There are many benefits to respite care or short stay.

Respite care means taking a break from caring, while the person you care for is looked after by someone else. 

It lets you take time out to look after yourself and helps stop you from becoming exhausted and run down.

For our guests, it can offer increased social interaction, new experiences and a change of scenery which can improve health, welling and uplift mood. For carers, it can often provide the opportunity to attend an event, take a holiday or simply enjoy a few days to rest.

Respite care and convalescent care is short term care designed to help people recover from an operation or illness with the support of our dedicated care staff facilities. Respite stays are a minimum of two weeks and can last up to a few months. All of our Registered Care Managers are passionate about tailoring Care Plans to individual needs and requirements to help them recover as soon as possible.

What is more, respite breaks can be enjoyed on a regular basis to give people a chance to get to know other residents and colleagues and familiarise themselves with life in one of our homes as preparation for full-time residential care. A sort of ‘trial run’ so that transition is easier if/when the time comes to make the permanent move into a home.  

Our aim is to give peace of mind as well as providing quality care, we take the time to get to know our residents and understand their likes and dislikes, even those who are only with us for a few weeks. That way loved ones can enjoy peace of mind while their loved ones truly feel ‘at home‘.

Get more info about us

Undoubtedly you’ll want to do your due diligence before exploring this option more. We’re here to help – offering complimentary Care Need’s Evaluations. These are zero obligation and, from experience, give prospective residents a good steer on what their best option looks like.

If we feel like we aren’t the right fit for you, we won’t hide that. Our job is to arm you with the best information to make your decision.


Get in touch

For questions or more information regarding our Care & Support services, we’d love to hear from you. 

Tel: 01252 871751
Email: Vlad@atkinsonshomes.com

We’ve read so many blogs, articles and watched so many videos on Caring for Dementia. And what they don’t go into it just how hard it can be. It’s a brutal, unforgiving and cruel disease. The common promise from typical care homes is an ‘easier time, stress-free and alleviation of your pain. But, what you know is that’s not completely true.

We can (and do) help as much as we can. Everything from the best environments down to meal plans (We’ll go into this later) but we can’t sit here and pretend we take away your pain.

So, before we get right into everything, we wanted to start by saying the most important thing to take with you as you care for a loved one with dementia is to lead with empathy, compassion and love. It’s hard, we won’t lie. But this part isn’t about you, its about caring for them.

What is it?

Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal ageing.

There are many different types of dementia. It is not always clear why some people get dementia while others don’t, it depends on a combination of genes, age, health and lifestyle.

There are several types of Vascular dementia. One type is caused by a stroke (called stroke-related dementia) another is caused by the poor blood supply to parts of the brain (called subcortical vascular dementia)

The word ‘Vascular” relates to blood vessels and is the result of problems with blood supply to the brain. Nerve cells need oxygen and nutrients from the blood to survive. Vascular dementia sometimes follows a large stroke (called post-stroke dementia) more often though it comes after a number of small strokes (called multi-infarct dementia)

How can you spot it?

Many loved ones and friends can find dealing with this more difficult than adjusting to changes such as memory loss. Some common changes you may see include:

  • Restlessness – for example, pacing or fidgeting
  • Repetition – for example, asking the same questions, or repeating an action, over and over
  • Night-time waking, sleeplessness. Also known as ‘sundowning’ – is a term given for increased agitation or confusion in the late afternoon and early evening
  • Putting things in unusual places, and then forgetting where they are
  • Lack of inhibition, such as socially inappropriate behaviour in public. This is particularly common in the behavioural form of frontotemporal dementia
  • Suspicion – for example, the person thinking someone has taken something which belongs to them when they have actually mislaid it.

How do you find the right home?

While some aspects are subjective, the core are not. Here are some of The Best Indicators of a Good Care Home:

Foreword: At the beginning of a search for a home, it is evident that rarely do they know what type of care is necessary i.e. residential or nursing, and so often they have had no help from social services and do not realise that an assessment needs to carried out before placement.  It is essential that a person is not admitted to the wrong type of home as a move can be traumatic for both resident and relative.

The best indication of a good home is that the residents appear happy & responsive and that individuals are treated with dignity and respect:

  • Do staff speak to residents in a way the residents like?
  • Are residents involved in activities or chatting?
  • Are they properly dressed and well-groomed?
  • Do they seem alert and interested?
  • Do they talk to you as you walk around?
  • Are they encouraged to do as much for themselves as they can – and if so, can you see any examples of this?
  • Do they cater to the individual needs of residents? Food plans, to personalised environments.

Before this, there are of course other things to take into account:

  • How close is the home, can you visit easily?
  • What is the area like? Is it easily accessible?
  • What are people saying about them? Word of mouth is so powerful, have you had a recommendation? What are their reviews like?
  • Have they got room? If not, how long is the waiting list?
  • Do you need full-time care, or are you looking for a respite care break?

How do you care for Dementia?

1) Specialised & Personalised Environments

A good indicator right off the bat, have they passed the “The King’s Fund Dementia Assessment“? This is an assessment tool guide on Dementia studies by The University of Worcester, which reflects the latest research evidence, best practice and survey responses from those who have used the tools in practice.

Toilets and bathrooms

By understanding that toilets and bathrooms need to be safe and easy places for a person with dementia to use. The right design and colour can help a person with dementia to maintain their independence and dignity for personal care. Our purpose-designed wet rooms and adapted baths offer extra peace of mind.

Lighting

Do you/ can you leverage natural daylight? Bright and airy space makes is particularly important for people with dementia as it can help them make sense of their environment.

Gardens

Specially adapted gardens to allow for easy (and safe) access. For example, our gardens are designed to be both “wheelchair and Dementia-friendly” we have specialist adaptations, such as “grab rails” low-level ramps and low easy to access flower beds, which residents can enjoy attending too.

Personalised environments:

A personalised environment is very important in a Care home. Part of making sure residents have the dignity and respect they deserve is freedom of choice. The freedom to decorate their space the same way they would if they were completely independent. 

2) Maintaining Dignity

All staff need to be professionally trained in Dignity and Respect for quality person-centred caregiving. Each care plan needs to be specially tailored to their needs. Maintaining dignity can be approached in many different ways:

  • Involve Residents and families, to tailor their presences of care and support
  • Respect all personal space and possessions
  • Handle hygiene activities sensitively and discreetly
  • Understand how to detect pain and to respond with medical assistance
  • Promote social activities, which are meaningful to the individual
  • Let people make their own decisions which give them empowerment
  • Be available to always listen to how another may feel.

3) Exercise and a Healthy Diets:

Activity/ Exercise:

Activity is crucial. Not only exercise, but keeping the mid active with hobbies and interests. For example:

  • Creating a scrapbook or photo album
  • Playing games or cards and doing word, number or jigsaw puzzles
  • Reading books, newspapers or magazines
  • Listening to audiobooks, the radio or music
  • Doing arts and crafts – for example, knitting, painting, singing, dancing, writing and poetry
  • Gardening, which could be inside or outside, for example – tabletop gardening
  • Studying – for example, open university or Udemy. Any free (or paid) courses online or by postal

Exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle. The important thing is to find exercises that are enjoyable and safe for their ability level. Breaking exercises down into Simple, Moderate and advanced, you can tailor plans to individual capabilities/ requirements. Some examples include:

  • Short walk  (Simple)
  • The sit to stand exercise (Simple)
  • Stretches and/or strength exercises (Moderate)
  • Gardening (Moderate)
  • Dancing (Advanced)
  • Exercise class (Advanced)

More examples, and a comprehensive breakdown here.

Healthy Diet:

Setting a meal plan, listing all favourite meals and dietary requirements, and setting out a familiar, regular routine is crucial to maintaining a healthy diet.

Setting the scene for Dementia Friendly mealtimes

A familiar, sociable environment can help a person with dementia to feel more comfortable eating and drinking. At Atkinson’s Private Nursing Home’s we strive for Mealtimes to be an enjoyable experience.

  • turning off noisy TVs and radios, or playing some soothing, familiar music
  • being flexible about mealtimes, avoiding times when the person is tired or distressed
  • giving the person lots of time to eat, so there is no rushing
  • eating with the person if they enjoy the social side of this. It might be encouraging for them to see you eating, but bear in mind some people may be self-conscious and embarrassed eating with company
  • making sure the room is well-lit and describing the food. This might help the person recognise the food they are eating more easily
  • using plain coloured plates and cups so they can see the food easily. Specially adapted cutlery is available for people with dementia

Encouraging a person with dementia to eat

Involve the person by asking them what they would like to eat. If they struggle to decide, you could give them two options of simple things you know they like and can manage. If appropriate, you could involve them in the food preparation. You could try:

  • offering something easy to eat, that you know the person likes
  • giving the person small, regular portions rather than large meals
  • being flexible: a person with a sweet tooth might like to eat their dessert first. You could add sweet condiments like ketchup or apple sauce to savoury food
  • offering a small snack before a meal to see if that helps the person realise, they are hungry
  • using different tastes, smells, and colours to stimulate the appetite

Encouraging a person with dementia to drink

A person with dementia may not always be able to recognise when they are thirsty, or they might not be able to communicate their thirst. But nevertheless, it is recommended to aim for about eight glasses of fluid per day. You could try:

  • having a drink beside the person always
  • adding a little flavoured squash if the person is not keen on water
  • offering a choice of hot and cold drinks
  • helping the person if they are struggling to pick up or hold a cup
  • offering the person different shapes and sizes of cup
  • finding out if they have a favourite cup, they like to drink from

If you have any questions regarding your current situation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’d be delighted to find a way to help. We also published a blog on finding the right home.

4) Day to day

Having dementia doesn’t mean you need to stop doing the things you enjoy, but it can make things more difficult. Here are some quick tips on planning the day to day:

  • Put a regular routine in place – you might find it easier and more reassuring to do things at the same time each day or week. If you find you feel better at certain times of the day try to arrange activities for this part of the day.
  • Keep things straightforward – simplify your routine or daily tasks to make them more manageable.
  • Take things one step at a time – try to focus on one thing at a time and break each task down into smaller steps.
  • Put out the things you need before starting an activity so that you have a visual prompt – for example, tools for gardening or ingredients for cooking.
  • Try to reduce any distractions – for example, background noise if you are trying to read.

Thank you for reading!

By no means have we covered the complete complexity that is Dementia Care. But, this is a working blog – meaning we will constantly be updating and adding to it.

A bit about us

We are a proudly independent, family owned and managed Care Group, offering Respite & Full Time Care in the Heart of Royal Berkshire. We have three care homes:

Get in touch, we can cover:

  • Your needs, wishes and expectations of a care home
  • A comprehensive, professional opinion on the best care plan for you and your needs. 
  • What you should keep an eye out for while choosing your home. 

Our goal is to provide the best advice. Whether you choose us, or another home, we want to arm you with the tools to make the right choice for you

At Atkinson’s Private Care & Nursing Homes, Sandhurst, we are always looking for crafty ideas to make with our residents.

Angela, our activities co-ordinator at Fourways, will be recycling and reusing jam jars with the residents as a part of their weekly activities.

Here are her five ideas to get you crafty;

  1. Pincushion and Sewing Kits – You can keep all your sewing bits together in a jar and you can even make the lid into a pin cushion
  2. Memory Jars To keep all little mementoes like shells, dried flowers or small souvenirs, you can make a different memory jar for each trip, you can label the front with the dates you went.
  3. Inspiration Jars – Write some of your favourite quotes, poems and pieces of advice down on separate scraps of paper and fill a jar with them. Whenever you feel in need of a boost, take one out a read it.
  4. Jewellery Storage Jars If you’re always misplacing your jewellery, you can keep it all together in one place.
  5. Grow your own herbs – Even if you don’t have a garden, you can get in on the grow-your-own craze by putting a thin layer of gravel in an empty jam jar, half-filling with soil and planting your favourite herb seeds, you can put on your kitchen window-sill, your own herb garden.

Get involved

Have you come across some some other uses? Comment below!

Making Life easier with Dementia

Having dementia doesn’t mean you need to stop doing the things you enjoy, but it can make things more difficult.

The following tips might help:

  • Put a regular routine in place – you might find it easier and more reassuring to do things at the same time each day or week. If you find you feel better at certain times of the day try to arrange activities for this part of the day.
  • Keep things straightforward – simplify your routine or daily tasks to make them more manageable.
  • Take things one step at a time – try to focus on one thing at a time and break each task down into smaller steps.
  • Put out the things you need before starting an activity so that you have a visual prompt – for example, tools for gardening or ingredients for cooking.
  • Try to reduce any distractions – for example, background noise if you are trying to read.

For any more advice in living with Dementia, or you may be interested in our short-term Dementia breaks in our Care or Nursing homes, please call any of our homes individually or Head Office

Get in touch

We’d love to hear from you. If you have any question regarding the above info, or anything else don’t hesitate to contact us.

Types of Dementia

There are many different types of dementia. It is not always clear why some people get dementia while others don’t, it depends on a combination of genes, age, health and lifestyle.

Vascular Dementia

There are several types of Vascular dementia. One type is caused by a stroke (called stroke-related dementia) another is caused by the poor blood supply to parts of the brain (called subcortical vascular dementia)

The word ‘Vascular” relates to blood vessels and is the result of problems with blood supply to the brain. Nerve cells need oxygen and nutrients from the blood to survive. Vascular dementia sometimes follows a large stroke (called post-stroke dementia) more often though it comes after a number of small strokes (called multi-infarct dementia)

Early Changes

Common early changes include difficulty planning, thinking quickly or concentrating. There may also be a sense of heightening anxiety, which can also be feelings of depression. Memory loss isn’t always common in the early stages.

Dementia with Lewy bodies

Lewy bodies are also found in people with Parkinson’s disease, which is called “ Parkinson’s disease dementia. Similar to the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s disease, they disrupt the way the brain functions, they reduce the levels of chemical messenger’s and cause nerve cells to die. This form of dementia gets its name from tiny clumps of protein that develop inside nerve cells, called LB.

Get in touch

Please phone individual homes for more information or contact head office.

Tel: 01252 871751
Email: Vlad@atkinsonshomes.com

The Importance of Maintaining Dignity In Care

At Atkinson’s Care and Nursing homes, we understand that Dignity for our residents is paramount.

All of our Care and Nursing teams have been professionally trained in Dignity and Respect for quality person-centred caregiving. We assess each resident individually to establish their own preferences and choices, which are essential to our care planning around everyone’s unique requirements.

These are a few of the many ways our service promotes Dignity within our homes:

  • Involve Residents and families, to tailor their presences of care and support
  • Respect all personal space and possessions
  • Handle hygiene activities sensitively and discreetly
  • Understand how to detect pain and to respond with medical assistance
  • Promote social activities, which are meaningful to the individual
  • Let people make their own decisions which give them empowerment
  • Be available to always listen to how another may feel.

Get in touch

For a Complimentary Assessment of care and support needs, please contact our head office and they will arrange a call to suit you or your love one. the Registered Home manager will call you directly and discuss your care and support we can offer.

Identifying Dementia – Changes in behaviour

All of our staff are fully trained in Identifying and understanding and Dementia.

There are certain changes in behaviour which can help in identifying dementia. A person may start to behave differently as their dementia progresses.

Many loved ones and friends can find dealing with this more difficult than adjusting to changes such as memory loss. Some common changes you may see include:

  • Restlessness – for example, pacing or fidgeting
  • Repetition – for example, asking the same questions, or repeating an action, over and over
  • Night-time waking, sleeplessness. Also known as ‘sundowning’ – is a term given for increased agitation or confusion in the late afternoon and early evening
  • Putting things in unusual places, and then forgetting where they are
  • Lack of inhibition, such as socially inappropriate behaviour in public. This is particularly common in the behavioural form of frontotemporal dementia
  • Suspicion – for example, the person thinking someone has taken something which belongs to them when they have actually mislaid it.

Get in touch

We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch for a free care needs assessment by contacting your nearest Atkinson’s home, or head office. We will guide you through the necessary steps for short or long term stays.

Resources:

Dementia UK

Bringing back the Art of Letter Writing | Atkinsons Private Nursing Homes

Letters used to be a staple of communication. Sending news, keeping war-separated lovers connected, sharing feelings and emotions, or a way to make a friend halfway around the world.

Letters recorded our thoughts and most importantly our history. During these COVID times, our Care and Nursing homes have many ways in which we can all stay connected mainly through technology, but a handwritten letter can sometimes mean so much.

This week Angela our Activities Coordinator at Fourways residential (Our residential home in the Atkinsons private nursing homes Group) home is carrying out one-to-one sessions with residents, to promote writing cards and letters to loved ones, she is on a mission to convince others that handwritten letters should and could make a comeback!

Here are some reasons why letters are so important!

  • Handwriting is personal There is nothing quite like the personal touch of a handwritten letter, the paper is chosen, the marks of the pen of someone’s choice. The time and personal thought which went into the. Effort.
  • Letter writing takes time and thoughtfulness A text or an email isn’t usually well thought out. It is merely a ‘quick’ answer reply, but letter writing takes time and reflection and is filled with thoughts, love and news.
  • They are worth saving – not easily deleted
  • A moment in time is frozen within a letter, we usually tuck them away in a memory box or in a draw, and can provide get comfort when found again as they contain the essence of the person in our memory.

What do you think? Do you like writing letters? Comment below!

Connect with us:

At Atkinsons homes, we understand that families impacted by a loved one suffering a stroke can be drastic, to say the least. We understand this fact very well and we have over 40 years experience of supporting and caring for people. Our compassionate, reliable staff understand the post-stroke recovery process and have extensive experience in adapting care to specific needs.

A stroke usually affects one side of the brain. Movement and sensation for one side of the body are controlled by the opposite side of the brain. This means that if your stroke affected the left side of your brain, you will have problems with the right side of your body. If your stroke affected the right side of your brain, you will have problems with the left side of your body. Changes that may happen after a stroke on either side of the brain include the following:

  • Abnormal muscle tone. This is a nerve problem that can make your movements slow and jerky. There are different stages of muscle tone recovery.
  • Your arm, leg or joint may be limp and floppy
  • Your arm, leg or joint may move on its own when your muscle tone starts to return. It does not always do what your brain tells it to do.
  • Your arm, leg or joint begins to respond to your brain.

Recovering and living with a stroke places a high degree of emotional, mental and physical stress, not only for the survivor but also on family members as well. Our homes are dedicated to providing 24/7 assistance and inspiration throughout the day by doing the following; activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and toileting. Overseeing an exercise program prescribed by your physio or rehabilitation team. 

Individual rooms are adapted to each resident’s needs and can include special beds, mattress, hoists, moving aids, bath seats, cutlery and other aids as required. Each room has a nurse call system and fire system, and each home has carefully monitored security systems and procedures. Most residents are registered with the local GP surgery, with medication supplied by a local pharmacist and dispensed by our trained care staff.

Get in touch

For questions or more information regarding our Care & Support services –  we’d love to hear from you

Tel: 01252 871751
Email: Vlad@atkinsonshomes.com

Multiple Sclerosis known as MS is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your central nervous system by mistake. This attack damages myelin, the coating that protects nerve fibres in the brain spinal cord and eyes. The cause is unknown however it is believed that infection by a slow-moving virus or abnormalities with the immune system is related to the disease. A number of MS patients have little or no disability for many years after diagnosis.

Signs and Symptoms of MS can include:

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • The sensation of numbness, prickling or tingling
  • Coordination (tripping, dropping things)
  • Bladder and bowel dysfunction including incontinence
  • Muscle tightness or stiffness
  • Emotional, euphoria and depression
  • Abnormal reflexes, either absent or exaggerated
  • Impaired position sense
  • Impaired vision
  • Slurring of words
  • Tremor, uncoordinated movements
  • Pain, burning and itching

How we support you

We work very closely with other healthcare professionals and can make referrals through our GP for community nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists to provide tailored care for those we support. Our clinical governance is robust and uses comprehensive guidelines, tailored support plans and health action plans to ensure that staff know exactly how to support a person to have the highest possible quality of care.

Get in touch

For questions or more information regarding our Care & Support services, or even more specifically with Multiple Sclerosis in the care home setting – we’d love to hear from you

Tel: 01252 871751
Email: Vlad@atkinsonshomes.com