Read our July 2019 Newsletter!

Read about our carer of the month award and some tips on staying healthy and safe this summer.

Carer of the Month
Silvija Sarcak

We are delighted to announce Silvija as our Carer of the Month for July! Silvija joined Bluebird Care in January this year, always has a smile on her face, and has demonstrated an excellent attitude right from the very beginning, improving and learning very quickly. She is extremely professional, dedicated and responsible.

We have received a number of warm and generous compliments from you about her compassion, understanding and empathy, which are the attributes our customers value most highly in their care providers. Not only is Silvija very professional, she is reliable and dependable, appreciates the value of timely and accurate communication and is always ready to help out when required which is so valued by everyone. Thanks for all your great work Silvija, and very well done!

Runner up again this month is Alen Bakica, who also joined us in January. He is always helpful, cheerful and a customer favourite.

Well done to all our fabulous care professionals who do such a terrific job each and every day.

Congratulations Silvija, your recognition is well deserved!
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Oh summer has finally arrived and its hot!!

Firstly, I’m sure you will join us in thanking those care staff who worked through the very hot day on Saturday. Our staff do an amazing job every day, day after day. On days like Saturday when it hit 31 Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) it becomes quite a challenge. Not one single member of staff who was working that day called off. We did put measures in place, the office was open with cold water, air con and ice lollies to hand. For those staff who couldn’t make it to the office we asked them to go into a coffee shop to cool down, have a cold drink and we would pay for it. A huge thank you for all of us

✓ Keep curtains on windows exposed to the sun closed while the temperature outside is higher than it is inside
✓ Once the temperature outside has dropped lower than it is inside, open the windows – this may require late night visiting and such advice needs to be balanced by any possible security concerns
✓ Water external and internal plants, and spray the ground outside windows with water (avoid creating slip hazards) to help cool the air
✓ Stay out of the sun, especially between the hours of 11am and 3pm
✓ Stay in the shade and to wear hats, sunscreen, thin scarves and light clothing if going outside

How to keep body temperatures down:
✓ Reduce the levels of physical exertion
✓ Take regular cool showers or baths, or at least an overall body wash
✓ Wear light, loose cotton clothes to absorb sweat and
prevent skin irritation
✓ Sprinkle clothes with water regularly and splash cool water on face and the back of neck.
✓ A damp cloth on the back of the neck helps temperature regulation
✓ Eat cold food, particularly salads and fruit with a high-water content
✓ Drink regularly, preferably water or fruit juice, but avoid alcohol and caffeine (tea, coffee, colas)
✓ Monitor daily fluid intake. Our care staff will do this for those customers who may have several carers in the one day or are not always able to drink unaided

Whether you are staying at home, or going away on holiday, here’s a reminder of our top tips to protect your home against burglary this summer:
At Home
• Fit window opening restrictors to all ground floor and other easily accessible windows. This will allow ventilation while restricting access.
• Close and lock all windows and doors, even if just out in the garden.
• Remove window and door keys from the locks, store out of reach and away from your letterbox.
• Keep valuables out of sight, along with any visible signs including charging cables.
• Hide the keys to your vehicle, and if you have a keyless entry, store the fob in a RFID pouch to block the signal.

Going Away?
• Lock all windows and doors.
• Check side gates, sheds and garages are locked and tools and ladders are not accessible to break into your home.
• Store all keys out of sight and away from your letterbox, doors and windows.
• Use a RFID pouch to store fobs for keyless entry vehicles.
• Make your home look occupied by using a timer switch to turn on lights at night.
• Ask a trusted friend to look after your home while you are away.
• Invite a neighbour to park their vehicle on your drive while you are away.
• Don’t post details about your holiday on social media until you return home.

For more tips to protect your home, download your free Home Security Guide from the Thames Valley Police website here:
https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/thames-valley/advice/home-security-guide.pdf

By working together, we can build community resilience to deter burglars from targeting homes within the area.

Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Finally, as the hot weather continues please bear with us. If we start to experience continued high temperatures, as we did last year, we may have to amend times of visits.

This will allow our hard working (and very hot) care staff, time to cool down

We are always keeping an eye on the weather forecasts and if we notice that we are going into a period of high temperatures over a number of consecutive days, we will contact you to make you aware of any changes

BEST WISHES AS ALWAYS
Anne, Nicky & Cindy