Our Entry To The Loving Earth Project
As you may know, craft work is a big part of our weekly activities at Heaton House. Most of our residents really enjoy getting stuck into all sorts of crafting activities like flower arranging and card decorating. So we thought it would be a great idea to get involved in the Loving Earth Project for display at Worthing Arts Festival. The entry was for Heaton House as a whole so residents worked together to discuss and plan their entry. Which was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to come together to work on something. It was lovely to see all the residents busy planning in the lounge! About our entry After much discussion, we decided on the selection of artwork you see below. Each one focuses on celebrating some of the wonderful things threatened by growing environmental breakdown. Which is what The Loving Earth Project is about. The residents used a variety of art techniques, including but not limited to painting, ribbon arranging, printing and textile artwork. Above all, the residents wanted to make sure that their entry was colourful which we think they’ve certainly achieved. Their display is eye catching and we hope that all the visitors to the Worthing Arts Festival enjoy looking at our art. More photos of our entry If you would like to find out more about Heaton House, please contact us at care@heaton-house.
One Big Happy Family
Socialising and finding companionship at Heaton House One of the things that sets us apart is that we are small enough to properly be a close knit community here at Heaton House. With only 14 beds, all of our residents have a chance to really get to know everyone and do things as a group. We always encourage our residents to be social and put on a variety of events that bring everyone together. From playing mini golf in the garden together to all sitting around the table to do some flower arranging, there’s always opportunities to spend time together. As all of our residents are learning to live with Dementia, a lot of our residents find companionship with each other; creating a real sense of inclusion and a family spirit. With the weather really improving over the last month or so, residents are really enjoying spending time together in the garden. Socialising in the summer house Our summer house has become quite the hangout spot! A lot of residents enjoy sitting in there with a cup of tea to enjoy the weather. The photo above was taken a couple of weeks ago when these four lovely ladies decided to make the most of the sun. Within a couple of years of us having it, the summer house was converted into a safe and completely compliant COVID-19 visitor centre. Allowing our residents to still see their loved ones. Now that we’re thankfully practising more relaxed COVID-19 guidelines, it’s so lovely to see the summer house being used by the children from Little Elms nursery who have been known to enjoy their lunch in there with the ‘nannies and grandads’. The best of friends The lovely thing about having a small dementia care home is that all of our residents know each other. Some have even become good friends since sharing a home. Being in a supportive environment with other people going through a similar thing to you can be a great thing. It means that you feel supported and have a sense of togetherness. One of our favourite photos we’ve taken so far this year is the one below of two of our residents hand in hand as they walk around the garden. It really shows just how great our community here is and how well our residents get along. Not just staff members Our care team is also a hugely important part of the Heaton House family. Many of our staff have worked with us for years, starting as trainees and achieving high level qualifications as they’ve worked for us. They know and care for each of our residents down to tiny details, and our senior managers make sure this individualised care approach is followed across the whole team.
Keeping Safe In The Sun
While we may still be in Spring, the weather is starting to become that bit warmer for us and the sun is starting to make more appearances. This can be fantastic for older people as the warmth of the sun has lots of benefits like helping with musculoskeletal pain and increasing joint mobility. That said, the sun can be dangerous for all of us if we over expose ourselves to it so it’s important to understand what we can do to make sure that our elderly loved ones stay safe in the sun. At Heaton House, we have a wonderful garden that many of our residents like to spend time in when the weather is nice. While the sun is lovely, we always make sure we take the right precautions to make sure everyone stays safe. Overexposure to the sun can cause all sorts of problems; from sunburn and skin damage to heat stroke. While everyone can suffer from sun overexposure, the elderly can be more prone to these issues and find it hard to take the right precautions for themselves. So how can we help them stay safe in the sun? Read on to find out what our top tips are for keeping elderly people (and, of course ourselves!) safe. Skin care Many older people have very delicate skin, so it’s important to keep it covered or at least make sure the high factor sun cream is regularly kept topped up. The NHS recommends that sun cream is applied every two hours, something that many forget to do. It’s also important to make sure that the SPF is at least 20 or higher to ensure proper protection. At Heaton House, our carers always have sun cream close at hand and are more than happy to help our residents apply it if needed. Shade Sitting in the shade is a great way to still enjoy the warmth of the sun, without being directly exposed to it. We have brightly coloured parasols at Heaton House, providing much needed shade and ultimately keeping the direct sunlight out. That being said, it’s a misconception that being in the shade means that your skin isn’t exposed to the sun’s rays. This isn’t the case and so it’s always best to make sure that sun cream is applied even if your loved one is going to be sitting in the shade. In the photo above, you can see some of our colourful parasols up on a beautiful sunny day. They provide helpful spots of shade around the garden and, as they’re rainbow coloured, add a bright splash of colour too! Sun hats Sun hats can not only look great, they can protect the head, face , neck and ears of the wearer. Making them a great accessory to wear on a sunny day. What’s more, all hats are different and we like making sure that the residents that do wear them have found one that they like. Different styles of sun hat give different protection so it’s worth considering which areas your loved one is most sensitive and choose a hat that protects those areas. For example; some hats offer full neck and shoulder protection while others offer more face and ear protection. Plenty of water and salty snacks Being protected by sun rays is important, but it’s just as important to make sure your loved one stays hydrated. Spending time in the sun means that you’ll be warmer than usual, causing fluids to be lost through sweat. Not only do you lose water through sweat, you lose salt too and so encouraging your loved ones to have a few crisps or nuts while outside can help to keep their salt levels in the right place too. After a day in the sun, we sometimes have fish and chips which are not only delicious but also a little salty too so help to replenish any salt lost during the day. We’re hoping that we’ll be able to enjoy lots of sun this summer to make use of our wonderful garden and have fun days out. Our home is in a great location so there’s plenty of things to do within a short distance. From garden centres and beach visits to shopping and coffee shop trips. Whatever we’re up to, we make sure to have fun and keep safe.
Spending More Time Outside
Now that the weather is improving, we’re enjoying getting outside a bit more. As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, some of our residents love to get involved with gardening and look after a herb garden. So it’s great when Spring comes and the weather allows those green-fingered among us to get out. As most of us will have experienced, being able to spend time outside in sunny weather improves our mood and there’s no exception for people with Dementia. Getting outside can improve cognitive function, reduce stress and even help relieve a feeling of isolation that dementia suffers may feel. Simply sitting watching the birds feed can bring a real sense of reward and contentment to our residents. We make sure our bird table is full of tasty treats for our winged friends and encourage residents to help us fill the feeders if they want to. Outdoor activities at Heaton House When the weather is nice, we love it when our residents can get outside and enjoy lots of outdoor activities. From playing mini golf and bowls on the lawn, to watching the children from Little Elms nursery play, or even having sheep and other animals come to visit us, we ensure there’s a variety of things to do. We strive to create positive outdoor experiences for our residents and we often find that this brings knock-on benefits, including improved mood, appetite and sleep patterns.. We even have a summerhouse in our South facing garden, which is a lovely space for residents to enjoy if it’s a showery day or a little bit chilly. The glass walls means that they can feel as though they are outside while remaining warm and dry . Plus, it’s a great place to host visiting families as it can comfortably hold 6 people, or lots of pre-schoolers as you can see in the picture! Hopefully, we’ll be able to make use of our garden a lot this year and, of course, friends and relatives are more than welcome to join us. To find out more about Heaton House, visit our website or give us a call on 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue.
Heart home-cooked fayre at Heaton House
One of the things we pride ourselves on at Heaton House is our generous variety of home-cooked meals by our chef. As experts in elderly and dementia care, we understand the importance of home-cooked meals for our residents. Our menu changes each week and always reflects the time of the year with seasonal produce being used in our recipes. Of course, we always endeavour to have our residents’ favourite dishes on the menu and talk with them to make sure we understand what they do and don’t like. To make sure that our menus reflect everyone’s tastes and dietary requirements. The importance of fresh food and meal times We always make sure that all of our meals are cooked in our kitchen using fresh ingredients. In fact, some of our residents like to grow herbs in the garden which our chef uses in our dishes – you can’t get fresher than that! Not only is fresh food delicious it’s also very nutritious and gives our residents everything they need to remain healthy. So making sure that all of our residents enjoy three meals a day is important. Routine is important with Dementia as it allows the person to know what to expect and helps them remain as independent as possible. All residents are encouraged to enjoy three meals a day at set times so they become familiar with the structure of the day. Although, of course, meal times can work around residents’ commitments and if they wish to eat at a different time. Maintaining a good relationship with food While good food is enjoyed by most, not eating enough of it is a common problem among the elderly. So making sure that mealtimes are enjoyable is important. The open-plan dining room at Heaton House has wonderful views of the garden through the picture window making it a lovely and social space to spend time. One of the things we love to do to ensure food remains a positive thing is ’Foods From Around The World’ days. These each have different themes that celebrate foods from different countries. Including a Foods From India Day, Foods From Italy Day and a Food From China Day. It’s fair to say that we love our food here at Heaton House and like to make sure that all of our residents do too. To find out more about Heaton House or to arrange a visit, please call 01903 700251 and ask for Sally and Sue.
How To Help Older People Fight The Perils Of Winter
The depths of Winter really are upon us and it’s essential to make sure that vulnerable people are looked after. t Heaton House, we always make sure that the heating is on and that it’s lovely and warm for our residents. As we all know, the cost of living crisis has seen many of us feel the strain when using the heating this winter so it’s good to know that having the heating on isn’t the only thing that you can do to help people stay warm. Here are some of the ways we also use to stay warm: Wear multiple layers Although one thick jumper can be warm, having multiple thinner layers can be more effective. Not least because you can then take layers off as and when you need to. Multiple layers also work well to trap heat between the layers and protect from the colder air around you (think, ‘vest – long-sleeved top – cardigan’). The great thing about 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 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. Just getting your elderly loved one to rotate their ankles at regular intervals can help improve circulation around the lower legs. Find your local community warm space If your older loved one can get out of the house, did you know there are lots free to attend ‘warm spaces’ all across the local community? Have a look at this link to see where and when they are open https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/warm-spaces/.
Drumming Down on Dementia at Heaton House
Here at Heaton House, we’ve been using music activities as a way to benefit our residents with Dementia for years. As we all know, music is a fantastic way to remind us of times gone by and can often prompt our memory. Which is why it’s such an integral part of most days here at Heaton House. We have regular music sessions that vary from live singers visiting to perform to us, to supported singalongs, to presentations from local theatre groups and choirs. We also have a music library which is full of a huge variety of music and personal digital players for residents to use to listen to their favourite songs. The music was one of the reasons that attracted us to visiting the Worthing Dementia Hub recently. We were also delighted when, following our visit, they offered to come to us to run Drumdown Dementia sessions. A series of drumming sessions run by a trained session leader who encourages our residents as they drum to well-known songs on a large inflatable exercise ball with drumsticks. The sessions allow for our residents to not only use their motor skills when hitting the drums, but to get active too as they dance in their seats. The laughter and smiles were fantastic to see; especially in residents who are usually non-verbal. Watch as our residents have fun drumming along to ABBA! We can’t wait for our other Drumdown Dementia sessions! Make sure you follow the owner of Heaton House, Sally Neil-smith, on Twitter or LinkedIn to get our updates.
Getting out and about
We’re in a brilliant location at Heaton House. We’re just a stone’s throw away from Worthing’s beautiful beachfront and within walking distance of some fantastic places to visit in the High Street too. As the weather has been so nice, we’ve been making frequent visits to our local high street. One of the most recent places we’ve visited is the Worthing Dementia Hub, which is close by to us in Goring Road. The Dementia Hub is a great resource to have in our high street; providing somewhere for people with Dementia and their carers to take part in coffee mornings, table tennis, book clubs and much more. This week, some of our residents went to visit the hub to enjoy some tea and cake and have a chat with Hub leaders. We were delighted to hear that they all really enjoyed their time there with one resident going as far as to say, “this is what I need, it makes me feel alive again”, which we think really highlights the importance of the work that the Dementia Hub does for local people. Being just a short walk to the Hub makes it so accessible for us and we can’t wait to get even more involved in all the engaging activities they have there. So we were delighted when they told us that they’ve given us six sessions of ‘Drum Down Dementia’. Drumming sessions that encourage people with Dementia to let go and express themselves through drumming. Even closer to us along Goring Road is The Lazy Brunch Kitchen which we’ve also been making visits to. With the weather being as good as it has been, our residents have been enjoying going for morning coffee or afternoon tea there. These visits have proved really successful and residents are enjoying the walk and watching the world go by. The short walks to both of these places have been rather pleasant with the gorgeous summer weather and have helped our able residents to stay active. Other residents who may not be able to walk the distance have accompanied us in a wheelchair so no one gets left out. Here’s to even more great weather as we head into August so that we can continue to enjoy our local area. With more trips to the beach, the Dementia Hub and morning coffee and cake too. Who knows what we will do next!
Activities and Wildlife at Heaton House
With the activity calendar full and frequent garden visitors, everyone is enjoying their time here at Heaton House. As the days get longer and the weather becomes warmer, more outdoor activities can take place in our garden. Whatever it is that residents like doing, our team endeavours to include it in the activity calendar. As a local leader in intergenerational care, one of the activities that is filling the calendar twice a week is the wonderful sessions with local nursery children. One of which is Little Elms, a local nursery we have built a relationship with through the Encounter Project. The sessions are very well received by residents and children alike; some of the children even write letters to the residents and draw them pictures to give to them at their next meeting. It’s all very sweet! Now that the weather is getting warmer, these visits are happening outside in the garden. Although residents and children are not the only ones enjoying the outside space, a young family of foxes are frequent visitors too! Residents are really enjoying watching them playing in the garden. The large picture window in the lounge lends itself well to fox and bird watching. Some of the most frequent bird visitors include sparrows and blue tits who like to use the feeders the residents help to fill up. When they’re not spending time with the children, fox or bird watching, residents are enjoying interactive music sessions. With the help of technology, even residents who are unable to join everyone in the lounge can still be involved in the music session using a hearing loop.
Using technology to aid communication
When the country first went into lockdown back in 2020, we adapted as best we could to still offer the best of care while keeping safe. Once it was safe enough to allow visits again, we ensured that residents and visitors met outside for safety. This worked very well and we even converted our summerhouse into a visitor centre. However; some residents found that it was too cold to sit in the visitor centre. This is why we introduced a hearing loop system. The loop system allowed residents to sit inside at the window and visitors outside, on the opposite side of the window and have a conversation. We had fantastic feedback from this and it was great to see visits still happening; albeit with safety measures in place. As of April 2022, visitors are allowed back inside our home now (lateral flow test permitting) and we’ve found other uses for the loop system. To include everyone in our music sessions. Unfortunately, some residents are unable to join us in the lounge, but would still like to be involved. Using the hearing loop, they’re able to still hear what’s going on. Allowing them to still feel included in the music session. Now the weather is getting warmer, some of our residents love to sit in the summerhouse while others prefer the comfort of the lounge. Having the hearing loop means that they can still chat if they like and call for assistance if needed. Some of our residents have specific health needs and having the hearing loop allows one of the carers to always be able to hear them. Should they need any assistance or another cup of tea! It’s great to be able to use technology in this positive way and make communication between residents, visitors and staff much easier. Some of our visitors have even commented on how well the system works saying, “it’s even better than hearing aids”! Dementia care is constantly moving forward and we like to be right there with it. Our hearing loop is just one part of that, but the positivity it has brought to our residents and visitors is great. We will definitely keep you ‘in the loop’ about the next thing we do too. Pun certainly intended!