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January 2010

the sky's the limit for denis!

Denis Gleeson, a fearless 83 year old resident of Church View care home in Swindon recently boarded a microlight for a daring flight!

To find out more from the bold man himself just click on some of the audio links below which link to Denis’s radio interviews with BBC Wiltshire.

View original news article | Audio Clip 1 | Audio Clip 2 | Audio Clip 3

January 2010

HOME CELEBRATES ITS FIRST DECADE

Regency House in Ely Bridge marked 10 years of caring for older people recently with a black tie do complete with bubbly and a jazz singer for staff and residents to enjoy as they danced the night away.

During the party, home manager Liz Stewart, care assistant Gethin Williams, and senior care assistant Amanda Cousins were all rewarded for their 10-years of service with a special gift from Hallmark Healthcare’s managing director, Avnish Goyal.

Avnish said: “Regency House is a wonderful home which we are all very proud of. Since Liz Stewart took over as manager, it has gone from strength to strength. She has really made it a special place and helped it flourish into one of the most popular homes in the Hallmark Healthcare group. I would also like to say a special thanks to administrators Daniel Biggs and Anne-Marie Connibear for organising the celebration. I was honoured to be invited to join in the fun and look forward to another successful decade at Regency House.”
 
Resident, Frank Carlson, who has been at the home for more than seven years, was also acknowledged during the celebration. Home manager, Liz Stewart said: “I cannot believe how quickly the last 10 years working at Regency House have gone. I have a fantastic team here at the home who are all extremely hard working and strongly committed to the home and the care of our residents. We had a fantastic time at the party and I was honoured to be presented with a trophy for 10 years of service to Hallmark Healthcare by Avnish.” 

November 2009

ROY RECEIVES THE RED BOOK

Staff at Bryn Celyn care home in Maesteg have recreated their very own rendition of ‘This is Your Life’ to celebrate and salute the life of an exceptional resident at the home recently.

The gentleman chosen for the celebration was Horace Roy Mitchell, 92, from Maesteg. Roy was surrounded by a number of close friends and family, including two of his grandchildren, for the ‘This is your Life’ inspired afternoon held on Thursday 26 November. The afternoon was complete with a presentation and slide show led by Activities Co-ordinator, Mark Chandler, commemorative DVD and the classic ‘Red Book’. 

The touching presentation ceremony was organised by Activities Co-ordinator, Mark, who said, “Roy is a remarkable man and one who has enjoyed a life that has criss-crossed the globe from an early age; a life imbued with enormous energy and adventure; a life full of love, a gentleness of character and freeness of spirit which meant lifelong friends were forged wherever he happened to be and whomever he happened to meet.

As a writer, Roy has already written an autobiography, which has helped me immensely with information on his fascinating life. The challenge has been condensing it down into a 30-minute presentation. This is the second time I have organised a ’This is Your Life’ style event. I held the first one for another resident, Thelma McDonald, a few months ago and it was such a success that I decided to organise a series of ceremonies to recognise and celebrate the lives and achievements of our residents”.

Roy said, “I was completely shocked when I found out the ‘This is Your Life’ ceremony was for me. I am thoroughly touched by the effort that Mark and the staff at Bryn Celyn have gone to for me. The film and presentation brought a tear of joy to my eyes and a smile to my face”. Invitations were sent out to family and friends of Roy as well as staff and members of the local community.

November 2009

COME DINE WITH ME AT TY ENFYS

It was a posh affair at a Cardiff care home recently when residents donned their best frocks and shirts for an evening of fine dining.

The celebration was arranged by the care team at Ty Enfys, in North East Cardiff, after talking to the residents to find out what treat they would most enjoy. After coming up with the idea of an evening of fine dining, invitations were sent to residents along with menu cards. Home manager, Sujjata Singh, said: “Most people love to dress up and enjoy a nice meal and our residents are no exception. At Ty Enfys we firmly believe that life is for living – and while not all our residents may be able to manage an evening out at a restaurant, there’s no reason why we can’t bring fine dining to the home”.
 
The care team all dressed up as waitresses for the occasion and served a three-course meal including melon to start, followed by a choice of chicken or salmon served with seasonal vegetables, and finishing with a selection of different cheese and biscuits. 

The dining room was decorated with candles and mellow background music was played throughout dinner to create the ambiance of a five star restaurant. Sujjata added: “The residents haven’t stopped talking about it since. Everyone made such an effort. Ladies had their hair and nails done and one 93 year old resident even bought new underwear to match her dress!.”

Sujjata’s team are so pleased with how much their residents enjoyed the evening that they’re already planning another. She said: “I’m looking forward to it all – except washing the dishes again!”

November 2009

MERTHYR NURSE NAMED AS CHAMPION OF CARE

Sue Povey of Greenhill Manor care home in Pentrebach was shortlisted alongside some of her most respected peers when she was recognised as Care Registered Nurse of the Year at the National Care Awards.

Sue was interviewed by a panel of independent judges who quizzed her on her role as a registered learning disabilities nurse. On the night of the awards, Sue was presented with her award by American personality Ruby Wax, during a glittering ceremony at the Hilton Metropole in London. Sue was also nominated for Trained Nurse of the Year at the Hallmark Healthcare awards earlier this year. On the night in question, Sue attended alongside fellow Welsh Hallmark staff Kieron Walsh, home manager at Shire Hall in Cardiff and Cheryl Wanklyn, regional manager for South Wales, who were jointly nominated for the award for Best Care Team and Karen Grapes of Shire Hall, who was nominated for the award of Care Training Manager.

Sue said, “I had a wonderful evening and I was completely shocked when they announced me as the winner.  I am delighted and honoured to be recognised for my hard work and am thrilled to bring this award home to Wales”. Staff and residents at Greenhill Manor threw Sue a surprise party at the home to congratulate her on her win. The party was complete with food, music and banners. Mark McCole, General Manager at Greenhill Manor said, “ We are all so proud of Sue. She is an extremely hard-working and dedicated member of the team at Greenhill Manor and is an example to us all”.

October 2009

SWANSEA CARE HOME RECEIVES TOP ANOTHER ACCOLADE

A Swansea care home has been awarded the highest accolade possible in the Welsh Food Hygiene Award Scheme following a routine inspection from the Environmental Health Board and is only the second home in the county to achieve this certification.

Cwrt Enfys care home in Ystradgynlais, who received the Most Improved Home award at the annual Hallmark Healthcare care awards, has also now received the Gold Award for Food Hygiene from the Food Standards Agency Wales and Swansea Local Authority following its recent inspection, demonstrating the home’s high standards of cleanliness and food hygiene.  
 
Home Manager, Karen Beech commented, “I am delighted that Cwrt Enfys has received the top accolade for food hygiene. I am extremely proud of the high standards we promote here at Cwrt Enfys and would not expect any less than the best for my residents and staff.  We are proud to be one of only two care homes in Powys to receive this award and understand that it is a very difficult and rare award to achieve”. Chef, Kevin Hickely said, “I promote strict standards across my kitchen from the cleanliness of the surfaces to the presentation of each plate so am delighted to received the top accolade for health and safety”.
 
The Welsh Food Hygiene Award Scheme was set up to recognise good food premises which have attained and maintained high standards of cleanliness and food hygiene practises. The award is given at the discretion of the Council following an unannounced inspection and the level of the award is determined by the success in a number of key areas. In order to achieve the Gold Food Hygiene Award, the premises must have an exceptional standard of hygiene and an extensive food safety management system with one or more member of staff holding advanced food hygiene training - with full working knowledge of the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

September 2009

CARE HOME IS PICTURE PERFECT

Children from a local school unveiled their picture perfect presents for residents at a Wimbledon care home recently.

Pupils from Dundonald infant and junior school presented residents at Kew House care home on Spencer Road with a collection of dazzling leaf prints to decorate their tree themed corridors. Anne Wingate, Business Manager at Kew House said, “The pictures the children have created are fantastic. All the residents were delighted when the children came into the home to present the pictures to them this week and they will certainly enhance our corridors. We are really keen to get involved in the local community so when we were thinking about how to decorate the home, the children at Dundonald School immediately came to mind.  We have now formed a strong relationship with the school that we hope to continue in the future”. 

Kew House is a state of the art care home that specialises in residential, nursing and dementia care for older people. The home opened its doors to the public in September and with a total project cost of £11 million, is thought to be one of the most exclusive care home developments in the UK. Facilities in the home include a complementary therapy and treatment room, cinema, hair and beauty salon with cafe, family events room, music room and luxuriously appointed lounges and dining rooms.

Kew House also benefits from an all-encompassing concierge service which offers residents the opportunity to book anything from private outings such as a trip to the theatre or tea at the Ritz in a chauffeur driven limousine to have errands run for them like picking up dry cleaning or purchasing birthday cards for relatives.

Wales Care Awards

Congratulations to the following members of Hallmark staff who won awards at the 2009 Wales Care Awards!
 
Ian Bentley (Cwrt Enfys) – Silver Award in the ‘Dementia and Mental Health’ category
Roxanne Girrard (Regency House) – Silver Award in the ‘Nurse of the Year’ category
Helen Harries (Cherry Tree) – Bronze Award in the ‘Promoting Fulfilled Lives’ category
Ria Hayward (Cartref Annwyl-Fan) – Bronze Award in the ‘Promoting Fulfilled Lives’ category
Gareth Matthews (Shire Hall) – Bronze Award in the ‘Catering’ category

View pictures of the awards winners »

HALLMARK HEALTHCARE CELEBRATE WITH CASINO ROYALE AWARDS

Individuals who have contributed to the Hallmark Healthcare success story were celebrated this week at the company’s sixth annual care awards ceremony.
 
The celebration took the form of a glamorous James Bond, Casino Royale style evening at the luxury Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Heathrow.
 
Nearly 200 people attended the fun-filled event hosted by Big Brother 2 winner, Brian Dowling, along with Miss Wales 2009, Lucy Whitehouse. During the event, 30 finalists were acknowledged by senior management and corporate sponsors, for their contribution to Hallmark Healthcare.
 
Ann Marie Heaps, Operations Director at Hallmark Healthcare, said: “Our annual care awards ceremony is an extremely important evening for everyone at Hallmark Healthcare.  It provides the senior management team with an opportunity to acknowledge and recognise those individuals within our homes who excel in the care they provide to residents.”
 
Avnish Goyal, managing director said, “This event provides us with a great opportunity to invite suppliers and sponsors to celebrate the achievements and successes of our team. I am extremely proud of all 30 finalists and was delighted to have the chance to congratulate them personally for the dedication and commitment they demonstrate on a daily basis in their homes.”
 
In addition to the awards, guests at the event also managed to raise £3,300 for charity through a raffle and donations. 
 
In addition to the awards, guests at the event also managed to raise a staggering £3,300 for charity through a raffle and donations. The Directors matched the amount raised for the Care Professionals Benevolent Fund, donating a total of £6,600 to the charity. In addition, Hallmark Healthcare gave another £3,300 to long standing adopted charity NAPA (the National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People), totalling the amount raised for charities on the night to £9,900.’

TUXFORD MANOR IS STEMS AHEAD

From Cauliflowers to Cabbages and Poppies to Poinsettias, the talented green fingers of residents and staff at a Tuxford care home won them an accolade for transforming their garden.
 

Tuxford Manor care home was awarded the top prize for ‘Best Garden’ after stepping up to the challenge of creating a blooming marvellous haven for all to enjoy this year. 
 
The home was awarded the prize after competing in the annual ‘Hallmark in Bloom’ competition within the company, and beat off competition from 25 other care homes within the Hallmark Group.
 
Linda Sumner, Home Manager at Tuxford Manor commented, “We were determined to win a prize in this year’s competition so have spent the past few months pulling up weeds, sowing seeds, planting bulbs and flowers and trimming hedges in order to transform the garden”. 
 
“I would like to say a special thank you to seven of our residents who were particularly instrumental in transforming the garden. They are; Pat Kilner, Jean Begg, Joan Curtis, Nancy Richards, Doreen Slinger, Betty Husband and Sylvia Norton. I would also like to thank Tesco for donating some money to help us renovate the garden and to our Chair Person, Sandra Cooper”
 
Joint Managing Director, Avnish Goyal toured the country judging the 26 gardens and said of the garden at Tuxford Manor, “The array of colours and spectacular range of flowers in the garden at Tuxford Manor was simply amazing. I was totally blown away by the amazing transformation of both the front and back of the garden as well as the planning that had gone into creating such a beautiful area for residents to enjoy”. 
 
He continued, “The deciding factor for me was the hard work, dedication and effort from members of staff, residents and relatives and the attention to detail within the garden”.
 
Hallmark in Bloom is an annual competition aimed at encouraging staff at Hallmark’s care homes to make the most of their gardens so that residents have a pleasant area to sit and enjoy the fresh air.

BRYN CELYN CARE HOME RECREATES THE LEGENDARY ‘THIS IS YOUR LIFE’ FOR A SPECIAL RESIDENT

Staff at Bryn Celyn care home in Maesteg held a very special ‘This is Your Life’ ceremony at the home recently to celebrate and salute the life of one exceptional couple at the home.
 
Thelma and Tom McDonald, both 80, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September last year and although sadly, Tom passed away earlier this year, staff at the home wanted to celebrate the life the couple had shared together by arranging a ‘This is your Life’ inspired evening complete with slide show, commemorative DVD and the classic ‘Red Book’. 
 
The event is the brainchild of Activities Co-ordinator, Mark Chandler, who said, “The event for Thelma and Tom is just the first in a series of functions that we plan to hold over the next few months to recognise and celebrate the lives and achievements of our residents”.
 
“Thelma and Tom’s family have been fantastic by supplying me with an abundance of pictures, slides and videos that I have been able to use to make the compilation DVD and slide show.  The home has been buzzing over the last two months while we have been preparing everything - but Thelma had no idea it was going to take place.”
 
Thelma said, “It was such a fantastic surprise. I am thoroughly touched by the effort Mark and the staff at Bryn Celyn have gone to for me and my late husband Tom. The film brought a tear of joy to my eyes and a smile to my face”.
 
70 invitations were sent out to family and friends of the couple as well as staff members and members of the local community.

5th August 2009

LUXURY WIMBLEDON CARE HOME TO GENERATE 80 JOBS FOR LOCAL AREA

A new multi-million pound contemporary care home, which is dedicated to caring for the elderly, opens this summer in the vibrant community of Wimbledon and will create more than 80 jobs for local people. 

Kew House care home represents an £11 million investment for Hallmark Healthcare and will be the flagship home in its 26 strong portfolio. 

The innovative care home provides personalised residential and nursing, and dementia care. Residents will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities including a complementary therapy and treatment room, cinema, hair & beauty salon with cafe, family events room, music room and luxuriously appointed lounges and dining rooms.  All rooms will be en-suite and include their own showers; some will also have the advantage of their own sitting rooms and terraces.

Bashir Jamal, Hallmark Healthcare’s Commissioning Manager said “Kew House in Wimbledon is superior to anything that we have produced in the past. The facilities that we are offering our residents are of a very high standard with elegant furnishings of a superior quality. It is a home that we are very proud of and we look forward to opening to residents in the summer”.

“We celebrated the progress of Kew House recently by inviting Councillor Martin Whelton, Mayor of Merton, to be guest of honour at our topping out ceremony and we are excited about its completion in the summer”.

The Mayor said, “I welcome and support Hallmark Healthcare’s new care home in Wimbledon. Kew House will not only provide more than 80 jobs for local people, it will also provide the elderly people in Wimbledon with an excellent new care home. We currently do not have a care home in Wimbledon that is of such a high standard that will offer not only excellent care but state-of-the art facilities too”. 

For Avnish Goyal, Managing Director of Hallmark Healthcare, the development marks an important first step into the company’s development plans for the South East of England. He said: “We are delighted with the progress our home is making. It will be the first in a number of luxury care homes we hope to develop in the South East in future years”.

“The welcome and support we have had from local people has been very encouraging and we look forward to celebrating our official launch with them in September.”

July 2009

MISS WORLD SPARKLES AT CARDIFF CARE HOME

Miss World – Russian beauty Ksenia Sukhinova – brought a touch of glamour to a Cardiff care home recently when she visited for lunch.

Ksenia was in town as a VIP guest at the grand final of Miss Wales 2009 at Cardiff International Arena, and was invited to visit staff and residents at Shire Hall care home in Cardiff Bay by Managing Director of Hallmark Healthcare, Avnish Goyal.

Avnish said: “It was a real honour to be able to welcome Ksenia to Shire Hall.  One of our residents, Ceinwen Jones, who was 100 earlier this year, is a particular fan of the Miss World competition and remembers watching it on TV for many years”.

When Ksenia met Ceinwen she said: “I hope I look this good when I am 100”.

Ceinwen said: “She was so beautiful. What an honour to meet such a stunning young lady.”

Ksenia was given a tour of Shire Hall by Home Manager, Kieron Walsh, who has recently been short-listed for Wales Care Awards in the category of Home Manager of the Year, and given a sit down lunch cooked up by in-house Chef, Gareth Matthews.

Shire Hall is one of Hallmark Healthcare’s flagship homes with state-of-the-art facilities including a hair and beauty salon, complementary therapy room and cinema. The home has such exceptional facilities and high standards of care that it has recently been awarded a contract to provide transitional care for 20 individuals from the Local Health Board.

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