Helping to run their care home dignifies many residents

A delightful care home near me caters for people who have some form of dementia as well as those who are simply older people.

I was greeted by the manager and her beautiful chocolate Labrador and taken into a light airy lounge where the first resident I saw was having her nails painted by a member of staff. Another resident was busy sorting out a large box of clean linen. Others were playing cards which were enlarged so that the suites could be easily seen.

As I turned a corner, a group of ladies were leaving the kitchen. They had all been helping to prepare a meal.

The various activities meant that the residents felt valued. It was easy to engage with them as, whatever activity they were involved in, was an obvious starting point for a conversation.

There is no better way to dignify someone than to make them feel valued. The atmosphere was wonderful and so different to many other care homes I have visited where older people so often sit for hours staring at a wall.

When I asked if many relatives took their loved ones out for the day, the manager told me that the residents were out and about all the time. IF a member of staff needed to run an errand, whenever possible, they would take a resident with them. They often took residents to the nearby river or simply for a walk around the town.

I felt this care home was a shining example to everyone of how a good care home should be run.

Jill