Austen House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

16/01/2026

🌟 Employee of the Month – Nisha! 🌟

We are so proud to celebrate Nisha as our Employee of the Month! As a nurse, she brings not just skill and dedication, but true warmth and care to everyone she meets. Her patience, kindness, and understanding make a real difference in the lives of our residents every single day.

Nisha goes beyond the routine of her role—she listens, supports, and comforts with a genuine heart. She treats everyone like family, brightening days with her smiles, encouragement, and thoughtful gestures. Her positivity and commitment inspire the whole team and make our home a happier place.
Congratulations, Nisha! Your compassion, hard work, and humanity shine through everything you do. We are so grateful to have you with us 💙✨

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

16/01/2026

Burn Night Celebration!!
A celebration of Robert Burns with live Scottish music entertainment with Jim🪗🎸🌟

15/01/2026

A Century of Smiles! 🙂
Happy 100th Birthday, Bridget! 🎂🎉🥳🌸

Today, the Austen House family had the absolute pleasure of celebrating a truly incredible milestone—our lovely resident Bridget 100th birthday! 🥳💖

Surrounded by her family, friends and our dedicated team, Bridget enjoyed a day filled with laughter, love, and joy. Looking fabulous in her birthday glasses and her special "I’m 100" sash, she spent the day attending the phone calls and sharing stories and memories from a century of a life well-lived!

Every corner of the home was filled with music and cheer as we toasted to Bridget amazing journey. It is her warmth and wonderful spirit that truly makes Austen House feel like home, and we were so thrilled to make her day as bright and beautiful as she is. 🥂✨

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ Give us a call at 0118 926 6100
🌎 Or explore our home online: Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

13/01/2026

Our residents enjoyed a lovely arts and crafts session with Cheryl and J***y from Creative Mojo. The session was full of creativity, colour, and smiles, and everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable time.
The session was relaxed, uplifting, and full of laughter, with residents proudly showing off their creations and encouraging one another along the way. It was wonderful to see so much joy and enthusiasm, and by the end of the session everyone was feeling happy, creative, and inspired. A truly lovely activity enjoyed by all 😊🎨

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

11/01/2026

Our amazing resident wowed us today by baking a homemade Chocolate cup Cake during activities! The smiles were just as sweet as the cake itself
Moments like these remind us that every day is a chance to celebrate talents, share laughter, and enjoy the little things (especially when they're this tasty!).

find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

09/01/2026

A lovely move ball exercise session⚽

Our residents took part in a fun and engaging move ball exercise session, and it was wonderful to see everyone getting involved. The activity encouraged gentle movement, coordination, and teamwork, while also bringing plenty of smiles and laughter into the room.
Residents enjoyed passing, rolling, and moving the ball together at a comfortable pace, supporting both physical wellbeing and social interaction. The atmosphere was full of encouragement, positivity, and shared enjoyment.
By the end of the session, our residents were very happy, relaxed, and proud of their efforts. Activities like this are a great way to promote movement, boost confidence, and most importantly, create joyful moments together 😊⚽

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

08/01/2026

Optician visit at Austen House 👓

We were pleased to welcome the optician to Austen House for routine eye checks for our residents. The visit was carried out in a calm, comfortable, and supportive environment, ensuring everyone felt relaxed and well cared for throughout the process.
Regular eye examinations are an important part of maintaining good health and wellbeing, and our residents were happy to have their vision checked with professional care and reassurance. Thank you to the optician and our staff for making the visit run smoothly and comfortably for everyone🥰

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

07/01/2026

Happy Birthday to Bryan and John! 🎉🎂🥳🎈

It has been a fantastic week of celebration at Austen House. We’ve had back-to-back celebrations this week, marking Bryan’s birthday yesterday followed by John’s today!!

It was a joy to celebrate with their families and our dedicated team. From everyone at Austen House, we hope you both had a truly wonderful day!

For more information and to find out more about life at Austen House, please contact us on 0118 911 3018 or visit our website: https://
www.barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

06/01/2026

❄️ Snowflakes & Sweet Treats at Austen House!! ❄️

The grounds of Austen House Care Home turned into a beautiful winter wonderland today, and we made the most of every snowy moment!🙂

Our staff had a fantastic time channeling their inner children—braving the cold to play in the snow and build a very handsome new snowman friend⛄️

Inside, our residents stayed cozy and warm, enjoying the best seats in the house. There were plenty of smiles as they watched the snowy the snow fall and seeing the staff having such fun together while sipping on warm coffee and enjoying delicious cakes. ☕️🍰
To top it off, we brought a little bit of the magic indoors so residents could feel the snow and hold the snowman, getting a "hands-on" taste of winter without the chill! It was a cold day outside, but the laughter and treats made it a truly heart-warming day for everyone!!



To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ Give us a call at 0118 926 6100
🌎 Or explore our home online: Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

05/01/2026

Come and join us on15th January for a live virtual event call Big Garden Bird Talk!

Our expert ornithologist Rob Magee from Gwent Wildlife Trust returns, ahead of the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch, to share his expertise on all things birds!

Rob Magee is a nature conservationist with over 20 years of experience, currently leading the school and youth engagement programme at Gwent Wildlife Trust. His previous roles include work with the RSPB at Newport Wetlands, the Red Kites of Ceredigion project in mid Wales and BBC Springwatch at Ynys-Hir Nature Reserve. Rob specialises in ornithology and bat ecology, conducting bird surveys for the British Trust for Ornithology and bat monitoring for the Bat Conservation Trust. His expertise includes nightjar surveys, sunset and waterway bat monitoring, and delivering educational bat walks across Gwent for diverse audiences.

04/01/2026

Out and about! Four residents, joined by our caring staff, had a wonderful minibus trip to a coffee shop in Wokingham. Good company, laughter, and a little treat made for a perfect outing 💛🚌

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

04/01/2026

Lots of smiles, laughter, and friendly competition as our residents enjoyed a fun game of skittles 🎳
The room was full of joy, encouragement, and happy moments—such a lovely time shared together 💙

To find out more about life at Austen House, please give us a call or visit our website:
☎️ 0118 926 6100
🌎 Barchester.com/home/austen-house-care-home

01/01/2026

30/12/2025

🏅 10k Challenge for Charity 🏅

A brave care home manager has taken on her first ever 10K to raise vital funds for charity.

Novice runner Roisin Doyle, from The Dales Care Home in , took part in a sponsored 10K to raise money for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation. The Foundation supports older people and adults living with a disability by helping them to connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.

Roisin shared: “Taking part in this challenge has been a huge amount of fun and everyone at the home has been behind me all the way. It’s for such an important cause. I’m very glad to be able to do my bit to raise further awareness and money for our charity.”

Roisin raised a grand total of £450 by completing the challenge, which will be donated to Barchester's Charitable Foundation to help combat loneliness and isolation. 👏


The Dales Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

26/12/2025

🎄 Wishing you all a Holly, Jolly Christmas! 🎅🎁

Residents, patients, families and friends, colleagues and local community members came together to celebrate Christmas in style.

The Christmas parties were in full swing across our care homes and hospitals with delicious festive food, bubbly, live music, carol singers and of course lots of gifts, all delivered straight from the North Pole.

It was a wonderful day. Here are some of our favourite moments. ✨

23/12/2025

⭐ Twickenham Nurse Wins RCN London Rising Star Award ⭐

Staff and residents at Lynde House Care Home in are celebrating because their much-loved nurse, Smita Patelia, has been named in the Royal College of Nursing London’s Rising Star Awards.

The Rising Star awards recognise nursing staff from the capital's Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities who've made an outstanding contribution to the health and care of Londoners. A team from Lynde House attended the awards ceremony where Smita’s achievements were celebrated, and she received her RCN Rising Stars Award.

Smita is an excellent nurse and role model to everyone at Lynde House. She has progressed from RN to Deputy Manager thanks to her clinical skill and underpinning knowledge, plus the compassion and consistent, instinctive care she demonstrates daily to her residents and their family members.

Congratulations, Smita! 👏

Lynde House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

22/12/2025

🌟 November Highlights 🌟

Take a look at our November highlights video, featuring a heart-warming collection of special moments from our care homes and hospitals – from snowy afternoons to pub visits and Remembrance Day celebrations.

Stay tuned for next month's video.

19/12/2025

👏 Congratulations! 👏

We’re delighted to share the amazing cakes made by the winners of this year's Barchester Christmas Cake Competition.

This much-loved annual event invites residents, patients, colleagues and chefs to put their baking skills to the test, competing for the title of the most delicious and creative Christmas-themed cake in their division. Judged by Barchester’s Hospitality Team, the competition highlights the amazing talent across our care services.

The winning cakes captured the spirit of Christmas and were absolutely delicious.

Here are the winners and photos of their brilliant creations:

⭐ Chef Winners ⭐
• The Fernes Care Home - Barchester Healthcare
• Hugh Myddelton House Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare
• Plas Y Dderwen Care Home
• Southerndown Care Home - Barchester Healthcare
• North Park Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare
• Kernow House Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare

⭐ Resident Winners ⭐
• Cossins House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare
• Hurstwood View Care Home
• Kingswood Court Care Home - Barchester Healthcare
• Newlands Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare
• South Grange Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare
• Castle Lodge Independent Hospital - Barchester Healthcare

Huge congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to everyone who took part. 🎉

18/12/2025

⭐️ Mulberry Court Features on BBC’s The One Show ⭐️

Staff and residents at Mulberry Court Care Home in are celebrating their newfound fame as a video they recorded was featured on BBC’s The One Show in their One Big Thank You segment.

It all came about because big-hearted nine-year-old twins, George and Stanley, decided to make the world a better place by carrying out 12 Acts of Kindness in the run up to Christmas. One of their acts was visiting Mulberry Court to bring some joy to the residents there.

The staff and residents at the home were so grateful to the boys that they recorded a thank you video which was aired on The One Show, much to the delight of everyone at the home. The piece was introduced by none other than TV royalty, Miranda Hart, a firm favourite of all the residents at Mulberry Court.

Mulberry Court Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

17/12/2025

🎄 Christmas Cheer in Full Swing 🎉

Our care homes and hospitals are getting into the festive spirit, with Christmas preparations well underway across the country.

Over the past few weeks, residents, patients and colleagues have been busy decorating, putting up Christmas trees and celebrating themed events such as Christmas Jumper Day, Elf Day, as well as taking part in light switch-ons and flower arranging masterclasses.

There are plenty of fun-filled activities and experiences to enjoy in the lead-up to Christmas.

Here are some of our favourite moments. ✨

16/12/2025

🧙 Mount Vale Creates Special Garden for Gnome-obsessed Resident 🧙

When Margaret first moved into Mount Vale Care Home in , colleagues didn’t realise she came as a package deal. They quickly came to understand that Margaret couldn’t settle if she didn’t have her favourite companions with her – she was missing the ceramic gnomes from her garden that she had collected over the years.

The team set about preparing an outdoor space where Margaret’s much-loved collection of gnomes could be recreated. Led by the home’s Head of Maintenance, Shaun, everyone joined forces to clear an area directly outside Margaret’s bedroom window so she could see and interact with her beloved gnomes all the time.

Now Margaret’s new gnome garden is her pride and joy, it brings her so much comfort to spend time with her new collection of gnomes donated by the home’s generous Administrator, Sarah, it is like having a piece of her old home with her.

What a fantastic story! 👏

09/12/2025

🥇 HealthInvestor Power List Winner 🥇

We’re thrilled to announce that our CEO, Dr Pete Calveley, has been named Elderly Care Leader at The HealthInvestor Power List award ceremony.

It is the fifth time Dr Calveley has been honoured at the awards by his peers, a testament to the respect in which he is held in the sector.

For over 15 years, The HealthInvestor Power List celebrates the most effective, inspiring and influential leaders in health and social care. The 2025 Power List includes outstanding leaders, investors and advisors from across the healthcare sector.

Congratulations! 👏

08/12/2025

🎄✨ Elf Day Celebrations ✨🎄

Our care homes and hospitals celebrated Elf Day in style recently, with plenty of festive cheer, creative outfits and fun-filled activities, all while raising vital funds and awareness for people living with dementia.

Launched by the Alzheimer's Society and delivered direct from the North Pole, Elf Day was created to sprinkle some festive cheer on fundraising efforts towards finding a cure for dementia.

A big thank you to everyone who took part and made this day such a success.

Here are some of our favourite moments.