PUTTING CARE AHEAD OF PROFIT

Quantum Care, Oakmoor Lodge, Bushey, Hertfordshire

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, Quantum Care clearly has no plans to slow down anytime soon, their new Oakmoor Lodge site launches in Bushey, Hertfordshire, this year and two more are under construction. Set up in 1992 as a not-for-profit company, Quantum Care was one of the first to take on and operate care homes that were previously run by local authorities in Hertfordshire. With a clear vision to improve the lives of residents and put them at the heart of decision-making, the company began an ambitious £30 million refurbishment and development programme. In 2005, Quantum Care opened its first purpose-built home in Essex and followed this with additional builds in Bedfordshire. With Oakmoor

Lodge and Forest View Homes set to open soon, the number of homes under the Quantum Care umbrella will total 22.

Donna Steeden, Support Services Manager, is responsible for keeping residents happy and healthy. Having worked for the organisation for 25 years, she now oversees all the catering, housekeeping and laundry teams across all the homes.

“The fact that we put care ahead of profit means our residents are at the heart of what we do,” says

Donna. “Across the homes we have over 100 dedicated caterers in our food team ensuring our 1,400 residents get the choice, variety and nutrition they need, not just to stay healthy but to enjoy and celebrate each and every mealtime.”

“We approach service like a restaurant. It needs to look appetising and taste amazing. All our food is prepared fresh on site using local ingredients wherever possible and we constantly ask for feedback from our residents. This can be via residents’ forums, meetings, food tasting events or activities. We regularly create bespoke menus for residents on their birthdays, for those with certain dietary requirements and also for special occasions and seasonal events. We have the traditional favourites such as our roast dinners, afternoon teas and fish and chips, but our residents are definitely more adventurous. Many have travelled or lived in various places across the globe, which means that they are open to trying different dishes.”

Quantum Care’s Garden City Court home in Letchworth recently won 2 awards from the Vegetarian for Life organisation for their vegan dishes and the team are constantly striving to build upon their achievements. “We’re passionate about pushing boundaries when it comes to the foodservice side of things,” comments Donna. “With this in mind, we ran a Nutrition Forum for all our home and chef managers this spring. The whole day was dedicated to looking at our food provision, what works, what does not and what we can do better. This is such a great and unique opportunity to really concentrate on food, from fortification of foods and mealtime experience to the impact of oral health on a person’s nutritional status.”