If you are a follower of our social media channels on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, you’ll be aware that here at QS Care, we love sharing positive news stories about the care sector and in particular, any developments that we see as important for healthcare assistants looking for work. In recent months, we have seen a range of advances within the healthcare arena that are providing exciting opportunities for HCA’s – specifically unique care homes that have a focus on certain areas. For example, providing care that incorporates nature or music or pets, or a focus on challenging areas of care, such as a dementia specialism.
Working in a care home can be difficult at times but it can also be fun, satisfying, and extremely rewarding and these care homes prove just this.
Bradeney House Care Home
This one might be our favourite. Bradeney House Care Home, based in Worfield, has a new resident pet dog named, Cooper. At the time of writing this blog, Cooper is 10 weeks old, making him by far the youngest resident of the home! Bradeney House owner Les Jones, said: “Cooper has come to us as what we call our ‘patter’ dog, for residents with dementia. We used to pay people to come into the home with their pets, and we have had all sorts of animals come in over the years, dogs and cats and horses and ponies. So, we decided to buy our own.”
Cooper is already a very loved feature of the home and has been introduced to all three sections of the home and all 101 residents. Cooper will visit each week and he has already brightened the lives of not only the residents but also the staff at the home. According to data from the Alzheimer’s Society, ‘animal-assisted interventions’ can often improve self-esteem and confidence in people with dementia. It can also promote quality of life and encourage independence.’ Visits from animals can be a great unique interaction with residents and can provide them with energy and joy.
The Dell Care Home
A family-run care home, The Dell, has been transformed through the introduction of an exclusive shopping lane to promote independence amongst the residents. Although mainly introduced due to Covid-19, The Dell launched the initiative to try and give some normalcy to its residents. The shopping lane includes a bistro café, post office and mini grocery store, allowing individuals to undertake familiar tasks such as purchasing their own products and fresh ingredients or simply meeting a friend. According to research from dementia specialists, undertaking familiar tasks and developing a routine can be greatly beneficial for the elderly, especially those suffering from dementia. It can boost mental well-being by providing a sense of purpose and pleasure.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, in 2021 elderly loneliness was on the rise due to the restrictions put in place during Covid-19. So, this shopping lane has allowed residents to have social lives and boost their activity to ‘meet up with friends outside of the typical care setting’. Betty Hyde-Clarke, 94, a resident of the home said, “I visited the shopping lane yesterday to meet up with one of my friends. I had such a lovely time – it was great to have a chat and cup of tea in a different environment.” Claire Selby, manager of The Dell, said, “We are beyond excited to launch the new shopping lane in our Dell care home. The initiative will provide residents with more independence and a higher sense of self-worth, as tasks which may have associated risks can now be undertaken in a controlled, safe environment.” At QS Care we understand this and our top priority is ensuring that the service we provide is always of the highest quality. Read our blog about why you should work in a care home to learn more.
Langtree Care Home
Although not officially built yet, Langtree Care Home will be constructed to be combined with Lakeside Care homes and Worthington Lake. The home will include onsite amenities such as bird watching observation desks, indoor botanical art and a music therapy suite. Millennium Care, the provider of the home has guaranteed that the families who need extra support with complex care can continue to ensure their loved ones can stay close to home. Their vision for this home is based on ‘biophilia’ which means the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings which can improve the health and wellbeing of the elderly and those living with dementia.
The nature-based home has been designed around existing trees to maximise the exposure to greenery for the residents and will also incorporate a woodland walking trail. Beth Brydges, an executive assistant at Millennium Care, said, “Our vision is to create a community with the Standish Care Village where those in later life and with cognitive impairments are empowered to live a healthy and fulfilling life and connect with our natural surroundings.”
Overall, each one of these care homes’ focus is to improve the health and well-being of their residents, whether that be through animals, independence or nature. Working in a care home is always going to be challenging but when there are so many exciting and worthwhile causes out there, it makes it easy to choose to work in care.
Thinking about working in care? Have a look at our most recent vacancies here
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