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Cheering on Isaac: Leeds Half Marathon

Cheering on Isaac: Leeds Half Marathon for Charlotte Straker House

We are delighted to share that Isaac, a student at Leeds University, will be running the Leeds Half Marathon this May in support of The Charlotte Straker Project.

Isaac has chosen to fundraise for our charity because of a very personal connection. His Grandma was recently diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer and has since moved into Charlotte Straker House, a local care home and charity in Corbridge. Like many families, Isaac and his loved ones knew that the move into assisted living would be a significant and emotional step. However, they have been incredibly grateful for the care, kindness, and welcoming environment she has received since arriving.

In Isaac’s own words, Charlotte Straker House has helped his Grandma feel truly at home, with “plenty going on, fantastic caring and attentive staff, and a warm, homely feel.” We are incredibly grateful that he has chosen to take on this challenge as a result of the care and support he has witnessed at our home.

Every pound Isaac raises will go towards our Development Fund, which helps us continue to develop our home and enrich the lives of all our residents. From improving facilities to supporting meaningful activities, these funds make a real and lasting difference.

We will be proudly supporting Isaac throughout his fundraising journey and cheering him on every step of the way in May. His fundraising target is £250, and with your help, we know he can smash it! If you are able to sponsor Isaac’s efforts, no matter how small, your support would mean more than you know to Isaac, his family, and everyone at The Charlotte Straker Project.

You can support Isaac here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/isaac-prentice-1

Thank you for helping us support Isaac and for continuing to support The Charlotte Straker Project.

Introducing Our New Nutrition Pizza Scale

Supporting Safe and Enjoyable Mealtimes: Introducing Our New Nutrition Pizza Scale

We’re pleased to share that Charlotte Straker House has introduced a new Nutrition Pizza Scale to help support the individual dietary needs of our residents.

Based on the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative IDDSI this simple visual system uses small pizza icons displayed in residents’ rooms to clearly indicate their required food texture from Level 3 liquidised through to Level 7 regular diet.

This new scale works alongside our Ladybird Hydration Scale already in place helping to ensure that both dietary and hydration care needs are clearly understood and met. Together these visual tools make important information easy to spot and quick to understand.

The Pizza Scale helps staff, volunteers and visiting family members stay informed and supports safe enjoyable mealtimes for everyone.

Home Manager, Sam Willis explains “We wanted to find a creative and friendly way to make important dietary information clear at a glance. The Pizza Scale is easy to understand and works brilliantly alongside our Ladybird Hydration Scale, helping us support each resident’s individual needs without creating complicated identification systems.”

Why it matters

Clear communication around dietary and hydration needs is essential for resident safety comfort and dignity. These tools act as helpful reminders ensuring everyone involved in a resident’s care is aware of individual requirements.

The full IDDSI nutrition scale is available to view on request please just ask a member of the team if you’d like to learn more.

Keep an eye out for the pizza icons on your next visit

Pictured above: Head Cook, Louise Gardner, and Home Manager, Samantha Willis. 

Thoughtful Gift Brings Back Special Memories

A Thoughtful Gift Brings Back Special Memories for Nancy

We were delighted to share a very special moment at Charlotte Straker House recently, thanks to the kindness and thoughtfulness of our complimentary therapist, Jodie.

After noticing a portrait of a schnauzer on the wall of resident Nancy’s room, Jodie was inspired to create a bespoke candle shaped like a schnauzer, knowing it was a breed clearly close to Nancy’s heart. Jodie, who runs Jodie’s Crafted Candles on Facebook, also knew that Nancy will be celebrating her 100th birthday later this year and felt her milestone year should be filled with lots of little surprises.

When Jodie presented the candle to Nancy, the moment became even more special. Nancy explained that the portrait on her wall was actually of her own dog, and that she had previously bred salt and pepper schnauzers herself. The thoughtful gift brought back many happy memories and sparked conversations that helped staff learn even more about Nancy’s life and passions.

The candle, with a fresh cotton fragrance, was a truly personal touch and a wonderful example of how small acts of kindness can have a big impact.

Moments like this highlight the importance of truly knowing our residents as individuals and celebrating their life stories. We are incredibly grateful to Jodie for taking the time to create such a meaningful gift that brought joy, connection, and cherished memories to Nancy.

Pictured above: Complimentary Therapist Jodie with resident Nancy. 

Top Food Hygiene Rating Achieved

Charlotte Straker House Achieves Top Food Hygiene Rating

We are delighted to share that Charlotte Straker House has achieved a Food Hygiene Rating of 5 following our recent inspection. This is the highest possible rating and reflects the dedication and professionalism of our kitchen team in maintaining excellent standards.

Our CEO, Steve Adams explains “We are incredibly proud of our kitchen team. Their hard work, attention to detail, and commitment to providing safe, high-quality meals for our residents is truly outstanding. This top rating is a reflection of the care and pride they put into their work every day.”

This achievement ensures that our residents continue to receive meals that are not only nutritious and delicious but also prepared in a safe and hygienic environment.

We would like to thank our kitchen staff for their continued dedication, and our residents and visitors for their ongoing support.