Your Health Group Blog

Your postcards are making a real difference this summer, and beyond... Last year our care group launched the Postcards of Kindness appeal, which asked members of our homes' local communities to send postcards from wherever in the world they'd been on holiday. While we knew that some individuals were likely to receive cards from their own relatives we wanted to include everybody at each home; we wanted to ensure that no resident was left out, and make every adventure accessible to all. The response to our appeal was phenomenal, and thousands of cards from all around the world were received in a very short space of time. Not only did our homes receive postcards from friends, relatives and neighbours, but cards also came from people living on the other side of the world and everywhere in between. The senders were keen to share details of their hometowns and holidays, and inspire happy memories for our residents to share with staff members. Our campaign hoped to alleviate

The staff and residents at Rider House Nursing Home in Burton on Trent would like to say a huge thank you to the young people and team leaders from our local National Citizen Service (NCS) programme, facilitated by the Burton Albion Community Trust, for your hard work, humour and passion during the week you spent at our home. We have loved getting to know you all, and everyone agrees that you’ve done some amazing work in the garden! That week showed us what community spirit is all about, and we’d like to wish you all every success in your future endeavours. What is the National Citizen Service? The National Citizen Service (NCS) is a government programme that empowers teenagers aged 15-17 years to be the best they can be, and discover just what they can do via a series of outdoor activities, workshops and community projects. They’re challenged by sports and team building activities, inspired to learn vital life skills and tasked with helping their local community, whil

We blinked, and all too soon June was over. What a wild, wild month it has been, though.  During June all ten of our homes took part in a nationwide campaign organised by the Wildlife Trusts. Called '30 Days Wild' the initiative challenges participants to complete one random act of wildness per day, so that we might all access, and appreciate nature more readily. It's said that all of our lives are better when they're wilder, and we couldn't agree more. Accessing nature for just a short period of time each day can help to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of those taking part, and make a stark difference to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. During our participation in last year's '30 Days Wild' we noticed that residents were engaged and happy. They were often far more willing to take part in group activities and events, and one home noticed a marked difference in the number of falls that occurred. Residents and staff

My work experience wasn’t what I had expected. As someone who has always wanted to work in care or medicine, going to a care home was my first thought when told I needed to find a work experience placement.  When Your Health Limited accepted me for the week, I was ecstatic. Yes, I couldn’t be based at a care home for the whole week, and that was slightly disappointing, but I could still experience what care was like, and get a look behind the scenes as well. The first care home I went to was Langwith Lodge, in Nottinghamshire.  Not having been to many care homes beforehand, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to see, or what to expect. Would everyone just stay in their beds, eating, sleeping and never truly aware of the world?  Whatever I expected, it didn’t come close to what I actually found.  The residents were moving freely around the home, engaging in the different activities on offer, chatting with the carers and other residents.  It was incredible; you’d almost never

The best part of working so closely with residents is hearing their stories first hand. We love when residents engage with our staff members and tell them snippets, however small or seemingly irrelevant, of things that happened long ago. Those unlocked memories aid reminiscence therapy and help us to get to know our residents much better, as well as providing countless opportunities for meaningful conversations. Every now and again we hear something that's too special to keep to ourselves, and with the permission of resident John and his family we'd like to share his story... John lives in Summer Fields Care Home in the Wirral. During the Second World War he served as a sapper with the Royal Engineers 11th Armoured (Taurus) Division, and  was present at the D-Day Landings. He has spoken of landing on Juno Beach, and of his time building bridges that the Germans often destroyed. Staff members have been enthralled by his stories, and the additional facts that his family has

On 1st June all ten of our care homes will embark upon a wildlife initiative that continues to reap positive rewards for our staff and residents months and months later. What is 30 Days Wild? 30 Days Wild is a challenge set by the Wildlife Trusts each year during June - hence its name! Participants are encouraged to complete just one random act of wild each day, although there's no limit for anyone wanting to do more. These random acts of wild could be as simple as cloud spotting, whistling with grass, watching a wild webcam or walking barefoot across a lawn, or involve petitioning your local MP, visiting a nature reserve or joining a campaign to safeguard our natural habitats. All of our lives are so much better when they're wilder, and these small, but intrinsically connected acts of wild could do so much to protect wildlife - often without even realising the good that we're doing. This year the Wildlife Trusts have released a dedicated care home pack to help car