In acknowledgement of the high level of care delivered by local care homes under challenging circumstances during COVID, ‘Rainbow Room’ resource boxes are being delivered to 131 homes in the Northern Trust area.
Each box will be unique and a gesture of support to help strengthen the relationships between the care homes and the local voluntary and community sector.
The boxes include health and wellbeing information to support staff as well as activity packs, toiletries, water bottles, tea, coffee and snacks. These items have all been donated from a range of local organisations including the Red Cross and Food Standard Agency. Rainbow Rooms have been introduced across Care Homes in Northern Ireland to help and support staff who have done so much for our loved ones during the pandemic.
A special mention and thanks to the young volunteers from Broughshane Community Association who gave up their time very generously to help pack the Rainbow boxes.
Northern Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) Business Manager, Anne Marie O’Boyle from the Health and Social Care Board said: “We work to encourage more collaborative working to improve health and wellbeing, this initiative is a fantastic example of connecting care homes with their local communities which we are delighted to have supported and are thankful to all the partners involved.”
Breige Conway, Manager of Northern Area Community Network (NACN) which is one of the Northern Healthy Living Centres said “this was a very worthwhile piece of work and the Healthy Living Centre Alliance in the Northern area are grateful for the opportunity to take the lead in this project, reaching out to the staff within care homes to provide self care resources.”
Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Breige Donaghy, said: “We are delighted to be encouraging partnership approaches to improving health and wellbeing, this initiative is a fantastic example of connecting care homes with their local communities which we are delighted to have supported and are so grateful to all the partners involved and those who have kindly donated both their time and resources.”
Community Navigator, Jenny Dougan from Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership said, “MEAAP were happy to assist in the delivery of the Rainbow Boxes to the local care homes in Mid &East Antrim, with whom we have developed close partnerships with over the last number of years. We are looking forward to continuing our work with them, which is even more important now than ever, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Rainbow Room idea was adopted from the rainbow symbol of solidarity used by the NHS/HSC during the current pandemic and provides some much needed space and quiet time for staff during difficult periods resulting from the virus.
This initiative is being delivered through a collaboration led by the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs), Public Health Agency (PHA), HSC Trusts and the Healthy Living Centre Alliance.