Yearly Archives: 2017

Fairdene Lodge specialises in Sussex dementia care – here are some tips for communication with someone with dementia

One of the most distressing parts of Dementia for both the person with the condition and their loved one is the breakdown in communication. For example, someone with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation, or think of the right word at the right time. This may cause them to feel excluded from social situations, or lose confidence in conversations. However, there are things to can do to improve how you communicate with someone with dementia;

Speak slowly and use simple words
Helpful if the individual struggles with communication; just make sure to take care of the tone you use.

Keep a reasonable distance
Within reason, your proximity to the person won’t affect their understanding of you; get too close and you could be intimidating.

Maintain eye contact
It helps them to focus on you

Remove distractions
Reduce background noise if possible

Avoid sudden movements and tense facial expressions
In the absence of effective communication, people with dementia may be more aware of non verbal signals

Our team specialise in making life as full as possible at Fairdene Lodge – get in touch if you’d like to know how we could support your loved one.

Put your mind at rest with a glowing CQC report for our dementia care home in Sussex

When choosing a care home in Sussex for your relative, you want to be reassured that they’ll receive a high standard of care, as well as a homely environment, and plenty to keep them busy. Our glowing CQC report is proof that our dementia care home in Sussex is one you can trust.

The Care Quality Commission is the regulator of health and social care services, ensuring safe, effective and compassionate care is conducted in hospitals, care homes, GP practices, dentists, ambulance services, and mental health services.

Rated Good in all areas, Fairdene Lodge’s CQC reports highlights the comfort of our residents, the dedication of our staff, and the support we offer to older people with dementia. This is one of our favourite quotes…

“People felt well looked after and supported. We observed friendly and genuine relationships had developed between people and staff. One person told us, “The staff are very caring and nice”. Care plans described people’s needs and preferences and they were encouraged to be as independent as possible.”

Read the whole CQC report here.

We care for a variety of health needs at our Brighton care home

With up-to-date facilities, a team of trained staff, and excellent links to the local healthcare providers, our Brighton care home is best placed to provide excellent care to our residents.

We care for older people living with varying stages of dementia, as well as elderly people with sensory impairment and other healthcare needs. Our core team operates like a family, supporting our residents in decision making and expressing themselves, and working with relatives and healthcare professionals to ensure the best quality of life for our residents.

With dementia in particular, our staff are trained to deal with and manage the challenges that it can present, and our home is designed and equipped to make life make sense as much as possible for residents. Our hallways are zoned to aid orientation, and we regularly hold reminiscence sessions to help residents get in touch with their pasts.

We’re always happy to answer questions about the kind of care we provide at Fairdene Lodge – contact us here.

The special way we approach care for dementia patients in Brighton

Dementia is a general term that encompasses a range of symptoms associated with a decline in cognitive function, with the effect on memory one of the more well known presentations of the disease. It’s common for sufferers of dementia to struggle more with their short-term memory than their long-term, meaning it’s easier for them to recall events from the distant past rather than the last few weeks, for example. This is where the care for our dementia patients in Brighton had to be approached with creativity – and so we came up with our Memory Lane, featured last year on Meridian News!

We’ve turned our special garden into an area that recreates the post war era, with shops, tea rooms, memorabilia, costumes, food and drink, and music lovingly put together to bring back memories of the 1940’s. It helps keep residents connected with their pasts, and provides them with entertainment, fun, and something to have a good old chat about. Families and friends of residents also enjoy taking a trip down memory lane with their loved ones, and it’s certainly a talking point for many that visit.

We’re always thinking of new ways to keep the memories of our residents alive, and with this special approach to care for dementia patients in Brighton, we’re hoping to prove that it doesn’t have to be boring! See the Memory Lane video here.

They say that life’s for living, and at our Sussex care home, we see no reason for that not to be the case

Transitioning from life at home to life in a care home can be very difficult for residents, with broken routines making it extremely disorientating. This is one of the reasons we believe in keeping life as normal as possible at Fairdene Lodge; this, and maintaining a high quality of life for everyone in our care. This means tailoring our schedules and entertainment to residents, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

For example, say a resident used to enjoy a wander to the local shop to get the paper in the mornings. This is something that makes them feel independent, and they enjoy taking in their surroundings and getting a bit of exercise. It’s therefore our job to accommodate this part of their routine as much as possible, and ensure they’re free to carry it on as part of life at Fairdene if it’s safe to do so. We ensure we get to know things like what time they get up, what they like to eat, and what they prefer to be called, so we can make them feel at comfortable and at home.

This attitude is applied to visiting times too. We have an open door policy, which means residents are free to receive visitors whenever it suits them, just as they would at home. This includes meal times – eating with family and friends is a treasured part of life, and one that we believe can continue for residents in our Sussex care home.

If you’d like to know more about the ways in which we make Fairdene Lodge a home from home, get in touch with us here.

Residents enjoy a wide range of activities at our residential home in Hove

At our residential home in Hove, we know all too well the benefits of keeping the mind active, and we strongly believe that care homes can still be a fun, stimulating environment for elderly people, providing the activities are tailored to the needs of residents. This includes residents that suffer from dementia, struggle to be active, or find it hard to get used to life in a care home. This is why we have dedicated activity co-ordinators, who are passionate about making sure there’s always something going on that residents can get involved in.

Residents can always choose how to spend their day, and there’s a variety of activities held to engage them if they choose. This includes singing, films, exercises, arts and crafts, and themed events. Reminiscence sessions are held to encourage residents to remember their pasts, and meaningful activities like assisting with cooking and cleaning can really help towards a sense of purpose. There’s a games room for those more competitive too!

Getting out and about is important too, which is why regular outings are organised, and residents are supported to do things like go to the shop for a paper or visit local cafe’s if that’s part of their routine.

Fairdene Lodge is a residential home in Hove with a dedication to the quality of life of residents at it’s hard, and part of that is creating a homely environment through plenty of things to do. Contact us to find out more.

We’ve welcomed the sunshine and some woolly friends to Fairdene Lodge this week! 

Whilst we’ve enjoyed being warm and cosy over the winter months at Fairdene, it’s been fantastic to get out in the garden again over the past couple of weeks, with the spring sunshine showing its face rather regularly. It wasn’t just the sun popping by to say hello – we also have a special visit from some spring lambs, something all the residents absolutely loved.

We find that residents respond particularly well to animals, and a day of spending time with four legged friends is always highly anticipated. It’s fantastic to watch the animals interact with the residents, with questions being answered and explanations offered by the very knowledgable handlers. It was great to get out and enjoy the garden too, with our garden furniture being well utilised by residents looking to soak up some rays.

We’re looking forward to a lovely spring and summer in our garden, and look forward to many more animal visits!

We’re passionate about freedom of choice at Fairdene Lodge, and what we mean by this is that staff are always encouraging residents to make their own decisions about things like how they spend their day, what meals they eat, and when they have visitors. We believe that this, along with comfortable accommodation, high standards of healthcare, and tailored care plans, makes quality of life for our residents excellent.

Read More

The story of Fairdene Lodge residential home in Hove is one of family, and that remains a big part of the home today. It started back in 1984, when Tom Holliday took over Fairdene shortly after the death of his wife Kath, with whom he had managed a care home in Peacehaven in the late 70’s. His intention was to set daughter Maria up as his business partner.

Read More

There are many challenges that dementia can present, both for the individual, and for the people around them. There’s no doubt that it can change the lives of entire families, and we understand that in many cases isn’t possible to manage the needs of sufferers at home. That’s where we come in, providing dedicated residential care at our specialist dementia care home in Hove.
Read More