Help others stay warm this Winter

A person wrapped in warm blanket holding a mug and hot water bottle

In this winter season, our residents at Heaton House have access to toasty central heating, a large sunny picture window in our largest lounge, lots of help from our fantastic staff to help them choose the right clothing and even electric heated blankets if they want to sit outside in the fresh air. However, this is not the case for many vulnerable older people so we wanted to share our top tips to help others stay warm this winter. Wear multiple layers Although one thick jumper can be warm, having multiple thinner layers (think, ‘vest – long-sleeved top – cardigan’) traps air between them and can be more effective at keeping bodies warmer. In addition, layers can also be taken off as and when needed.  Another advantage of layering clothing is that it is completely adaptable to how cold the person is. Some of our residents love to wear long sleeve tops underneath their jumpers, while others are warm enough with just a t-shirt underneath. Have a hot drink Not only are hot drinks great for hydration, they also help to keep people warm. Due to them being hot, people often choose to sip them rather than drink them quickly. Which also helps aid hydration. To save having to repeatedly boil a kettle, you could keep a flask on the go, which will facilitate even greater hydration as well as save a bit of money on the electricity bill. We’ve nearly always got a hot pot of tea on the go here, although there are so many other options. Including hot chocolate, coffees and other teas; maybe something fruity or a classic Earl Grey. Fill a hot water bottle While you’ve got the kettle on, why not fill up a hot water bottle too? A trick that dates back to the early 1900’s that is still widely used today. A safer alternative is a microwaveable grain bag, commonly in the shape of a cute animal. These are fantastic at keeping people warm and can even help with other things like digestion and blood circulation. You just pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then away you go. Paired with a hot drink, it is sure to keep you warm! Do some light exercise Doing some light exercise is a great way to help maintain strength and mobility, but it can also be a great way to stay warm. Something small like walking to and from different rooms can be a good and easy way to get the body moving.  Age UK recommends not staying sitting for more than an hour at a time and even small movements while sitting down can be really effective at keeping things moving and keeping people warm. There are plenty of freely accessible seated exercise routines online and just getting your elderly loved one to rotate their ankles at regular intervals can help improve circulation around the lower legs. Of course, keeping warm and active during these cold winter months also has the major benefit of helping maintain good overall health too. Even 10 minutes of gentle exercise will release positive and mood enhancing endorphins which could last for hours. So why not visit your loved one, or that older person you know who lives alone and check on them to make sure they are warm enough and keeping mobile? We are sure it will be well worth your while. (This blog is an updated version of one published in 2023)

Choosing The Right Care For You Or Your Loved One

At Heaton House, we understand that making the decision to move into a care home is difficult for you or loved ones to make. However, it’s important to remember that there are lots of benefits to becoming a care home resident. The benefits of living in a care home Aside from receiving professional care 24 hours a day, living in a care home provides fantastic social benefits to residents. Our home in particular is a small one which provides a real family feel to residents. Care homes also run activities and events for residents that are specifically chosen to provide a range of benefits for people who want to take part in them. These activities also mean that residents often get more physical activity in their day than they did living at home. This is a huge benefit to not just physical health, but mental health too. Being more active and surrounded by peers is proven to contribute to better mental health.  The food provided in care homes is also a huge benefit as it means that you or your loved one will maintain good eating habits. Something that is integral to anyone and especially important for people who have Dementia who may forget to eat or struggle with their relationship with food.  Making the right decision Even though there are lots of benefits to living in a care home, we appreciate that it is still a difficult decision to make. We have a separate blog post that talks about making that decision.  If you do decide that a care home is the best option, the next challenge is to ensure that you choose the right one for you or the loved one you’re caring for. There are over 60 care homes in Worthing alone, each offering a variety of specialisms. So it can be a daunting task to know which one will be the right one.  It all depends on what is important to the person staying in the care home. For some, they want to be surrounded by lots of people and enjoy being social. For others, they prefer a quieter environment.  Something else to consider is the type of care that the potential resident requires. At Heaton House, we specialise in Dementia care for the early stages of Dementia. If the person you’re caring for needs further support, a care home that specialises in caring for people with more progressed Dementia may be more suitable.  As we’ve said, we really do appreciate that making the right decision can be daunting and we also know that we may not always be the right care home. We’ve been established in Worthing for over __ years and in that time have built up a big network amongst the local care providers. As such, our friendly team is always happy to speak to you to help you find the right fit for you.  Whether you’re just in the consideration stage of finding ca

What We’ve Been Up To Recently

And how our activity calendar is keeping us well as we head into Spring We love this time of year as, not only does the weather begin to improve, but there are also lots of different things to celebrate. From St Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day to Easter, there are plenty of festivities to keep us busy. Not to mention the birthdays and anniversaries of our residents that we celebrate too! We’re looking forward to some Spring warmth arriving as we will be able to start using our lovely back garden again. Even if it’s just to enjoy a cup of tea with a blanket. Some of our residents enjoy making use of our Summerhouse as they can enjoy the garden space while keeping extra warm.  While we’ve been staying indoors over the last few weeks, our craft lady, Marina, has been getting residents involved in making things for the various special days we celebrate. Craft activities have included sticking and glueing, painting and making decorations. These have all been great fun and allowed residents to get creative and strengthen their hand-eye coordination. The results from the sessions have also provided us with colourful decorations that we’ve placed throughout Heaton House. Drumming Down Dementia remains a firm favourite Although there are always a variety of activities on our calendar, we make sure that some are a more frequent occurrence if they’re a firm favourite. Like our Drum Down Dementia Sessions which have been the last two years. We have been inviting the children from Little Elms Day Nursery to some of these sessions too which has brought even more joy to residents as they love spending time with the children.  The drum sessions allow residents to not only use their motor skills when hitting the drums, but to get active too as they dance in their seats. Sometimes they get more exercise from dancing in their chairs during these sessions than they do from the armchair exercise sessions! Watch the fun that goes on in the sessions below: Easter poetry reading brings back memories Poetry reading is something we’ve been doing for many years at Heaton House and is always enjoyed. Recently, we had an Easter poetry session. Group reading is great for socialising and we find that the topics in the poems can spark conversation and help residents to recall memories. Once one resident starts reminiscing, usually someone else follows and it’s lovely to have a flowing conversation between residents. Poetry is also creative and can spark residents who used to write to start again.  As we said, poetry readings are something that we’ve been doing for years as they have good benefits for residents. You can read more about how poetry helps to engage people with Dementia on The Guardian’s website. We welcome you to visit us We understand that choosing the right care home for yourself or a loved one is difficult. With different options to choose from and deciding on whether a home is the right fit, it can be overwhelming. This is why we always allow visits at any time to take a look around and get a feel for our home. Maybe you’d like to sit in during one of our activities? Even if you’re not looking for care just yet, it’s always best to start gathering information early to help make decision-making easier when the time comes. Give us a call on 01903 700251 to speak to our registered owner, Sally or our registered manager, Sue. They’ll be happy to arrange a visit with you. If you’re not quite at the stage of needing a care home yet, we’ve got a blog post on our website about knowing when the right time might be and the benefits of moving into a care home.

Celebrating Special Occasions At Heaton House

In our last blog post, we spoke about reflecting the seasons at Heaton House through the different activities we do and the food we eat. Being able to keep a good routine throughout the year brings comfort to residents.  The seasons aren’t the only things that can help us to establish a good routine for the year. Celebrating special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and other special days helps too. How routines help people with Dementia Keeping a daily routine helps the person with Dementia know what to expect each day. This can reduce any stress or confusion they may have. No one likes not knowing what’s going on and this can be especially stressful for those with dementia. Keeping a routine can help to avoid that.  Remaining healthy is also made easier with a routine, as people can sit down at the same time each day to eat and know when it’s time to get some exercise. At Heaton House, we have set mealtimes to encourage residents to eat at certain times. Although these are of course not set in stone and may be changed to suit each person.  We also make sure that our activities for the week are displayed clearly on the wall in the ground-floor hallway so that residents can see what’s planned for each day. While we have things planned week-to-week, we also have special dates to celebrate throughout the year. Doing this means that residents have things to look forward to.  How we celebrate at Heaton House Whenever we have someone new come to stay with us, we get to know what things they celebrate every year so that we can make sure to join them in their celebrations. Some of the most common things we celebrate are birthdays and special days like St Patrick’s Day and Pancake Day.  For birthdays, our chefs will bake a cake of the birthday resident’s choice and we light the candles and all sing Happy Birthday. Gifts and cards are received through the post and of course, friends and family are more than welcome to join the celebrations.  We also love to recognise personal occasions like anniversaries. It’s always lovely to hear the memories that celebrating any occasion brings up. From their wedding day to going to a party, there are always things to chat about. Most recently, we celebrated Pancake Day by making our own and having a go at flipping them. Some of our favourite action shots are below! Everyone had great fun, although it was agreed that the best part was of course eating them!  Recognising days like that helps our residents to spot patterns and reassures residents as they know what to expect. Join our family There’s currently a rare opportunity to join the Heaton House family as we currently have a vacancy. Call 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue to find out more. You can also email us at care@heaton-house.net. 

The First Signs Of Spring!

The last month or so has been particularly cold here on the South Coast with temperatures dropping very low and Worthing even had a flurry of snow. During these particularly cold spells, we of course spend our time indoors. We always find lots of things to do inside to keep us busy and, most importantly, warm! You can find out about the type of activities we’ve been doing in our last blog post. We have, however, seen signs that the weather is starting to take a turn for the better, as we’re starting to notice signs of life beginning in the garden. Most notably our bulbs have begun to sprout. These were planted in the Autumn by some of our green-fingered residents and it’s a joy to see them make an appearance. It’s a sign that warmer weather is on the way and soon the icy mornings will make way for sunny ones.  We always try to make sure that our residents are able to continue to do the things that they enjoy while staying with us. For some, that means being able to get outside into the garden and tend to our flower beds. Once Spring is in full swing, we’re sure that our resident gardeners will be back outside to start planting bedding plants. These create beautiful floral displays for everyone to enjoy. Reflecting the seasons at Heaton House While our garden naturally changes throughout the year to reflect the seasons, it’s not the only thing that changes. We love to have seasonal activities planned and different menus at different times of the year. These are influenced by what’s growing in our herb garden at that time of year. We’ve written a blog post about the home-cooked food we enjoy at Heaton House and you can read it here. Seeing the seasonal changes through the activities we do, the food we eat and what the garden looks like reassures residents. It also triggers long-term memories of seasonal things that have happened in the past. For example; planting bulbs in the Autumn might make someone remember doing it with their mum as a child. Our carers always love chatting with residents about memories and encourage them to talk about the good experiences they’ve had. Looking forward to Spring and Summer The bulbs sprouting are a sure sign that Spring is well on its way and we can’t wait for the warmer weather so we can enjoy our garden. During the Winter months, a lot of residents enjoy watching the wildlife from our picture windows in the lounge. So it’ll be lovely to be able to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. We also have lots of outdoor activities planned in the warmer months like adventure golf and garden parties with the children from Little Elms Nursery.  There’s currently a rare opportunity to join our family as we have flexible accommodation available in the form of two rooms. This could suit either two separate people or possibly a couple.  If you’re interested, please call us on 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue or email care@heaton-house.net.

Keeping Warm And Staying Busy

Photo shows a nursery child colouring in with a resident at Heaton House. A Dementia care home in Worthing

One of the things we pride ourselves on at Heaton House is the range of activities we offer our residents. While we love getting out and about and spending time in our garden, at this time of year it’s too cold to do so. That being said, our activity calendar is still full as we find plenty to do while keeping warm.  All of our activities are specially selected for their variety of benefits they offer our residents. Below is a fantastic moment of one of our residents, Daphne, dancing along to the violinist we had visit us.  From flower arranging and card decorating to colouring and decorating cupcakes with nursery children, we know how to keep busy. Furthermore, if a resident has had a particular interest in the past, we try our very best to make sure they can still enjoy that while staying with us. We’ve even had staff go ‘jogging’ with residents around our garden! During this colder time of the year, our activity calendar is packed with fun activities that take place inside our home. With guests coming in to play music for us or run creative sessions. There’s always something going on!  Even though our south facing back garden is used a lot less during the winter months, our picture windows still provide a fantastic view of it. Including our bird feeding area which we keep topped up for the wonderful birds that use it throughout Winter.  Once the weather does start to warm up a bit, some of our residents enjoy spending time in our heated Summerhouse with a cup of tea. It’s the perfect space to spend time with family and friends while still enjoying the garden.  Whatever the weather, we always welcome visitors to see their friends or relatives that are staying with us. Or to join in with the fun activities that are happening.  To discover our top tips for keeping warm in winter, read our blog here.You can find out more about Heaton House by browsing our website or give us a call on 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue.

Gingerbread House Making and Supporting Safe In Sussex

We took part in Safe In Sussex’s Gingerbread House competition again this year As we head into the festive season, we’ve of course got lots of festive activities planned to keep us busy. From card making and putting up the decorations to singing Christmas songs and enjoying a Christmas film. One of the first Christmas events on our calendar this year was the Safe In Sussex Gingerbread House competition. A competition run by Safe in Sussex, a local charity that offers support to people affected by domestic abuse. The price of a gingerbread house kit goes towards funding the amazing work that Safe in Sussex do. Including providing refuge accommodation for victims of abuse. It’s a really important charity and Heaton House is proud to support it again this year.  Our Gingerbread House As we’re a Dementia care home, we wanted to spread awareness of Dementia and Alzheimer’s, but also to send a positive message. This year, we submitted our house with the quote, ‘They may be forgetful, but we won’t let them be forgotten’. We’re passionate about making sure all of our residents feel at home, cared for and part of our family. So we thought this quote fitted into what we do. We took ideas from our residents and brought people’s attention to Alzheimer’s with a positive spin that reflected the wonderful work our care team does.  The house itself had the Alzheimer’s Society blue as well as the iconic flower that represents them. From the blue icing at each corner to the blue flowers along the top of the roof, we wanted to make sure that our theme was clear and that the house stood out.  We had great fun taking part in the competition and, as always, it’s good to support an important local cause while doing so.

Ways To Help Older People In winter

As the seasons change, the nights get longer and the weather gets colder. This can affect the elderly more than others. Darker evenings could mean that they feel less safe at home and with the temperature dropping, they can find it difficult to keep warm.  Thankfully, there are things that we can all do to help them, using both old methods and incorporating technology into solutions too. Here are our top tips on keeping your elderly loved ones safe, secure and warm this winter. Safety and security As we said at the beginning, with it staying darker for longer over winter, older people may feel more vulnerable in their homes. Regular visits from family and friends can help ward off these feelings. As can conventional solutions such as installing a chain on the front door, but technology can also be helpful.  Use a smart speaker to feel safe Many of us now have these handy devices in our homes to help with daily tasks like turning lights on and off and playing our favourite playlist. For the elderly, they can help them feel safer at home.  The smart speaker itself can be used to play music to provide background music. This can help people feel less alone and safer, especially when the nights draw in. If the lights are also controlled through the speaker, did you know you can set up schedules for the lights to turn on and off automatically? This is usually done through the WiFi lights’ app and can help to keep living areas well lit when the sun goes down. Softening the transition between daytime and nighttime, helping the elderly feel more secure.  Smart speakers can also be used to set reminders, which can be very helpful for deliveries and regular visitors. Keeping warm One of the biggest challenges with winter is making sure that elderly loved ones are warm enough. The elderly can find it difficult to regulate their body temperature and it can be more difficult in Winter. Here’s a few things you can do to help. Make sure they’re wearing thin layers You may be tempted to make sure your loved one has lots of thick jumpers and thermals, but multiple thin layers will be warmer. This is because the thin layers trap the air in-between them better, which keeps the heat in as the layers act as an insulator.  It’s also easier to remove a layer or two should they become too hot, rather than having to get completely changed again. This works in the opposite way too – if they become too cold, they can simply add more layers.  Add thermal insoles to shoes Having cold feet often makes the rest of your body cold because when your feet are warm, the blood vessels open up. This allows for better blood flow throughout the rest of your body.  Making sure your loved ones feet are warm will help them stay warm over all. Thermal insoles, such as those made from lambswool are a great way to do this – along with multiple pairs of socks of course.  Drinking hot drinks The great thing about hot drinks is they help keep people hydrated as well as warm. Due to them being hot, people often choose to sip them rather than drink them quickly. Which also aids hydration. To save having to repeatedly boil a kettle, you could keep a flask on the go, which will facilitate even greater hydration as well as save a bit of money on the electricity bill. We’ve nearly always got a hot pot of tea on the go here, although there are so many other options. Including hot chocolate and other teas; maybe something fruity or a classic Earl Grey. Making sure your elderly loved ones keep safe and warm over winter is important and there’s lots of support available should you find yourself struggling. Age UK has a great guide on its website which gives top tips and ideas.  We also have a Dementia Hub in Worthing which can offer advice and support. It also runs drop in sessions for a warm place to go and a cup of tea.

Making The Most Of A Very British Summer

Most of us in Worthing were a bit disappointed with how our Summer started this year and we were no different. It seemed like we had more rainy days than sun at the beginning! As we’ve mentioned before though, having wet weather doesn’t mean that we don’t have fun.  We always make sure that the activity calendar is full of fun things to do and we try to make sure there are things for everyone to enjoy. Every week there are  visitors coming in to run different sessions like Drumdown Dementia. So when the rainy days come, we’ve already got lots to do in the warm and dry.  Keeping busy at home We’re very lucky that as a small home we all get along like one big happy family and often spend time together in the lounge. Just recently we all sat down to make our own pizzas for tea.  This was so fun to do and it was great to see lots of the residents getting creative with their toppings! Adding red pepper for a pop of colour, mushrooms for flavour and of course plenty of cheese. Doing activities like this also allows for conversation among residents and carers. Asking what their favourite pizza toppings are and all having a laugh when we make a mess!  We’ve also enjoyed the Drumdown Dementia sessions we’ve been having from Worthing Dementia Hub and of course seeing the children from Little Elms Nursery. It’s great when they stop by to show the nannies and grandads what they’ve been up to.  Getting out when we can As we mentioned, the Summer weather was a little disappointing at the beginning of the season so when we did get a few days of sun, we made sure to make the most of it. On one such day, we made an impromptu visit to Marine Gardens which is only a 15 minute walk away from us.  Kate, Jan and Gemma, three of our wonderful carers, were more than happy to take our ladies out. It was lovely to enjoy the sea air after the rain that we’d had.  Everyone liked watching the green bowling and of course enjoying a lovely cup of tea and a slice of cake from the cafe.  While we do have things planned and do have a routine, sometimes it’s nice to enjoy something that hasn’t been planned. Everyone had a great time.  Enjoying the garden Towards the end of Summer and into September, the weather cleared up so we were able to go on trips out more often and enjoy our garden. As we mentioned in August, the more green-fingered residents had been doing some gardening to get the space ready for Summer. So it was lovely to be able to spend time out there once the flowers were fully in bloom.  There are lots of activities we like to do outside, one of our favourites is mini golf which is great to practise hand eye coordination and get everyone moving around. Although having said that, there are also plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by with a cuppa too! Whatever the weather, we always make sure that there’s plenty of things to keep us busy. Our activity calendar is always filled with fun things for everyone that encourage socialising and getting active. 

Getting the garden ready for Summer

Now that the sun is making more appearances the more green-fingered residents have been doing some gardening to get the space ready for Summer.  We use our garden throughout the year (weather permitting of course!) and we love to have lots of flowers in the garden over Summer.  Residents who want to have been spending time tending to the plants and looking after them.  Lots of plants have been put into our large flower bed which is right next to our picture window so the flowers can be enjoyed from our lounge too. We’ve also got some pots dotted around which have also been filled, including our big stand alone flower bed. Adding pops of colour throughout the garden. The benefits of gardening for people with Dementia  Not only does tending to the garden mean that there are wonderful flowers to enjoy, the residents taking part in the activity of gardening promotes other benefits. Being active outside in the fresh air is great for boosting endorphins and improving mood.  In addition, doing things like planting, weeding and watering helps maintain motor skills and dexterity.  The physical activity involved in gardening can also enhance muscle strength, flexibility, and balance, which are crucial aspects of maintaining independence and reducing the risk of falls. Our herb garden As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, some of our residents like to grow herbs in the garden too. So we’ve got fresh rosemary and mint among other herbs that are all growing nicely in this weather. The herbs are then used in our home cooked dishes which you can read more about in one of our other blog posts.  We’re all pleased to see that the garden is coming along nicely and we can’t wait to make the most of it over the summer. With activities like mini golf and bowls on the lawn which is always a lot of fun! We’ll of course have the children from the Little Elms nursery visit too to play outside and see the nannies. We might even have a pic