Devon Nursing Home Brings Smiles Through Learning

A recent session at Hatherleigh Nursing Home, based in Okehampton, Devon, brought team members together with a local professional, as Nicole from Torrington Dental Surgery led an informal talk focused on the importance of oral care.

Eight team members from across the home were invited to take part, including Care Assistants, Care Practitioners, House Leads and Registered Nurses. The mix of roles meant the skills and knowledge could be shared back across the households within the home. Nicole, who has previously worked in social care shaped the session around everyday practice. Dentures and toothbrushes were shared around as she talked through practical approaches, alongside the importance of preventative care and recognising early signs of discomfort.

The discussion focused on the small things that affect someone’s comfort every day and taking time to really understand them, such as changes in eating, sensitivity or how someone responds during support. By exploring these moments together, the session offered time to revisit everyday approaches and build confidence in recognising and responding to changes early.

It also reflected the value of multi-disciplinary working within the home, bringing together the knowledge of a dental professional with the day-to-day understanding of team members to further strengthen how oral health supports overall wellbeing.

A spokesperson for Hatherleigh Nursing Home said: “We are incredibly thankful to Nicole for sharing her expertise and supporting our ongoing learning and development. Partnerships like these are so valuable in helping us continue to strengthen the care and support we provide every day.”

Nicole from Torrington Dental Surgery all smiles at Hatherleigh Nursing Home

------------------------

If you would like to learn more about Hatherleigh Nursing Home, please visit https://www.hatherleighnursinghome.com/lifes-journey-continued-2/

Spirit Lifting. Blackthorn Blossom & Wood Anemone

Well the weather has not been kind lately, a freezing strong wind yesterday has 'burnt' the newly emerging leaves in the garden, so I've been looking back in my photo archives to sunnier, warmer Spring days. I photographed this beautiful Spring star on this day in 2018. It was the first Wood Anemone flowering in an ancient woodland on a wildflower walk at Hartland Abbey. I focussed on the petals and pretty yellow stamens and I love the bokeh effect in the background.

Behind the scenes, the spirit lifting Blackthorn blossom is appearing now, the photo below was taken in March 2014. No finer sight than Blackthorn flowering in an ancient Devon hedgerow. It's dotted along field margins and you see it in the hedgerows, green lanes, either side of major and minor roads. Unlike Hawthorne it flowers before the leaves. It also appears as white speckles on coastal cliffsides and in ancient woodland. The black fruit (Sloe berries) are used traditionally to make Sloe Gin. It certainly lifts the spirit 😊

Wood Anemone. Photo © Pat Adams North Devon Focus 

Blackthorn Blossom. Photo © Pat Adams North Devon Focus 

Focus Nature Notes: 

Back then I used the following equipment (both great little cameras at the time, easy, no fuss and light perfect for walking or travelling)

Blackthorn - NIKON 1 V1

Wood Anemone - Canon EOS M5

---------------------

"The Wood anemone is named after the Greek wind god, Anemos, who sent his namesakes, the anemones, in early spring to herald his coming. This legend gives the flower its other common name of 'Windflower'. " (Woodlandtrust.org)

-----–-------   

North Devon Focus. Watching the changing seasons throughout the year, looking out and photographing events, nature, wildlife and places while walking on the North Devon coast and in the countryside. 
All photos/articles copyright Pat Adams (All Rights Reserved)

Join us on 

 Facebook - Flickr - Instagram - YouTube

Sidmouth Care Home Keeps Active with Fitness Sessions

Sundial Care Home, which sits near the town of Sidmouth, has been enjoying regular exercise sessions with G-Fitness, helping family members (residents) keep moving and stay active.

Instructor Shannon, uses a selection of gentle exercises and games that encourage family members to keep moving and stay engaged. These include activities with red bouncy balls, which family members raise above their heads, throw and catch them, and pass them between one another. Shannon has a natural way of motivating anyone who joins in and often inspires the team to continue encouraging movement with family members even when she is not there.

The sessions are designed to support movement and mobility while also creating an enjoyable atmosphere. Exercise and keeping mobile can help people maintain strength, coordination and confidence, and the sessions offer a simple way for family members to remain active in a way that feels social and uplifting.

One family member who spent many years working as a PE teacher particularly enjoys the sessions, as they reconnect her with something that was once a big part of her life.

The residential care home in East Devon offers a range of regular activities to keep family members engaged in everyday life, including their gardening club, art sessions and community outings, as well as yearly community events held in the home’s three-acre grounds.

If you would like to learn more about Sundial Care Home, please visit https://www.sundialcare.com/activities-in-care/