Kernow House, Landlake Road, Launceston, PL15 9HP Email: kernow@barchester.com

Kernow Kewsel

Inside this issue

Hello and Welcome from the manager

News in and around Kernow

Have your say

Christmas Day lunch

Introducing our hairdresser

New baby boy

New Year

Christmas events

News from Barchester

Christmas Card competition

Our surveys

Recipe cards

Charitable Foundation

Hello and Welcome! As I write the column for this newsletter on a bright frosty day with temperatures down -5 it’s very easy to believe winter has well and truly arrived. We’ve already had our share of the winter bug, which unfortunately for Petherwin but fortunately for the rest of the home was confined to one unit. Huge thanks to Zsa and her team for their hard work and dedication in what was an extremely challenging time. We’re looking forward to the festive period with an action packed and ambitious activities program put together by our fab activities team, Bea and Mel. To complement the festive frolics we’re planning an impressive light display, real Christmas trees, carols, parties, silly outfits and my personal favourite Kernow Christmas tradition the Christmas Cake Competition. It may be cold outside, but the competition for this one is always fiercely hot. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful, healthy New Year. General Manager

Careen Harris

News in and around Kernow House

Christmas Day Lunch

Starters White onion, apple & chestnut soup served with croutons

Blue cheese beignets with a pear salad and vinaigrette Ham hock terrine with home-made piccalilli and toasted brioche

Mains

Slow roasted turkey with cranberry & smoked bacon stuffing & pigs in blankets Poached salmon on a bed of stir-fried veg with sweet chilli noodles and a white wine sauce Mixed nut roast

Desserts

Christmas pudding served with brandy cream Warm dark chocolate tart with winter berry compote and whipped cream Vanilla panna cotta with lemon and thyme cookies

Have your say Please be invited to vote for your favourite Christmas Cake when they are decorated and displayed on the concourse. Whilst on the subject of “having your say” please participate in the carehome.co.uk review. It’s impartial, independent and very useful for those searching for a care home for themselves or a loved one. I’m sure many of you can remember what a trying time that can be. Leaflets can be found at the entrance. Please feel free to participate in our Employee of the Month voting scheme too. It’s your chance to say a special “thank you” or “well done” to a staff member who has stood out for you, for whatever reason Leaflets for carehome.co.uk and the voting box for Employee of the Month are situated at the main entrance or you can ask a member of staff about it.

Our hairdresser, Louise Louise is our hairdresser and is here every Tuesday and Thursday. Here she is pictured blow drying Mo Jeffrey’s hair. Louise washes cuts and tints hair. You can have a perm or a set, a shave or a wax, if you like. Louise also offers pedicures and manicures. Sometimes she has Wendy to help her. Louise has a pricelist displayed on the salon door.

News in and around Kernow House

Welcome to the world, Louie Congratulations to Sharon Loftus and Stacey Warren on the birth of their baby boy. Louie Jax was born on Wednesday 30th November just after midnight at 12.12am weighing 9lbs and 10 oz. It was a planned homebirth and all went well with big sisters Alana and Tasha looking after little brother Brody upstairs and peacefully sleeping through it all. We hope you will have many more peaceful nights but maybe not!

Winter at Kernow House We have lots of exciting things planned for December. Firstly, we have been invited to Rotary’s Christmas Tea Party at Launceston College and to St. Josephs Carol Service and will endeavour to offer this opportunity to as many of our residents as possible. We then have Christmas Jumper Day with carols Around the Tree in the evening. Our volunteer hymn singers from the Methodist community will join us for this celebration. Launceston Male Voice Choir will be carol singing around all units to bring some festive cheer to everyone. Sidwell Handbell Ringers will be with us one day, we have our traditional Party Day with ManofMusic going on tour throughout the home and the theme for the famous Fancy Dress Day for everyone to take part in is “nativity” this year. A theme chosen by our residents. There will be lots of mince pies & mulled wine and many other goodies throughout the festive period. As well as all the extra events, we continue with our usual activities. Please see notice boards for information about all December events. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

New Year Our chef promises us an “explosion” of food for our buffet served on New Year’s Eve. When questioned about what exactly the “explosion” is, it turns out to be both hot and cold food. This will be accompanied with sparkling wine and Schloer. New Year’s Day will be celebrated with a delicious three course meal.

A few words from Barchester…

Recipe cards Looking for some tasty winter dishes to cook this season? Barchester has produced a new selection of recipe cards which you can pick up from any Barchester care home. The cards also give handy hints and tips for how to keep safe and warm during winter and are great to share with others who might be looking for a little culinary inspiration over the coming months.

Christmas Card Competition winners

Congratulations to the two winners of this year’s Barchester Christmas card competition. You can see the beautiful winning designs below, which now feature on cards being used by Barchester homes across the country. The cheerful ‘Dachshund through the snow’ design was drawn by Biddy Bulinger , who lives at Ashfields Care Home in Norwich. Biddy has a great love of dogs and spent her younger years at art college. The stunning fireside image was painted by Luisa Shippy at Barchester’s Longueville Court in Peterborough. This beautiful scene perfectly captures the feeling of cozy winter evenings. For every pack of Christmas cards purchased by a Barchester home, a 40p donation is given to Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.

Our surveys

Thank you to everyone who completed our recent Relatives’ Survey or who assisted somebody to complete the Residents’ Survey. Your feedback helps us to better understand how we can improve our services in order to provide the best possible care. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey and sharing your opinions with us.

Barchester’s Charitable Foundation helps keep the adventures coming!

Barchester’s Charitable Foundation helps older people and other adults living with physical or mental disabilities by providing grants of up to £5,000. One group that recently benefited from a Foundation grant is Dementia Adventure, a charity working to keep life fun by running supported holidays for people affected by dementia. The organisation received a £2,160 grant from Barchester’s Charitable Foundation to fund a five day trip to Northumberland Clavert Trust in Kielder Water. Four people living with dementia and their carers were able to enjoy a hugely important break from the difficulties of everyday life and to make new friends while participating in activities that even included a thrilling zipwire. One woman who attended with her husband said the trip had ‘made a real difference’ as he is now approaching a more advanced stage of dementia. Another woman explained that, “living in a dementia household can be difficult at times. You can’t go on mainstream

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all at Barchester Healthcare!

holidays anymore because people haven’t got the time or the patience for you.” If you know someone who could benefit from a grant or you would like to read more about the work the Foundation does, please go to www.bhcfoundation.org.uk for further information.