Read our November 2019 Newsletter!

Read about our carer of the month award, some tips on staying safe this winter and our legendary Bluebird care annual CUSTOMER CHRISTMAS PARTY!

Carer of the month

Jadranka Bulat

We are delighted to announce Jadranka Bulat as our Carer of the Month for November!  Jadranka joined Bluebird Care in August this year and her previous experience and professionalism allowed her to meet her new customers and put them instantly at ease.  She has adapted her own working pattern to ensure her customers have adequate cover when her colleagues are on holiday and does this with great humility and resilience.

Jadranka, selflessly, takes the wellbeing of her colleagues into consideration too.  She offers them support in their shared home and makes sure they all manage to keep their environment neat and tidy around their busy rosters.    She has proved herself to be very loyal to the team so I’m sure you’ll agree, deserving of the title of Carer of the Month.

Whilst we recognise that you’re all amazing, hardworking and such a caring team, the runner up slot this month goes to Etel Medvidovic.   Etel has been working particularly hard over the last month, flexible in where and when she works whilst receiving really positive feedback from our customers.

She has adapted to various roles and situations; delivering a particularly high standard of care to those she meets.

We also wanted to give a “shout-out” to Radu, Tracy, Jenny & Naheed who have all gone on over and above to help out.

Congratulations Jadranka, your recognition is well deserved!

Customer Survey 2019

 You will see that we have included our annual customer survey with the newsletter this month. Your feedback and observations are very important to us, so we hope that you will take a little time to share your views with us and return the Survey in the stamped address provided.  

We will run a prize draw from all completed and returned surveys, with the winner receiving a very nice Christmas hamper!

Keep yourself safe this winter…..

Advice from Thames Valley Police

• The evenings are drawing in and the clocks have already gone back
• on Sunday 27th October, meaning many of us are now returning
• home from work or school in the dark.
• Darker evenings can give burglars an opportunity to easily see
• which houses are unoccupied. Here are a few things you might like
• to consider to lessen the chance of your house being targeted:
•  Invest in a timer light switch and vary the time it comes on each day
• to make it look more natural. It can also be used with a radio or TV to give the impression that someone’s home.
•  Maybe purchase a simulated TV device which lights up a room like a real TV.
•  Keep valuables out of sight and mark them with your house number and postcode using a UV pen, or consider buying a forensic property marking system.
•  Register your valuables via www.immobilise.com and keep an inventory list. It’s free and takes just a few minutes.
•  If you have jewellery at home, photograph it for insurance purposes and consider storing it in a suitable safe.
•  Lock your doors and windows, if you have a UPVC door make sure you have double locked it by lifting the handle and locking it with the key. Make sure the key is removed from the lock and out of reach.
•  If you’re going away, remember not to post details of your holiday on social networking websites, cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries and if you have a burglar alarm, make sure it is set before you leave.
•  Look out for your neighbours’ houses, especially when they’re not at home and call the police if you see anything suspicious on 101 or 999 in an emergency

Save the Date

You will soon be receiving your invite to our legendary Bluebird care ANNUAL CUSTOMER Christmas Party

Wednesday 4th December at 1pm at Grovefield House Hotel

Taplow Common Rd, Burnham, Slough SL1 8LR

Join us for good company, good entertainment, Good food and a good old time

Compliments corner

each month we list some of the many compliments received from you about us so we can share the word…

•  A family member called the office to say huge thank you to Etel for making her dad macaroni and cheese today. She realised after she left that she didn’t make him regular one out of a tin they usually make him but the proper one from scratch and wanted to say thank you for the extra effort.
•  Whilst at a six months care review a customer informed Gabi that she is very happy with her carers and she likes Ivana B, Sarah A, Zoe G, Andrea Z and she said Stacey M is very sweet. The customer also said she really looks forward to getting Kellie as her carer too as she is very sweet, and she cares for her hair very well and this is very important for Julia.
•  A family members daughter called to say a massive thank you to Radu for covering Marius’s holiday.  She said Radu is such a wonderful carer, nothing is too much for him and he knows just how to care for dad. When I went to see Dad on the Saturday and Radu has gone out of the room Dad said “I need to say thank you, thank you for being here so much to Radu”.
•  A customer’s daughter called to say how amazing Ella has been with her mum.  When she went there to visit her mum she could relax and enjoy their time together rather than do little bits as Ella has done it all, she was so pleased, not only because her mum was happy but also because she was able to spend quality time with her mum rather than rush about.
•  A customer and her Personal Assistant told us that Holly and Sarah A are the best carers she has ever had.
•  A customer said that her team of carers, including Patricia and Sian, lift her spirits each day and she looks forward to their visits.
•  Our care mentor, Luis, has been informed by both carers and customers about how good they feel Jasminka K is.
•  A family member informed our coordinator Mariana, that her mum loves having Francine as her carer.
•  A client’s daughter informed our Lead Supervisor Gabi that they were very happy with the way Regina managed the situation when her dad had a stroke. She handled the situation calmly, professionally and quickly allowing the customer to get the proper medical attention required in a timely manner which as we all know is of great importance in the event of a stroke.  Great work Regina.

WORLD STROKE DAY

This year’s World Stroke Day was held on 29th October and as you would expect our extraordinary team didn’t let this pass.  They created a short informative video clip, which was shared over social media, to raise awareness on the quick action needed to save lives if you think someone might be suffering from a stroke.

https://www.facebook.com/BBCareBucks/videos/647731179087177/

One in four of us is at risk of stroke in our lifetime, so join us in taking action and spreading the word.

#DontBeTheOne

And as always, we are recognising the work anniversaries of our staff. We send a personalised email from Ian recognising their work anniversary but based on feedback from our care staff, we also wanted to recognise it in both the Staff and Customer Newsletters.

We will do so in order of length of service, as follows:

Renay Clark – 8 years

Tracy Cumberbatch – 6 years

Gyorgyi Miloszavlyev - 4 years

Carla Procopio - 4 years

Valentina Kramar - 3 years

Brian Inglis – 2 years

Katica Cuk – 1 years

Remembering our Forces – a deeply personal tribute to our armed forces and The British Legion by our director, Ian Inglis

When Remembrance Sunday comes around, my thoughts always turn to those in my family who served our country with such bravery and dedication in both World Wars. My father who was in the RAF in WW2, Anne’s grandfather who served in the 7Th Armoured Division, my grandfather and great uncle who were at the Somme in 1916.

I was able – on a recent trip with my wife (Anne) to visit the battlefields of The Somme – to pay respects to my grandfather and great uncle. Of course, the people I’ve mentioned have long departed this Earth, but wearing the poppy every year is my way of remembering and showing them gratitude. It’s the least I can do for the sacrifice they made.

The Royal British Legion, which was born in 1921, is the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, with 235,000 members, 110,000 volunteers and 2,500 local branches. The charity provides lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. Support starts after seven days of service and continues through life, long after service is over, from expert advice to recovery and rehabilitation to transitioning to civilian life.

The poppy is a symbol of Remembrance and hope for a positive future and peaceful world. In the spring of 1915, shortly after losing a friend in Ypres, a Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields which inspired the poppy’s use as a symbol of Remembrance.

“I think I was about four years old when my father pinned a poppy on my coat, and it’s something I am proud to repeat each and every year” adds Ian.

The red poppy is worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces communities across the UK, Allied Forces and the Commonwealth and all parts of the poppy are recyclable. Only donations from the sale of RBL red poppies go directly to helping those in need. Last year the Poppy Appeal raised over £50 million for charity

This year; 2019, marks 100 years since the first two-minute silence was observed on Armistice Day, 11 November 1919.

So, from everyone at Bluebird Care, we ask you to pause - mute your phone, put down the paper, switch off the telly – for just two minutes and join us in paying your respects to our Armed Forces community, past and present.

BEST WI SHES AS ALWAYS

Anne, Nicky & Cindy