Okay – name that song and who sang it? – it’s been played each year since the early 70s and will carry on doing so forever we think – it’s been playing almost nonstop at Pottles Court these last weeks – our annual Christmas Fete on the 7th December had it playing at the moment Dot won her 2nd raffle prize – topped only by Shirley winning a new handbag and a fab lion!! (not a real one we should add) – [clue at the end of this blog]

It really has been wall to wall Xmas trees and carols during December though not entirely exclusively so as we did have our annual FRANK SINATRA TRIBUTE DAY on what would have been his 104th birthday on the 12th – our attempt at ‘My Way’ was quite FRANKly – brilliant! We were ably assisted by our new Google gadget that means we can play any song on request and we have spent time singing Beatles, Russ Conway and Dolly Parton classics too.

The festive fun has also maintained several further attempts to strengthen our hold on the care home international plastic cup stacking championship with Eric and Shirley still undefeated despite the noble attempts to unseat them both from care homes in Scotland and the Midlands.

We have carried out a ‘how do I want my bedroom door personalised (if at all)’ the upshot being everyone choosing an individualised colour for each door due to all be done by the end of the first week of January – Jimmy, our multi talented caretaker may need a bit of help – Dot has offered so we will hope to take her up on this kind gesture of course.

Our annual staff training plan for 2020 has been set with topics including medication, hydration, music, atmosphere and safety to be covered. We have also got in place our specialist NAMASTE CHAMPIONS training for 4 key staff members to undertake this skill development in how we provide exceptional end of life care for those needing this – we want to involve all those interested in knowing more about this – we are working with local and national experts in how this enhanced personalised care enables the best care at this time for our residents.

And our festive cake was awarded a top prize by CQC Chief Inspector, Kate Terroni, at this year’s annual Devon Care Home Jamboree on the 5th December – well done Ann Marie