Athorpe Lodge, Care Home
We care for Elderly clients in the Private Sector, under the categories of EMI Residential, General Nursing, Welfare and care provision. We also cater for the elderly with dementia of different levels and with behavioural problems. We care for residents with specialist needs such as Parkinson’s, MS, Motor Neurone Disease, and Diabetes. We provide personal enhancers for a comfortable life and offer all services on site such as Hairdressers, Chiropody, Optician Service, and activities where these professionals visit us onsite, and yet we encourage our residents to be active in the community and to take part in community activities such as Church services and local events. We encourage local schools and recreational groups to visit Athorpe providing our residents with entertainment and interaction with all age groups in the form of Choirs, entertainers and sing-alongs. We make a conscious effort to celebrate the different events throughout the year, providing reality training at the same time, with special events at Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Dignity day on a yearly basis. We have 2 fundraising events yearly in the form of a Christmas and Summer Fayre where we encourage families to participate and spend time with their relatives. We care for a close relationship to all families and plan regular Relatives Meals out in a local restaurant where we socialise and get to know each other better in an informal setting.
- Updated:
- 23 December 2015
- Location:
- Yorkshire and Humber
- Sectors:
- Care
- Local Alliances:
- Rotherham Dementia Action Alliance, Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Action Alliance
1. Action Plan
1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?
We specialise in Dementia care and have Dignity Champions on all units. We have regular training for all staff on all levels, and keep this training up to date on a yearly basis. We have qualified nursing staff and also Dementia Mappers whose prime concern it is to enhance and fulfill the lives of the elderly in our care, by planning care on a specialist and individual level.
Our residents are nursed in a Dementia Friendly environment with stimulation in the form of coloured Door Calls which give the impression of a house door, and each resident has a memory box outside their rooms with personal photos on display. Each unit has an orientation board on the wall for reality training in relation to Day, date, time and the weather outside.
We practice “Butterfly time” each day at 11.00 where all “tasks” stop and the Staff sit and just talk or interact with clients enhancing the quality of the relationships we have.
Families are encourage to visit as often as they wish, at any time of the day and the Manager practices an “open door” policy should any relatives have any problems and need someone to talk to.
2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?
When we employ new staff, it is a challenge to develop their knowledge and skills in Dementia as quickly as possible and develop their competency levels. We strive for this as all of our residents have some form of Dementia and dementia related problems, and we aim to make this specialist care the “normal” way of doing things, on all staff levels.
The challenge this brings is running the units and keeping staffing levels constant whilst people go on training – often outside of Athorpe.
2. Actions
-
Dementia Training
Improve our understanding of Dementia
Judge each staff group and assess training requirements – access training though RMBC Bronze to Platinum dementia training
Ensure that Dementia Awareness training is a mandatory requirement of all staffs training requirements at a suitable level appropriate for the role of each employee.
Ensure that the principles of behaviour as a means of communication are acknowledged and understood by all.
Attend Dementia Mapping course and use the methods learnt .
- Status:
- Being implemented
-
Dementia Friends
Ensure all staff sign up as dementia friends and encourage them to cascade their knowledge into the surrounding community and their own net works
Have a dementia Friends champion to cascade and sustain the dementia friend commitment
- Status:
- Planning
-
Food Provision
Show service users the meal choices they have stimulating senses,smell,sight .Give consideration to the colour of crockery.Develop pictorial menus.Ensure food is fortified where necessary Maintain good levels of hydration and use guidance to avoid malnutrition and a poor nutritional status
- Status:
- Being implemented
-
End of Life Care
Gain knowledge about the concept of the NAMASTE care programme NAMASTE care is based on the power of the loving touch. Enquire about the training that is available through RMBC
- Status:
- Planning
-
Stimulation and Communication
Reminiscence – Making use of items and pictures to help a person feel comfortable and engage with them.Make good use of music as a for of engagement and stimuation
Develop methods of communication for the people with Dementia with speech and communication difficulties
- Status:
- Delivery
-
Information
Provision of information for relatives and friends to help them understand and cope
Use of AZ society web site and information Advertise and host dementia awareness sessions aimed at relatives and friends
- Status:
- Planning
-
Maintaining dignity
Ensure that a person with dementia is offered choices and is asked for their input into their care needs where ever possible.Maximising the retention of dignity
- Status:
- Being implemented
-
RDAA Care Home support network meetings
Atend and be commitied to attending the RDAA Care Home support network meetings to share good pracise and maximise on the benifits of dmentia mapping
- Status:
- Planning
-
Dementia Friendly Communities
Develop links within the community – faith groups churches, schools,Guides, Brownie and Scouts and Cubs ,any other suitable community group .
To improve community knowledge and to enhance the lives of the service users
- Status:
- Planning
-
Promotion of RDAA
Promote the concept of Dementia Action Alliance into the community and to all /any suitable businesses that the care home and that staff team are involved with.
Regularly visit the Dementia action Alliance website looking for information and good practice Use the website to share good practice
- Status:
- Planning