All posts tagged care home

Jan

Winter Newsletter : To a happy and active 2016!

Categories: news, Newsletter

We had a packed activities programme over the Christmas period and thoroughly enjoyed the festivities! We had a great start with a wonderful Christmas party, the residents invited their friends and family to celebrate Christmas with them. It was a super event with delicious food and lots of Christmas cheer and laughter.

We were entertained by Rietta and Kat; two talented singers who helped us get into the Christmas spirit. There was also a fabulous pantomime, this year it was “Jack and the Beanstalk” performed by “PARTYTIME PRODUCTIONS”. We were very impressed by the show and look forward to welcoming them back next year.

A high point of December was trips around Zone 1 to see the Christmas lights and sights of central London. We drove around lots of landmarks and enjoyed reminiscing, sharing fond memories of London and the festive season.
Valerie read us her and the resident’s favourite seasonal poetry and we made pomanders with Phillippa during our Christmas reminiscence workshop.

We had a fantastic carol concert held in our Orangery performed by our friends at Richmond Community Choir, this was a real highlight.

We have lots planned for coming months and New Year. We have already had a delightful concert provided by Live Music Now and look forward to our friend Brian coming to play the saxophone for us, farm visits and visits from the children who attend the local Beavers.

All the regular weekly activities continue, including Rock and Roll guitar with John, Music and Movement with Serena, jigsaws and games with Teresa, piano recitals with Dr Higgins and art class with Sadia. Fortnightly poetry with Valerie and monthly “News and Reviews” with Phillippa and concerts are also in our diary.

Here’s to a happy and active 2016!

Jun

WHELD (Improving Wellbeing and Health for People with Dementia) research programme

Categories: news

Tags: care home, dalemead, dementia, residential

Comments: No

The National Dementia Strategy for England highlights the need to provide effective psychological and social approaches and person centred care practice to improve the well-being of people with dementia. Dalemead Residential Care Home is one of the homes that is participating in the WHELD (Improving Wellbeing and Health for People with Dementia) research programme. This is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded programme involving Kings College London, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, North East London Foundation Trust, North Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health (NWORTH)/ Bangor Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) and University of Hull.

The WHELD project will evaluate whether staff support and coaching to provide person centred care and effective person centred activities for people with dementia living in care homes are more effective in improving the mental health and well-being of residents compared to their usual care. During the next 9 months a research therapist will work with nominated members of staff (“Dementia Champions”) in the homes receiving the intervention, to provide training on person centred care, promote person centred activities and interactions and to provide care home staff and general practitioners with the latest best practice information regarding the optimal use of psychotropic medications for people with dementia.

The findings from the research will be shared locally through training events and articles and published in academic journals. If the WHELD approach is effective a further aim will be to develop a system to roll this out nationally.

Apr

Spring Newsletter 2014

Categories: Newsletter

Tags: care home, christmas, dementia, easter, london, nursing home richmond

Comments: No

Christmas Party 14th December 2013

We had a fabulous Christmas party. It was a wonderful occasion where relatives welcomed there friends and family to share in the festivities; as ever there was a plethora of wonderful food , Simon and Beth provided the musical entertainment which went down very well.

BELL RINGERS
“Spelthorne” U3A provided us with our annual bell ringer afternoon. This was a great opportunity to get us in the festive spirit.

“It’s behind you”
… Partytime provided us with an excellent production of Mother Goose. It was an opportunity to revisit our memories of going to the pantomime with our nearest and dearest.

A Day Trip to London
We christened Dalemead’s new vehicle by hitting the Big Smoke to take in the Christmas Lights and sights.

Geometry Printing Workshop

We found our creative side when we took part in a printing workshop with our Resident Artist. We are pleased to display our efforts to celebrate our achievements.

We have enjoyed monthly entertainment afternoons including … An actress from the Cats Pyjamas Production … She enthralled us with a myriad of musical songs through the decades … It was a great opportunity for us to sing along with some of our favourite tunes.

Pat Dog
We have recently welcomed a new Pat Dog to Dalemead. Molly is an adorable Jack Russell and with her owner Jill they have made a wonderful addition to our activities programme at Dalemead.

We have also enjoyed the usual selection of regular activities poetry,musical entertainment, dance spectacles, music & movement, art & craft, News & Reviews & Dan’s Activities Workshops.

We have our fingers crossed for wonderful weather this spring so we can take full advantage of our well tended garden and fantastic loction of being near the River Thames & Local Ammenities.

Good Friday saw the beginning of our Easters activities with many residents partaking in a Easter Cookie decorating workshop.

Easter Monday we will hold our Annual “All Winners” Easter Bonnett competition.

We eagerly await the construction of the Orangery. The orangery will combine the light, airy feel of a conservatory with the practicality of a sunroom, creating a beautiful addition to Dalemead with a style and charm of its own. This new structure will enable residents to enjoy the views of the gardens and will hopefully host plethora of events … Please watch this space!!!