Employee of the month: March

Employee of the month: March

 

In March 2024 the management team at St Joseph’s decided to recognise staff who go above and beyond in their role. Staff, residents and residents placed their votes in the ballot box and we’re pleased to announce our first winners. Congratulations to Sharron and Emma – we hope you both enjoyed the wine and flowers!

Sharron is the winner for employee of the month from the Day team.

‘I’m voting Sharron for caring so much and getting mum’s clothes and toiletries, thank you.’

Relative

Emma is the winner from the Night team.

‘Wonderful person to work with, kind, polite and a great team worker’

Staff
Fantastic fireworks at St Joseph’s

Fantastic fireworks at St Joseph’s

 

On Wednesday 1st November St Joseph’s residents along with family and friends enjoyed a firework display on their doorstep. Alan, Father Hudson’s Facilities and Maintenance Manager, set off a dazzling array of fireworks in the field opposite St Joseph’s.

Man in yellow hi vis jacket lighting fireworks in field

Some residents bundled up in warm clothes and blankets to light sparklers and see the fireworks outside, while others stayed in the warmth and comfort of the Terrace café to watch through the window. Dejan and Ericka kept everyone supplied with hot dogs, chips and hot chocolates on the night.

“We had such a lovely night! A big thankyou to Alan for doing the fireworks, Dejan and Ericka for providing the hotdogs, chips and hot chocolates, and also a big thankyou to everyone who helped out! We hope everyone had a lovely evening”

Laura Birch, Compliance and Admin support at St Joseph’s
Christmas Festivities at St Joseph’s

Christmas Festivities at St Joseph’s

 

The latest news

Christmas is a momentous time for all at St Joseph’s. It is a time for joy and celebration and the staff try to make it as special as they can. St Joseph’s have welcomed families, the local community, and friends into their home this year. So far there has been singing, laughter and Christmas spirit. The home has been gradually decorated, which has brought warmth and sparkle to all. Christmas carols have filled St Joseph’s with festive cheer, and many have been singing their way through parties, and dancing along to their favourite songs. Some who prefer their own space, have continued with their own routines, and joined in from time to time. St Joseph’s have brought different generations together, including children from the local nursery. The nursery children are not new to St Joseph’s, their presence has been appreciated and loved by all. There are a few more Christmas celebrations to come, this week they look forward to a Christmas sing along with Libby, and Santa coming to visit! The conservatory has been decorated and turned into Santa’s grotto. We are especially looking forward to eating mince pies and drinking tea in our very own terrace Café on Friday. Christmas at St Joseph’s is a valuable time of year for all staff, and lots is done to ensure residents feel at home and do not become overwhelmed at this time of year. From all at St Joseph’s we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Helpful Advice

Holidays are a special time for families affected by dementia, but sometimes this time of year can be a challenge. Families have mixed feelings, and celebrations can sometimes become overwhelming for both people with dementia and those who care for them. That does not mean you cannot enjoy celebrations, have fun, and spend quality time together. Wrapping up warm and going outdoors is a wonderful way to boost mood, initiating conversations and sparking memories. Listening to music can also be a joyful experience, it can bring calmness, as well as enjoyment and entertainment. Most importantly, take care and be kind to yourself.

St Joseph’s, Coleshill, celebrating 20 years of care

 

Nestled on the outskirts of Coleshill, near Birmingham, and overlooking the Warwickshire countryside, St Joseph’s Care Home is abuzz with activity as staff and residents prepare to celebrate the home’s 20th anniversary this summer. Already this year, there has been a celebratory atmosphere as the home gradually returned to normal after the pandemic.

During lockdown, the home transformed one of its four wings into a Covid-safe area under the care of a small team of staff. This meant that people moving to the home, being discharged from hospital, or those staying for temporary respite, had somewhere covid-safe to stay. In April, after a complete refurbishment, the wing ‘re-opened’, welcoming back a small number of residents.

Speaking at the re-opening, Coleshill Mayor said: “What’s touched me most is talking to residents and families about what it means to them to be part of this family, because that’s what it is. It’s not just a care home. It’s not just a place where people come when reaching difficult parts of their lives. It’s this sincere love that you really feel when you come here.”

In August, the home will celebrate 20 years since it first opened its doors. Over the years, the home has seen many developments including the creation of memory rooms for those living with dementia, a new conservatory to host visitors and entertainment, a covid-safe visiting pod, installation of wi-fi and streaming services, and much more. No matter what changes have occurred, however, the high standards of care have remained constant.

The experienced and welcoming staff aim to make everyone that enters St Joseph’s feel like they are at home. They work with families to understand the person they are being entrusted to care for – their likes and dislikes, the story of their life, the person they have been and the person they are now. No matter how long someone is staying for, whether a few days or more permanently, every effort is made to meet their interests as well as daily living needs.

One resident, James, said: “I went for respite care to St Joseph’s and had a very pleasant stay with good food, excellent attention by all staff. Nothing was too much for them to attend to and talk to as well.”

The 59-bed home is part of Father Hudson’s Care, a social care charity that works with over four thousand people each year through 18 projects and services, including fostering, family support, disability support services, support for homeless people, and services for refugees.

To find out more about St Joseph’s Care Home, visit www.stjosephscarehome.co.uk, and be sure to look at the virtual tour. Alternatively, you can call 01675 434559 or email [email protected].

A welcome return to St Joseph’s Care Home

A welcome return to St Joseph’s Care Home

 

It was a joyous occasion at St Joseph’s Care Home on Monday 4 April, as we officially re-opened one of our four wings.

During the height of the pandemic, the Ruby wing was transformed into a Covid-secure place where people could self-isolate in safety under the care of a small group of staff. This meant that people moving to the home, being discharged from hospital, or those staying for temporary respite, had somewhere covid-safe to stay. It also helped protect the health and wellbeing of other residents in the home.

After being ‘closed’ for two years, the staff name on Ruby wing have finally welcomed their residents home. On 4 April 2022, we were pleased to welcome three existing residents back to the wing in a small opening ceremony attended by staff, residents, family members, and Coleshill Town Mayor.

Speaking at the event, Ruby Care Lead, Sharon Lavelle, said: “Today’s the start of the future. We’re all excited. And I know the Ruby team is really looking forward to the future at St Joseph’s, to meeting new residents, giving them all our love and care and for the existing residents to continue with their journey at St Joseph’s.”

The Mayor of Coleshill, Caroline Symonds said: “this is a really proud occasion and I feel really honoured and proud that I can be part of that. One of the things that’s touched me most is talking to some of the residents and the families about what it means to them to be part of this family here because that’s what it is. It’s not just a care home. It’s not just a place where people come towards difficult parts of their lives. It’s this, sincere love that you really feel that when you come here.”

Len, who lives at the home and is one of the first people to move back to Ruby wing, cut the ceremonial ribbon together with the Mayor. Then the celebrations continued with a buffet and cakes prepared by the chef, Dejan, and the catering staff.

During its closure the wing has been redecorated, taking care to not cause disruption to people staying there. The kitchen has been refurbished and all the rooms redecorated. Sharon said, “We’ve installed a new kitchen and bought new appliances, painted all the rooms, bought new beds and chairs for the bedrooms, and we’ve bought plants for all the rooms. So when people move in, they’ll move to a beautiful home that a lot of love has gone into.”

To find out more about St Joseph’s Care Home, Coleshill, and to see if this is the place for you or your loved one, contact the registered manager, Shelley Perryman, on 01675 434559  or email [email protected].

Our memories of 2021

Our memories of 2021

 

As we begin a new year, we’d like to share a selection of some of our favourite memories of 2021. It’s been eventful, despite ongoing Covid restrictions.

We’ve celebrated birthdays, held parties, afternoon teas and taken part in other celebrations. We welcomed Big Picture media and The Sower magazine to take part in a video and photo shoot. We launched our new website, refurbished two kitchens, and welcomed new residents and new members of staff. Our visiting pod continued to be a safe place where loved ones could meet up. And we’ve enjoyed having visits when possible.

While all this was taking place, our staff put on a packed programme of activities for residents to keep them active, healthy and happy. We’d like to take the chance to thank all our staff for their continued dedication and hard work. We would also like to thank families for their support and understanding.

If you are looking for care for your loved ones, give us a call on 01675 434559 to see if St Joseph’s is the right place. We’ll be happy to answer your questions. You can also take a look around by viewing our virtual tour.

Are you interested in joining our team? Please visit our Vacancies page to view our current opportunities.

Elf Day brings Christmas cheer to residents

Elf Day brings Christmas cheer to residents

 

The staff team at St Joseph’s Care Home have been putting smiles on residents’ faces and bringing some Christmas cheer.

Staff at the home held an Elf Day on Friday 3 December, in support of their residents and others affected by Alzheimer’s. They donned fantastic costumes for their shifts and made sure each person had a visit from the elves.

The annual event never fails to raise a smile in the run up to Christmas, while also raising awareness and funds for the home.

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so on St Joseph’s JustGiving page.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which affects around 850,000 in the UK. St Joseph’s offers specialist dementia care, including respite placements. All staff are trained in caring for people living with dementia and are able to provide appropriate activities and care. We also have two memory lounges which are designed to evoke happy memories for residents.

Find out more about our approach to care