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In December 2023, The Trustees were delighted to be able to reach an agreement with Sapphire Care Ltd.to take on a lease for the running of the Home.
We are now entering into the six month of what is proving to be a very successful arrangement in the way the Home is run.

Background:
During the worst days of the pandemic, when new admissions to the Home were restricted, the Grest Home staff succeeded under uniquely difficult conditions in providing a safe and happy environment for our residents.
After the pandemic, new admissions did not return to pre- pandemic levels.
At the same time the Home was faced with sharply rising costs in all areas, such as energy, insurance and food.
Nationally, there was a stark picture of Home closures ( 193 in 2022 ) and locally the tragic closure of the Corrin Home and as well the distress generated by Cummal Mooar controversy.
During 2023 the Trustees sought a way to ensure the future of the home with the primary focus being the continuity of care for the Home’s residents and wherever possible for the Home)s staff to be able to continue in their roles.

The Trustees were delighted when an agreement with Sapphire was reached to take on a lease to run the Home.
As a well- established Care provider on the Island, their CEO, Ann Sharvin and operations manager John Adair have been able to bring their expertise and experience to expand the service which the Grest can offer in terms of domiciliary and respite care, and special needs residential care as well as maintaining the established residential care at the Home.
This diversity and broadening of the services the Home offers will ensure the Home’s viability and future as well as providing opportunities for staff employment under Sapphire’s management.

In Early March 2020 the level of threat from the Covid Pandemic was such that the home drew up a three stage emergency plan regarding visitor restrictions implementing the first stage in the week of March escalating to full “ lock-down” by the end of the second week.
Within a few days staff had adopted a totally different way of working and were becoming familiar with using PPE which was to be part of their daily routine for the next three months.It was a considerable challenge.

For the residents and their relatives and friends this meant having to cope without personal contact.Several were already active “Skypers” and others waved at each other windows.There was no alternative but to accept the situation.

The Pandemic situation became particularly uncertain and threatening in April as the picture of what could happen if Covid gained entry to a care home became clear internationally, in the UK and also very tragically on the Island.

Our residents remained well and gradually restrictions were eased.
By 10 July unrestricted visiting had returned, the entry conditions reduced to hand sanitising,a questionnaire about health symptoms and a temperature check

Mr John Cain, Dr Andrew Kelsey and Mr William Christian CP

At the opening of the building improvements

OMS Ltd., busy this week with ground works for lounge extension

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Island Landscape Ltd have completed our garden room/summerhouse.

Insulated, double-glazed  and with electric power and lights:

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Sun lounge/ lounge extension

It seems to have been a very  long time but, after several  delays sorting technical issues ,building is now to start Monday 5 October.

It is anticipated that it will take 2 months.

Summer House/Garden Room

This project  has taken longer than expected mainly because of manufacturing  delays with the uPVC windows and doors but the concrete base is in situ  and we are assured that  work should commence to install the building week beginning Monday 28 th September-so it will be more of an” Autumn” house