Belmont Lodge  ..........where older people find care in housing.

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Newsletter & Events....... Belmont Lodge Newsletter April 2007 General News BELMONT LODGE NEWS LETTER - Spring 2007 So much has gone on since we last did a news letter that it is difficult to know where to start. Of course there has been a little movement of a few residents who needed nursing care and a number of staff who decided that their future lay elsewhere. The residents had a lovely run up to Christmas. They were beautifully entertained by a local school choir at our house and given an excellent lunch by the girls of Watford Grammar School. They even attended a pantomime by the ever clever members of Northwood & Pinner Synagogue. Christmas Day was spent in happy circumstances with the usual turkey plus all the trimmings and a little wine. Since then we have had the bereavement of our House Manager’s father and the sudden indisposition of our Treasurer but the residents have happily continued their leisurely lifestyle. We have had a Health & Safety inspection by the Borough Council and came through with flying colours. We now have to spend a half-hour every morning and evening checking a host of items from temperatures of various foods to the position of items left out on the shelf. We have also had a fire risk assessment which gave us a good report with a few minor adjustments. In case the fire brigade does not turn up we are now responsible for evacuating our residents, whether they can walk or not - a somewhat difficult task for which I have not yet found an answer. We are arranging a training session for the staff and volunteers on how to use the fire equipment in the house and I urge all house-sitters to try to attend, dates to be announced. We have arranged a whole series of entertainments for our residents including a pianist on 28th March, a clothes sale on 19th April (all welcome at this event) and a singing group coming to the house on 20th May, as well as our regular quizzes, exercise and talks. On 16th May there will be a volunteers’ “Thank You” tea when all the volunteers can meet the residents. Finally we have named 1st July for our Abbeyfield Garden Party to please make a note in our diary NOW and bring as many friends as you can. We always have so much fun! Just to make sure that our lovely, lively volunteers don’t get rusty, we have arranged a whole series of training sessions for the welfare and benefit of everyone who enters Belmont Lodge. There will be 2 training sessions for house-sitters so that they understand what to do in an emergency and how to use the communications system. These will be held at Belmont Lodge on 25th April and 2nd May, starting at 2.30 p.m. Then there is another Food Hygiene course on 26th April at 2.30 p.m. New laws state that NO-ONE is allowed to go into the kitchen unless they have been to a food hygiene course and unless they wear an apron and hat. We love all our volunteers and are grateful for all that they do. Without them Belmont Lodge would come to a grinding halt. Thank you for everything you do and I wish everyone a happy Pesach. Freddy Berdach - Belmont Lodge Chairman Dates for your diary....