Yearly Archives: 2017

Fairdene Lodge specialises in Sussex dementia care – here are some tips for communication with someone with dementia

One of the most distressing parts of Dementia for both the person with the condition and their loved one is the breakdown in communication. For example, someone with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation, or think of the right word at the right time. This may cause them to feel excluded from social situations, or lose confidence in conversations. However, there are things to can do to improve how you communicate with someone with dementia;

Speak slowly and use simple words
Helpful if the individual struggles with communication; just make sure to take care of the tone you use.

Keep a reasonable distance
Within reason, your proximity to the person won’t affect their understanding of you; get too close and you could be intimidating.

Maintain eye contact
It helps them to focus on you

Remove distractions
Reduce background noise if possible

Avoid sudden movements and tense facial expressions
In the absence of effective communication, people with dementia may be more aware of non verbal signals

Our team specialise in making life as full as possible at Fairdene Lodge – get in touch if you’d like to know how we could support your loved one.

Put your mind at rest with a glowing CQC report for our dementia care home in Sussex

When choosing a care home in Sussex for your relative, you want to be reassured that they’ll receive a high standard of care, as well as a homely environment, and plenty to keep them busy. Our glowing CQC report is proof that our dementia care home in Sussex is one you can trust.

The Care Quality Commission is the regulator of health and social care services, ensuring safe, effective and compassionate care is conducted in hospitals, care homes, GP practices, dentists, ambulance services, and mental health services.

Rated Good in all areas, Grosvenor Lodge’s CQC reports highlights the comfort of our residents, the dedication of our staff, and the support we offer to older people with dementia. This is one of our favourite quotes…

“People felt well cared for, their privacy was respected, and they were treated with dignity and respect by kind and friendly staff. They were encouraged to increase their independence and to make decisions about their care. Staff knew the care and support needs of people well and took an interest in people and their families to provide individual personal care.”

Read the whole CQC report here.

We care for a variety of health needs at our Brighton care home

With up-to-date facilities, a team of trained staff, and excellent links to the local healthcare providers, our Brighton care home is best placed to provide excellent care to our residents.

We care for older people living with varying stages of dementia, as well as elderly people with sensory impairment and other healthcare needs. Our core team operates like a family, supporting our residents in decision making and expressing themselves, and working with relatives and healthcare professionals to ensure the best quality of life for our residents.

With dementia in particular, our staff are trained to deal with and manage the challenges that it can present, and our home is designed and equipped to make life make sense as much as possible for residents. Our hallways are zoned to aid orientation, and we regularly hold reminiscence sessions to help residents get in touch with their pasts.

We’re always happy to answer questions about the kind of care we provide at Grosvenor Lodge – contact us here.

We try to make our residential dementia care in East Sussex a home from home

Comfort and familiarity are something we can’t compromise on when we provide residential dementia care in East Sussex, which means lots of time and effort goes into the decoration of resident’s rooms. We hate the thought of bedrooms being impersonal, clinical, and stark. A resident’s room should be their haven – somewhere they can relax and be private, just as they would at home, which is why we’re so proud that the bedrooms at Grosvenor Lodge don’t look like care home rooms at all!

When a resident joins us, we make sure we sit down with them and have a chat about how we can best make their room just that – theirs. This includes any decoration and colour preferences, as well as important items like memorabilia, and photos of loved ones. Keeping residents in touch with their past is a big part of dementia care, and this can extend to their room if it suits them.

We’re proud of our dementia care in East Sussex always taking a personal approach – it’s been mentioned a number of times in our recent CQC report. If you have any questions, or would like to have a chat about caring for your relative, contact us here.

They say that life’s for living, and at our Sussex care home, we see no reason for that not to be the case

Transitioning from life at home to life in a care home can be very difficult for residents, with broken routines making it extremely disorientating. This is one of the reasons we believe in keeping life as normal as possible at Grosvenor Lodge; this, and maintaining a high quality of life for everyone in our care. This means tailoring our schedules and entertainment to residents, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

For example, say a resident used to enjoy a wander to the local shop to get the paper in the mornings. This is something that makes them feel independent, and they enjoy taking in their surroundings and getting a bit of exercise. It’s therefore our job to accommodate this part of their routine as much as possible, and ensure they’re free to carry it on as part of life at Grosvenor if it’s safe to do so. We ensure we get to know things like what time they get up, what they like to eat, and what they prefer to be called, so we can make them feel at comfortable and at home.

This attitude is applied to visiting times too. We have an open door policy, which means residents are free to receive visitors whenever it suits them, just as they would at home. This includes meal times – eating with family and friends is a treasured part of life, and one that we believe can continue for residents in our Sussex care home.

If you’d like to know more about the ways in which we make Grosvenor Lodge a home from home, get in touch with us here.

Residents enjoy a wide range of activities at our residential home in Hove

At our residential home in Hove, we know all too well the benefits of keeping the mind active, and we strongly believe that care homes can still be a fun, stimulating environment for elderly people, providing the activities are tailored to the needs of residents. This includes residents that suffer from dementia, struggle to be active, or find it hard to get used to life in a care home. This is why we have dedicated activity co-ordinators, who are passionate about making sure there’s always something going on that residents can get involved in.

Residents can always choose how to spend their day, and there’s a variety of activities held to engage them if they choose. This includes singing, films, exercises, arts and crafts, and themed events. Reminiscence sessions are held to encourage residents to remember their pasts, and meaningful activities like assisting with cooking and cleaning can really help towards a sense of purpose. There’s a games room for those more competitive too!

Getting out and about is important too, which is why regular outings are organised, and residents are supported to do things like go to the shop for a paper or visit local cafe’s if that’s part of their routine.

Grosvenor Lodge is a residential home in Hove with a dedication to the quality of life of residents at it’s hard, and part of that is creating a homely environment through plenty of things to do. Contact us to find out more.

We’ll be welcoming some fluffy friends to our Hove care home in April

Life at our Hove care home is never boring, and it’s about to become constantly cute too, with a few furry additions joining us in April. Four heart-warmingly cute bunnies will arrive at Grosvenor Lodge on 25th April, and residents and staff alike are understandably excited!

Having pets is often something residents miss, so the arrival of the Grosvenor rabbits will be very welcome indeed. We’re certain they’ll bring smiles to the faces of everyone at Grosvenor every day, and everyone is very much looking forward to naming the bunnies, looking after them, and of course, lots of cuddles!

Welcoming the bunnies into life at Grosvenor Lodge is just one of the ways we make our residents feel comfortable and at home. There’s plenty of activities, outings, games and events to make every day different, and these rabbits will only make things more interesting! Keep your eyes peeled for rabbit updates!

We’re passionate about freedom of choice at Grosvenor Lodge, and what we mean by this is that staff are always encouraging residents to make their own decisions about things like how they spend their day, what meals they eat, and when they have visitors. We believe that this, along with comfortable accommodation, high standards of healthcare, and tailored care plans, makes quality of life for our residents excellent.

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Some may not know that Grosvenor Lodge wasn’t the first Holliday family care home in Sussex – our sister care home, Fairdene Lodge, was purchased by Tom Holliday back in 1984. Through this, he introduced his daughters Maria and Denise to the business, and he always intended for them to join him.

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There are many challenges that dementia can present, both for the individual, and for the people around them. There’s no doubt that it can change the lives of entire families, and we understand that in many cases isn’t possible to manage the needs of sufferers at home. That’s where we come in, providing dedicated residential care at our specialist dementia care home in Hove.
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