Guild Care celebrates kindness during Mental Health Awareness Week

It was chosen as research has shown that kindness and our mental health are deeply connected. Also, given the unprecedented times that we find ourselves in, kindness is more important than ever.

Local charity Guild Care will be taking part in Mental Health Awareness Week by sharing stories on its social media that show how its services, staff, care home residents and the community have acted kindly during the coronavirus outbreak, fostering wellbeing.

For example, Guild Care’s Better Together service, which was set up in the wake of the outbreak, has made 1,000 calls to check in on people. In line with government guidelines, many of the local charity’s services for older people have had to close.

Staff are now supporting more than 280 people who used these services with weekly calls, which have included singing happy birthday, reminiscing about life stories and generally making sure everyone feels safe.

Another example of kindness can be found in the response the local community had to learning that the charity’s care home residents could no longer receive visitors. Messages of support flooded in via post and Guild Care’s You’ve got a Friend in Me Facebook group, where people can send digital messages to their precious residents.

Kevin Burke, care manager at Caer Gwent nursing home, said: “We know that the health and wellbeing of our residents is incredibly important and even more so now. Even though we do have social distancing measures in place, everyone is still able to get out in the garden when it’s sunny and we all enjoyed fun activities to mark 75th anniversary of VE Day.

“The residents have also loved getting messages of support letters and pictures and videos, particularly from Orchards Junior School.”

Margaret is one of Caer Gwent’s residents who received letters and drawings of cherry blossom trees from Orchards Junior School. She said: “These letters and pictures are just marvellous, what a lovely thing to do.”

With the help of staff, many residents are now busy writing back to the schoolchildren to say thank you.

Kindness has also been seen in staff supporting each other. Bonnie, a care assistant, raised more than £600 for Guild Care’s 2.6 Challenge by cycling 26.6 miles on her exercise bike.

Bonnie said: “I’ve worked here for over 12 years. I want to make sure that we’re able carry on doing the great jobs that we all do and keep providing the love and care we can give to so many residents, especially at this very difficult time. We’re all in this together and this bespoke counselling will help many people.”

The money she raised will go towards bespoke care home Covid-19 counselling, available to all staff. Guild Care has now raised more than £6,000 from the community to support this initiative.

Amanda Tucker, director of fundraising, marketing and engagement, said: “At Guild Care, kindness and caring is at the heart of everything we do. To be kind in normal circumstances would normally mean giving one of our residents or clients a hug. Unfortunately, we can’t do that, but in different ways we are still making sure that everyone that is connected to Guild Care is supported in the best possible way.”

You can find more stories of kindness on Guild Care’s Facebook page. To find out more about Guild Care, including employment opportunities, visit www.guildcare.org, call the customer service team on 01903 327327 or email [email protected].

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