Balmoral View Care Centre

Colleagues from Laurels Lodge Care Home in Woodside, Havencourt Care Home in Stonehaven and Cumbrae Lodge Care Home in Irvine all came together to do a skydive, raising money for residents in their care and Alzheimer's Scotland.

Tracey Rhodes, Resident Experience Facilitator for Scotland, said: "Everyone was really excited for the jump. One of them hadn't even been in a plane, and they completed it, which was a huge accomplishment. They managed to raise £4,000 which is fantastic. Well done everyone."

Congratulations everyone! We’re all proud of you.

Balmoral View Care Home in Belfast has been accredited for a pioneering dementia care approach.

The care team at Balmoral View Care Home is celebrating being accredited for a radically different approach of care for people living with dementia.

The Dementia Care Framework is a unique step forward in the personalisation of care for people living with dementia. The care team uses exclusive purpose-designed technology to help build and continuously update a picture of each resident’s individual experience of their care and their physical, psychological and emotional well-being, so that their care can be adjusted to their changing needs.

The pioneering home is part of Four Seasons Health Care which spent two years developing and testing the new approach. The home hosted an event for care commissioners, other health and social care professionals and relatives to introduce the Dementia Care Framework to them during a party last week.

Carol Cousins, Managing Director for Four Seasons in Northern Ireland said: “This is next generation dementia care to make life better for the person with dementia and we are excited to offer it. A vital part of the Framework is the bespoke support and training the team throughout the home receives with additional support and training for those, working within our dementia services. This goes beyond the practicalities of caring for someone with dementia and through simulation gives them a deeper understanding of what it is like to live with dementia.”

In addition to the support and training, there are three additional components to the Dementia Care Framework – personal care reviews, Resident and Family Charters.

At the heart of the Dementia Care Framework is a personal care review process which is continuously updated electronically by care staff to give a comprehensive and current picture of each resident.

Thought to be the first of its type worldwide, it is based on 320 recognised standards, including NICE Guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and Alzheimer’s Society best practice guidance. It replaces paper-based audits that are slow and almost always behind the changing care needs of the person.

The resident and family charters were developed in consultation with residents, family members, health and social care professionals and care teams, taking account of over 400 comments. The resident charter sets out their rights, the standards of care they can expect and commitment to provide for their personal needs and preferences.

The family charter, sets out the support that they can expect to receive and how they can input to planning their relative’s care.

Only when a home achieves key standards within the Dementia Care Framework does it receive Four Seasons Accreditation for the quality of its dementia care.

To find out more about this fundamentally different approach to dementia care please visit carehomes.fshc.co.uk/dcf or email dementiacare@fshc.co.uk

Balmoral View Care Centre in Belfast, has been named in the ‘Top 20 Recommended Homes’ in Northern Ireland by CareHome.co.uk.

The prestigious award highlights the most recommended care homes in each region of the United Kingdom. The awards are based on thousands of reviews and recommendations received from residents, family and friends.

Rosendo Soriano, Home Manager said: “I’m delighted that Balmoral View has received this award. To be named one of the ‘Top 20 Recommended Homes’ in Northern Ireland is a fantastic achievement. It’s great to see that the feedback we’ve received in the home, has been mirrored on a regional scale. Our Quality of Life Data, which allows us to monitor and act on feedback almost instantly, shows that in the last three months all of our residents are happy living here.”

Carol Cousins, Four Seasons Managing Director for Northern Ireland said: “I want to pass my congratulations onto everyone at Balmoral View Care Centre on their award. This is a fantastic achievement and shows that the hard work and dedication from the team has paid dividends. The reviews on CareHome.co.uk are fantastic.”

Are you looking for a care home in Belfast? Balmoral View offers support for all types of care including nursing care, respite care and specialist care.