GossipISSUE 32 | APRIL 2013

Valley Lodge gets famous!

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE...

Inside Gossip is your newsletter so we want your contributions! Residents, relatives and staff are all welcome to write in. Whether its an article on a trip or event that’s happened at your home, perhaps you’d like to write about something you’d like to reminisce about with others, you might want to write a letter to get your view across about something you feel passionate about. What about something you’ve made that you’d like to share with everyone at Ashmere? You could even put together a quiz or riddle for puzzle corner. Just hand it in to the Activities Co-ordinator or

Manager at your home & we’ll make sure its in the next newsletter!

WRITE FOR THE ASHMERE INSIDE GOSSIP!

Inside

Valley Lodge have become famous this month with two stories about our residents that have attracted the local media. One of our residents, Rita Conway believed she would be turning 95 this year until Hilary, her daughter received a letter from the Queen telling her that her mum would be 100 on the 10th April. When news broke, we had the newspapers, television & radio in the home to interview Rita

and her family. Her family travelled from all over the globe to celebrate her 100th birthday with her. The media also visited a very special couple in our home, Monty & Ivy Turberville who will be celebrating their 80th anniversary this year and may be one of the oldest married couples in the world. BBC Radio Derby visited to interview them about the secrets of a long and happy marriage which include dancing and never carrying on an argument.

Which homes have been getting their gardens ready for Spring?... Page 3/6

Which home celebrated St George’s Day?......................................Page 5

Which home had a visit from the Easter Bunny?........................Page 7

Codnor Park News Tel: 01773 74111188 Glass House Hill, Codnor, DE5 9QT

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Cyril RowcliffeIsabella HowellsBarbara Judge

Upcoming Events

Trip Out to the Garden Centre

We took a trip out to Dobbie’s Garden Centre this month, we had a great time having a look around at all the summer stock, enjoying a hot drink & a coffee in the cafe and we even befriended a tortoise in the Pet Shop who let everyone have a

hold.

Easter Celebrations

To celebrate Easter, we had a Coffee Morning which was held on Good Friday with entertainment, residents showed off the bonnets they had made & staff dressed in yellow for the event. Everyone had a lovely time! Thank you to everyone who joined

us to celebrate.

Welcome to Annie Whileman & Barbara Judge

Welcome!

Thursday 2nd MayGeorge’s 100th Birthday

12.00 - 3.00pmYou are all invited to celebrate George’s 100th birthday. We will be having a buffet from 12pm and from 2pm we will have entertainment from a group that George knows from church who are coming to sing for him. Everyone is welcome to party

with us!

Staff BirthdaysHappy Birthday to Sam Meakin, Wendy Bonus,

Caroline Fletcher.

SkypeAny day, any time

If there are any relatives or friends who would like to talk to one of our residents through Skype, please contact Kayleigh, our Activities Co-ordinator. Skype is completely free and all you need is the internet and a webcam. Kayleigh can arrange a regular day & time that is suited to both of you. We’ve had lots of successful stories so far including Doris Leach meeting her great grandchild for the first

time over Skype.

Codnor Park get pampered!

Kayleigh, our Activities Co-ordinator has started using her recent beauty training and offering our residents hand massage and their nails painted. To make it even more relaxing, Kayleigh plays therapeutic music through the computers. All the residents really enjoy their pamper session, one of our residents, Jean says, ‘Its lovely, very soothing.’ It gives them a chance to relax, having a nice chat and be pampered. They all feel much better for it when finished and really

boosts their confidence.

A very Happy Birthday to George Welch who turns 100. We hope you have a

wonderful day!

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The Firs News Tel: 01773 74381090 Glass House Hill, Codnor, DE5 9QT

Welcome!A warm welcome to The Firs

newest residents, Mrs Joan HortonMr Ray KearneyMr Eddie Sperry

We hope you’ll all be very happy in your new home!

The Firs get Gardening!

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We are pleased to announce we now have our own herb & vegetable garden. Thank you to the maintenance team who made planters that all the residents are able to use. Richard, Ashmere’s Gardener will be spending one morning a week supporting the residents and assisting them to plant and grow the greenery. The residents are looking forward to sampling their home grown vegetables with their dinner in a few months time. We’ll keep you updated on how we’re getting on! Upcoming Events

This month has been busy in the home, our highlights include our movie afternoon which our residents found very relaxing. We turned our main lounge into a cinema by closing the curtains and eating popcorn. *Lynsey from B-Unique has visited for her regular exercise class with the residents. Everyone had fun and joined in with the exercise whilst listening to the music. *Charlotte, our Activities Co-ordinator has been making Bird Boxes with the residents for outside their bedroom windows *We’ve also had a visit from Aldercar Beauty College who gave the ladies nail care & hand

massages.

Saturday 15th JuneRock & Roll Day

12.00pm - 3.00pmEveryone is welcome to join us for our Rock & Roll Day. We’ll have a live singer & band, a raffle, tombola and much more fun & games. All money raised will go towards the Resident’s Fund. Please join us for fun and to sing along. We look forward to

seeing you there!

Thank you!A very big thank you to all the staff who worked hard at making the new residents’ rooms homely and comfortable for their

admission.

We’re on the net!One of our residents, Peter is chuffed that our home now has its own computer connected to the internet. He’s already been making the most of it by checking his emails &

surfing the web!

Dignity Champion of the month

Last month, we brought you the news that Jayne Heaton, The Firs Home Manager was awarded ‘Dignity Champion of the month’ by the National Dignity Council. To congratulate her, Ashmere partner, David Poxton surprised her with a certificate & bouquet of flowers. Rose Wheeler, Senior Carer & staff at The Firs felt that Jayne deserved to be nominated as she ‘is committed to ensuring everyone tackles rather than tolerates poor practice in the care home. Her passion & commitment to improve outcomes for residents, staff, relatives & friends is

outstanding.’ Well Done Jayne!

What We’ve Been Up to

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\ ssss Kidsley Grange News Tel: 01773 769807160 Heanor Road, Smalley, DE7 6DX

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Happy Birthday!

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Caroline FaircloughStaff Birthdays!

May FarrowNoreen Bond

Upcoming EventsWednesday 29th MayStaff Sponsored Walk

2.45pmTo raise money for the Kidsley Grange Residents Fund, staff have kindly volunteered to take part in a 5 mile walk around Shipley Park. If you are able to sponsor them,

please do. Thank you.

A New Friend & A Huge Thank you!

John Hilton recently lost his mum, Irene who was a resident at Kidsley Grange, our cook Amanda very kindly donated one of her dogs as a companion. There were lots of tears all round when they met, Poppy

the dog is loving her new home with John. Thank you Amanda!We’d also like to say a huge thank you to John who has become a volunteer at the home since his mum passed away. He is helping us out on our trips out and runs our dominoes league every Monday which our residents love. We are grateful for his continued support at our home.

Easter Fun DayWe had a fantastic turn out for our Easter Fun Day raising £320. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day a success, we are hoping to spend the money improving our outdoor area so residents can sit outside during the warmer months. We had a visit from the Mini Mobile Zoo as part of our entertainment. Everyone loved the animals especially the giant

rabbit & skunk.

Activities this monthAs usual, we’ve been up to lots again this month. Thank you to everyone who came to our Indian Bistro Night, we raised a wonderful £25 for the residents fund. We will be holding a Chinese theme next during June. Date to be confirmed.Residents have enjoyed decorating a fabric photo frame for our residents’ patchwork wall art. We’ve enjoyed a trip out to the Garden Centre & are looking forward to our next trip to the Memorial Gardens near Burton to reminisce and enjoy a cup of tea in the Visitors Centre.

Well Done to Hazel for winning the Easter Bonnet

Parade.

Well Done to Myrtle on winning some fizz for

choosing the winner on our Grand National Sweepstake.

Well Done!

A Fond Farewell!

A fond farewell to Heather Freeman who retired at the end of March after 23 years at Kidsley Grange. Heather started here on the 29th Sept 1990. Staff at Kidsley Grange all got together to enjoy a party & wish Heather all the

best for the future.

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\ ssss King William News Tel: 01773 748841Lowes Hill, Ripley, DE5 3DW

Judith SmithMary Bridges

Josie HoughtonLinda MatthewsJoan Summers

Happy Birthday!

Upcoming EventsTuesday 14th May

Clothes Party2.00pm

Wednesday 22nd MayPie & Pea Bistro Night

Invites are out so book your table now!

Friday 7th JuneStaff Fancy Dress

Retro Rock & Roll Theme. Come & join us, everyone welcome! All money raised to go to our

residents’ fund.

Friday 21st JuneCare Home Open Day

We will be opening our doors to the public to show them how brilliant our home is. Come & support us & see what we’ve got

planned!

St George’s Day Celebrations

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On the 23rd of April we celebrated St George’s Day in style, staff wore red & white fancy dress, even residents participated & wore the colours as well as have their faces painted with the England flag. At 3pm, we had a themed quiz in the main lounge & many learnt about the history of St George. We also enjoyed cream scones & tea in the evening and also have done some pictures to display in the home. Thank you to staff who

supported us, we raised £10 in donations for the resident’s fund.

Day to Day Activities

We have been trying out some new activities this month including picture bingo with a seaside themed game & also a famous people bingo, this has proved very successful and got the residents reminiscing over different people and places they had been to on holiday. I have also designed a memory game which is very similar to pairs, by printing off pictures and gluing them to card and mixing them up so the residents have to find a pair and this really helps with their cognitive memories.Dominoes club is still very popular and we have new people joining in every week. I have just purchased the ‘Sound of Music’ so we are looking forward to our ‘Sing along Film Club.’ Last week we enjoyed watching ‘Carousel’ which brought many memories back for the residents. We have stepped it up a gear in our baking club,

choosing different recipes each week, trying out new ideas, we have made: date and walnut loaf, a beautiful carrot cake, honey and almond cake and honey biscuits. The residents absolutely love trying out what we have made and also getting their relatives to try it!On Friday 19th April, we enjoyed entertainment from a lady called Annie, she sang a range of different songs, really interacted with the residents and also brought up some great reminiscing genres which got us all chatting even after she had left. Residents said they would very much like to have her again.

Lesley StensonHeather Packham

Stewart Waite

Staff Birthdays

Jane Wood Lily Nainsby

We hope you’ll be very happy at the King William.

Welcome!

Thank you to all staff for supporting the home with

events & fetes and a special thanks to the kitchen staff

who have been very helpful!

Thank you!

By Jessica Holmes, Activities Co-ordinator

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Smalley Hall News Main Road, Smalley, DE7 6DS

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Winnie PagetKathleen Wheatley

May Marshall

Coffee Morning at Smalley Hall

We had a Coffee Morning on Wednesday 18th April and raised a wonderful £66.00 for the Residents’ Fund. Thank you to everyone who attended to make the event such a success. A special thank you to Aileen Wharton and Julie Roberts for baking the lovely cakes & residents, Lila, Doris, Iris, Lillian & Joyce for decorating them so beautifully. We also put out some wonderful items that the residents had designed themselves for sale which also helped towards the resident’s fund. We’ll have plenty more on sale at future coffee

mornings and our summer fete.

Tel: 01332 882848

Staff Announcements

All staff, residents, relatives and friends at Smalley Hall would like to send love and best wishes to our Home Manager, Ros Morley who will be retiring on the 24th May. We will all miss her very much but wish her a

very Happy Retirement!

Upcoming Events!Friday 3rd May

1940’s Day & Bistro EveningEveryone is invited to our 1940s Day, we’ve got lots going on. We’ll also have a 1940s themed meal

that relatives are welcome to.

Friday 31st MayThe Big Lunch

All our welcome to join in our big lunch. Bring a savoury dish to share, have a natter and play some games. Please ring Sally to

book a place.

Lots of good luck wishes to Maria Burgoyne who will be leaving us on the 28th Apr to go on maternity leave. She is expecting a boy on the 20th

June called Reagan.

Easter CelebrationsWe had a wonderful time on Easter Sunday. Every resident wore the Easter Bonnet they had made & all recieved an Easter Egg. Friends & family joined the celebrations, we had a raffle & some fun & games too! Thank you to all the staff & families who

attended the event.

New Displays!A huge thank you to Donna for doing our wonderful ‘Welcome to our Home’ signs. We have one in our Dining Room and the other in our Extra Care Unit. Everyone has been very impressed with them & they brighten the home up really

well!

Gardening Time!Residents have enjoyed doing their little bit towards the Smalley Hall garden. Everyone had the chance to plant their own flowers to make the garden look lovely & bright during the summer. They’re all looking forward to admiring their handiwork when the weather warms up in a few

months time.

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\ ssss Valley Lodge News Tel: 01629 583447Bakewell Road, Matlock, DE4 3BN

Cynthia KettleIda Lynham

We hope you both have a lovely birthday!

Birthdays

Upcoming EventsEvery Friday

Cafe AfternoonEvery Friday afternoon, residents, relatives, staff and our other Ashmere homes are invited to join us for our Cafe Afternoon. It’s a chance for everyone to meet & have a chat over homemade cakes, biscuits & a variety of hot

& cold drinks.

Friday 10th MayDrums with Maggie

2.00pmEveryone is welcome to join us for some Drum Therapy with Maggie in the Extra Care Unit. Its great fun & the residents absolutely

love it!

Tuesday 21st MayChurch Service

2.00pmEveryone is welcome to join us for our Church Service. The more

the merrier!

Friday 24th MayDavid Straker

2.00pmEveryone is welcome to join us for entertainment from David Straker with his banjo & guitar for

a good old sing a long.

Raising Money

Easter Party Fun

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Everyone had a lovely time at our Easter Party, we had entertainment from Kevin & Marie & surprise visit from the Easter bunny. Kevin & Marie also judged the resident’s Easter Bonnets & Easter Baskets that everyone had been working very hard on creating. Well Done to Rita who had the best Easter Bonnet & Elsie who won the best Easter Basket. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate and a big thank you to Audrey in the

kitchen who made us some yummy Easter Cakes.

To raise some money for the Valley Lodge Residents Fund. Our staff have kindly stepped up to the mark and offered to do some amazing things to ensure our residents are able to enjoy plenty of trips out in the summer. On Sunday 8th May, staff will be taking part in a 10 mile Sponsored Walk from Valley

Lodge to Bakewell. Cara Barton, one of our nurses, has bravely offered to Skydive to she raises enough money. And finally, one of our ex-Care Assistants, Wayne, has kindly said he will return to Valley Lodge’s Summer Fete to take part

in a Sponsored Chest Wax. If you are willing to sponsor any of our staff, please see Janet Ellison, our Activities Co- ordinator for more details. We would also like to say a huge thank you to all our staff for their kindness & generosity for giving up their time to raise money for

our residents.

Cafe AfternoonsOur Cafe Afternoons are going really well and we’re getting a lot of families & friends joining us to enjoy a chat, a cuppa & a lovely homemade cake. Everyone is welcome to join us on a Friday afternoon to find out what residents are get-ting up to in the home & also

what we’ve got planned!

We’d like to welcome to Leslie, Audrey & Patricia to

Valley Lodge. We hope you’ll be very happy here!

Welcome

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\ ssss West Hallam News Tel: 0115 944 03298 Newdigate Street, West Hallam DE7 6GZ

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Lorraine HallSteph JohnsonTracy Gibbons

Hope you all have a lovely day!

Easter Eggstravaganza!

We would like to thank everyone that came to our Easter Eggstravaganza. It was a lovely day and the home was full of visitors & a few animals came for a look round too! Our residents loved all the animals that came especially the giant rabbit. They bought a very exciting range of animals including a rabbit, skunk, tarantula & a hairless rat lizard. From face painting to cakes and a lovely bric a brac and tombola, it was a fantastic day. I couldn’t have carried the day off if it wasn’t for the staff at West Hallam’s help so a big thank you to them

too. We raised an amazing £180.

Bistro NightWe had a lovely Bistro Night last month, the theme was Indian night. It was enjoyed by all who attended it & everyone really seems to like their Indian food. The best part of the evening was celebrating Bob Buxton’s 80th birthday. He is Esme’s husband and attends every bistro night we do, it was nice to give something back to him. We celebrated with a birthday cake and cards. Happy Birthday Bob, we hope you had a lovely day!

A Visit from Kevin & Marie

Kevin & Marie did our Easter Show for us, they had our residents in fits of laughter with their outfits. They put on a fantastic show singing, dancing & entertaining the crowd. They sang all the classics that had everyone singing along, we even had some of the residents up &

dancing.

Staff Birthdays!

Upcoming Events

Congratulations to our Home Manager, Kate on passing

her Minibus Driving Test. Our residents can now get out &

about! Beep Beep!

Congratulations!

Thursday 9th MayColin Jackson

2.00pmEveryone is welcome to see entertainer, Colin Jackson perform for us. We’re looking

forward to a sing along!

Wednesday 22nd MayMexican Themed Bistro Night

6.00pmWe’ll be having a fiesta in the home with our Mexican Themed Bistro Night. All family & friends are invited to join us for a three course meal with our residents. To book a table, please see Kirstie,

our Activities Co-ordinator.

ZumbaDate & Time TBC

We’re looking forward to our residents trying their new chair based exercise class, Zumba. We will be trying out this new craze at the end of May & all are welcome to join us & try it out

with us.

\ ssss

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\ ssss http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/puzzles/31166xszkb.png http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/puzzles/31166xszkb.png http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/puzzles/31166xszkb.png http://puzzlemaker.discoveryMichaela’s Mutterings

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Hello Everybody!

Isn’t it lovely to be seeing the sunshine again and it feels as if spring is really happening after all that snow we’ve had.

I am now at our Kidsley Grange Home and my latest mural is well under way. Following discussions with the residents the theme that was chosen was Shipley Park activities. I was provided with lots of lovely

ideas by residents, their families and staff alike. People shared their memories of walking their dogs and family picnics in the park.

The residents wanted me to try and get as many of these activities into the one mural. This was quite a

challenge but I think I’ve managed to fit them all in one way or another and everyone is very happy with the design.

- Horse riding- Kite flying

- Fishing- Picnics

- Walking the dog- Feeding the ducks & swans

- Riding bicycles through the park

I have airbrushed the background and just this week started painting the individual activity sections. Residents are now eagerly debating what colours different things should be and if the lady on the picnic

rug should be blonde, brunette or a redhead.

Feel free to pop down to Kidsley Grange & have a nose at the mural. If I’m not there, I’m sure one of the residents or staff will be happy to tell you all about it!

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Ashmere Derbyshire

90 Glass House HillCodnorRipleyDE5 9QT

Phone: 0845 602 2059Fax: 01773 749 259E-mail: rebecca.jones@ashmere.co.uk

care homes for loved ones.

Ashmere have been caring in Derbyshire for over 25 years. The business has been family owned and run across three generations.

We aim to provide the very best care for residents, providing a range of care from residential, nursing and to Dementia care in our extra care units.

In addition to long term care, we also provide respite care and day care to assist those who are still able to live at home.

If you would like any additional information about the company or services on offer, please contact Rebecca Jones using the details provided on the left or visit our website - www.ashmere.co.uk

Puzzle Corner

St George was out walkingHe met a dragon on a hill,It was wise and wonderful

Too glorious to kill

It slept amongst the wild thymeWhere the oxlips and violets grow

Its skin was a luminous fireThat made the English landscape glow

Its tears were England’s crystal riversIts breath the mist on England’s moors

Its larder was England’s orchards,Its house was without doors

St George was in awe of itIt was a thing apart

He hid the sleeping dragonInside every English heart

So on this day let’s celebrateEngland’s valleys full of light,

The green fire of the landscapeLakes shivering with delight

Let’s celebrate St George’s Day,The dragon in repose;

The brilliant lark ascending,The yew, the oak, the rose

Have you got a poem you’d like featured in Poetry Corner or have you got a favourite poem that you’d like to share with everyone at Ashmere? Please speak to your Activity Co-ordinator or Home Manager to

ensure it makes it into next month’s newsletter!

The True Dragon

By Brian Patten