A Care Home is not the End but the Start of a New Chapter - Life inside Hastings Court Care Home

In this episode, we are joined by Theresa Doody, Lifestyles Manager at our Birchwood Heights Care Home in Kent. This is Theresa's second appearance on the podcast. She previously spoke on the podcast about her role at Birchwood Heights as Lifestyles Manager.

In this episode, we are talking to Theresa again as she has recently completed training with the Alzheimer's Society to establish a Singing for the Brain group at Birchwood Heights.

Studies have shown that music can trigger emotions and memories, connect to a person's past, and foster interaction with caregivers and others with dementia. Theresa shares some insightful information on how singing can be an excellent aid to bring together residents with dementia and the many benefits it can provide. She shares some heartwarming stories on how she has used singing and music with residents at Birchwood Heights to calm, encourage socialisation and bring residents together in a fun and friendly environment. 

Meet Jon Mason! Jon is the Head of Recruitment for Oakland Care. 
 
In this episode, we talk everything about "A Career in Care". We discuss the different roles available in a care home, including some that people may not be aware of. We talk about who can work in care, the necessary skills and experience required, the kind of person you need to be, and the many benefits and advantages of working in this field. 
 
We offer a candid look into how you can start a career in the care industry. 

You can contact us on:

E-mail : rtiff@oaklandcare.com

Website: www.oaklandcare.com/care2share

Instagram: @care2share_podcast

In this episode, we're joined by Maryum Ahmad, Deputy Manager at our Woodland Grove Care Home in Loughton, Essex, to discuss end-of-life care. 

A difficult discussion and topic to talk about, Maryum explains with sensitivity and compassion why we should all have this conversation while we are young and why it's important to have it with loved ones. We talk about how and when to discuss end-of-life care with your loved one, assessing end-of-life wishes, the final days, death and supporting families and team members after death.

In this eye-opening episode, we also discuss the Gold Standard Framework for end-of-life care at Woodland Grove and how this accreditation has helped support those in their final days, their families and team members.

Thank you to Maryum for speaking about this difficult subject. If you need support on this subject, you can contact:

National Bereavement Support Line: 0800 0246 121

The Good Grief Trust: www.thegoodgrieftrust.org

Age UK: www.ageuk.org.uk

Would you like to hear more on this subject, please let us know at https://www.instagram.com/care2share_podcast/

The new season of the Care2Share podcast will discuss the many practical questions surrounding the process of choosing a care home, moving in and what life is like for residents living in an elderly care home.

In this episode, we're joined by Siobhan Gurney, Client Relationship Manager at our Hastings Court Care Home. Siobhan came to work at Hastings Court initially as a Business Administrator and has now been at Hastings Court for five years.

Siobhan spoke to us about what life is like inside a care home, the activities, relationships, residents and the people who work in care. Siobhan helped us dispel some misconceptions about living in a care home by shedding light on our beautiful, vibrant community of residents living life to the fullest at Hastings Court. 

Siobhan shares some truly heart-warming stories of residents and team members at Hastings Court and shows how small moments and gestures can really make all the difference in a resident's life. We hope you enjoy listening and learning more about life at Hastings Court.

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Care2Share podcast.

On the new season of the Care2Share podcast, we discuss the many practical questions surrounding choosing a care home, moving in and what life is like for residents living in an elderly care home.

In this episode, we are joined by Pauline Cichy, Director of Care and Governance at Oakland Care and Nino Cuffaro, a qualified private client solicitor. 

We discuss care home funding, paying for a care home, and the important subjects of wills and lasting power of attorney. This vital information is not only important for those moving into a care home but is also essential for anyone, young or old, and Nino does an excellent job explaining why. 

We also discuss probate, contested probate and mental capacity. These subjects are often viewed as uninteresting or confusing, but by the end of this episode, you will understand why they are essential for us all to be informed about.

Meet Joanne Balmer (BEM).

Joanne Balmer (BEM) is Chief Executive Officer at Oakland Care.

Since entering the world of care over 20 years ago as a Care Assistant, Joanne has risen through the ranks and developed into one of the most impressive and well-respected professionals within the sector. She received a British Empire Medal in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to social care during the pandemic and was invited to the King’s Coronation on May this year.

On this episode of the Podcast, we learn about Joanne’s journey to becoming CEO at Oakland Care, including studying for an MBA alongside working and managing family life, her motivation for success, and how she maintains a work-life balance. 

You can get in contact with us on:

wellbeing@oaklandcare.com 

https://www.instagram.com/care2share_podcast/

Meet Abbe Clarke. An aspiring athlete, student and Lifestyles Assistant at our Birchwood Heights care home.

Abbe is an inspirational young student, currently studying for her International Baccalaureate whilst balancing training five times per week as a committed member of Dartford Harriers Athletics Club. She also works as a Lifestyles Assistant, helping to run activities for our residents at our care home on the weekends and in school holidays. 

We talk to Abbe about what keeps her motivated to train, her commitment to running and what she gains from working in a care home environment, and her plans and aspirations to become a Lawyer. 

We hope you enjoy the episode.

You can contact us on:

E-mail : wellbeing@oaklandcare.com 

Website: www.oaklandcare.com/care2share

Instagram: @care2share_podcast

Meet Samantha Goddard.

In our 10th episode we talk to Therapist Samantha Goddard. Samantha started her career as a dancer after training at the Goodman Training Academy.

During her career as a dancer Samantha spent years being very critical of herself and her body. After teaching dance and fitness Samantha studied nutrition and weight management.

Whilst working with various clients, she discovered the importance of emotional and psychological issues and their impact on losing weight, and that is where Rapid Transformational Therapy came in to play for Samanatha. 

We talk to Samantha about Rapid Transformational Therapy, what it is and how it can help everyone. We touch on issues of self-esteem, the menopause, parenting and how mental health issues can affect children and the importance of self-compassion.

We hope you enjoy this episode.  

You can contact us on:

E-mail : wellbeing@oaklandcare.com 

Website: www.oaklandcare.com/care2share

Instagram: @care2share_podcast

Meet Aaron White.

Aaron is the Head of Business Services & Sustainability at Oakland Care. As part of our celebrations at Oakland Care for Earth Day 2023, we spoke to Aaron about how Oakland Care became ‘the Greener Care Choice’ by investing in sustainability and our planet. 

Aaron talks us through what initiatives Oakland Care has implemented to look after our planet and our residents and what other businesses can do to start or continue their sustainability journey with simple, practical tips that everyone can begin to help protect our planet.

We hope you enjoy this conversation and come away with new knowledge on how to help the environment at home and work.

To learn more about Oakland Care and sustainability :

Website : www.oaklandcare.com/sustainability 

You can get in contact with us on :

E-mail : wellbeing@oaklandcare.com

Website : www.oaklandcare.com

Instagram : @care2share_podcast 

We are here to grow and growth requires getting out of your comfort zone and exploring unchartered terrain - physically and mentally.

In this episode, Harry and Luke discuss the Marathon races they ran in Brighton and Paris this past weekend.

You can contact us on :

E-mail : wellbeing@oaklandcare.com

Website : www.oaklandcare.com/care2share

Instagram : @care2share_podcast