Heaton House Care Home Place Third In The Safe In Sussex Gingerbread House Competition (including 2022 update!)
We’ve officially hit the festive season of 2021 and, of course, our activity calendar has been full of fun and interesting activities for us all to enjoy. As we spoke about in our last blog post, despite the Winter temperatures, we still make sure that everyone is having fun and enjoying their time with us. During these colder months, lots of games are played and we enjoy crafting together with lots of sticking and glueing, painting, arranging and art production. If it’s particularly cold and miserable outside, we sometimes like to cosy up with a hot drink and a good film! Last week, though, we were busy doing something else – making a gingerbread house for Safe In Sussex’s annual gingerbread house competition. Safe In Sussex is a registered charity dedicated to preventing domestic abuse and supporting people in West Sussex affected by domestic abuse. This was the fourth year for the competition which asks contestants to create a themed gingerbread house that can be explained at the judging event. We dedicated our gingerbread house to the NHS and all the frontline workers who have worked tirelessly since the start of this pandemic and throughout. We are truly inspired by their dedication and determination to literally ‘save lives’. The signs that we included outside the gingerbread house are ones that we have all seen pop up during the pandemic. Including ‘stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives’, ‘Thank-you NHS’ and ‘Clap for our carers and NHS’. As you can see from the picture, our gingerbread house had a strong rainbow theme that has become symbolic and prominent in the covid response. However, we also celebrate the true roots of the NHS rainbow which lie as a sign of safety for anyone who is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. We’re proud to announce that we came third in the competition against 19 other contestants; all of whom had incredible designs and themes. A huge congratulations goes to Rayner IOL, the overall winner, and My Networking Club who came in second place. Of course, it’s great to be in third place, but it’s important to highlight that all proceeds from the competition went to Safe In Sussex. If you’d like to make your own donation to Safe In Sussex, visit their donation page. Update for December 2022 We’re really pleased to announce that we were awarded third place again for the Safe In Sussex Gingerbread House Competition 2022. See below for a photo of our creation!
Worthing Mayor Joins In The Fun At Heaton House
enjoyed a visit from the Mayor, Lionel Harman, recently. As some of you may know, we host visits from the children at Little Elms Day Nursery as part of our intergenerational approach to Dementia care. This visit was special, however, as the older children who were going up to ‘Big School’ in the Autumn had a graduation ceremony in the garden. The Mayor presented them with certificates congratulating them for graduating nursery school. It was a heart-warming sight for all who attended to enjoy. The children played in our wonderful garden and were joined by some of our residents who enjoy interacting with them and watching them all have fun. As a local leader in intergenerational care, this was the first time we’ve welcomed the children back since COVID-19 restrictions. Our registered owner, Sally Neil-Smith, said, “It has been wonderful to host the graduation of the children at Little Elms Nursery. It’s lovely to have the children visit us again after what’s been a tough time for everyone. The smiling faces of our residents, who really enjoy the company of the children, are always great to see and we look forward to welcoming the children back again very soon.” The children also performed a few songs to the residents and relatives of the residents about moving onto ‘Big School’ in September. After the graduation awards were presented to each child by the Mayor, the children sat down to enjoy snacktime on the lawn before spending some time playing on the slide, in the playhouse and with the toys Heaton House keeps in the garden for the children to play with. It was a lovely, sunny morning enjoyed by the residents, their relatives and of course the children and Mayor. Although the start date for our day care services is yet to be confirmed due to COVID-19 regulations, the waiting list is now open. Please call Sally or our registered manager, Sue on 01903 700251. Unfortunately we don’t have any vacancies at the moment, but we are always happy to take enquiries for the future. To enquire please call 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue.
Activities For All At Heaton House
Here at Heaton House we always make sure that our activity calendar is jam-packed with a wide variety of engaging and stimulating activities for our residents. We get to know each of our residents and find out what it is they like to do, then we can arrange our activities to suit specific interests. The activities that we do are also chosen with the cognitive and physical benefits of our residents in mind, as well as their fun factor, of course. Just recently, flower arranging was on our activities calendar and, as you can see from the photo, lots of pretty bouquets were made! An activity like flower arranging allows us to engage in meaningful conversations with our residents. A simple question like ‘have you received roses before’ or ‘did you grow flowers in your garden?’ can unlock so many memories and encourage verbal communication. There’s been many times when we’ve been able to encourage a usually quiet resident to talk about their memories and engage in conversation through activities. A great example of our residents engaging well was when Vamos Theatre came to visit us. You can read all about that in our blog post here. Flower arranging helps our residents practice colour recognition. We can ask our residents to pick out the red or the pink flowers and this can help to stimulate their brain. Flowering arranging is also a creative activity that allows our residents to make their bouquet look how they would like them to. Did we mention that they also make fantastic decorations for our home? Now that the weather is getting warmer we’ve been able to get outside into our lovely garden and encourage residents to get involved in physical activities. Just recently, we all enjoyed a spot of golf in the garden. A game like golf is a fantastic way to practise hand eye coordination and to get residents enjoying the fresh air. Our residents, Anne, Daphne and Phyllis in particular, enjoyed putting the ball into the various ‘holes’ we had set up. As you can see from the photo above, residents were never too far away from a comfortable sit down with a blanket and a cup of tea. This was much deserved after the excitement of th
Covid-safe Theatre production brings joy and laughter to Heaton House in Worthing
Our residents had a proper treat last week with a fully Covid-safe theatre production from Vamos Theatre. Worcester-based Vamos Theatre developed the production as a response to the pandemic and created a Covid-safe performance especially for care home residents. Staged entirely outside (with windows closed), but viewed from the inside, Love Through Double Glazing brings extra laughter and love to older people across the UK. The show was written and performed by clown performer Sean Kempton, Rachael Savage and Norah the fluffy white dog. The show was thoroughly enjoyed by our residents and staff as well as some of our residents’ loved ones who came to see the show too. Sally Neil-Smith, owner of our home said, “It was absolutely fantastic to see everyone getting involved and for the residents to enjoy it so much. I’d like to thank Worthing Borough Council and Worthing Theatres for funding it. It’s great to have a Council and Theatre trust that cares for our elderly and wants to ensure theatre is inclusive. A lovely afternoon was had by all.” Brimming with clowning, music, food fights, bubbles and ballet, the performance involved the audience in Covid-safe participation, with scents to smell, cake to eat and bubbles. It was fantastic to see how keen our residents were to get involved and it was so lovely to see the joy the show brought them. Rachael, one of the performers commented about the production, “This show has been huge fun to make. We’ve made a show that is funny, cheeky and unashamedly silly, and our aim is for all of our audiences to feel included, to let their hair down and most of all to laugh.” Unusually, Heaton House has a room available at the moment. For more information, visit the availability page on their website or call 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue
Father Christmas Visits Heaton House
No matter what’s going on in the world, Father Christmas is always extremely busy in December. So we felt extremely lucky when the man himself visited us last week! At Heaton House, we wanted to make sure that some Christmas magic still took place this month; despite the COVID restrictions. We got creative and came up with a great way for our residents and local nursery children to have some Christmas fun. We teamed up with Little Elms nursery, a nursery we partner with to deliver intergenerational sessions with their children and our residents, to put on a special visit from Father Christmas. To ensure that we continued to be COVID-19 compliant throughout the visit we asked Father Christmas to sit outside to meet the children, while our residents watched through our large picture window in the lounge. Many of the residents wanted to join in with the fun and wore Christmas hats as they watched the children meet Father Christmas. Every child who came was excited to meet the man himself and receive a special gift. The residents enjoyed watching from the window and waved to the children as they showed off their gift with pride. We made sure that the windows were left open just a little bit so that people watching from inside the home could hear the excitement as it unfolded while still keeping warm. Many children called out to the residents, telling them all about Father Christmas and what he had given them. It was a fantastic morning had by all and it kickstarted the festive season for us all here at Heaton House. Unusually, we’ve got a room available at the moment. For more information, visit our availability page or call 01903 700251 and ask to speak to Sally or Sue. We hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and an even better new year. Here’s to 2021
How Heaton House Has Adapted In Response To COVID-19
As we’ve just come out of the second lockdown of this year, we thought it was time for a round up of what we’ve been doing in response to COVID-19. The team has worked tirelessly to make sure that all the rules and regulations have been strictly adhered to and we are extremely proud to say that Heaton House has so far been Covid-free. There’s no doubt that the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic has affected the lives of everyone. For those in care and residential homes, the impact has been particularly hard and it has taken all the resources and dedication of those who provide the care, to protect and shield their vulnerable residents. Sally Neil-Smith, the owner and manager here at Heaton House, recently spoke to Sussex Local magazine about the measures she has implemented to provide a stable environment for her residents. “We are the only Outstanding rated dementia care home in West Sussex that specialises in the care of early stage dementia residents so the provision of a safe haven with compassionate care is of utmost importance. The home focuses on providing social interaction, companionship and stimulation in a homely environment, with en-suite accommodation and a varied choice of nutritious food. The ongoing pandemic has caused major problems for all residential establishments. At Heaton House, our summer house has been converted into a visitor centre for outdoor visits during the warmer months. For the colder months, heat and light has been installed to ensure it can still be used for such visits when the weather permits. An indoor visiting area has also been created with a large Perspex screen and headphones available to assist communication between the resident and their visitor. Strict rules are in place to ensure the safety of the residents, their visitors and the staff. Testing staff and residents for COVID-19 Since August, all our residents have been tested for the virus every four weeks and the staff are tested weekly. We’re very proud of the fact that due to our diligence, there have been no cases of coronavirus within our home. Of course, the residents look forward to regular visits from their nominated family member and there is a full risk assessment in place for each visit. Plus robust infection control measures. The Government is soon to release LFT (Lateral Flow Tests) so we can test everyone for each and every visit, meaning hugs could be back! Everyone has had to adapt in some way or other during this extraordinary period and we feel that our staff and management at Heaton House have risen to the challenge admirably.” Unusually, we currently have a room available. For more details visit our availability page or contact 01903 700251 and ask for Sally or Sue. We hope you all continue to keep safe during these diff
Heaton House turns summerhouse into visitor centre to keep relatives in touch during Lockdown 2.0
A local Worthing care home has come up with a creative solution to ensure residents can still have safe visits from loved ones during lockdown. Heaton House, a CQC Outstanding rated care home in Reigate Road, has turned its summerhouse into an outdoor visitor centre which facilitates safe visits whatever the weather! The home was already hosting outdoor Covid-safe visits in the summerhouse and virtual visits via its laptops and iPads. This was fine when the weather suited, but as the seasons changed and the temperatures dropped, a new solution needed to be found. Registered owner, Sally Neil-Smith said, “It’s vital that we can offer visits to everyone who wants to come during this new lockdown period. So we have been prepared to do whatever we can. I can’t praise my team enough for all the extra miles they have gone! For visitors who are happy to come inside the home, we now have a designated visitor area in the home where the visitor is separated from the resident by an extra large clear screen. We have also purchased comfy headphones and microphones so that any hearing difficulties can also be overcome. When a relative wanted to visit but not come in the home we thought, ‘why not use the summerhouse?’ So we also bought a portable clear screen for use in the summerhouse and a heating unit and now visitors don’t even have to come inside the home when visiting. All visits are pre-booked in advance and the visitor can be let in through the side gate at the agreed time to find their loved one already inside our heated summerhouse behind the clear screen. The visitors love it and we are really pleased that it’s been such a hit.” ‘Keeping in touch with elderly loved ones is so important in normal times, and this has only increased with the new lockdown. We felt we had to do what we could to make sure all types of visits could go ahead’. To find out more about Heaton House, visit https://heaton-house.net/ or call 01903 700251 and speak to Sue the Registered Manager or Sally Registered Provider/Manager. If they are not available when you call the carer-team will be able to help and Sue or Sally will call you back.
Making That Decision
Recognising the right time to place a loved one with Dementia into care The recent news that Dame Barbara Windsor is to go into a care home, due to her Alzheimer’s progressing, is of course sad, but we thought it was brave of her husband to tell the public and admit how tough the decision had been. Even when someone is famous and has many resources available to them, we understand that there comes a point at which the carer can no longer provide what is needed by their loved one. Although it is sometimes very rewarding, being a full time carer for a loved one can be a hugely demanding job. This can be a very difficult thing to come to terms with, but it is an important part of the role as a carer for a loved one. As much as you may still want to provide the care, you may begin to realise that you simply cannot do it alone anymore and that extra help is needed. Extra help does not have to mean moving into a full-time care home though. There are many different care options available; including getting visits from a care professional, or respite care for a day or two, or even regular day care at a home like ours. Dementia Progression – 3 signs to look for If you’re struggling to recognise the right time to place a loved one with Dementia into care, there are a few signs that you need to look out for: Wandering People suffering with Dementia can often find themselves wandering around in a confused state. This may not be a problem at first but, as the Dementia progresses, the person being cared for may find themselves in danger, even if the carer leaves for just a couple of minutes. If you notice that the person you’re caring for starts to wander more often, it may be time to seek extra help to ensure the safety of the person suffering with Dementia. Aggression As you may know, physical, sexual or violent aggression is a symptom of Dementia and this can be highly distressing for the carer. You may begin to feel resentful or stressed as a result and, if this is the case, it may be time to seek help with caring for the person with Dementia. Sundowning Sundowning Syndrome is very common in people suffering from Dementia and refers to the agitated behaviour that becomes more pronounced later in the day. Again, this may not seem problematic at first however; if this starts to disrupt family routines or sleep then it is worth seeking help as the caregiving burden will become too difficult to handle. It is vital to remember that there is absolutely no shame in asking for help and often it is better for everyone if extra help is found. Whatever happens, one of the biggest things to remember is to communicate; The benefits of moving into a care home It is important to remember that although it is a difficult decision to make, there are many benefits to moving a Dementia sufferer into a care home. Here are a few that you may have not thought of: Social Benefits Aside from receiving professional care 24 hours a day, there are a lot of social benefits to staying in a care home. In our home in particular, there is a great family feel that allows all of our residents to get along well and socialise with one another. Most care homes will also have lots of activities going on, which will give your loved one the opportunity to practise a hobby or even learn a new skill whilst socialising with other residents or the instructor. Physical Benefits Having a care team there all the time and a full schedule of activities means that many of our residents actually get much more physical exercise than when they lived at home. Even our art activities are planned to sustain manual dexterity. Dementia is one thing, but it doesn’t mean we can’t look after all the other common things that come with age too. Mental Health Benefits We make sure we run a wide range of activities that are proven to help improve mental health, this includes music and lots of intergenerational activity (read our separate blog on this here) which are both proven to improve mood and positively stimulate brain activity. Even in this time of lockdown when we’ve not been able to have visitors we have used our technology to make sure that residents can keep in touch with loved ones and be visually stimulated through the use of things like our Virtual Reality headset. Despite all this, we do appreciate how hard making the decision to place your loved one in a care home will be. If you’re even in the earliest of stages and just planning for the future, we are happy to have a chat. If our home is not right for your loved one, then we will usually know others that are. Call 01903 700251 today to chat with a member of our professional team in full confidence.
Local Companies Link Up For PPE Supply
During this lockdown period, we have been working extremely hard to ensure that both our staff and residents are kept safe and well. There have been many news stories about tragedies being suffered in other care homes around the world and we are grateful that our steadfast commitment and excellence of care have, so far, kept everyone safe. One of the ways we are doing this is by taking all necessary measures to ensure that our home continues to be the safe environment it has always been. We insist that all of our care staff (and their families) take their temperature every morning before coming to work to ensure that they are not a risk to our residents. We have also ramped up our usual hygiene routines to ensure that our home is constantly clean and germ-free. As some of you may know, we have been in the care business for over 40 years and our owner, Sally Neil-Smith, is a member of the local business community. In fact, Sally won the outstanding achievement award for services to the community at the 2014 Worthing and Adur business awards. She continues to be a member of many business groups across our local area; including the Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce. It’s being a member of the Chamber of Commerce that afforded us the amazing opportunity to have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donated to us by Ricardo, a leading engineering firm which has a base in Shoreham. How did this come about? In response to the current circumstances, the Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce launched an initiative to encourage businesses to support each other – called member to member mutual support. In support of this, Ricardo released a press release launching face shield production and offering them to local businesses who needed them. The Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce then shared Ricardo’s press release and reached out to us, suggesting that we take advantage of this incredibly generous gesture. Within two days of the Chamber putting us in touch with Ricardo, collection of the face shields was arranged from Ricardo’s Shoreham Technical Centre. This generous donation means that all of the care staff at Heaton House can not only protect themselves, but our residents too. Sally said, “it’s great to be thought of by the Chamber and supported by one of our larger local businesses with a strong community focus. As a smaller home, we just can’t get these things. Many thanks to Ricardo for helping out. We’re so grateful to both Ricardo for the generous donation and the Chamber. They have both really helped us in this time of crisis.
Staying At Home
Please note: This blog post was posted in April 2020. Heaton House is no longer closed for visitors and is following current Government advice. Please visit the homepage to see the current visitor policy and follow Heaton House’s registered owner, Sally Neil-Smith on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest Heaton House news. Here at Heaton House, our activity planner is usually full of interesting events and exciting visitors coming into our home. Due to the current circumstances, our home is closed for visitors and our trips out have been postponed for a while. This also means we’ve had to come up with different ways to stay in touch with the people we love and the people who usually visit. Keeping Ourselves Busy As we’re a local leader in intergenerational care, Heaton House usually has weekly visits from local children’s nurseries. The two main ones being Little Elms and Woodstock Nursery, both are in Worthing and local for the different generations to meet. Although the children have not been able to visit due to current circumstances, they have been sending us photos for their ‘nannies and Nigel’ which we all love to receive. With the help of modern day technology, many of our residents have been able to use Skype to keep in touch with their friends and family each week. Using video calling means that both parties can still see each other and have a chat and a cuppa as if they were physically together. We have also been encouraging families to send us cards, letters and photos through the post so everyone can still keep in touch. Many grandchildren have been sending in their beautiful drawings and photos of themselves which have been put up on display in their grandparent’s bedroom which brings a smile to their faces every time they wake up. Some grandchildren have been very busy and sent us their rainbow pictures to put on display in our front porch – a trend many have been taking part in to spread positivity and for children to take part in a rainbow hunt as they take a walk with members of their household. The sun has been making an appearance over the last couple of weeks which has allowed us to enjoy the summer house in our garden. As you can see from the photo below, even if the temperature is a little cold, we still enjoy sitting outside – we just need a blanket! Celebrations In March, it was Freda’s 97th birthday and – of course – we had to make her feel like the princess she is by giving her a tiara to wear. As you can see from the photo, she received lots of lovely cards and a bunch of flowers. Some of the residents even helped create her colourful banner that we placed on her chair to make sure everyone knew she was the birthday girl! Freda chose the armchair nearest to our picture window so that she could enjoy the warm Spring sunshine and watch the birds fly in and out of our garden. Celebrations aside, we’ll continue to keep busy from within our home and we continue to encourage families and friends to send in their cards, letters and pictures to us. Even if you don’t know our lovely residents and staff, you are also welcome to send something! Our address is:Heaton House22 Reigate RdWorthing BN11 5NF We look forward to seeing the postman e