Local MP, Huw Merriman, praised the vital role played by care workers and unpaid carers while visiting Sycamore Grove Care Home.
During his visit to the new care home in Stone Cross, Huw saw first-hand the essential contribution made by hardworking staff, and the real difference they make to the lives and wellbeing of the residents. He also had the opportunity to learn more about some of the key challenges that family carers currently face.
Huw’s visit to Sycamore Grove came shortly before the start of this year’s Carers Week, and he was joined at the care home by Carole Gregory from local charity Care for the Carers. There to support and represent unpaid carers, Care for the Carers seeks to raise awareness of caring, and works with local communities, organisations, and service providers to build a carer-friendly East Sussex.
Together, they were shown around the excellent new accommodation and facilities which opened to residents earlier this year. Offering a range of accommodation services for older people in need of support, Sycamore Grove provides high quality residential care, respite care and dementia care. The home also has a dedicated area called Memory Lane, which provides high-quality care for people with dementia. Services are based on independence, dignity, and choice, supported by a person-centred approach to care.
Speaking after the visit, Huw said:
“It was a pleasure to visit Sycamore Grove, tour their excellent facilities, and see the impact that their dedicated team of care workers have on the lives of residents.
“We all owe a great deal of gratitude to carers for the vital role that they play, both staff in residential care settings, and unpaid family carers in the wider community. Thousands of people across our region are looking after someone who could not do without their help, and today was a great opportunity to learn more about some of the challenges they face, and how we can all do more to support them.”
Heather Nwansi, General Manager of Sycamore Grove added:
“We would like to thank Huw for his visit and it was amazing to get his backing for supporting carers during Carers Week. It was great to get an insight into a wide range of topics that were discussed.
“Carers are essential to what we do in our industry and volunteers who dedicate their own time to help enrich people’s lives, do this with true empathy, care and compassion. We love to support this as a business as we get genuine care from the people who supply it. We will be celebrating our care teams across Barchester with a selection of hampers and a number of events to show our gratitude.”
Jennifer Twist, Chief Executive at Care for the Carers, commented:
“1 in 5 of us currently provide care, unpaid, for a relative, friend or neighbour who couldn’t manage without that help. It’s often hugely rewarding but can also take its toll on your own wellbeing, finances and career, with lots of carers struggling to juggle caring alongside working.
“Care for the Carers is here to support, so we’d love to hear from you if you’re a family carer. We’re also encouraging employers to get in touch – we can provide you and your teams with Think Carer training, and guidance on how to support your employees who are also carers. We’re delighted to be working with Sycamore Grove in this way, and would like to say a big thank you to the team for their help raising awareness.”
Carers Week is held annually to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face, and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities through the UK. The theme of this year’s Carers Week, which is being held between 5-11 June, is ‘Recognising and supporting carers in the community.’
