a cause which is very close to many people’s hearts and we were joined by staff, residents, their friends & families and members of the local community for a fantastic morning of cake, coffee and of course, fund raising. Together, we managed to raise £170 for Macmillan.

Community is at the heart of our philosophy and we encourage our residents to engage with the local community as often as possible. We had a fantastic turnout and lots of people showed up to support us raise money for this admirable cause. Our Director, Sue Nanuwa, said “This is our third year taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Macmillan is an admirable cause and I am very proud of all and residents and staff for raising money and taking part.”

Recent & Future Events of 2019Events Diary

For further information on events held at the homes, please contact the activities co-ordinators.

Please also confirm dates and times of the events scheduled with the homes, prior to attending as they may be subject to change.

Connect With Us

Pub LunchMeadow’s Court

Dec

12th

Salvation Army BandSpencefield Grange

Whitehall School Choir Spencefield Grange

At Mary’s School ChoirMeadow’s Court

Granby School Choir Meadow’s Court

Dec

10th

Dec

4th

Dec5th

Christmas DayMeadow’s Court &

Spencefield Grange

Christmas PartySpencefield Grange

Christmas PartyMeadow’s Court

Masquerade BallMeadow’s Court

Dec

24th

Dec

25th

Dec12th

Dec

19th

Dec

18th

SingerSpencefield Grange

Dec11th

Member of: