An Newton Aycliffe Care Home and Primary School have teamed up for an arts project as part of a national campaign aimed at strengthening care home connections within their local community.
Children from Stephenson Way Community Primary School drew portraits of staff at Rose Lodge Care Home, a residential and dementia care home for the elderly, which are now on display to the general public at the home in Carers Way, Newton Aycliffe.
The portraits were unveiled to the public on National Care Home Open Day, a national event aimed at encouraging communities to visit and get involved with their local care homes.
2015 marks the third year of Care Home Open Day, with this year’s themes being ‘The Arts’ and ‘Valuing Staff’. Rose Lodge decided to combine these two themes for their open day coordinating with Stephenson Way Community Primary school on an arts project in which children from the school drew portraits of staff from Rose Lodge, including the home’s resident pet Nixon the cat.
Children from the Primary school visited Rose Lodge to look at the display of their portraits and meet and mingle with residents and the staff they drew.
Supported by a group of leading care providers, associations, charities and care regulators, National Care Home Open Day aims to reinforce the connections care homes have across their local communities, as well as challenging misconceptions about residential care and showcasing the excellent services that are at the heart of communities across the UK.
Rose Lodge, owned by care operator Countrywide Care Homes, was named as the 7th most highly recommended care home in the North East in 2014 in research by carehome.co.uk, based on feedback from residents their friends and family members.
Care Manager Nicola Wheatley said: “We are delighted by the success of the art project. It has been a fantastic experience collaborating with the Stephenson Way Primary School for National Care Home Open Day. The portraits are absolutely brilliant, they’ve been a big talking point in the home and have been hugely popular with residents, staff and visitors.”
