Maple Lodge Care Home

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.

Maple Lodge Care Home in Sunderland has been accredited for a pioneering dementia care approach.

The care team at Maple Lodge 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 70s themed party on Tuesday 25^th April, which was even attended by the local mayor.

Jacky Reed, Acting Managing Director for Four Seasons in the North East of England 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

Maple Lodge Care Home in Sunderland provides swift and appropriate discharge from acute services providing the rehabilitative support individuals need to return home. Working with the combined skills of a multi-disciplinary team, patients are empowered to make realistic therapy goals and proactively work towards an agreed discharge date.

The service provided by Maple Lodge is slightly different to that of other intermediate care services Four Seasons Health Care provides, in the essence that this service is aimed at people aged 18 and above. In the Unit at Maple Lodge, the team covers many disciplines including Four Seasons nurses and carers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers. Together they combine their skills to rehabilitate and re-able patients to either return home or move onto another care home depending on their needs.

Case Study

Mr RB was admitted from a hospital stay due to a fall. He presented as confused and generally unwell. He required assistance in all areas on admission. He accepted a good diet and plenty of fluids and was treated with antibiotics for infection. He slowly improved and after four weeks he was able to walk and look after himself. His confusion was greatly reduced. He returned home after a further 2 weeks in the unit with a care package.

Maple Lodge have had 84 admissions this year to date. The average length of stay is 6 weeks. 15 people returned to their home and 59 were in need of long term care.

More information about the intermediate care service that we provide can be found on our website.