Following Asda's recent announcement that we'e donating 250,000 medical grade face masks to care homes across UK, I had the privilege of handing 450 of these face masks to Katie Capes, the Head of Commissioning and a nurse at Springfield Healthcare. These masks will go to three of their care homes: Seacroft Grange Care Village, Seacroft Green Care Centre, and Springfield Care Home Garforth.
Katie told me about how they have been keeping morale up and meeting the needs of residents, including helping them setup video calls (using an extra supply of internally-sourced iPads and phones) and even occasional window visits so residents can speak to their relatives. They're also painting rainbows on windows among other activities.
It was also great to meet Katie Wisniewski (behind the camera) from their marketing team who was very passionate about the things that she's learnt since recently starting work in care homes.
Each care home uses approximately 500 masks a week and at times when they think they are going to run out of PPE they get nervous, but they said that thankfully something always comes just in time – and this time it was us at Asda Killingbeck!
– Sarah, Asda community champion