AVONDALEACE
ISSUE 2
SPRING 2017
WELCOME TO OUR SPRING EDITION!
W
elcome to the second edition of the revamped Avondale Ace.
I hope you enjoyed reading the first edition as much as I did, and
I hope you also agree it is a great way to keep in touch.
Since the last edition a lot has happened! The long awaited Bistro was
officially opened by friend of the home, Isla St Clair, in a fun-filled afternoon
of music and laughter. It’s already proving to be a great addition to the
facilities we have on offer. Please feel free to pop in for a coffee with us!
Amidst all this, we were visited by the Care Quality Commission in March.
We received excellent feedback on the day and we look forward to
receiving the formal report and sharing it with you very soon.
The Avondale Ace belongs to all of us living, working and
visiting Avondale. We welcome any articles or news you
may have. Please see the Leisure & Wellness team for any
inclusions. I hope you enjoy the second edition.
2
GET THE LATEST
News on our recent outings,
events and activities
4
STAFF UPDATE
Meet some friendly faces
and find out who's new
5
OUR RATINGS
See how we rate and help
us to raise the bar higher
still
6
FUN TIME!
Jokes, quotes and
Chef’s seasonal recipes
Shaun Canavan
Home Manager, Avondale
AVONDALE ACE | P1
HOME NEWS
It's been a busy few months here at Avondale!
Here is a mere snapshot of what's been going on.
FINALIST – IONELA PINTILII
DIGNITY & RESPECT AWARDS 2017
I
onela Pintilii’s Avondale journey began as an agency
carer three years ago. Ionela very quickly settled in as a
permanent team member and team leader on the Pink
unit. Every year, residents and relatives of the home have the
opportunity to nominate members of staff to be recognised
and awarded for what they do. In previous years, we have
been highly commended in the Dignity & Respect awards
many times, but this is the first time we have had a finalist.
We wish Ionela the very best of luck at the judging!
ISLA ST. CLAIR OFFICIALLY
AVONDALE HOSTS
W
W
OPENS THE BISTRO
hat a great afternoon we had of music and
laughter when a friend of the home, Isla St. Clair
officially opened the Bistro. The champagne
went down a treat, along with the beautiful homemade
canapés from the kitchen. As a thank you, we made a
donation to a charity that Isla supports – The Royal
Commando Veterans.
UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS
RETIREMENT PARTY
e were delighted to host a retirement party
for a very special member of the senior
team. Marlyn MacDougall was instrumental
in the formation of Porthaven in 2009 but retired as
Director of Nursing and Quality in February. We had a
lovely time celebrating with Marlyn with a Scottishthemed menu, bagpiper and entertainment.
On behalf of Shaun and all the staff at Avondale, we wish the following residents a very
happy Birthday: Margaret Wilson, Edna Edmunds, Gloria Rose, Sibil Leboff, David Wood,
Violet Waring, Peter Oliver, Brenda Bone, Valerie King, Gwen Champion, Jean Wood,
David Newell, Eric Aldridge, Dr John Fox, Colin Jones, Peggy Beavon, Nancy Pearce,
Tom Harriss, John Hastings, Michael Garvie, Sally Hutchings, Eileen Smith and Mary Hill.
AVONDALE ACE | P2
WHAT'S NEW?
Keep up to date and get to know more about people
and goings on at Avondale!
RESIDENT PROFILE...
MEET... RUTH BATCHELOR
Ruth was born and raised in Aylesbury and
remained here her whole life. She went to
school in South Court when she was five
then to St. Johns school until she was 14.
She then dropped out of school to help her
mum with the other children as Ruth was one of twelve.
How long have you lived at Avondale?
I’ve lived in Avondale for about two years I arrived in October or November.
What is your favourite dish on the menu?
I like all the fish. I can’t tell you which ones but I like them all.
Lobster with a glass of Jameson’s is my favourite.
Which leisure and wellness activity do you enjoy the most?
LOOK OUT
FOR SOME UPCOMING
SPECIAL EVENTS
APRIL
ST GEORGE’S DAY
CELEBRATION
Come join our St George’s Day
celebration with music, drink
and a pub experience.
I enjoy being out in the garden and talking to others.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that others may not know?
I worked for Queens Park Coaches where I met my husband.
16 JUNE
NATIONAL CARE HOME
OPEN DAY
NEW ACTIVITIES FOR THIS SPRING
A SELECTION FROM OUR PROGRAMME
ANNA JOLLY
We warmly welcome Anna back to perform her set of 1950s, 1960s
and 1970s songs.
ZOO LAB
With the success of the first visit to the home we are welcoming back
Zoo Lab with their variety of unusual animals.
VIRTUAL REALITY SESSIONS
The virtual reality sessions are a new and innovative to give
residents a chance to do and see things they wish to.
We invite everyone to come
and join in our fun-filled garden
party for National Care
Home Open Day.
10 JUNE
LEISURE & WELLNESS
OPEN DAY
Come along and join us for a
fun-filled day. Music, games,
BBQ and much more. Don’t miss
out on this amazing day.
PILATES
Ruth will be returning to the home to teach and guide us on
better posture and breathing using chair-based Pilates.
Don’t forget our regular events including gym sessions,
minibus trips, and cinema afternoons. For our full
programme of events, see the Avondale Leisure and Wellness
team or visit our website at porthaven.co.uk.
AVONDALE ACE | P3
STAFF UPDATE
Get to know us better… who are your team at Avondale
and what have they been up to recently?
STAFF PROFILE...
MEET CARE ASSISTANT...
JADE ANDRE
Jade joined the team at Avondale as a
Carer. This is her first time working in a care
home setting; she previously worked in retail but
discovered her real passion was in care.
How long have you worked at Avondale?
I joined the team on 29th March 2016.
Describe your role here.
I am a carer, who works as part of a team to look after residents and
help with daily living.
What do you like best about your role here at Avondale?
The best part of my job for me is getting to know the residents and
spending time with them.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
I like to spend time with family and look after my niece and nephew.
Tell us something about yourself that others may not know?
The Wizard of Oz is my favourite film and I can name the colour
of all the horses in the film.
STAFF NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
JORDAN COMPLETES NAPA LEVEL 3
In March 2017 Jordan completed his NAPA Level 3, making him one
of only nineteen coordinators in the country to have this qualification
and the first in Porthaven. The qualification enables Jordan to have
a better understanding of the benefits of activities and how to
adapt each activity to suit the needs of the individuals.
AVONDALE ACE | P4
WE SAY HELLO TO...
CARE ASSISTANT
BEV REDCLIFF
Bev joined us in February 2017 as
Carer on our Second floor dementia
Unit, having been a carer for just
over five years at another local care
home. Welcome Bev!
FEEDBACK CORNER
How are we doing?
Your views, opinions and news from our meetings
RESIDENT AND RELATIVES'
MEETING'S SUMMARY
W
e hold unit meetings every three months
for the residents, relatives and staff of that
unit. We carry out the meetings this way
as items discussed can be focused solely on that
particular unit. A copy of the minutes can be obtained
by request but here is a summary of a few of the main
topics discussed:
GARDEN
Some residents expressed how much they enjoy the
garden but with all the recent construction, it now
needs a lot of attention.
We said: We are now inviting ideas and input for the
garden and anyone wishing to be involved in the
annual garden challenge is most welcome.
This year the categories are:
Red White and Blue for Grand Entrance
Vegetable Patch
Wildlife Haven
Tallest Sunflower
Those involved in the challenge will have the
opportunity to take part in the prize giving
presentation at one of Porthaven’s other homes
later in the year, where celebrity guests will be
revealing the winners.
Please register your ideas or interest with the
Leisure and Wellness team.
THE NEXT RELATIVE AND RESIDENT MEETING
WILL BE HELD IN JUNE 2017 AND DETAILS
WILL BE POSTED ON THE UNITS.
HOME MANAGER'S
COMMENTS
A
s you know, we were the first home in
Buckinghamshire to have achieved an
Outstanding rating in one of the sections in
our CQC report, with an overall rating of Good. We
now hope to better that following our most recent
inspection, by becoming the first home in Aylesbury
to achieve outstanding overall. We are eagerly
awaiting the inspection report and I will share the
results with you soon. Verbal feedback was really
positive and I hope that the hard work and
dedication of the team is recognised.
I can appreciate that not everyone can make our
meetings which are held every three months. If you are
unable to attend for any reason, remember you can
request minutes of the meeting held. You can fill out a
feedback form any time, available from reception, or
you can even share your feedback through our online
form located on our website. Just ask a member of
senior staff for more information. We also encourage
that you arrange a time for a quarterly care review.
This can be done by simply speaking to any member
of staff on the units.
RESIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE FEEDBACK RESULTS
POSITIVE APPROVAL RATINGS
12 months to June 2016
CARE & MORE100%
FOOD & DRINK92%
LEISURE & WELLNESS99%
CUSTOMER CARE97%
HOME ENVIRONMENT99%
RECOMMEND TO OTHERS100%
Carehome.co.uk review score
9.8 OUT OF 10
Avondale Care Home Current CQC overall rating
GOOD
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VALUABLE COMMENTS
KEEP THE FEEDBACK COMING!
AVONDALE ACE | P5
FUN TIME!
CHEF'S SEASONAL RECIPE
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND
CHORIZO SALAD
WORDSEARCH
Find all the hidden Spring words:
BUDS COLOUR LILY
BUNNY DYE PAINTING CELEBRATION
HIDE SPRING CHOCOLATES
HOLIDAY UMBRELLA
XDYEDPEYCJUCSRG
INGREDIENTS
•1 butternut squash
•224g sour cream
•320g spinach
•80g Grana Padano cheese
•112g cooking chorizo
This recipe serves four people
K F V R G T A L MM H C K P I
Q Y D H O D I L B Q Y N O QW
R G A U I L P R CM SO H JX
M F P L Y D E T Y E B I A AM
P J ODOL EG TNRT ZDQ
NHUMLFNAAUNAZ PQ
M W Z A J I L J O F G R Y CD
A D E N R O T L Y N N B Q HA
I G E P C Y O U N Y I E L Z Y
METHOD
ZZSOOCPLNLTLPV
U
Remove the butternut squash top peel, neatly cut eight cubes 1” thick and
steam. Once cooked cool and set aside. With the remaining squash, steam and
make a purée by adding double cream and blitzing. Trim and cut chorizo into
cubes and pan fry with diced squash until golden, then drain and keep warm.
Wash spinach and dry with cloth. Assemble, place purée of butternut squash
and sour cream into bottles and squeeze on to plate. Neatly arrange spinach
with chorizo mix and incorporate parmesan shavings.
DID YOU KNOW...
THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING IS CALLED
the vernal equinox. The term vernal is Latin for
‘spring’ and equinox is Latin for ‘equal night.’
DID YOU HEAR THE ONE...
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU POUR
HOT WATER DOWN A RABBIT HOLE?
A hot cross bunny!
Avondale Care Home
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8EH
WWW.PORTHAVEN.CO.UK/AYLESBURY
AVONDALE ACE | P6
U U H X X U A C UH N E T PY
BCQGHUFCBT ICRCR
BUDSQBGGMRAVHM
Q
C J NW KQ E E G C P F W JN
Words can be spelled forwards,
backwards, diagonally, up or down.
AVONDALE CARE HOME
INVITES YOU TO
GET IN TOUCH
We would love to hear from you.
If you have any feedback or are
interested in any of the information
covered in this edition...
FIND OUT MORE AT
PORTHAVEN.CO.UK
OR CALL US ON
01296 438000