Three Sisters are keeping busy

Keeping everyone active and entertained whilst following the government guidelines of staying at home can be a challenge, but our staff are ready to rise to it!

We spoke to Keith, Service Manager of Three Sisters in West Yorkshire about what they’ve been doing in service to keep all the people they support healthy and happy.

Keeping busy

“We have been doing a lot of activities! From aerobics, dance classes, movie nights and treasure hunts to football, badminton, musical chairs and picnics in the garden.”

The staff team worked with the people we support at the service to decide what activities they wanted to do, as well as what equipment they would need. Three Sisters have a lovely outside area, which is perfect for some of these activities. They really appreciate the space, especially at the moment.

Managing change

During this time, a lot of people’s routines have changed, this includes the people we support. Keith told us that Three Sisters have eight people who are usually out and about, and having these restrictions placed upon them could’ve been difficult.

“We thought we would have many behaviours, as the people we care for do exhibit some rather high-risk behaviours at times. However, we have found that behaviours have been limited, less than normal to be honest. I put this down to three main changes.

We changed the rota pattern for staff. This means there is less transition and more consistency of staff throughout the day.
Introducing new activities to keep everyone entertained and happy.
Going out less has resulted in the home feeling much calmer as we’re not in a rush to get up and out early.”

Of course one of the big impacts of the changes in routine is that people are unable to see their families. The team at Three Sisters are committed to helping people stay connected. They are doing this through the use of Skype and Facetime. The people they support are feeling much happier and settled as a result.

How do the staff feel?

The priority for the staff at Three Sisters really is keeping the people they support safe and happy during this challenging time.

Keith said, “We are aware that we are putting ourselves and our families at risk because the support we provide does not allow for social distancing within the home. We are all sticking to government guidelines and staying at home when not at work. At work, we are ensuring everyone we support understands the situation and are also following the guidelines.

It’s an absolute pleasure working with this dedicated staff team and with the people we support, who never cease to amaze. Keep strong everyone and we will all get through this soon. Stay safe.”