Mills Meadow care home shines at the Suffolk GEM awards

Home news

Jul 12, 2013

Framlingham care home, Mills Meadow, has been recognised for its excellent use of communications with residents at the Suffolk Going the Extra Mile (GEM) awards organised by Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Safeguarding Adults Board.

Mills Meadow was proudly announced as the winner of the ‘No Surprises’ award category, due to its use of innovative communication systems that the home’s residents speak highly of. These include display boards with information including who is on duty, questionnaires completed by residents or their family members, and regular meetings keeping everybody informed and up-to-date.

Lucy Nicholas, Manager at Mills Meadow, said: “We are all feeling very honoured to have received this award. It is nice to know that our communication systems have been recognised as our residents value them greatly”.

Mills Meadow also won a ‘Highly Commended’ award for the ‘Inside Out’ category, due to the home’s excellent provision of creative activities and social inclusion participation. The award recognised the home’s work with ‘Hour Community’, an initiative run by the Framlingham Rotary Club involving students from the local college in the residents’ weekly programme of activities. Mills Meadow was also shortlisted in the ‘Home from Home’ award category.

Residents Cissie Lewis and Irene Scott attended the GEM awards ceremony at Trinity Park with Lucy Nicholas, Manager at Mills Meadow care home, Senior Team Leader Julie Hurren and Activities Coordinator Roz Ingate. All enjoyed the event and have proudly displayed their awards on the wall at Mills Meadow for everyone to see.

Mills Meadow is about to undergo redevelopment as part of Care UK’s £60 million investment programme into ten new care homes and ten wellbeing centres in the county between now and 2016. Planning approval was granted in May 2013 for the current Mills Meadow care home to be rebuilt at the same site in Framlingham. Construction on site is due to start in the coming months.