Every day at Charlotte Straker House we have a Resident of the Day. This means that every single resident has a particular day when we focus on their clinical care, as well as taking the opportunity to make them feel extra special. We bring staff members together from housekeeping, activities, the care team and the kitchen to review the resident’s care plan and to ensure we are adapting to their interests, aspirations and care needs.

The day also involves a deep clean of a resident’s room, a care plan review and discussion, health and weight checks, review of interests and activities, a check to make sure that clothes and toiletries are topped up, and a review of the resident’s mealtime experience.

This happens to a different resident every single day and it ensures that our different staff departments has a focus on a resident’s wants and needs and can pick up any issues or problems with a view to quickly improve or put them right.

Colin, one of our residents said “I’ve had two Resident of the Days so far, and it’s been interesting. I told the staff what activities that I wanted to do, and some meals that I particularly liked and they’ve already been put in place. It seems like a very useful sort of thing and I’m looking forward to my next one.”

Pam Crawley, our Registered Manager added, “The Resident of the Day process ensures that our residents are offered a meaningful opportunity for a care review and to feedback on the service that we provide. It also helps us see the people living in our homes as individuals, to understand their likes and dislikes, and to use this information to come up with new and varied activities and opportunities. The Resident of the Day ensures we create a care plan which outlines how our residents want to live and include their hopes and aspirations for the future.”

Our residents decided they would like us to arrange a countryside walk so we took the opportunity to visit the riverside at Prudhoe. Four residents (Liz, Muriel, Margaret and Colin) and volunteers took a relaxing ramble along the banks of the Tyne. It’s a brilliant walk for our less mobile residents as the path is smooth and completely flat. It was a lovely warm day and we spent time watching the river flow past and watching the birds in the trees. Liz commented “I wanted to stay out longer. I liked seeing all the bushes full of sloe berries and blackberries.” Thankyou as always to the volunteers and staff members who helped on the trip and organised the transport.

We pride ourselves on our varied calendar of different trips and days out, and one of the most interesting was a recent visit to the Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre and Cafe. The site is wonderful for wheelchairs as it has a completely flat carpark with ramps to the different exhibits and to the easily accessible cafe. John was fascinated by the geology of the land around Hadrian’s Wall and spent a long time inspecting the model of the different sediment and rock layers. Muriel commented that “there was a lot to learn about the landscape and the animals, and I liked seeing the models of different birds and pressing all the buttons.” Margaret used to be a guide at the nearby Housesteads Museum and chatted about the different types of roman history and sandstone sculptures that were found in the area. Everyone enjoyed a cup of tea or coffee and then came back on the bus. Thank you to our volunteers and staff members who accompanied us on the trip – it was a very interesting day out.

To celebrate the opening of Charlotte Straker to residents in September 1992 The Board of Trustees had planned a 30^th anniversary garden party with entertainment on Sunday the 18th of September for residents, staff and families. Out of respect following the death of Her Majesty the Queen we agreed to cancel this event which will be rearranged for next year. We still were keen to mark this important day therefore at short notice on Tuesday the 20th of September, which was the actual day that Charlotte Straker received its first resident, an impromptu birthday tea party was organised for residents.

Peter Wood, Trustee and ex chair of the Board of Trustees, gave a short history of the Project and along with residents, staff and other Trustees raised a glass of fizz to Charlotte Straker on its 30th birthday. Jesse Smith one of our residents and Janet Briggs our newest member of staff together cut the birthday cake which was then distributed to all residents throughout the house.

Pam Crawley the Registered Manager of Charlotte Straker said, “we are increasingly getting back to normal but still have to be very wary, protecting our frail elderly residents. However, it was wonderful to see residents gathering together in the dining room at this impromptu celebration of our birthday.”

Berenice Groves Chair of the Trustees later commented, “We cancelled the anniversary garden party as an act of respect for Queen Elizabeth; this will be held next spring. However, we felt it important to mark the actual day the Charlotte Straker was opened to residents as we have made such a significant contribution to the care and well-being of local people over the last 30 years. With everyone’s continued support, our purpose to serve our local community remains as strong as ever.”