Birthday lunch is a treat for Miss Acheson

Corinium Care hosted a special lunch for client Miss Mary Acheson to mark her 89th birthday and her fifth year with the live-in care agency.

Over the years, Miss Acheson, who lives in the Cotswolds, has spoken to most of the company’s 17 staff on the phone.

Miss Acheson with MD Clare Janik 

When she expressed a wish to meet them in person, Managing Director Clare Janik was happy to oblige, and arranged a celebratory lunch at Corinium Care’s head office in Nailsworth.

Miss Acheson, who spent most of her career in nursing, thanked the company for their consistently high standards. 

“I could say so many nice things about Corinium Care. You have all looked after me very well. When I ring, everyone is excellent. It’s something I really appreciate,” she said.

“It’s so nice to meet you all. It makes a big difference to put a friendly face to a telephone voice.”

Clare presented Miss Acheson with a card and a gift. “Miss Acheson has a lovely sense of humour and it has been a pleasure to have her as our guest,” she said.

BJ is guest speaker at training day for carers

When Corinium Care offered a new training course about complex care needs for live-in carers, the company asked client BJ Mozley to be guest speaker. 

Billie-Jane (BJ for short) has cerebral palsy and has been a Corinium client for 17 years since she opted to live independently in Cheltenham. 

“I wanted to help carers understand what it’s like to need care from the client’s perspective,” said BJ, 39, who uses a wheelchair and has restricted movement in almost every part of her body. 

BJ with Senior Care Manager Suzanne Hathaway and carers

“The best advice I can give is ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. Just because someone is disabled doesn’t mean they are stupid.” 

She praised the care provided by Corinium. “I wouldn’t go to anyone else. They understand my needs and my regular carer is fantastic. Corinium is definitely a care agency to be proud of,” she told the team of live-in carers. 

“The most important thing is to safeguard our dignity. When you’re disabled, that can be the first thing to disappear.”

The Complex Care Needs Training Day was free for Corinium’s live-in carers and included sessions on nutrition, stroke awareness, and use of equipment. It took place at the agency’s head office in Nailsworth.

“An increasing number of our clients have more complex care needs such as peg feeding and stoma care. It’s important we give them all the help we can so they know what to expect and feel confident,” said Senior Care Manager Suzanne Hathaway. 

Carer Sheldene Holtzhausen said: “Having BJ along was a brilliant idea - it’s nice to hear what being cared for is like from someone so articulate. I am always nervous when I go to a new client. It’s comforting to hear that the client is usually equally apprehensive.”