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Residential Homes In Caithness
Bayview
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2003 News letter LETTER OF WELCOME In 2001, one of our Day Care staff, Mairi Coghill, successfully produced a Magazine called the “Bayview Buzz”. This contained lots of interesting articles about Local Folklore. On the initiative of Elaine Baddeley, one of our Senior Residential Social Care Workers, I have asked Mairi if she could resurrect her good work and produce a yearly “Bayview Buzz” for all Residents and Day Attenders of Bayview House; their relatives and friends. Bayview House, which is owned by Highland Council Social Work Services, opened as a Resource Centre for Older People in November 1995. It provides Care Home accommodation to 22 Older People; 2 places for Older People who come for short stays; it has two Day Centres, one providing Day Care for up to 40 Older People on a Monday through to Friday, and a further Day Centre run separately, by Alzheimer’s Scotland Action on Dementia, four days per week. The Resource Centre provides Meals-on-Wheels to the local community two days per week, and in conjunction with other Private operators and Voluntary Organisations, arranges for the provision of meals in outlying villages, through the funding of Meals on Wheels or Lunch Clubs. Bayview House is also where calls on the Community Alarm Helpcall system are received, as well as being the base for Home Care in West Caithness, where two Senior Home Care Organisers are based, and oversee the work of around 75 Home Carers. So as you can see, it is a very busy Centre indeed, and I am very keen to keep you informed of the work we do here, as well as to ask for your on-going support and to seek your assistance in some of our ventures. In the last year alone, there have been numerous developments going on at Bayview House, and here are just a few:
Indeed all our staff are supervised by a Senior member of staff and a lot of the Senior Staff’s time is spent arranging, accessing and devising training for our staff, to ensure they are kept up to date in all aspects of Social Care work.
If it wasn’t for the sustained and continuing fund raising efforts of our Friends Group, we would have difficulty funding outings and gifts at Christmas. I am not going to go on at length in this Introduction about the work we do, but will let the people who undertake it, describe in their own Articles just what is going on in the Centre, and that includes one of our Friends. We do need more Friends to help us raise funds and if you are interested in taking on that role, please contact myself or any of the Friends mentioned in their enjoyable Article.
This is a very valuable service run in partnership with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, particularly given there are £50 million pounds each year in unclaimed benefits Older People are entitled to. Slightly related to this, has been the Introduction of Free Personal Care by the Scottish Executive, which came into effect on 1st July, 2002, which is set to benefit Older People throughout Scotland. Free Personal Care, as is the case with all the services we provide here at the Resource Centre, can be accessed by approaching Highland Council Social Work Services at 16 High Street in Thurso.
This is purely a staff fundraising venture and Rosemary Cormack has written about this for you and the fundraising got off to a great start with one of our Catering Staff, Ann Munro, raising money at a Prize Bingo evening for this Fund.
There simply is just too much to tell, but without a doubt Bayview House is at the heart of your community and plays a vital role in helping Older People achieve as fulfilling a life as possible. I do hope you will continue to support us in our work and if you have time to offer, maybe you’d like to join the Friends Group. If you do have any ideas
about how the Centre can meet the needs of Older People, but don’t
have the time to join the Friends, we value your support just as
much, and welcome your comments on the reply slip attached at the
end of this newsletter; but once again, we don’t insist you fill
it in either. Best Wishes, It’s been a while since I wrote the Bayview Buzz so you will have to excuse any mistakes that I make; I may be a little rusty! For our first Edition of the newsletter I think we will let you all know about what a day in the life of Bayview is like for those who live here and for day care attenders, who often look on Bayview as a home from home. I also have different articles from various people so I hope you enjoy reading them! I’m sure every body knows our bus driver Davie Mackenzie or if you don’t you will have seen him driving about the town quite cheery in the minibus. Davie leaves Bayview, with our bus escort Davie Groat, to pick up the day care attenders every morning just after nine am. When attenders start
arriving at Bayview they are greeted at reception and shown
through to the lounge areas. It is always a good opportunity for
new attenders to meet people over a cup of tea and a friendly
chat. In addition at Bayview we have many other services on hand. The Red Cross come up to offer hand and nail care each month which can be very relaxing for some people. Phyllis Thompson is our hairdresser who comes up to Bayview on a Wednesday and Thursday and has done so for the past ten years. Phyllis has made many friends from her time working in Bayview and has a fantastic atmosphere in her salon which I’m sure everybody, who gets their hair done, looks forward to each week. Bayview also has a great view of Scrabster and over to the Orkneys from our lounge, which is situated at the front of the house. It is ideal for anyone who is interested in watching different fishing boats or ferries coming and going or you can watch the progression of the new pier which is being built. It is also a great place to see the beach for bonfire night, usually the lights are turned down and the fireworks light up the room. Bayview House Committee The committee was comprised of aforesaid volunteers from out with the staff but also a few members of staff as it was necessary to be kept aware of requirements, which were not strictly covered by the annual budget provided Highland Council. Although fairly unofficial it was agreed that a chairman and treasurer be appointed and Morton Smith and Kenny Sharp were dually installed. For the working administration of the bank account two co-signatures were appointed, K. Sharp and Alice Thompson. Many committee members have come and gone over the years and on the retirement of Morton Smith the matron in charge became chairman and the lottery manager in charge filled this post. Many happy events were held in Naver House, e.g. Christmas and Halloween parties, Easter Bonnet competition, socials and bus outings for residents. Fortunately staff and committee enjoyed a happy relationship, not always possible in such circumstances. The proof of this is that two members of committee still soldier on after 30+ years, Ken Sharp and 28 years, Jessie Henderson. Sadly in 1996 it was decided by the “Higher authorities” that Naver House was no longer considered suitable without extensive modernisation and a new Home was built resulting in a nostalgic move to Bayview House. With changing times it is becoming obvious that perhaps the committee should be “moving on” but as with many organisations it is difficult finding able people to volunteer but anyone interested in helping will be most welcome and hopefully the welfare of the residents can remain the main objective. Incidentally it should be noted that in the recent years the Bayview House Committee had agreed to include “day care” visitors on their list and provide some funding for this. Written by, Mrs Jessie Henderson. Benefits We have recently carried out benefit checks for some clients who attend day-care and offer the service to every new attender should it be their wish. There are many people in the community who are not receiving all of the benefits that they are entitled to. Six members of staff from day-care have recently attended a training course teaching us how to recognise which benefits to apply for and how to complete the forms. Staff will help clients to complete the forms if they wish to have a benefits check, the information that we receive from clients is confidential and is not discussed with anybody else. The forms are sent to Wick Citizens Advice Bureau for them to check just encase any mistakes slip through. The Wick office is always on hand if we have any questions or queries when completing the forms. The feed back we have received so far has been very encouraging. It is always good to hear when people are successful in their claims. Social events There are a many social events for residents and day-care to attend if they wish to. Each week we organise events for a Monday afternoon such as, carpet bowls in the British legion or ten pin bowling and many other things. In the past we have gone to Kathleen Campbell’s farm to see three newborn miniature Shetland ponies, by the look of all the photos that came back, I think Davie enjoyed that the most! We also made a trip to Wick when the Queen was visiting. We have many photos of folk who had met her and managed to have a chat with her. After that Pulteney House had kindly invited us for lunch which everybody had thoroughly enjoyed. We had a Jubilee celebration on the 3rd of June last year. Our chef Andrew made a special three-course meal and George McCain planted a perennial plant, which can be seen from the entrance to Bayview. Each year a summer outing is organised for both residents and day-care. This has included, going to Helmsdale for lunch taking the scenic route down the west coast and then stopping in Laidhay on the way back. We also went to MacKay’s Hotel in Wick for food and then to John o’ Groats to see a slide show on old Caithness and how things used to be. Last year we stayed in Thurso and went to the Weigh Inn and had a three course meal followed by entertainment from Garry Weston, Willie Mackay and Charlie Elder. This year’s event have yet to be decided but I think from previous years it will be a good day out! We always celebrate national holidays, such as, St George’s day, St Andrews day and St Patrick’s Day a fitting meal is made, entertainers such as, speech makers, highland dancers, musicians and many more are invited to join us. Andrew has kindly given us an example of the meals that he cooks for special occasions or on a daily basis. This comprises of Apple and Parsnip soup. Leek, Mushroom and Chicken Tarts and Honey – Baked Apples. I hope you all enjoy trying these out. Apple and Parsnip soup Leek, Mushroom and
Chicken Tarts Honey-Baked Apples Reminiscence group Our reminiscence group has
been going for about six months now. Laura and I lead the group
and we have eight members in the group at the moment. We meet once
a month in the afternoon in the couthie corner. Our members enjoy
taking in old photographs to show other attenders and we also use
reminiscence bingo and quizzes to help trigger people’s memory and
help them reminisce. Thank you for that Kathy. I have also asked for some articles from day attenders to give us all an idea of how they see their time at Bayview. This is my experience of
Day – care at Bayview House, After I lost the use of my car and having very poor mobility, I felt very isolated. On the investigation of Dr A. Brookes I reluctantly started attending Day - care at Bayview House. After approximately 4 years at Day – care I feel that it is the best move I have ever made. A typical day is as follows – The bus picks us up in the A.M and takes us all up to Bayview House, where we are greeted by very congenial carers. We are then served with tea or coffee and biscuits. We then have the opportunity to chat with other attenders until it is time for the activity to start. These activities include skittles, Target game or a quiz. These usually go on until it is time for lunch. We then join the residents for lunch. Later in the afternoon there could be a bus outing in good weather. Otherwise table games such as bingo or scrabble could be played. Around 3pm we are served tea and biscuits again around 3.50 day care attenders prepare for homeward journey. That completes our day. I
feel we are very privileged to have such a facility at our
disposal. Amenities provided for us include the chiropodist every
month, the hairdresser twice a week and the opticians will attend
when appointments are made. Thank you very much for that Faye. - 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 Dear Friends, Regards to you all - - - - - - - - One of the most enduring features of Bayview is the very warm welcome you are awarded to one and all, wherever you come from, be it local or miles away, it is a grand feeling to be taken into the fold. A favourite answer to a query or help is “no problem” this applies to all the staff from transport to Manager downwards. I have personal experience of this from coming here from over 700 miles away. However from my very first day I was never made to feel like an “odd ball” not by the residents or day-care attenders themselves, I have always felt one of them. So thank you all Bayview is truly a grand place. Joan Lamb. Yours Joycie. Homecare I receive referrals from many different sources i.e. Care Managers, Doctors, Nursing Staff, Family or concerned friends. I go out on a Home visit to assess the client’s needs and then provide a service to suit their needs. Some of the Home Carers duties are lighting fires, general domestic cleaning, laundry, shopping and collecting prescriptions etc. Personal Care entails: Home Carers offer counselling and support e.g. reminder device. Free personal care was implemented on 1st July 2002. If a client lives in their own home and require help, they need to contact social services or the home care service, who will carry out a care needs assessment and an appropriate care package will be arranged to meet your needs. You will not have to pay for the personal care you receive, however personal care only covers assistance rising in the morning, bathing/showering, dressing, etc. It also includes the preparation of meals. It does not include any domestic duties like laundry, shopping or cleaning, these duties are still a chargeable service, should you have to pay, which would be decided after a financial assessment has been carried out. Should you require any assistance or advice please do not hesitate to contact social services or the senior home care organiser. Kathleen Macleod. So as you can see, Bayview has many different services to offer and has a warm and friendly environment for residents and day care alike to feel at home. Many friendships have been made here and we all hope that this can continue for many a year to come. |