New Year Dates

for your

Diary

INSIDE...

The

New Year, New Challenge!Rather a lot has changed in my life over the past six

months after the arrival of our second baby. Our little

boy, Nate, arrived on 28th May and has certainly

brought fresh challenges to our family! A hungry baby

to say the least...feeding every 2 hours day and night

he certainly gained weight well, tipping the scales at

7lb13oz at birth and now a whopping 22lbs! So as many

of us try to loose those few extra Christmas pud pounds,

Nate continues to tip the scales in the other direction;

obviously trying to meet his Dad’s expectations of prop-

ping up the Scottish rugby team when he grows up!

Over Christmas it was lovely to see my Grandad enjoy-

ing time with my children...four generations around the

table for Christmas lunch is certainly entertaining to say

the least! My Grandad, Jim, is a resident at Milkwood

House and has dementia, it is just amazing to see his face

light up when he sees the little ones running about and

Nate thought he would help out when it came to open-

ing Great-Grandad’s presents! We often find that the

presence of little people in the homes brings back fond

memories for the residents and we encourage family to

bring little ones along when they visit.

ISSUE 9JAN/FEB 2012

YOUR FREE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILKWOOD CARE LIMITED

Nate enjoys ripping open Great-Grandad’s Christmas presents!

THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILKWOOD CARE LIMITEDTHE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILKWOOD CARE LIMITED

Having just returned from maternity leave, it has been a pleasure to begin catching up with all of the homes

to hear about the challenges, changes and goings on that have been occuring over the past six months,

and I do hope that you all enjoy reading about it in this revamped issue of the Milkyway...watch this space for

more news to follow on the subject of revamping and the new challenges that this new year will bring!

Hannah Wilson, Editor

ISSUE 9

Dear All at Milkwood Care,

We have now been out here for two months and feel very much part of life in Swansea, Tasmania. The town has about 900 population

and I look after the only general practice for 60km in all directions. We are on the East coast next to the sea and from my surgery you

can see the ocean. Most people here are farmers, loggers or work in the tourist industry. The climate in very variable with days up to 30

degrees but also some morning frosts when we first arrived. Our home has a pool, a dog, chickens and several paddocks. We also have

fairy penguins nesting around the house, which make a terrible screeching noise at night and keep us awake. Our boys are enrolled in

the local school which goes up to age eleven. The rest of the time they are swimming, surfing or catching blue tongue lizards. Everyone

here has been very welcoming to us and quite relieved to have a reasonable locum GP as a previous doctor turned out not to have any

medical qualifications and was deported.

Sadly I do have to do some work. You’ll be pleased to know that Swansea has one of the oldest populations in Tasmania so my geriatric

training at Milkwood is coming in useful. I also look after a 50 bedded nursing/rest home which is part of the complex where the surgery

is. I am on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week but get every other weekend off. With a small population and big distances I only get

called if there is something serious. The nearest hospital is 2 hours by road but in dire situations the helicopter can be up in 30 minutes from

Hobart. So far I have only had to call it out twice. I do most things myself like dressings, child vaccinations, stitching cuts and removing

hooks from fishermen’s fingers which is almost a daily occurrence! The appointments here are a luxurious 15 minutes compared to 10

minutes in the UK but I have to type my own letters. So far I have done only one home visit as everyone comes to the surgery and the

care home is attached so only a wander down the corridor.

We are looking forward to a hot Christmas but it won’t be the same without cosy log fires and mulled wine. I am sure we will cope with

surfing and BBQ’s! It is beautiful out here and a great experience, but fear not, we are planning to come back. Looking forward to seeing

you all in February 2012.

Thomas Price

General Practice Down UnderGP Thomas Price writes to us fromSwansea, Tasmania

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Exciting times are looming here at Milkwood Care, with our entire marketing campaign set to

launch later this year. The launch includes bringing all of our brochures, website, signage and

of course our newsletter, up to date with a fresh new look and approach. As part of our new

look newsletter, we would like to introduce you to ‘Milky’ our new resident mascot who will be

popping up from time to time to give helpful tips and advice. Watch this space...

Say Hello...‘Milky’

Guest Editorial

Interaction with residents is key

Focus more on quality of life...

JANUARY 2012

A New Way of Inspecting

Mother’s DaySunday, March 18th

Father’s DaySunday, June 17th

London 2012 Olympic Games27 July -12 August

Alzheimer’s DayFriday, September 21st

Jeans for Genes DayFriday, October 5th

Wear It Pink DayFriday, October 26th

Great South RunSunday, October 28th

HalloweenWednesday, October 31st

Bonfire NightMonday, November 5th

Remembrance DaySunday, November 11th

Children in NeedFriday, November 18th

St. Andrew’s Day Wednesday, November 30th

Carer’s Rights DayFriday, December 2nd

Last year saw the first inspection carried out in a Milkwood Home under the

new Health & Social Care Act 2008. The homes are now judged on 16

outcomes, which assess compliance against the regulations. These outcomes

include areas such as nutrition, safeguarding of vulnerable persons, working

with other healthcare professionals, and so on.

In the last 9 months all of our homes in England have had un-announced

inspections, and in all cases the homes were found to be compliant in the

areas in which they were inspected.

The difference we have seen is that the CQC inspectors are now less focused

on paperwork, and more focused on the well-being of the clients and staff at

the time of their visit. Far more time was spent observing interaction between

our staff and our residents, and talking to residents and relatives and other

visitors.

Milkwood Care is pleased to see these changes and see them as a positive

step towards working with the inspectorate in improving the service offered to

our residents.

2 3

Diary Dates

Interaction with residents is key

Focus more on quality of life...

ISSUE 9

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Charity of the Year 2012Milkwood Care has been supporting The Care Professionals Benevolent Fund since the

charity was established late in 2009. The charity gives support to carers and workers

in the care industry who have fallen on hard times and has to date helped numerous

people overcome difficult periods in their lives.

This year the company are putting the CPBF first. As our Charity of the Year, we will be

looking to raise as much as possible for this worthwhile cause. Events organised so far

include the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Golf at Goodwood, but we are looking to

you.....yes you all.......to support us by getting behind the charity.

Our target is to raise £10,000 in the year, and anything you do can help us towards this

figure.

Please request a ‘little blue book of big fund raising ideas’ that will give

you great inspiration for raising some pennies for our cause...

e eat - host your own masterchef competition and get your friends and family to place bets on who will be the culinary whiz!

ffete - wait for the perfect british summers

day....and hold a good old fashioned kind

with homemade lemonade and victoria

sponge. All proceeds go to the fund!g guess? - everyone loves a goodguessing game, whether it be theweight of the cake or the numberof sweeties in a jar.

hhalloween night - dress up in yourscariest attire and throw a spookybash and charge your friends to enterthe worst dressed competition!

i indulge - put your feet up and pamper

yourself for charity! massage or facials

for the ladies and leg waxing for the men!

AAbseil - BE BRAVE, DANGLE OVER THE

EDGE OF A SCARILY HIGH CLIFF FACE WHILST

EATING A BANANA AND SINGING Cliff

richard songs!!

bbring & buy sale - have a good old

rummage through that junk in the

attic and badger your friends into

buying the most fantastic pieces

you have to offer.

the dummies a-z guide

of fundraising events

ccar wash - give the kids a fun job! Set

them up with buckets of soapy water

and a sponge and send them down the

street to annoy the neighbours!

dbring & buy sale - have a good old

rummage through that junk in the

attic and badger your friends into

buying the most fantastic pieces

you have to offer. We have long since begun our bid to raise our target of

£10,000...from hosting tea parties to running events, we

at Milkwood will all be doing our bit to reach our goal...

let’s see if we can reach our halfway marker on the

release of the next issue of our newsletter. See what we

have been up to on the opposite page for some

inspiring ideas!

care professionals benevolent fund

£2,000

£3,000

£4,000

£5,000

£7,000

£6,000

£8,000

£9,000

£10,000

FUNDS RAISED SO FAR£1500

JANUARY 2012

Milkwood Care as a group are continually thinking of ways to raise money for charity. Having decided to put all of our fund raising into one

pot and raise all funds for The Care Professionals Benevolent Fund, these are just some of the ways we have been out there supporting our

chosen charity of the year...

Applewood held a garden party. Although the weather was not sunny outside, it was certainly sunny within the home and the rain

held off whilst they had an afternoon of entertainment provided by Shaun. There was a BBQ in the garden serving burgers to resi-

dents, their families and all who attended along with a glass or two of Pimms! Natalie and Liz arranged the day with the help of

Elayne in the kitchen who put on a fantastic spread for all to enjoy. The family of Marie Agass also made cakes for everyone which

certainly helped with the party atmosphere. Residents made decorations for the dining room and lounges with lots of flowers and

butterflies for that all important summery feel! A raffle was held in the afternoon with lots of prizes donated from local companies and

a grand total of £455 was made on the day.

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Off to a flying start...Several of our staff were pounding the pavements at the end of last year in training for The Great

South Run. The event was a perfect start to kick off our fund raising marathon! Each entered in an

attempt to raise as much as possible for the CPBF. The training plan was tough and the competition

was hotting up as the race day drew nearer. All in good form on the day of the race, everyone ran

well to complete the ten mile course and battled the last two miles against gale force winds along

Southsea seafront and over the finish line! Well done all who took part...we are still waiting for a sum

total on the money raised but it should be in the region of £400 towards our target.

Another keen runner and son of Director Robin Cheesman, Tom Cheesman undertook The Lisbon

Marathon in November...no mean feat! With a training plan that meant he was out running at least

20 miles each week. Well done Tom, who completed the challenging 26 mile course in the heat of

the Lisbon sunshine to raise £...... for the CPBF.

Chatterwood held their ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ with everyone dressed in

weird and wonderful hats for the day it certainly makes for great

entertainment and a subject to chat about. Tea and yummy cakes are

a must on this occasion...enjoyed by residents, staff and visitors keen to

sample the delights!

‘Mad Hatter’s’ is triumph once again!

Happy home brings the sunshine inside

ISSUE 9

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Phyllis Edmunds enjoys creating a festive treat

Festive Treats...Our ladies settle in for an afternoon of creating tasty

treats. Many of our residents love nothing more than

being involved in the day to day actitivities that go on in

the homes, and we openly encourage them to

participate in chores, cooking, gardening...whatever

takes their fancy.

Mother Christmas, Sylvia alongside our very

own air hostess!

Yet again, the Ganarew team go beyond expectation and transform their

home into a complete festive scene. With full size reindeer pulling Santa

in his sleigh cleverly crafted by the resident handyman, the home was a

child’s Christmas dream! Celebrations at the home included a Christmas

bazaar which raised £530.00 with the massive support from residents’

family and staff. Manager Sylvia went all out and dressed as Mother

Christmas along with a very convincing air hostess, angels, elves and

Santa himself!

Cosy Christmas in the homes

Santa stops by to hand out gifts

Alan enjoys Christmas day cuppa at The Mountains

We pride ourselves on creating a comforting and

homely atmosphere in each of our homes. This

Chritmas was no different. From a simple cup of

Christmas Day tea to a visit from Santa, we aim to

please each and every resident whether they wish to

be involved in a very festive affair, or if they are more

happy to sit back and relax. With one big

family under one roof we try our very best to make

sure that each of our residents is given the space to

make choices, just as they would if they were

celebrating the festive season outside of our care.

A Child’s Dream!

JANUARY 2012

Volunteering - a helping hand

A Christmas duet...singer Phil de Ketley

entertained our Mountains residents’

over the Christmas break with some good

old festive classics. The highlight of the

performance was his duet with Shirley as

she really got into the spirit of things. Get

your microphones at the ready next time he

visits...

Applewood are very lucky to have a new volunteering addition to the family, after the

sad passing of Eileen Sheehan last month, who had been a resident at Applewood for

4 years. Frank, Eileen’s husband, has volunteered his services to the home.

Frank, who has been used to visiting every day without fail, has now been visiting on a

daily basis chatting to our residents, making teas and coffees, laying the tables and

assisting at lunch times. He does anything that he can to help others, so we think he

deserves a special mention.

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Phyllis Edmunds enjoys creating a festive treat

A paddle at Porthcowl!

A perfect day by the sea....beautiful sunshine, fish and chips, people and seagull

watching, and a mandatory paddle in the pools! Raymond, a resident at

Applewood, could not resist turning up his trousers and dipping his toes in the chilly

pools...he had a great time splashing about but most were quite happy to keep

their feet firmly in their shoes and watch the entertainment!

If only there were more people like Frank...

Splashing about

Festive Duet

A Child’s Dream!

Shirley and Phil’sduet entertains all!

facelift for minibus fleet

MilkwoodCARE LIMITED

Only you alone mattertel: 01730 233993 www.elderlycare.co.uk

What’s Happening?

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.It promises lightlike the careful undressing of love.

Here.It will blind you with tearslike a lover.It will make your reflectiona wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

Ever Improving Our SkillsOur Milkwood House Manager, Tracey Jellett

has recently been awarded her REM. Well done

Tracey.

The Lodge Welcomes First Resident

Having opened the doors of our new specialist

care unit ‘The Lodge’, a home created entirely

for brain injury rehabilitation, we can now

announce the arrival of our first resident. Look

out for the welcome story in our next edition...

New Website Set to Launch

Our website is undergoing major upgrading,

with the new site set to offer easier access to

information regarding all aspects of care and

what we offer to those looking for a home for

loved ones. With upgraded layouts and images,

we are sure that our site will be much more user

friendly and will be easier for you to find out

what you need to know. If you have any

suggestions that you think would make our

website even better then please do let us know.

Poets CornerFOCUS ON...

With budding poets bursting at the seams, we have started a poetry group within our homes. The first

of which went down a storm in Milkwood House. Robin Cheesman, Director, made a debut

appearance to read some of his very own work! See our notice boards for information on the next

meetings. With the romantic month of love looming, do you have a thought for a Valentine? Jot down

your ideas or dig out your favourite poetry book and join us for a recital. In the meantime, ponder over

the words of Carol Ann Duffy...

If you have a story or feature that you would like to see in the next edition of the Milkyway please contact our head office.

I give you an onion.Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,possessive and faithfulas we are,for as long as we are.

Take it.Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,if you like.

Lethal.Its scent will cling to your fingers,cling to your knife.

Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy

Our very own minibus fleet is undergoing a transformation

this Spring. With two more vehicles joining the fleet, and

with the updated branding that Milkwood Care is

embracing, they are set to look fantastic. Look out for us on

the roads around Hampshire and the Brecon Beacons and

give us a wave as we set out on our many trips...