Lucy Biggs, Home Manager of Tall Trees is Interviewed by Banbury Living

Lucy Biggs, Home Manager of Tall Trees Care Centres is Interviewed by Banbury Living Magazine

What is special about Tall Trees Care Centre?

What I really love about Tall Trees, and what makes it such a pleasure to work here, is the combination of a warm and homely environment with the very highest standards of care that the staff team and I pride ourselves on.

Tall Trees benefits from dedicated wings to meet the needs of residents with differing care requirements and this extends to garden areas too. The dementia wing has a safe and secure garden designed specifically for accessibility and stimulation. Tall Trees’ dementia wing is ideally equipped to provide residential support for elderly people living with different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Korsacoff’s syndrome. But most importantly, staff never lose sight of the fact that, first and foremost, Tall Trees is home to our residents. The home has a light, airy and welcoming ambience and residents benefit from a broad and stimulating range of activities.

What do you enjoy most about working with older people?

I love the variety that each day at Tall Trees brings. Each of our residents has a unique story and it’s a real pleasure to get to know all the different things that made them people they are today.

Moving into Tall Trees is the start of a new chapter in our residents’ lives. Each resident has so much to offer and it’s a real privilege to be able to help them achieve even more from life.

What does a typical day involve?

A typical day is an active day at Tall Trees. Many residents choose to enjoy breakfast together in the lounge or, when the weather is fair, out on the patio. This is often followed by one of our very popular sing-along sessions over a coffee before heading out for the morning.

We have wonderful gardens, greenhouses and vegetable plots here, so there are regular trips to garden centres to stock up on plants and seeds, which are really popular if the weather isn’t so great. After lunch, normally from 12.30 to 1ish, there could be anything from a riverside walk, to a visit to the local lavender fields or a trip to Burford wildlife park.

What do you think is the most important thing when considering an elderly loved ones future?

I think the most important thing is to find a home that is just right. At Caring Homes, we spend a long time getting to know each of our residents and their individual needs so that we can ensure we provide exactly the support they need.

Do you have any funny moments you can share with us?

Just recently we celebrated our 2nd birthday with a full day of activities. As part of the fun we had a dog show which needless to say, created some very funny moments!

What do you like to do to relax?

I love living in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside and I can’t think of a better way to relax than taking my black Labrador for a walk in the woods.

Where do you like to eat locally?

We’re really lucky that The Lamb, just across the road from Tall Trees does great pub grub. It’s popular with staff and residents and their families alike. Of course Burford and Chipping Norton also offer a huge range of options, so we’re pretty spoiled for choice.