Residents and staff at Archers Court Care Home in Farringdon, Sunderland, part of Orchard Care Homes, have been busy celebrating and learning about Nutrition & Hydration week. Every day, staff have hosted themed activities to share the message on the importance of good nutrition in older age – especially in recent times with the Coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout the week, care staff pulled out all the stops to create innovative and informative group sessions to go hand-in-hand with the day’s specific Nutrition & Hydration theme including Magnificent Monday, Taste Testing Tuesday, Weigh-in Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday and Fruity Friday.
Daily activities focused on how staff can make sure all residents receive their sources of vitamins, minerals, fibre and water to keep them fit and healthy. Staff also ensured the home was fully stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables and hydration stations were situated in high visibility areas, offering fruity beverages to keep them feeling revitalised and revived.
As well as achieving high standards of nutritional and tasty meals, Archers Court also holds an FSA (Foods Standards Agency) 5-star food hygiene rating – the highest accolade achievable reflecting the attention to detail and standards across the entire portfolio of Orchard Care Homes’ residencies.
Sharon Easterbrook-Smith, Care Home Manager, commented on the success of the educational activities and sessions hosted by staff, saying “Keeping an eye on our resident’s weight and the nutritional value in the foods they eat can prevent any unplanned weight loss and make us aware of the first signs of malnutrition. Both staff and residents have thoroughly enjoyed the entire week and have taken away some valuable information from the daily sessions.”
Offering specialist nursing care, residential care and short-term respite care, Archers Court is part of Orchard Care Homes’ network of residences situated across the North of England and the Midlands.
Quality of care and invigorating best practice is at the forefront of Orchard Care Homes’ strategy. The group’s impressive record demonstrates the highest quality of care it provides its residents, with 91% of its homes now rated ‘Good’.