Lochduhar Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

04/09/2025

⭐ LaingBuisson 2025 Award Finalist ⭐

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for the ‘Care Home Group of the Year’ category at the prestigious LaingBuisson Awards.

Now in their 20th year, the awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in the UK health and social care industry.

With more than 400 entries submitted across each category, being named a finalist is a real honour.

This recognition is a true reflection of the dedication, hard work and compassion of all our teams and colleagues across Barchester – a big thank you for everything they do each day! 👏

The winners will be announced on the 20th November 2025 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.

LaingBuisson LaingBuisson News

03/09/2025

✨🎭 Bringing the Fringe to Strachan House ✨🎵

Residents, families and visitors at Strachan House Care Home in enjoyed an afternoon of fantastic performances as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Care Fest.

Now in its third year, the Fringe Care Fest brings the magic of the Fringe directly to care home residents who can no longer visit the festival venues.

Talented singer and pianist Jacqui Randa warmed up the crowd with her excellent keyboard skills and cheeky anecdotes. After a short break for more prosecco in the sun, everyone relaxed to the wonderful voice of Duane Forrest.

It was an amazing experience, complete with a special party menu from the home’s kitchen team, plenty of drinks – and of course, lots of dancing.

A big thank you to all involved in making this event such a success. 👏

02/09/2025

⭐ A Perfect 10! ⭐

We’re thrilled to share that Iverley View Care Home in has received a 10 out of 10 score on the independent care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, after a series of glowing reviews.

This fantastic achievement places Iverley View 7th out of 7,238 care homes across England and 1st in their county.

A big thank you to the team who work incredibly hard to provide the highest standard of care and support to residents and their families. Truly well deserved. 👏

.co.uk

29/08/2025

🐾 Residents Welcome Furry Friends 🐾

Our care homes and hospitals recently marked National Dog Day in style by hosting a range of activities for all to enjoy, including dog shows, pet therapy sessions and community events.

From four-legged companions to wagging tails and friendly competitions, it was a wonderful day that brought joy and smiles to everyone.

Take a look at some of our favourite moments. ✨

27/08/2025

⭐ Champions of Care: The Care Quality Leaders Network ⭐

We’re delighted to share that Sue Sheath, our Director of Regulation and Quality Improvement, has been featured in this month’s Caring Times magazine for her work founding the Care Quality Leaders Network.

In June, the network held its first face-to-face conference entitled ‘Innovating Care Quality: Leadership in Action’ in London, bringing together colleagues from across the adult social care sector.

What began as a small group of providers meeting informally before the pandemic has grown under Sue’s leadership into a thriving network of over 90 organisations – from large operators to mid-sized and smaller providers nationwide – all united by a shared commitment to champion high-quality care.

Sue commented: “I am so proud of how this group has grown over the last five years into an incredible supportive network with real influence. I was keen to create an opportunity for the group to meet face to face to hear from some of the biggest names in the sector about the challenges and opportunities we face and share ideas and best practice. I would like to thank all our generous partners such as Radar Healthcare, Care Launch and Nourish Care, who made this event possible.”

We’re so proud of Sue for her hard work in creating this fantastic network and for running such a successful event that brought together so many excellent minds! 👏

26/08/2025

📸 World Photography Day 🌟

Recently, residents and patients up and down the country celebrated World Photography Day with flair and creativity.

Throughout the day, everyone enjoyed a range of themed activities and art sessions, from crafting photo books and collages to participating in professional photoshoots and capturing images of their favourite objects and subjects.

It was also a wonderful opportunity for all to reflect on past experiences by looking at treasured photographs and sharing happy memories.

Take a look at some of our favourite moments.

22/08/2025

✨🏍️ Speedway Wish Granted 🏍️✨

This week, the team at Hickathrift House Care Home in was delighted to grant another special wish through their ‘Post a Wish’ initiative – a visit to the King's Lynn Speedway - the Home of the Stars.

It was a fantastic experience, with riders kindly taking time to chat and reminisce with a resident about past races and bikes. The Speedway team ensured the evening was special, welcoming everyone on arrival and making the visit unforgettable.

Residents truly enjoyed sitting in the front row, cheering on the riders and sharing stories of speedway events gone by.

A big thank you to all involved in making this trip possible. 👏

King's Lynn Stars

21/08/2025

🤩 Adventure Day Out for Mortain Place Residents 🤩

Residents at Mortain Place Care Home in enjoyed an unforgettable day at Knockhatch Adventure Park.

From speeding around the go-kart track and meeting extraordinary animals to splashing down the water slides, it was a day full of fun.

To make the trip even more special, residents and colleagues were joined by Malcolm from ITV News Meridian, who captured the excitement on camera and spoke to the residents about their experiences.

The team at Mortain Place believe days like this are an important way to enrich the lives of residents, creating lasting memories for all involved.

Take a look at the fantastic broadcast coverage below! 👇

Watch the latest from ITV News - Barchester Mortain Place in Eastbourne takes its residents on day trips to an adventure park with activities such as go-karting and water slides

19/08/2025

🦆📚 A Quacking Good Story from Atfield House 📚🦆

We’re excited to share that Atfield House Care Home in , London has launched their very own children’s storybook, inspired by a much-loved tradition and their nature-loving residents.

Each year, a duck named Hope visits the home’s garden to lay her eggs – a heart-warming event that has been taking place for many years. The experience sparks engagement, evokes memories and offers meaningful comfort to residents, supporting emotional and cognitive wellbeing with every quiet waddle.

After speaking with residents, families and colleagues, the team decided to capture the tale in a beautifully illustrated book.
The home looks forward to sharing the storybook with visitors and children from local schools – a great opportunity to spread the joy of this charming tradition.

You can explore their delightful storybook here 👇https://online.flippingbook.com/view/503801204/

18/08/2025

🏃‍♂️🏅 Great North Run - Marathon Effort for Charity 🏃‍♀️🏅

On Sunday, 7th September, five brave Barchester colleagues will take on the gruelling Great North Run to raise money for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.

The Foundation supports older people and adults living with a disability by helping them connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.

Our amazing runners are:
• Becky Dearing, Health and Safety Coordinator
• Kirsty Taylor, Activities Lead at Chalfont Lodge Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare
• Zsuszanna Bodog, Care Assistant from Red Oaks Care Home - Barchester Healthcare
• Tom Hodges, Dementia Nurse Specialist for the North West and Midlands
• Yvonne Hand, General Manager at Glenroyd Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

They will lace-up their trainers and use grit and determination to complete the 13-mile half marathon course that starts in Newcastle upon Tyne and takes thousands of runners over the iconic Tyne Bridge in order to raise funds for Barchester's Charitable Foundation.

Wishing the very best of luck to the runners! 👏

13/08/2025

🎤🎵 Come Sing! To Feel Good 🎤🎵

Residents and patients across the country had a fantastic time joining Dan Cooper, Vocal Coach from Biiah, for a lively summer virtual sing-along.

With the uplifting ‘Que Sera Sera’ by Doris Day and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ by The Beach Boys, there was plenty of singing and dancing all around.

The session was a great success, bringing benefits for the mind, body and soul, and leaving everyone with a dose of summer cheer.

A big thank you to Dan Cooper for the wonderful experience. 👏

Take a look at some of our favourite moments in the photos below.

🔗 www.barchester.com

12/08/2025

Our next family & friends meeting is taking place on Thursday 21st August at 2.30pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and find out more about life at Lochduhar.

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

11/08/2025

✨A Roaring 1920s Summer Fête at Ashlar House ✨

Ashlar House Care Home in turned back the clock for a spectacular Summer Fete inspired by the glamour of the 1920s.

Residents, families, colleagues and guests dressed to impress, bringing the glamour and spirit of the Jazz Age to life.

From Charleston dancing and live entertainment to delicious food, sweet treats and a much-loved raffle. There was something for everyone to enjoy.

It was a fantastic experience for all involved. 👏

11/08/2025

🎉 We are live! 🎉

We are excited to announce that August marks the start of our journey on Enable, our new digital support plan system.

Enable enhances our ability to support our residents with greater effectiveness and efficiency. It better supports the planning, recording, and provision of person-centred care through handheld devices and tablets.

The shift from paper to digital ensures seamless documentation of all care and life enrichment opportunities. We are really proud of all of our staff, who have embraced this change, and so far the feedback has been brilliant on how timely it is to document care, and provides us with more opportunities to spend meaningful time with our residents!

We couldn't let this milestone pass us by without a celebration and a beautiful cake!

Thank you to everyone for their continued patience during this change over period, and to all of our staff who worked so hard to make the transition as smooth as possible.

For more information on life at Lochduhar Care Home, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar-care-home

08/08/2025

Have a look to see some of our events throughout August, family and friends are more than welcome to join in 😊

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

22/07/2025

We took a spontaneous trip to Dock Park one sunny afternoon as the weather was just too good not to!

We got some ice cream and found a shady spot to eat it as it was melting fast! We had a stroll next to the river and further around the park and found the memorial stone for the Dumfries men who had been aboard the titanic ship. One of the residents was really interested in this and stopped to read it out loud for us all.

Once we got back to Lochduhar, it was such a warm day that we were all in need of an ice lolly too!

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

20/07/2025

We took some residents to the monthly football memories group held at the Queen of the South football ground.

Residents were given flash cards to look at that had photos of players and managers from years gone by. Our residents chatted about their memories of the players and games that they'd attended.

One man had brought his own collection of football cards which featured players from lots of other clubs too which our residents thoroughly enjoyed looking at too. As football half time tradition goes, residents were also offered a pie and a cup of bovril too!

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

16/07/2025

We recently hosted a Mad Hatter's tea party to mark Alice in Wonderland day.

In the weeks leading up to the party residents were busy with arts and crafts sessions to create their own mad hats. We also all worked together to create a themed balloon arch. This was our first attempt at a ballon arch and what a great job we did!

At the party itself, we enjoyed an afternoon tea of sandwiches and sausage rolls followed by lots of sweet treats including profiteroles and various cakes. We finished off the afternoon by enjoying some ice cream.

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

09/07/2025

Thank you for our lovely review 🥰

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

08/07/2025

Many of you will have seen and donated to the Alzheimer Scotland charity collection box that has been located at our reception desk over the past few months.

This was recently collected and we can confirm that the total raised was £121.61! The funds raised goes towards local dementia resource centres and community groups as well as funding local dementia advisors and the 24 hour freephone helpline line, so every penny counts!

Thank you to everyone who has donated. We have another charity collection box at reception, so hopefully we can beat this amount when the next collection is made!

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

07/07/2025

💐 RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS 😊

We recently had a spontaneous visit from a school student called Sophie who wanted to randomly give some residents flowers to be kind.

This was so thoughtful to think of our residents. The ladies receiving the flowers were very grateful and have thoroughly enjoyed the colours of the flowers as they bloomed.

We hope you see this Sophie, thank you so much 🥰

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

05/07/2025

Residents in our Memory Lane Community had talked about their love of flowers so we thought we'd have a go at flower arranging.

The residents talked about the different flowers and their scents. We talked about what our personal favourites were and some residents spoke about what flowers they had in their own gardens and how they enjoyed tending to their gardens.

Afterwards we enjoyed further chats about gardening and flowers over a cuppa and some cake.

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar

02/07/2025

We took part in the recent Guid Nychburris celebrations.

Firstly, we enjoyed a visit to Lochduhar from the 2025 Cornet, Cornet's lass, their lynors, as well as the Queen of the South and her attendants. They spent time talking to residents, and one resident was excited to tell them that she had also been an attendant for the Queen of the South in her younger years.

When the day of Guid Nychburris came round, we took some residents out to the Midsteeple on the High Street to watch the crowning of the Queen of the South. Afterwards we stopped by the Nith Hotel for some lunch.

To find out more about life at Lochduhar, please visit our website: www.barchester.com/lochduhar