CARERS at a home in Witney were treated to a socially distanced staff party, in recognition for their hard work throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
As it was also Carers Week in the UK, Middletown Grange rewarded its staff with a buffet, complete with curry, cake and alcohol-free Prosecco.
Claire Gascoigne, general manager at the home said, said: “We wanted to thank our carers for all that they do, especially recently.
“Our carers and nurses have worked very hard to keep our residents feeling safe, happy and entertained.
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“I think it was really important to recognise how hard the carers have worked and it felt really special.
“The administrator here made his famous curry and all the staff joined in and took turns to enjoy the party.
“It’s so important to remember that despite all the negativity, our staff have been so diligent and worked extremely hard so it’s given everyone that boost in morale.
“There can’t be anyone who hasn’t been affected by Covid-19 in some way, but I’m really proud of the carers here.
“One of our residents recently commented on how lucky she thought they were to be in such a ‘safe bubble’.
“They truly feel that although they have missed seeing their families in person, they are very fortunate to be kept so safe.”
Mrs Gascoigne, who has been in her role since August last year, talked about the atmosphere in the care home during the coronavirus outbreak.
“We’ve all got to know each other that bit better as it’s just been us for the last few months in our new bubble,” she said.
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“We’ve been playing games with residents and and entertaining them in different ways.
“There’s a lovely atmosphere within the home and we enjoyed some alcohol-free Prosecco to toast the carers.
“In the current climate where there has been such a focus on the death toll in care homes, we want to celebrate how well our home has managed, how safe our home has been and how safe and happy the residents here feel.
“It’s not very nice for residents to see the dangers but they’ve said they feel very lucky and safe here.
“I know a lot of care homes have been hit really heavy but we’ve implemented really good infection control.
“For example, at half past two every day, everyone in the home stops to clean for half an hour.
“We literally clean everything like remote controls, handles, toilet flushes, anything that gets touched.
“When you think 12 or 14 staff can be doing that, that’s six or seven hours of cleaning.
“We’ve also had extra hours of housekeeping staff so we’ve been really hot on cleaning.”
The care home provides nursing and residential care, alongside dementia care.
It also offers short stays for a holiday break as well as convalescence and rehabilitation after a hospital stay.
The home is run by Barchester Healthcare, and is one of almost 200 the care provider runs across the UK.
For more, visit: barchester.com/home/middletown-grange-care-home
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