What I am most proud of

It is Friday evening, and I am reflecting on what has been a challenging week.

Challenging in terms of guidance, PPE issues, testing.  But after a longish walk I have reflected on what is really important and what I am proud of about our home.

Anyone who has read my blog up until now will, I hope, understand my frustrations about inconsistent guidelines which have been produced for care homes with a lack of understanding of the challenges.  I will continue to try to educate and ensure that care home residents, staff, and their families have a voice.

But this entry is all about what I am proud of in our care home.

1.  I am obviously proud that we have kept our residents and staff safe and that we have remained Covid free.
2.  I am proud that every day I go to the home it is filled with smiles and laughter -both residents and staff.
3.  I am proud that our residents have been protected from every challenge that the "outside world" has experienced in the last three months - they have eaten like kings and queens, never wanted for anything and their life have continued unchanged (apart from visitors).
4.  Our activities have kept everyone busy and energised, from flower arranging to visits to the farm to see robotic feeders, from VE zoom to Tik-Tok routines, from horses to chicks visiting, from online singing lessons to zoom bingo.
5.  I am proud to be part of the most wonderful community who have shown masses of support and love, from parcels from Tesco staff to free visors, letters and messages from school children, fancy dress visits twice a week.
6.  I am proud of the wonderful team who smile, laugh and have kept going and adapting to the ever changing process.
7.  I am proud of our amazing 700 year old home and beautiful garden... even when bits keep falling off.
8.  I am proud of my DIY skills - particularly with a power drill due to a lack of maintenance visitors
9.  I am proud that I have a job that I love and that my family extends to 17 residents and 25 staff.

And finally, a picture tells a thousand words, so this is just a taster of what the last 13 weeks have looked like.