April 2022
As an avid follower of the Nellsar Care Homes news pages I’m sure you’re aware of our amazing group publication – the Nellsar News – published three times a year. Issue 12, the latest issue which came out in April 2022, signified the fourth consecutive year of our insightful production; we took the opportunity to create a survey for readers to give their feedback and have their say.
The survey was completely anonymous and we asked our participants what type of reader they are. For example, a member of Nellsar staff, a resident of a Nellsar Care Home, or a relative / friend of a Nellsar resident.
We found that 95% of participants were members of staff and the remaining 5% were relatives or friends of one of our residents.
The Nellsar News is designed for a wide audience encompassing our residents and their families across our group of 13 Care Homes, in Kent, Surrey and Essex, plus our staff teams. It is a shame the survey didn’t reach as many of our readers as we’d like but it has been an interesting exercise and will help us shape the content in upcoming issues.
We also asked our readers which of the regular features they enjoy reading, from the list below:
Corporate News
- Message from the MD
- Coronavirus Update
- Quickfire Q&A
- Spotlight On
- Awards News
Special Features
- Nutrition and Wellness
- Catering / Food and Dining
- Learning and Development
From the Homes
- Birthdays and Celebrations
- Calendar Events
- Competitions
- Charity Fundraising
We were thrilled to find out the top five most popular are (1) Birthdays and Celebrations, (2) Calendar Events, (3) Spotlight On, (4) Catering / Food and Dining (Adrian Silaghi) and (5) Competitions.
The survey also asked participants to rate how much they would enjoy reading news from the following types of people – choosing from either:
Pet Therapy Providers
Well-Being Therapists (Nellsar or independent)
Independent Entertainers, Singers and Musicians
Local Community Groups / Organisations
Dementia Care Specialists
Nellsar Directors
Nellsar Care Home Managers
Nellsar Operations Managers
Nellsar Quality and Compliance Managers
Nellsar Recruitment Team
Nellsar Admin / Reception Teams
Nellsar Chefs / Kitchen Teams
Nellsar Care Staff
Nellsar Recreation and Well-Being / Activities Teams
Nellsar Domestic / Housekeeping Team
Nellsar Maintenance Teams
Our volunteers
Our residents
Our relatives
The top five were (1) Our Residents, (2) Dementia Care Specialists, (3) Nellsar Recreation and Well-Being / Activities Teams, (4) Independent Entertainers, Singers and Musicians and (5) Our Relatives.
Photos are a big part of the fun, engaging nature of the Nellsar News and we love to showcase what our residents enjoy, including hobbies, parties and outings. In the survey, we asked readers what they would like to see more photos of, from residents to staff, our Homes and their facilities, and our Managers, Senior Managers and Directors. It came as no surprise that 90% of participants would like to see more photos of our residents – as they are at the centre of everything we do, every day.
So watch this space! We’ll try our hardest to include more of what you want to see in future issues of the Nellsar News! In the meantime, please feel free to contact Marketing@Nellsar.com with any ideas or feedback.
We’re pleased to read some of the more general feedback to “How could we improve future issues of the Nellsar News?” too:
“How can you improve perfection?! I love it”
“I think you are doing an amazing job. Thank you!”
“You can’t because it’s good as it is – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!”
“I love seeing photos of the residents doing activities.”
“You’re doing amazing. Congratulations.”
“I think the newsletter is fabulous. What is its target audience? Could it be that we need a staff newsletter? I love reading it because it has a mixture of everything but do the relatives and potential families want to see so much about the staff? Just a question.”
“Take it to local community centres – Age Concern etc.”
If you are a relative or friend of one of our current residents, or you are currently researching residential care, nursing care or dementia care for your loved one, please take a look at some of our newsletters online for a window into our Nellsar Care Homes.
We also publish around 20-30 short news stories EVERY WEEK across our group of Homes. Click here to begin reading about what our residents get up to every week, from gentle exercise and arts and crafts, to music and dance shows and trips to local pubs and garden centres. Our amazing Recreation and Well-Being Teams ensure that daily life is fun and fulfilling for all our residents.
