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What better way to celebrate the Queens 96th Birthday than with a party! Instruments, flags and hats were out to get people in the mood, along with plenty of singing and some amazing dancing going on.

Amazing entertainer Patrick Jervis was at Hyne Town to lift our spirits with music from across the decades and some classic show tunes. I must say though Michael was giving him a run for a money with some strong vocals.

Staff were encouraging and supporting as always, what an amazing team. This was all followed up by a fabulous cream tea all prepped by Isobel.

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Happy Valentines Day everyone!

To love and be loved in return is a wonderful feeling and everyone hopefully will have had the joys to experience it. Some of our ladies and gents have lost loved ones, some are blessed to still be in love.

This Valentine's Day we wanted to let all of our residents know that all the staff care a great deal about them and they mean a lot to us. We had made cards earlier in the week and we gave them to each other along with a goody bag of a cupcake, chocolates and sweets. We also hosted a rather lovely cream tea with home made cakes from our wonderful chef Isobell. Truly blessed to have her in the kitchen.

The home smelled so delightful with the huge array of flowers on display and sent in from other people. Love truly is in the air!

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What a super (and emotional) Christmas we had at Hyne Town House. It was so lovely to see everyone opening presents and enjoying the festivities.

We are so proud of all of our staff who as always went the extra mile to make it such a special time of year - some even coming in on their day off. Everyone helped to make an amazing lunch, get everyone into their finest outfits and styling hair, sang carols, gave out presents, dressed up and filled the home with love.

It is always an emotional time of year, this year especially. I think we all cried at some point, but as always it has been a pleasure and we hope you all enjoyed time with your loved ones. 

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Merry Christmas from all members of staff at Hyne Town House.

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Christmas crafting is firmly underway. With our local schools and the community being generous with offers of letters and cards thought we had better be prepared to return the gesture of good will and have cards made so we can reply with thanks. As always other staff members are excellent at getting involved and encouraging our residents.

We couldn't resist an impromptu carol sing-along just after supper. It tied in nicely with the card making, having heard our ladies singing its safe to say the staff need to up their singing game.

Remembrance Day can be a very emotive day for a lot of people and appreciating people have different ways of dealing with things is important. I had compiled a pack of various posters and images that could prompt conversation if they wanted to freely talk to me about things. It's not a subject I pushed people to talk about however I was there if they were happy to give their views and talk to me of their pride about some family members.

Using the writing frames is a great little activity we have done several times now. They could have been filled with any thoughts they may have about Remembrance Day or if they were happy to tell me what they'll be thinking of during the 2 minutes silence.

On the day itself we gathered in the lounge to watch the service and parade. We will be paused for 2 minutes to remember all the sacrifices that were made.

Lest we forget.

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With remembrance day approaching we had a poppy based arts and crafts afternoon. This prompted lots of conversations about the war times and how grateful we all are for the men, women and animals who lost their lives during the conflicts. Ladies were saying how without fail they would donate money to the Royal British Legion and wear a poppy with pride.

We created some foam wreaths using stickers and displayed these in the front door. In our recently decorated entrance we have our Hyne Town House tree of life and jazzed it up with some wonderful poppies. Felicity wanted the last one to be added by someone special and we both chose our wonderful manager Lynn as she works so hard. Its a beautiful focal point of the home and as an image it's quite poignant to pause and give thoughts to those who served and sacrificed so much for us.

We will of course be watching the services on the television on Sunday 14th.

The rain was pouring down but we were having a great time in the sun lounge. Some slow sing alongs and some jazzy show tunes provided a great variety for everyone. Little bit of dancing and lots of clapping and cheering along. As always another fun packed afternoon! Thank you for the visit Patrick.

Today is bittersweet that we had such a fabulous afternoon at our dear friend Diana's leaving party. Music courtesy of Tim Crew with lots of sing a long classics, plenty of dancing too. Party hats and musical instruments seem to be a standard for this kind of event.

We love that all staff at Hyne Town get involved and support our ladies and gents in having a great time. We are a big extended family and will miss our little songbird dearly. Her new home will be so lucky to have Diana and we wish her all the best in her move.

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We had so much success with our watercolours yesterday that we thought we would see who else wanted to give it a try. We had several residents giving it a go with great success.

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Regatta may be over but the summer certainly isn't. 27 degrees out in the Hyne Town gardens. The backdrop of St Michaels church is stunning wouldn't you agree? Diana rocks her super trendy sunglasses, we even joked how her nail polish matched her top, handbag and sunnies. With a freshly baked treats from Lee and a cup of tea on hand we were joined by our lovely Manager Lynn for a chit chat!

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At Hyne Town we value the thoughts and opinions of our ladies and gents. Although we are always listening and taking in people’s views, we formally carry out meetings and questionnaires too. We'd like to share some quotes from our recent Resident Engagement Questionnaire:

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"Variety of activities is excellent"

"Nothing is a problem everyone is so caring"

"Things are always explained in a way that I understand"

"Always spotless and so clean"

"Home away from home, very happy to be here"

"Oh wonderful, great bunch. 10 out of 10"

"My extended family"

"Food is wonderful especially the fish pie"

A really great and person centred activity. A few of our ladies were seamstresses and worked as part of the wardrobe department of film sets and so would enjoy sewing. Through conversations they were worried about the dexterity of holding small needles and threads now they are one or two years older than they once were. We obtained these threading boards with some wool to give it a try and they were so thrilled.

Now they have had great results we can try smaller holes and see how they get on. These ladies were truly delighted to be sewing (of sorts) again!

We have organised a sweepstake for the Euros Football Tournament - good luck to all Ladies and Gents taking part! The bunting is up, and flags have been made to show support. Bar snacks and a range of alcoholic treats are at the ready for everyone to enjoy whilst watching the football and the tennis.

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We celebrated music of The Beatles.. had some trivia, fun facts, bit of a quiz and then naturally had to end the afternoon with music, sing song and some loud instruments. Music is incredible for the soul and even those with dementia in our care could tap along and sing some of the words. We are exhausted from all the 'Na na na na's' at the end of 'Hey Jude'..

Again supported by wonderful staff on shift to make this a successful afternoon! 

Here at Hyne Town we actively encourage the use of technology. Ipads are freely available for impromtu sing a longs courtesy of Youtube. Some of our residents have used them to re-watch programs or to watch clips as part of reminiscence.

We are still very much in covid/lockdown times and so if you are missing a loved one and can't perhaps come and visit, of course we have the option to facetime so book in for an appointment and with assistance from staff we can make it possible.

The wonderful postcards the children of Dartmouth Academy created are now proudly on display in our dining area. Perfect injection of colour to brighten the moods of our ladies and gents.

We also did some of our own works of art and created thank you cards to send back to the children in the early years classes.

The children are learning about life stages and ageing and our ladies and gents wrote down some wonderful advice to the youngsters.

As the restrictions ease up we would love to invite some of the children to visit and further build on the connections between the young and the elderly.

Congratulations to Caroline, one of our two amazing Co-Managers, who has passed her CQC 'Fit Persons' Interview with flying colours.

The fit person interview is for the CQC to assess Caroline’s fitness to be a registered manager, to verify the information submitted in her application process and to understand how Caroline promotes safe; effective; caring; responsive to our resident’s needs; and well-led, equality and diversity within the home and sharing the Co-Manager role with Lynn.

Love was in the air (and on the menu) at Hyne Town House for Valentine's Day! Our lovely chef Isabelle cooked up these delicious treats for residents to celebrate the day.

We are pleased to report that the GP visited Hyne Town House this week to begin Covid-19 vaccinations. It was like a military operation, and the majority of Staff and Residents have now received their first dose of the vaccination.

Hyne Town House welcomes its Covid secure visitor booth. We can now facilitate Covid secure visiting for families.   Please call 01803 770011 if wish to book a time to visit your loved ones. 

The Home is decorated ready for Halloween this week.  Our wellbeing staff have put up Halloween decorations around the Home

Hyne Town House was gift a beautiful painting by Brodie and Ros McIntyre.  Brodie and Ros were the owners of Hyne Town House between 1993 and 2000.  In their recent house move, they found a beautiful painting of Hyne Town House from before the Dementia Wing was added.  Due to COVID-19, we were unable to show Brodie and Ros the current Hyne Town House.  We hope to welcome them back for a Tea and Cake with the residents when we can.  THANK YOU.

The Staff made their own Ice Cream Shop and served the residents a selection of ice cream to combat the heat!

Team leaders, Beth and Ezster, won top price for their hydration station.  Keeping residents hydrated throughout the day is often a challenge at care homes.  Beth and Ezster create a hydration station, offering a selection of squashes and juices to ensure residents are properly hydrated.

Covid-19 has and is a very difficult time for us all.

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We locked down our Home to visitors on 17th March 2020. From the outset we ensured we had adequate stocks of PPE for all our staff. We have followed all guidance we have received to protect our residents and staff. We have been COVID free to date.

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We introduced social distancing where possible throughout the Home. Our staff all wear face masks when in the Home to protect our residents from the virus as social distancing is not always possible nor practical.

We have had a busy, activity-packed Easter at Hyne Town House. We started with some Easter arts and crafts - everyone did a fabulous job and the dining room was looking so glorious covered in colourful artwork.

As well as enjoying the sunny weekend, we also had chick and bunny racing, and of course a visit from the Easter bunny (which provided lots of laughter and smiles). 

We also managed to all come together for a game of Easter bingo. It was lovely to see staff and residents together all enjoying the game.

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With John in the wig and glasses, and with his voice and dance moves its safe to say Elvis was very much in the building as we celebrated Elvis' Birthday recently.

We had lots of singing and playing of inflatable guitars, and also had a spot of trivia and a quiz too. It was a lovely way to brighten a rainy Saturday!

We have been absolutely bowled-over by all of the lovely cards and gifts we have received from the local community this Christmas. So much generosity has been shown from local organisations including Merry Go Round Pre-School in Stokenham, Dartmouth Pre-School, Dartmouth Academy, Stoke Fleming Primary School and 1st Dartmouth Beaver Scouts. 

Thank you also to Dartmouth Mayor Graham Webb and his wife, Mayoress Jane Webb who dropped off a card, rum and shortbread selection.

These lovely cards and gifts filled the hearts of our Ladies and Gents and a few tears were shed as these gestures mean so much.

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Its near enough December, and that means we think its ok to start thinking about Christmas!

This year I thought everyone in the home can make a real show piece of their bedroom doors (should they want too), and today I spent plenty of time one to one doing some crafting and making these fabulous wreaths!

As with most care homes we cater for a wide variety of people. Some individuals need hardly any assistance and some of those with dementia are not able to do much at all. With this activity I was simply giving them choice. Which wreath shape or colour? Which stickers and where would they like the stickers to be placed on the wreath? Even if a resident was just observing what was going on I'd be talking through the process of what i was doing and talking about something relevant. Even passing staff were helping picking stickers and placing them on. Margaret was the expert in sticking them down!

Activity is important to stimulate and engage people. To make their day different and hopefully enjoyable. Person centred care is something we take seriously here. Today as always, was a great day!

Another fun packed afternoon with Tim Crew! We had singing, instruments, dancing and plenty of laughter.

X factor and Strictly Come Dancing have competition from our ladies and gents. Strong vocals from John, Betty, Felicity and Annie. Hokey Cokey was mastered by Betty and Doreen in their wheelchairs.

Danni and myself attempted some kind of 'dancing' but it got laughs and thats all that matters right. At Hyne Town its always a whole team effort and everyone gets involved, lets a bit loose and has fun!

Midway through November already which means I best get my thinking cap on for Christmas festivities.. A 2021 staff panto perhaps...

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Who doesn't enjoy getting creative? We made cards with an autumn theme and some even helped to create some adorable little wreaths. I am hoping to use all the pieces people create to make a lovely autumn display in the dining room. Plenty of chats about kicking piles of leaves when younger and how stews and soups became firm favourites for dinner time.

Not everyone will want to take part or physically get involved with producing something, but asking people for their opinions and by saying things like 'What colour leaf shall we use next?' Or 'Where shall we place this sticker?' makes sure everyone feels involved.

Rubbish rainy weather calls for only one thing.. A PARTY! Using the Smart TV we got a 70s disco playlist up and we all had an absolute blast. Singing and dancing are brilliant ways to release those endorphins and make people feel good! Dancing even in the chair is a great way to add in a little bit of exercise. I was certainly impressed with the disco moves on show from Betty! John Travolta eat your heart out!

Again this shows what an incredible and fun place we work in when staff get so enthusiastically involved with activities!

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What a fabulous and fun packed morning we had! Trivia, music, fancy dress, colouring and of course a lesson in 'How to speak pirate'. The film Pirates of the Caribbean on in the main lounge and some pirate music on over the lunch period.

We used a visual prompt trolley and a sensory tray with some sand and treasure, plus plenty of visual aids so our ladies and gents could join in straight away with pirate based inspiration. So many were on board with dressing up!

Lee and Viv from the kitchen team serving up mid morning hot drinks with some beautiful home made cakes and biscuits. Big shout out to our care lead Carol for coming in on her day off just to join in with the madness and also to the wonderful Faye!

Mischa and Kate were our naughty and cheeky pirates looking splendid in full costume. We really do have a great team, I love coming to work and spreading a little bit of joy!
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It's when you have a simple conversation that you can discover what activities are really meaningful to people. We have loads of poster paints and acrylics at Hyne Town but this wonderful lady wanted to try watercolours. A quick search on Amazon and these were here the next day.

Everything we do is person centred. At the end of this activity to get the comment of 'You made me feel like me again' was touching.

Have to say I felt like I had just been a part of a water colour masterclass. Rule of thirds, using a taupe colour to block out where shapes would be and that the horizon line of the sea should be light and the water gets darker the closer to land. 

At Hyne Town House we are fortunate to cross paths with people with so many stories to tell and from all walks of life. I personally have learnt so much simply by listening. It is a true blessing to spend one on one time with our ladies and gents.

As always the sun was shining for our visit from the wonderful Patrick Jervis - Entertainer. Loads of percussion and singing was done even a bit of dancing! Truly is a wonderful way to spend an hour out of our day.

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What a stunning August day it was today! Weather was perfect to throw open those doors and get outside. This morning we were gifted some wonderful wildflowers from a local lady's garden. These were shown to our ladies and gents and displayed around the home, prompting conversations of gardening, wildlife and summertime.

Our Shirley was particularly taken with them and had a huge smile on her face seeing all the vivid colours, even giving them a good sniff.

There are some very kind people in this world and to think of Hyne Town was truly lovely. Such a kind gesture.

What a brilliant afternoon we had and it was a joy to welcome back a great friend of Hyne Town, Tim Crew.

To make this afternoon more interactive we had a variety of musical instruments on hand and Tim even provided a secondary microphone for people to take centre stage and perform their hearts out. We used alcohol wipes between people using it to make it extra safe in these covid times.

Music is one of those things that makes people so happy and it was evident from the shear amount of smiles, laughter and involvement of dancing/instrument playing people were having a good old time.

Its a shame X Factor has been cancelled as some of the singing abilities our ladies and gents have would have given any of todays youngsters a run for their money! We are planning the Hyne Town Christmas Choir already... 

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Residents are making the most of the weather and the garden at Hyne Town House and have been outside enjoying the long evenings with great company, good music and a glass of wine.

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This afternoon we have celebrated Italy.. enjoyed reminiscing about holidays and travels, visited landmarks via YouTube, had fun facts and a quiz! Background music of Italian restaurant music put us all in the mood to then talk about pizza and pasta dishes. We didn’t know there were over 60 types of pasta, as a group we could only name 12.

We also enjoyed coffees, biscuits and nibbles for the afternoon drinks round and then had a slap up Italian based cuisine for supper thanks to our super chef Lee!

Cathy was our Italian tour guide giving us some great and impressive insights into the beautiful country that is Italy. Another super duper afternoon with full staff participation.

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We're celebrating our staff this month. Regardless of job title, we are an amazing team. It truly feels like family. Everyone is involved and so supportive and caring to our ladies and gents.
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This was a fully engaging activity for those who wanted to give it a try themselves, others required some support and guidance and for some they simply were involved by choosing what colour icing and toppings they would like on their own personal cupcakes. Everyone enjoyed eating the results. Hyne Town House Bakers.. its safe to say we all did very well! Even managed a few St George themed ones to mark the day.

We would like to give a very warm welcome to Daniella our new Admin Assistant. Danielle provides administrative support which enables the team to focus on delivering the quality care and the support residents deserve. Part of Danielle’s role is COVID 19 testing data inputting, which is a huge administrative task in itself.

Daniella says: “ I have been at Hyne town house for few weeks now, I have been made to feel so welcome by everyone. Everyone has a good sense of professionalism but are also very warm and caring. It's such a wonderful place to be”

The fit person interview is for the CQC to assess Lynn's fitness to be a registered manager, and to verify the information submitted in her application process. It is also to understand how Lynn promotes safe; effective; caring; responsive to our resident’s needs; and well-led, equality and diversity within the home.

Our staff recently put on the Hyne Town House Christmas Pantomime - a splendid show of Cinderella.

Click here to see more photos and read the rave review!

Santa dropped in early this month and made a surprise visit to the residents.  The Home was filled with Joy and Laughter and Christmas Songs during Santa's visit.  Lovely Carol was being the Santa suit!

We are delighted to announce that Caroline Tovey and Lynn Aldridge has been appointed Co - Managers of Hyne Town House.   Jointly, they will be responsible for management of Hyne Town House. 

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We are delighted that they have taken on this huge responsibility during such challenging times.  They will be supported.

A lovely bunch of flowers and a good luck card was delivered by one of the resident's families.  

Staff remain upbeat during these challenging times and have been keeping themselves and residents occupied through the production of their own TIK TOK video.  It has been lots of fun and laughter for both the staff and residents.

A Huge Shout Out to Nicholas Dimbleby - A short familiar tune from his ‘Ode to Joy’ was co-ordinated across the UK by the conductor Marin Alsop, (isolated in ‘lockdown’ in America), who raised her conducting baton at 5pm last Friday 24th April  . Anyone who could manage the simple tune, on any instrument, was invited to sit outside, if possible, and join in a virtual orchestra of thousands. #TeamHyneTown #StaySafe

During Covid-19 we have had to restrict non essential visits to the home.   We have purchase additional Ipads to allow residents and families to see and communicated with their loved ones.

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We will continue to try to find innovative ways to improve communication between residents, their families and Hyne Town House.  

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Residents can have access to Care Control - Electronic Care Planning system at Hyne Town House.  Please speak to the manager is you want to find out more about getting access to Care Control.