Burnley woman pays tribute to 'amazing' care home staff: "If my dad could speak, he'd tell us he's enjoyed every minute"

A Burnley woman has paid tribute to the 'amazing' staff at a local care home for caring for her elderly father who lives with Alzheimer's and for their sterling work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Andrea's son Anthony (left) in the Abiden Care Home visiting booth to see his grandfather Ted Whalley, who lives at the home.Andrea's son Anthony (left) in the Abiden Care Home visiting booth to see his grandfather Ted Whalley, who lives at the home.
Andrea's son Anthony (left) in the Abiden Care Home visiting booth to see his grandfather Ted Whalley, who lives at the home.

Praising the staff at Abiden Care Home, Andrea Kenyon has said that despite her, her mother Amy Whalley, and her 31-year-old son Anthony - who himself lives with Asperger's - not being able to visit her father Ted during the pandemic, the carers have been exemplary.

"All the staff are amazing and go above and beyond," said Andrea, whose father has lived at Abiden for three years. "It's shown that the management and staff at Abiden try their best to help the residents and their families as much as they can."

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Usually, Andrea, Amy, and Anthony would visit Ted three times a week at the home, with her parents celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary in February earlier this year.

"As you can imagine, my mum was a bit upset because my dad's Alzheimer's is quite severe now so we can't really take him out," said Andrea of the anniversary. "We asked the home if they could just do some sandwiches [and] they ended up doing a big buffet, a cake, and got a singer in that my mum and dad would like.

"And then in July, when it was my mum's 80th birthday, the activities co-ordinator made a card with my dad," she added. "My mum will treasure it forever."

Singling out Ian White and Michelle Johnson for particular praise, Andrea has also commended the care home on their adaptability during the pandemic. During Covid, the home, which usually puts on activities such as arts and crafts and has entertainers in to visit residents, has pivoted to online, using Zoom, Skype, and Facebook Messenger to organise family music events and singalongs.

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They've also got a large interactive television onto which families can screen video messages, create photo albums, or send music for their loved ones. They also constructed a secure visiting booth which allowed families to see their loved ones up close from behind a plastic screen.

"They've been devastated during the lockdown and have tried to find ways that families could visit but to no avail," said Andrea. "Then someone [came across] a visiting booth and Ian's nephew made one, which is fantastic. It'll make a massive difference to everyone who lives and works in Abiden, as well as the families who have been desperate to go and see their loved ones.

"Anthony absolutely dotes on my dad and we haven't seen him for about five or six months and it's really affected Anthony's mental health," she added. "[But] I'm sure if my dad could speak, he'd tell us he's enjoyed every minute at Abiden."

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