Residents at Little Bramingham Farm Care Home Celebrate National Spa Week 2024

At Little Bramingham Farm, the Luton-based residential care home run by charity, Friends of the Elderly, Nicola Overton the care home’s Hairdresser and Katie Giles, its Nail Technician, have been marking this year’s National Spa Week by sharing their thoughts, experiences and joy of bringing interactions and happiness to the residents through their weekly pampering sessions.

Nicola, who has been the Hairdresser at Little Bramingham Farm for nearly four years, originally covered the previous hairdresser’s holidays breaks. “When the care home’s existing Hairdresser retired, Emma, the care home’s Registered Manager, asked me if I would be willing to take on the role. I said yes immediately,” said Nicola.

Nicola always wanted to be a Hairdresser. “I never thought about any other career,” continued Nicola. “I left school in 1988 and qualified in 1990 – and so far, I’ve been doing what I love for 34 years.”

Katie is no stranger to Little Bramingham Farm as she is also a Shift Leader at the care home. “I’ve been the Nail Technician at Little Bramingham Farm for a few months now, having recently qualified about a year ago,” added Katie. “I’m one of the Shift Leaders so know the residents very well.

“Emma knew I was studying to qualify as a Nail Technician and once I’d qualified, asked if I’d like to work alongside Nicola in the care home’s Salon and look after the residents’ nails, by offering manicures and pedicures. I jumped at the opportunity. Knowing that I can supply a service which not only relaxes the residents, but one that they enjoy is a real motivator for me.”

“Each week the Salon is a hive of activity and the residents thoroughly enjoy the pampering,” said Emma Lawrance, the Registered Manager at Little Bramingham Farm. “As the residents adore their hair and nail sessions so much; we thought we would open up the Salon to members of the local community who may also want to join in the fun.

“Of course, the residents have priority on all the appointment slots, but if there are any gaps throughout the day, Nicola and Katie will take bookings from members of the local community. We’ve only be doing this for a few weeks, but the residents love seeing new faces and new people to chat with. It’s working well.”

“All the residents are so different, and all so interesting in their own way,” continued Nicola. “No day at Little Bramingham Farm is the same. It’s always lovely to listen to the residents talking about the things they have done, the people they have met and the places they have been.

“I was talking to Sheila Clitheroe, one of my regular ladies at Little Bramingham Farm last week about the time she lived in London. She told me all about her family as well. Another resident, Eileen Gleasure, and I were chatting about the King Charles III’s Coronation in 2022. This carried on to a fabulous story of how she and a friend travelled to London for Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1952.”

“The residents love to reminisce whilst they are having the nails done too,” added Katie. “Many of the residents tell me stories of how their Mum’s used to look after their nails or care for their nails when they were young, but the most popular interaction and topic for discussion is about all the outfit possibilities to match their chosen nail polish.

“They also like to hear about what I was like as a child and a few of the lady residents think it’s hilarious that considering I do their manicures and pedicures, that I’d always had a bad relationship with my nails.

“I told them how I’d bitten my nails ever since I was a child and that my Mum used to encourage me to stop nibbling them by saying she’d buy me some proper manicure equipment if I stopped. Of course, I finally did and look at me now.”

Nicola and Katie have both lady and gentlemen residents who visit them for their weekly pamper appointments. “I sometimes have some male residents who book in for maintenance manicures,” said Katie. “My gentlemen residents come in for haircuts, styling and a blow dry,” added Nicola. “In fact, blow drys are the most popular request I get each week. Other weekly favourites are perms, colours and, of course, the traditional and classic ‘Set’.”

Eileen Gleasure, who has been a resident at Little Bramingham Farm Care Home since 2018 is one of Nicola’s regular visitors. “I thoroughly look forward to my weekly hair appointment,” said Eileen. “It’s true what they say – your hair is the crown you never take off, so to be fortunate enough to visit Nicola every week, relax and have a chat is wonderful and I always leave looking so glamorous, just like a Queen in her Crown.”

“We have no bad hair or nail days here,” added Emma. “The residents adore their weekly hair and nail appointments and have even quoted the legendary film stars Audrey Hepburn and Joan Crawford to me. One resident told me that Audrey Hepburn was known for saying she believed in manicures and another said that Joan Crawford once famously said that she thought the most important thing a woman can have, next to talent, is her hairdresser. I’m pleased to say that, with Nicola and Katie, we provide both here at Little Bramingham Farm.”

Both Nicola and Katie agree that after working at Little Bramingham Farm each week, they always leave feeling happy and satisfied that they have spread a little bit of happiness to the residents. “What Katie and I do is work on a one to one basis with each resident who visits us. Our goal is the same with everyone – to make them feel special and leave with a twinkle in their eye,” concluded Nicola.