Our care news
26 May 2017
Local volunteers and two Vicars from Rochester have been given a simulated experience of dementia to increase their understanding of the condition and empathy for people who are living with it. The dementia experience was run in Copper Beeches by care home operator Four Seasons Health Care who are leading providers of specialist dementia care.
Gabriele Jerome, Copper Beeches Care Home Manager, who arranged for the dementia experience sessions, said: “With the increasing incidence of dementia, as people are living longer, it is important to promote public understanding of the condition, to support people who are living with it to lead happy and reasonably independent lives and to remain an active part of their community for as long as possible. We’re delighted that local volunteers and two Vicars who come to the home regularly wanted to take part in the experience.”
The Four Seasons Dementia Experience, which gives participants a sense of what living with dementia, might be like. It simulates the sensory and cognitive impairments and the associated frustrations and emotional effects.
Gabriele Jerome, Home Manager, added: “The experience was a real success, with people saying that they’ve had their eyes opened to what it’s like living with dementia. We’ve been asked to deliver these sessions to the local Youth Project and the dementia café to help spread the word and raise awareness.”
The Dementia Experience is part of the support and development all Four Seasons colleagues receive as part of its new generation of dementia care called the Dementia Care Framework. This pioneering approach is a unique step forward in the personalisation of care for people living with dementia. It builds on accepted best practice and uses advanced technology to support care teams to build and continuously update a picture of each resident’s physical, clinical, psychological and emotional well-being and their day to day experiences so that their care can be adjusted to their changing needs. It encompasses 320 recognised standards, including NICE Guidelines and Alzheimer’s Society best practice – and it’s thought to be world first
The Dementia Care Framework also includes resident and family charters. The resident charter sets out their rights, the standards of care they can expect and our 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. They were produced following a consultation exercise that resulted in over 450 comments from residents, family members, health and social care professionals and care teams.
26 May 2017
Sunbridge Care Home in Edmonton is opening their doors to the local community as part of Care Home Open Day on Friday 16th June.
Deepak Luckhun, Home Manager, said: “We’d like to invite everyone to come and have a look at our facilities and come and speak to the residents and the team here at Sunbridge.
“The party starts at 2.30pm till 4.30pm, and I’d encourage everyone to come along and visit. We’re really getting into the party spirit and will have lots of activities for all the family to enjoy.
“I look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible.”
Are you looking for a care home in Edmonton? Sunbridge offers support for all types of care including residential care, dementia care and respite care.
26 May 2017
Residents, relatives and the care team at North Court Care Home in Bury St Edmunds celebrated ‘The Forces Sweetheart’ Dame Vera Lynn’s 100th birthday by holding a concert in her honour.
Ieleen Belen, Home Manager, explained: “We welcomed a local entertainer into the home, who wowed us with her Vera Lynn tribute. Residents sang and danced the afternoon away. It was lovely hearing the ‘White Cliffs of Dover’ reverberating around the home. Happy birthday Dame Vera from all of us here at North Court.”
Are you looking for a care home in Bury St Edmunds? North Court offers support for all types of care including residential care, dementia care, nursing care, respite care, specialist care and end of life/palliative care.
26 May 2017
Headington Care Home in Oxford has been accredited for a pioneering dementia care approach.
The care team at Headington 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 worldwide themed party on Friday 19th May 2017.
Marjorie Condacos, Managing Director for Four Seasons in the South 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
25 May 2017
The team from The Cedars and Larches Care Home in Ilkeston has been commended for making a difference to the lives of those in their care.
Catherine Smith, Regional Manager for Derbyshire, said: “The team were commended for going the extra mile in ensuring the residents get all the help and support they need, whether that's to do with their care needs or providing activities that stimulate them on all levels. I’m so proud of the team here and it was a pleasure for me to give them this commendation."
Are you looking for a care home in Ilkeston? The Cedars and Larches Care Home offers support for all types of care including residential care, nursing care, respite care and end of life/palliative care.
