For the team at Sanctuary Care’s Wantage Residential and Nursing Home, which is nestled behind Wantage Community Hospital, enriching the lives of their residents is at the heart of everything they do.
The tem are passionate about supporting their residents to have an active role to play in how their home is run, with resident ambassadors, who proudly welcome new residents, interview potential staff and provide feedback on everything from the menus to the activities on offer.
Providing residential, dementia, nursing, palliative and respite care, the team also offer pre-bookable respite breaks, which are perfect for carers looking after loved ones, so they can plan a short break themselves.
Wantage’s award-winning chef Monica (with pic)
Devoted to making mealtimes a highlight of the day, head chef Monica cooks food straight from the heart.
Whether she is making a roast dinner with all the trimmings, her Friday fish and chips, or her famous show-stopping cakes, seeing her residents happy means the world to her.
“I love working here – most of my family are in Romania so the people here at Wantage are like my family – they have a place in my heart. When I enter the dining room and see the residents are smiling, then I am happy,” she explains.
Monica, who has won several awards for her cooking, prepares nutritious, home-cooked meals and freshly baked biscuits and cakes every day for afternoon tea. She puts her heart and soul into her birthday cakes, personalised for each resident, which are simply out of this world!
And the dining experience is something that was praised in the home’s CQC report, where Wantage was rated Good in every single area.
A thriving home
There’s so much to do at Wantage, from being pampered in the hair salon, to gentle exercise sessions and personalised live radio broadcasts, thanks to a special partnership with Radio Cherwell. These bring joy to the residents through music, with a regular show dedicated to them, filled with their favourite requests and personal messages.
And not forgetting the monthly church service, regular visits from the residents’ favourite therapy dog Sidney and themed occasions like the recent ‘Spanish Day’, where the team pulled out all the stops to organise a ‘virtual’ trip to Spain, with Spanish dancing and of course, paella and sangria.
As well as homely comforts, Wantage has a bright and airy conservatory and relaxed dining areas. There is a large activities room, which acts as a hub of the home. The gardens are beautifully bright with raised flower beds, which make it easier for residents to continue to enjoy gardening from the comfort of their wheelchairs.
A local stylist gives residents the salon experience, in the home’s hairdressing salon. Members of the team also use this area to treat residents to a gentle hand massage or a manicure.
For more information about life at Wantage, please call the Enquiry Support Team advisors on 0808 2531 747.
