News & Blog - Southcare Homes Group

How to Help Those with Dementia on Bonfire Night

5 Tips to Help Those with Dementia on Bonfire Night

November ushers in the autumn layers, warm drinks and firelit nights. Fireworks too. While the sound of booms, pops and whizzes are exciting for most of us, for some with dementia it can be a cause of distress. Here are some tips to help bring relief while fireworks are going off on bonfire night.

1. Stay calm

By keeping calm when another is in distress, you can provide an emotional anchor and not exacerbate the situation. Try to think about how they are feeling right now. Striving to show empathy and put yourself in their situation may help you react in a more understanding manner, no matter how they address you. Take time to consider how you will answer them.

2. Use gentle body language and a soothing tone

Linked with keeping calm is also doing your best to create a calm atmosphere. Your tone of voice can make a difference. Speaking with a soothing, gentle tone at a steady pace can help dissipate distress in someone that has dementia. Rapid, jerking movements can denote aggression so do your best to use soft, slow movements around them.

3. Create a relaxing environment

Remove anything nearby that could worsen the level of distress experienced. For instance, anything that makes sudden loud noises, overly bright lights – anything that could harass the senses could cause further distress. Minimise surrounding distractions where possible.

4. Understand the person and their needs

Knowing much about the person with dementia will help you to understand how best to help them. Once you’re aware of their personality, their background and history, it may give you an indication of what situations and stimuli may be triggering for them. Once you know what makes them tick or are aware of the underlying causes of their distress, you can be better informed to provide support and relief.

5. Provide opportunities for meaningful engagement

It’s not enough just to create a relaxing environment. The sounds of fireworks are likely to permeate. So, keep them occupied in an activity that is meaningful and one they find enjoyable. Reassure them with your presence, words and active engagement. Validating their feelings helps shift their focus away from the noise and may help calm the person down.

Resident holding a sparkler in garden — A previous Bonfire Night at Highbury House, Rottingdean. A dear resident enjoying the fun of sparklers!

There are great benefits to either hosting or attending a bonfire night celebration for residents. And the above tips can be used in any distressing situation. We wish you all the best with bonfire season and hope as many as possible can enjoy it.

21/10/2024 / by Amber

Highbury House Celebrates Good Care Month with Samba

Highbury Ho use Nursing Home in Rottingdean held their annual Summer Party, and this year the theme was Samba! They were lucky enough to have the amazing Silver Sounds join us who are Brighton’s senior samba band.

Musicians playing on percussive instruments before an elderly audience

Residents, relatives, friends and staff all enjoyed the party which included a BBQ and plenty of fun and games. Residents had great fun listening to the drums and percussion and even got to join in playing their own instruments.

Relatives and friends got to spend a special day with their loved one, which can sometimes be difficult in a nursing home when not all residents are able to venture outside of the home, the party was a day they could spend together with a slight change of scenery with the dining room being taken over by the band.

A side view of musicians playing on percussive instruments with a natural backdrop

The Highbury team were more than happy to join in ensuring our residents had the best day.

The team were a huge part of making this day a great one for our residents. Their hard work and dedication shined through. It was a time for us to all be together as one big family.

For more updates, follow Highbury House on Facebook

At Southcare Homes Group, we support and value the dedication carers put into their work in making life in our homes special for every one of our residents. We also feel that it’s essential to celebrate and appreciate the importance of carers and the wonderful job that they do. Find out more about our team here.

09/08/2024 / by Amber

Our Homes Say Happy Chinese New Year!

Two nursing homes, Highbury House in Rottingdean and Freshford Cottage in Seaford, had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year. 2022 is the year of the Tiger. If your birthday falls under this year, you’re said to be a born leader, courageous and inspiring.

To celebrate this special day, residents at Highbury House wrote a note to those they miss, those they care about or those that inspire them. We then turned those notes into beautiful, vibrant Chinese lanterns. Some then decorated their lanterns with tiger faces. Of course, we had a themed meal of Spring rolls and some fortune cookies in there, just for fun.

Freshford Cottage also ushered in the Chinese New Year in style. Residents were helped to write their name in Chinese characters which was very fun and write down what Chinese year they were born in (turns out we didn’t have any tigers). But we did create a tiger-themed tea trolley, bedecked with lanterns and dragons! It went round to all the residents’ rooms, dropping off goodies and spreading New Year festivities.

We hope you all have a prosperous year! To find more about these homes, visit www.southcarehomes.com or visit their Facebook pages: @FreshfordCottage @HighburyHouseRottingdean

04/02/2022 / by Amber

Southcare Homes Raise over £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support

All our homes had a terrific time raise funds and awareness for the outstanding charity, Macmillan Cancer Support and their annual Biggest Ever Coffee Morning.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Highbury House… that’s right, a tea party for a coffee morning – mad I tell you!

Highbury House and their wonderful Mad Hatter Tea Party! It was a day full of colour, craziness and cakes! A massive thanks to local businesses, such as Tesco, The Trellis Restaurant, S.A. Devesons Groceries, The White Horse Hotel, Rottingdean, Shane’s kitchen, Budgens. They all generously donated prizes for our Raffle! Also thanks to our heroic staff! They even brought in their own whacky outfits! We had Alice in Wonderland playing in our outdoor cinema, and a stunning themed cake created in house! Thanks to all our relatives that joined – even getting hats for their pets to wear! What a day!

Relatives and friends of Lime Tree House were able to join for a virtual cup of coffee for their Macmillan Morning. Their fabulous chef, Toby, made coconut and jam, Victoria sponge, carrot cake and Laura, our new activities coordinator made her oh-so-fabulous ginger cake!

Grasmere also managed to raise over £100 while also managing to work their way through an assortment of beautiful homemade cakes! They had a quiz, and even a jolly good game of beerpong (minus the beer though)!

A selection of sweet sponges to delight and tempt made their way onto the cake table at Heatherdene’s Coffee Morning. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm from our residents, staff, family and friends who not only raised the roof but managed to raise over £100 towards the charity. Thank you all for making our coffee morning such a sweet success!

Freshford Cottage’s Macmillan Coffee Morning was also a great success! You can see pictures and find out more details by visiting their Facebook page.

20/10/2021 / by Amber

Grasmere’s First Trip Out with Oomph! Wellness

At the end of August, our residents had an amazing day on our first outing with Oomph Wellness! Our activities coordinator, Antony, arranged a trip with them to the stunning Kew Gardens in London. We had a smooth journey up to London and Oomph! made sure that all was well before our journey.

Outside the Orangery, we had a homemade picnic and afterwards took a beautiful walk down The Great Broad Walk Borders that had colourful flowers in the borders. Residents were amazed by the Weeping Beech Tree which had the most incredible looking trunk.

Conservatories & Cacti

Later, we made our way through the Princess of Wales Conservatory. It had a vast collection of Cacti and exotic plants. One of our residents, Valerie, said, “It was lovely being in the fresh air and being together with nice company. I was fascinated by the cacti.” Valerie even bought one as memento of her trip at the gift shop.

The day was finished with a walk through the vast Rock Garden. Of course, we also had to stop for a nice cup of tea. The beautiful views, fresh air and lots of laughter is what we all needed! Jean, one of our dear residents, said, “It exceeded my expectations and I saw parts of Kew I’d never seen before.” She concluded, “I was very taken by the trip.”

Thank you Oomph! Wellness for a lovely trip

Thank you to all the staff from Oomph Wellness for driving our residents to the gardens. Neil, our driver, was superb! He even changed our pick-up point as our party were very tired at the end of their full day. Thanks also to our Activities Coordinator, Antony, for organising this amazing trip. A Big thank you also to Debbie and Ioana for taking such a good care of the residents during the outing. Now, our residents can’t wait to go back to The Royal Botanical Gardens! Audrey said, “I would like to go again as I would like to see the other parts of Kew we were not able to see.” We look forward to our next outing with Oomph!

01/09/2021 / by Amber

Summer Olympics for Freshford Residents

To mark the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Freshford Cottage have started their own tournaments! Our contestants were well-trained and kept staff on their toes! There were plenty of lively activities and even some water sports during the spell of hot weather we had.

Our first round included balloon-tennis and darts. Residents certainly gave staff a run for their money! Balloon tennis was full of laughter and enjoyed by both staff and residents. We also had a darts tournament which really put staff in the hands of residents as Velcro balls were launched at the target (held by a brave member of staff).

Two of our residents enjoying balloon tennis with a diligent umpire helping out.

The day finished with ‘clay pigeon’ shooting… well, rubber duck shooting in our case… with water guns but the concentration levels and competitive spirits were certainly just as high. The sun even made an appearance and residents even braved the pool for our diving competition! Only joking, no diving in paddling pools. But, if there was a competition for relaxing in a paddling pool, though, our residents would certainly get gold! our big Olympic tournament was a grand success, and we can’t wait until next time!

Everyone enjoyed reminiscing over childhood memories and good times in the sun as well as remembering fun times with their children and grandchildren. We can’t wait until the weather gets better again and we can enjoy some more fun in the sun!

23/08/2021 / by Amber

Care Home in Ringmer Celebrates Ascot with Horse Parade

Residents and staff at Lime Tree House Care Home in Ringmer, Lewes donned their best hats and outfits for Royal Ascot. However, this year, we had to adapt and adjust this very much awaited event due to the current situation, but the fun was guaranteed.

A Surprise for Ladies’ Day

The residents at Lime Tree House received a pleasant surprise on Ladies Day! Hannah, the granddaughter of one of our residents, brought her pony, Rory, and her horse, Woody, to our care home! We had an outside parade to mark this day. Our two equestrian guests were exceptionally well mannered and enjoyed the attention from our residents and staff.

Horsing Around: Little Rory shows us his best side as he trots round the car park. (Lime Tree House, Care Home in Ringmer)

Creating Meaningful Links with Our Community

Community engagement is very important to us. Every member of staff greatly appreciates and values each resident as an individual. That’s why we host events like these, to show our dear residents how much they mean to us, as well as to others in our local area.

“It was such a delight to be able to put on a show for the lovely residents at Lime Tree House. We are constantly looking for new ways to engage with our local community. This experience will stay with all of us for a long time. It was so good to see the smiles on their faces and being able to do something meaningful for all of them”.
Hannah, Owner of Rory The Pony

“It was so lovely to see all our residents and staff horsing around and enjoying the event. Their smiles where wide as a furlong. Our sincere thanks to our resident’s relatives for getting involved and making this happen”.
Julie MCPHATER, care home manager

What is Lime Tree House like?

Lime Tree House is a residential care home in Ringmer, part of Southcare Homes Group. This family-run business provides high-quality, person-centred care and a unique way of life for the elderly. Our dedicated care providers staff strive to create happy homes and always work with a smile. Lime Tree House provides residential and respite care for the elderly. New residents are more than welcome and we always ensure we are there for those who need care and support.

Keeping everyone safe is also a priority for us. That’s why we have an unambiguous admission policy and robust infection control protocols. We are always putting the needs of our residents and their loved ones first. As a result, we are rising to every challenge this pandemic throws our way. Please give us a call if you are looking for care or need further help: 01273 813 755. You can also visit our website, www.southcarehomes.com/. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.

18/06/2021 / by Amber

Heatherdene Celebrates a Lifetime of Love on Valentine’s Day

Love was in the air at Heatherdene this Valentine’s Day when we treated two of our residents and their wives to a romantic Valentine’s couples’ lunch. The two couples’ combined years of marriage add up to a total of 84 years! And as it was Valentines Day, we took the opportunity to hear about their love stories, and what marriage means to them lives before they tucked into their lunch.

We may not be the biggest care home in Bexhill, but our Manager, Beena George, and her staff are able to dedicate more quality time to their residents on an individual basis. An example of this was on Valentine’s Day.

Michael and Patricia’s Story

One of the couples, Michael and Patricia were already in the front lounge. Heatherdene’s lounge was bedecked with hearts, petals, candles and the specially made Valentines playlist, such as Lady in Red, Frank Sinatra as well as some other classic love songs playing softly in the background.

Michael, one of our dear residents, made his wife Patricia a Valentine’s card which she was very pleased to receive. The couple have been married for 31 years and their wedding anniversary was on 3rd February. We asked her a few questions about her and Michael’s love story.

How did you meet your husband?

“It’s a funny story really. My first husband collapsed one day at home. I panicked and rushed outside to get someone to help me. There was a man standing outside the shops waiting for his wife.

A Stranger to the Rescue

I approached him and asked him to help me, saying my husband had collapsed. The man and his wife came and were a marvellous help to me. The ambulance arrived and my husband had had a heart attack and sadly later passed away. But I didn’t get a chance to thank the couple that had helped me – they disappeared when the ambulance arrived and I hadn’t even had a chance to get their names.

“I later found out their names and where they lived and sent a bouquet of flowers to thank them. We didn’t meet after that for about ten years, when we both worked for the council. We would see each other around the offices but I didn’t know he was divorced. He later came into the restaurant, told me he was divorced and asked me out for a drink.

“So, the first time I ever set eyes on him was the day my first husband died. But it was 10 years later that we were married. That’s my story. We’ve been together ever since.”

How did he propose?

“Well, he didn’t go down on knee that’s for sure! He just asked me and I said yes.”

What would you say is the key to a happy marriage?

“You can’t go through marriage without some ups and downs but Michael is such a patient man I’ve never met anyone so patient. His motto is anything for a peaceful life. We’ve been alright and I think it’s because we’re different that we got on so well.”

Sadly, Michael suffered a stroke in September of last year which meant him coming to Heatherdene Nursing Home. This no doubt changes things for any couple when they’re apart but Patricia didn’t let that phase her.

“Apart from one day over Christmas, I’ve visited Michael every day for the last eight weeks since he’s been here. Of course, I’d love for him to be at home it’s a big change not having him around after 30 years. But he’s being looked after properly and it’s nice for me to think that that he’s in this cosy home.” Patricia also told me her and Michael had a great-grandchild born that very morning of Valentine’s Day!

Paul & Joan’s Story

Paul and Joan were in the home’s other lounge, mainly used for activities. They were joining in the morning’s activity, Tots Playtime, where Heatherdene hosts a baby yoga session for mothers and their babies. It’s a great time for the elderly ones to interact with some so young and it really lifts everyone’s spirits, hearing the gurgles and giggles of babies.

Joan, wife of Paul, managed to have a talk with us about their life and love story. Paul and Joan have been married for 54 years. And will be celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary next Wednesday 26th February!

How did you two meet?

“Paul was my first love. It all began when Paul was supposed to play football one day but he couldn’t because he had to attend a family wedding. It was arranged my brother play in Paul’s absence. Unfortunately, my brother broke his leg playing so Paul came round to see him at our house … and that was it. Paul was quite the romantic. He used to send me sweet little notes setting out the hours, minutes and seconds until he would see me again, bless him.”

Dedication Despite Difficulty

Paul was sadly diagnosed with dementia in 2007 and, although it developed slowly, it eventually caught up with Paul. Joan cared for him as long as she could at home but he eventually moved into a care home.

“Paul has lost the power of speech and use of his legs but he can talk with his eyes. I promised I would look after him always and I will. I’m so happy I can still be there for him.

“However, as our lovely daughter pointed out, her father has had a wonderful life and did everything he wanted to. We have some very happy memories with each other over the years, including our many trips to Sidmouth in Devon & the Lake District – a place we loved very much.”

What, in your opinion, is the key to a happy marriage?

“Laughter – well, having a sense of humour and doing things together. Paul was a man’s man and would go to greyhound racing, manage football teams, and watch cricket and we socialised at the Sydenham Sports Club. Therefore, we had our independence but we were always there for each other; that independence has helped me now that Paul is in a nursing home, even though being apart is still very hard.

“He has settled into Heatherdene and is happy and content and has a lovely room there and if he’s happy and content then so am I. He is my inspiration.”
Joan, wife of Paul, 54 years married.

A Happy Day of Ageless Love

Both couples then enjoyed a lovely meal prepared by the home’s chef and even had a glass of Prosecco or two! It was so lovely that they could share their stories with us and a wonderful privilege for Heatherdene to give something back to these two happy couples.

It was also very touching to see such devotion, especially from Joan and Patricia, who continued to support their husbands and it was wonderful they could share this special day together. Despite their hardships, both Paul and Joan and Michael and Patricia have grown old together, happy and still very much in love. They demonstrated how love can truly stand the test of time.

This touching story even made it into our local paper, The Bexhill Observer: https://www.bexhillobserver.net/news/people/read-the-touching-love-story-of-how-two-bexhill-care-home-residents-met-their-wives-and-what-marriage-means-to-them-1-9241183

21/02/2020 / by Amber

Candidates Visit Residents for Election

We’ve made sure our residents can be a part of the upcoming election, remembering that everyone’s vote counts.

With elections right around corner, we’ve made sure that all of our residents in Southcare Homes can be a part of this climactic time. They will either have physical access to an actual polling station on the day, or we’ve made arrangements for them to vote online or by post for those less mobile.

Plus, we want our residents to be able to make informed decisions when it comes to voting. That’s why we went one step further than just putting the news on in the morning. We arranged for candidates to come and visit our homes. This way, they can talk to residents and discuss the topics that matter to them.

The Lewes Lib Dem Visits Lime Tree Residents

The Liberal Democrat Representative for Lewes, Oli Henman, visited Lime Tree House, our residential home in Ringmer. Mr Henman was very receptive to the residents’ views. He listened attentively, even making notes. All that wanted to, were able to take part in a lively discussion that focused on issues that specifically affect our residents.

Talks covered the NHS, state pensions, social care and the cost of coming into care. The candidate had a run for his money when some of our rather cheeky residents began heckling from the back. Some were even booing when Brexit was mentioned!

In his parting comments, Henman said it was ‘lovely to hear from the residents, [they were] very engaged and [had] incisive comments. I look forward to working to ensure better funding for health and social care as your Liberal Democrat representative’. On commenting on the home, both Mr Henman and his driver were very impressed with Lime Tree. The driver, Theo, said he had a relative in a care home locally and ours was by far better, more friendly and had a lovely atmosphere.

It was “lovely to hear from the residents, [they were] very engaged and [had] incisive comments.”
Oli Henman, Lewes Lib Dem Rep

Labour Candidate Visits Heatherdene

Heatherdene Nursing Home in Bexhill, had a visit from Christine Bayliss, the Labour candidate for Battle and Bexhill. Christine has been active in local politics for a long time. She is now serving as a Rother District Councillor for the ward of Bexhill Central and Cabinet Member for Bexhill Affairs and Regeneration.

She is very well informed about the problems in health and social care at the moment and was very interested in staff and residents’ first-hand experiences. The candidate spoke to residents and their relatives about local issues affecting them – pot holes being just one of many!

Our residents could actively engage with current issues and feel a part of the current political climate. Our residents will be making sure their voices are heard at election time.

This was a fantastic opportunity to remind our residents how important they are to us, to their local community and to the government. Everyone has the right to vote, even those with dementia. No matter your age, you still have so much to give to your community.

11/12/2019 / by Amber

Have family in care? Ensure they have a Power of Attorney.

Do you have a family member in a care or nursing home? Do you want to be included in decisions involving their medical care and finances? There may come a time when you’ll need to be a Power of Attorney to do so. But, what is a power of attorney? Why is it important for our elderly relatives to have one? And how can you, a family member or friend, help them with this? Read on for plain and simple answers to these important questions and more.

Please note, the following does not constitute legal advice but is simply a guide to help.

What is a Power of Attorney?

DEFINITION: It’s a document that allows you to be included in important decisions involving the medical care and finances of your family member. It is a document that they, or a family member, can create on GOV.UK.

Knowing the lingo

Before we get cracking, there’s always some legal lingo that can be confusing. So here are the keywords associated with power of attorneys laid out in plain English.

There are two types of Power of Attorney:
- Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA): this ended in 2007 so you don’t have to worry about this one. If you already have one, that’s fine – any made before 2007 are still valid.
- Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA): replaced the EPA in 2007. The LPA is the one we’re talking about in this article.
Donor: the person who needs to appoint someone to make decisions for them. For the purpose of this article, this is your elderly family member. (But in reality, the donor can be anyone over 18 and that has mental capacity.)
Attorney: the person given the legal power to make decisions on behalf of the donor. This is you – the relatives or friends of the elderly individual.

Why set up a Power of Attorney?

So now we know what an LPA is, why have one? An LPA is enacted when a person loses mental capacity. This means they can no longer make decisions for themselves, their care or finances. An example of this is when someone develops dementia. This is, sadly, all too common when it comes to our parents, grandparents, or elderly relatives. It can be the reason they go into care or something that develops while they’re there.

(Of course, it’s not the only thing that causes one to lack mental capacity. The NHS lists some examples here. A qualified professional or doctor can assess someone’s mental capacity.)

What if my family member has just been diagnosed with dementia?

It’s ok – this doesn’t mean that they lack mental capacity just yet. But time is running out to set up an LPA, so get this done as quickly as possible.

What if I don’t set one up?

If you don’t set up an LPA for your loved one and they lose their mental capacity, you will not be able to legally represent them. Then, the only way to act on their behalf is to go through a lengthy and expensive process which involves going to court to become a deputy. So get this sorted while you can! An LPA is the easiest way to ensure you will be involved in managing their affairs if they ever lose mental capacity.

So now we’ve looked at the importance of setting up an LPA for them while they still have mental capacity. Now we’ll explore what an LPA can allow you to do for your relative.

What does being an LPA allow me to do for my relative?

The donor can appoint one or two separate people as their LPAs. One can manage financial matters & property, and another can make medical and care-related decisions for them. But one person can also manage both. If two are chosen, the donor can decide whether they make decisions jointly or whether they can make decisions without the other being involved. The attorney(s) must always act in the best interests of the donor. Find out exactly what decisions LPAs can make on behalf of the donor on the GOV.UK website, here.

How much does an LPA cost?

It costs £82 for a donor to register one person as an LPA. Visit the government website to see if you are eligible for a reduction.

FAQs

Will an LPA take away my relative’s freedom to choose?

No, they will still have their independence as long as they have mental capacity. The LPA doesn’t have to be put into effect immediately. It’s good to reassure your loved one; they’re not losing control. The LPA just gives them peace of mind, knowing their wishes can be carried out in the future. It will be brought into effect when they lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Can an LPA only be enacted once the donor lacks mental capacity?

No, an LPA can be enacted while someone still has mental capacity. For instance, they may be able to handle their care but might get a little confused when it comes to managing their finances. If they have already appointed someone as an LPA over their finances, they can call on this person to make financial decisions for them.

How can we help you?

At Southcare, we want to make things as easy as possible – for our residents and their relatives. And we’ve seen how hard it is when relatives don’t have a say in their loved one’s care or finances. When it comes to their care and future plans, it is good to have the family involved. So we cannot urge you enough to ensure you have a Lasting Power of Attorney set up for your relatives, whether they’re in a home or not. If you need to set up a Power of Attorney for your loved one, do so here on the GOV.UK website. Or get in touch with your home manager for more information.

23/09/2019 / by Amber

Southcare Homes Group