The world inside St. Bernards during Covid

September 2020

The recent spike in Birmingham has meant that we are taking extra precautions at St. Bernards to ensure the safety of our residents and staff.

We may have temporarily closed the world out from St. Bernards, but our staff are amongst the most caring and inspiring individuals who strive to bring love and light, to all those under their care.

This family run home has always been driven to care for the elderly, on values of love, kindness and deep understanding of individual needs.

Here is a sneak peek into the home

The moment you wake up

Freshly brewed hot drinks presented in individual sized porcelain tea pots, accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice; with a choice of any breakfast. The carefully presented tray is hand delivered by our waitresses with the morning paper and a copy of the ‘Daily Diary’.

A plan for the day

The Daily Dairy is a booklet that is created on a daily basis that includes the food menu and the activities for the day. Each activity ensures safety of the residents but does not compromise on the quality of events. Waking up with a plan helps to ensure mental, emotional and physical stimulation. There is always something to look forward to.

“There is always something to look forward to.”

Dealing with separation from family and friends

This time in isolation can be a worrying time for both residents and families. The separation of physical contact can lead to loneliness, depression and anxiety.

Here at St. Bernards we have dedicated ipads to ensure regular video calls are made to loved ones as well as phone calls.

Keeping the bond and relationship active between family members and residents is key to the core values of St. Bernards.

Keyworker programme

Each resident is paired with a member of staff, which is their ‘Keyworker’.

During this lockdown period, the keyworkers have been the link between families and residents and a crucial part to the well- being of our dear residents.

The keyworker will make sure that the ‘Life History’ of the care plan is completed – this is a great tool to use, when planning the resident’s day and what activities they may be interested in.

Keeping active and St. Bernards

Mental agility and physical stimulation are extremely important in normal times, but especially in this time of uncertainty. Being active at St. Bernards means having shared mealtimes with both staff and residents, taking part in activities set by a dedicated team and having 1-2-1 time with keyworkers and other staff. Everything is carried out under government guidelines and Public Health England.

Wilson Vale, our in-house caterers have been incredible during this time, and we have been able to put special events together based around food and themes, from ‘Socially Distanced Garden BBQ’s, to wine tasting and cake decorating.

The Garden and the Spa at St. Bernards

Many of you already know and love the grounds at St. Bernards. The garden itself is landscaped with a clear walking path running along the outside. Residents are able to take leisurely walks around the garden, anytime of the day accompanied by one of our staff members.

The Garden Spa is an addition to the home that was introduced in 2018, it facilitates many therapies and is a space for residents to enjoy and overlooks the entire garden.

“Being positive in a negative situation isn’t naïve, it’s called Leadership”

Dinner and Treats throughout the day

As mentioned we work very closely with Wilson Vale catering to ensure the absolute highest quality of food is served. High in nutrition, always freshly made and never compromised in taste.

The food that is served is just as important as the mental and physical health of our residents ensuring all senses are stimulated.

These times are unprecedented and is forever evolving, what we are certain of is the dedication and commitment to the well-being of our residents and safety of staff. We may be closing the doors to the outside, but the world we are creating for those at St. Bernards will always be surrounded by love, compassion with the aim to excel both mentally and physically.

We will always lead the way in this direction.

To keep up to date with all our news and events, read our regular newsletter.

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