Author Archives: Ricky

Meet the team: Bente

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This week, we spoke to Bente, one of our team leaders at the estate, all about her day-to-day role.

 

What’s your name and role at Huntington and Langham Estate?

I’m Bente Dover, one of the team leaders here at the estate.

 

How long have you been working here?

I’ve been working with the Huntington team for 6 and a half years now, which also spans the time before Langham Court opened. I was initially employed to work at Langham, but started at Huntington House for three months.

 

Tell us more about your day-to-day role.

On an average day at the estate, I spend a lot of time speaking to the relatives of our residents, answering their questions and having reassuring conversations. My role also involves ensuring residents are as happy as possible and well looked after, with an eye kept on them at all times.

I’ll spend my time attending and preparing for funding meetings, organising ‘Resident of the Day’ and updating care plans as regularly as possible. My day will also involve taking phone calls from relatives or medical staff, and to call the doctor if necessary. It’s also my responsibility to give medication during the day.

I’ll always ensure staff are organised, have completed their care plans and filled in the relevant paperwork.

At the end of the day, it’s my job to make sure everything is done, and that the most calm and special experience possible is provided. Ultimately, it’s my aim to make sure residents are happy and well looked after!

 

What’s your favourite part of your job?

I love talking and spending time with the residents, knowing that I’m helping to improve their lives in so many ways.

 

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had with our people?

The most memorable experience I’ve had was at a party one summer, when the residents were dancing with the staff and singing together – everyone was so happy, it was a truly magical experience!

 

What makes Huntington and Langham Estate unique?

Most definitely the fact that it’s so personal, and relatively relaxed. The people also make the estate unique, as everyone cares for each other.

 

What’s the most interesting/funny experience you’ve had in your role?

I would say the funniest experience I’ve had is when one of our residents was watching Prince Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding, and she started talking about her three husbands and relaying naughty jokes… it was so funny!

 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The way the residents smile and acknowledge you when they see you and hear your voice is priceless.

 

Describe Huntington and Langham Estate in three words.

I would describe the estate as unique, special and individual.

The mental and physical health benefits of yoga

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Why gentle yoga is a great activity for care home residents

When you think of yoga, it will likely conjure a variety of images. Possibly, you’ll envisage serenity and relaxation, but you might also see an impossibly convoluted person in your mind’s eye!

For the uninitiated yoga can perhaps present an intimidating impression, especially for the elderly who may worry it’s beyond their capabilities. However, there’s no need for any trepidation. It’s a very welcoming pursuit, that’s suitable for all ages and one that comes with many associated benefits.

 

Adaptive Yoga

Yoga can still be practised and indeed taken up for the first time, long into your golden years.

Chair based yoga is an extremely gentle form that allows you to practise simple stretches to improve general wellbeing. It’s a great place to start if you have any balance issues or struggle with mobility.

Of course, if you feel the benefits you could always move to a slightly more demanding floor based yoga, however there’s no pressure to progress from chair exercises if that’s where you feel comfortable. You can adapt your approach to yoga to suit your individual needs.

 

Improved breathing

Known as pranayama, these are breathing exercises that serve to increase lung capacity, while also aiding posture and helping practitioners to sleep better – something that’s increasingly difficult as we age.

 

Prevent back pain

Aches and pains in our backs are common symptoms of ageing. Strengthening exercises with yoga can help to ease the burden on our backs, thanks to the improvement on posture as mentioned above.

 

Mental calm

Even those in their golden years can suffer stress from time to time, and this is another element that can be helped through yoga, as can anxiety and other negative thoughts. Concentrating on your body helps to bring calmness to the mind, clearing away any pernicious feelings.

 

Increased social engagement

One of the great things about yoga is that, even though you’re concentrating on your own mind and body, it’s a social pursuit. Engaging with yoga classes within the home helps you to foster a greater bond with other residents, improving your own sense of wellbeing whilst recognising its positive effects on others.

 

It’s important to recognise that yoga isn’t a quick fix though. You’ll not notice the full benefits from a solitary session, so be sure to engage with it over time and give it several sessions to allow you to decide whether or not it’s for you. The benefits are manifold, so it’s certainly worth persevering with.

 

Get in touch with the team to hear more about the activities we offer our residents at Huntington and Langham Estate.

Bucket list wishes: Barbara’s ride on a Harley Davidson

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At Huntington and Langham Estate, we were absolutely delighted to see one of our residents’ dreams come true.

If you’ve been keeping a close eye on our social media, you might have seen our ‘Moon Landings’ video, in which we set out to discover our residents’ experiences of this momentous event. Whilst recording the video, we asked our residents if they’d like to have had the opportunity to go to the moon, which, following further discussion, revealed some further ‘bucket list’ wishes.

It was here that we discovered Barbara, one of our residents who witnessed the footage of the 1969 moon landing first-hand, had a lifelong wish to ride on the back of a Harley Davidson motorbike. Barbara, now 88 years old and living in Huntington House, saw her first Harley in a pub car park and, mesmerised by its appearance, had longed for the experience ever since.

In talking about her wish, Barbara told us: “I always remember my husband and I coming out of the pub, into the car park and we saw a beautiful Harley Davidson. It was very special because it had streamers from the handlebars and a cowboy scene on the seat. I was so excited, I thought ‘I would love a ride on that’.

She added: “I would definitely ride one now, as long as I had a crash helmet, yes, I would! Yippee!”

With Barbara having expressed the desire, and recognising it was a definite possibility, the team here consequently wanted to do all we could to make it happen. Barbara has such an extraordinarily positive outlook on life that we wanted to make her dream a reality, which subsequently saw us going the full hog – not just settling on arranging a Harley, but also sourcing a proper biker’s jacket and organising an accompanying biker group!

We did, of course, equip Barbara with a safety helmet, and she was accompanied by a lovely motorcyclist who, driving a Harley Davidson trike, navigated (not too quickly!) around the estate grounds.

 

We were all delighted to witness Barbara achieving her dream, as were many others who followed the experience on our Facebook Live video.

Meet the team: Bess

Posted on by Ricky

This week, we were delighted to speak to our team leader, Bess, who tells us all about her day-to-day role at Huntington and Langham Estate.

Meet our team leader Bess

What’s your name and job role at Huntington and Langham Estate?

My name is Bess Deane, and I’m a team leader.

 

How long have you worked here?

I’ve been working at Huntington and Langham Estate for 6 months now.

 

Can you tell us more about your day-to-day role as team leader?

As team leader, it’s my job to manage the staff and the day-to-day running of the floor. I also ensure all staff members are completing their tasks to the required standard, whilst delivering the best care and safety practices for all those who live with us.

 

What’s your favourite part of your job?

There are many aspects to my role that I love, but if I had to pick one, I’d say being able to share moments of laughter with the residents – their smiles never fail to light up the room!

 

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had in your role?

I enjoy regular memorable experiences within my role by being able to get involved in activities, which often include trips out to the park, pub and garden centre visits, and days out shopping.

 

What makes Huntington and Langham Estate unique?

By far, the most unique aspect is the family feeling that’s created throughout the whole estate; we love placing value on friendships and connections.

 

What makes Huntington and Langham Estate a great place to work?

The friendly staff at the estate make it a really enjoyable place to work, and it’s a great feeling when we form relationships and connections with our lovely residents.

 

What’s the most interesting/funny experience you’ve had in your role?

I once had the unfortunate experience of dropping a whole tray of pre-made sandwiches after opening the fridge door, and it smashed everywhere. I wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time!

 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

It’s really rewarding to know that I’m making positive differences to the lives of our residents.

 

Who inspires you the most?

I would say that my mum definitely inspires me, as she’s always taking time to care for people.

 

How would you describe Huntington and Langham Estate in three words?

If I had to sum up the estate in three words, I’d say: family, friendly and fun.

 

At Huntington and Langham Estate, our care workers value the treasured relationships they create with our people. To find out more about the care we offer, please click here.

 

How to reduce signs of stress

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In today’s world of modern technology, it seems no coincidence that stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high. We’re finding it increasingly more difficult to stay in the present moment, and this is halting our ability to relax fully.

There are, of course, other factors that can cause feelings of stress, such as having too many responsibilities, a challenge that is familiar for those caring for a loved one.

No matter the cause of your negative emotions, it’s important to try and combat them for the benefit of your own mental and physical health. So, what exactly can you do to avoid the onset, or reduce the intensity of stress and anxiety?

Be more active

Although some people perceive the body and mind as being separate, there is evidence that suggests the way we treat our physical body can have a direct impact on our mental state.

Engaging in physical activity, no matter how strenuous, can have positive effects on our mental wellbeing – in the short term, creating an instant mood lift, and in the long term, putting us in a better, stronger position to face life’s challenges. If exercise isn’t normally to your liking, try finding a form of exercise that you enjoy – such as gentle yoga or dancing. Simply moving more regularly, no matter how, will set you up for a better day.

Communicate with others

At Huntington and Langham Estate, we believe a problem shared really is a problem halved. Speaking to someone you trust about your issues instantly offloads some of the stress, whilst the other person can offer their perspective on the situation – helping you see it in a different light.

Spend time talking to your friends or family members about your troubles, and ensure you engage in some fun activities with them – not only will this lift your mood, but it will also help to distract the mind.

Remember that everything is temporary

When you’re feeling down, it can be really helpful to remind yourself that nothing lasts forever. As humans, we’re biologically wired to fluctuate emotionally, so it’s inevitable that we’ll all experience ‘down days’ at some point.

Rather than fight feelings of stress, try to accept how you’re feeling and let go of things that you can’t control. Engage in activities that bring you joy, and try living more mindfully, paying attention to the present moment.

Try relaxation exercises

Mindful and relaxing exercises have most definitely gained traction in recent years, given their positive effects on our mental and physical wellbeing. Regularly engaging in activities that encourage the mind and body to relax is great for our long-term health, helping to reduce blood pressure, feelings of stress and encouraging us to become the best version of ourselves.

Meditation is an increasingly popular practice, encouraging self-awareness and a deep cleanse of the mind. Similarly, yoga calms the mind whilst offering physical benefits, such as improving blood flow and improving your bone health.

Mindful living

Simply living more mindfully can have highly positive effects on our mental state. Try to avoid multitasking and focus on the activity at hand, giving it all of your attention. Living in the moment can really help us to appreciate and feel grateful for what we do have.

 At Huntington and Langham Estate, we’re dedicated to spreading positivity wherever we can, encouraging our people to socialise with others and take part in enjoyable activities. To find out more about our care, please click here.

How to decorate your loved one’s space

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It’s no secret that the transition from a home environment to residential care can be a difficult one, particularly for those who have become so accustomed to their familiar belongings and surroundings.

A home from home

Becoming a member of a care community doesn’t have to be daunting; as a trusted family member, you can take simple, yet effective steps to help make the transition easier for your loved one.

The absence of familiar, homely surroundings can be upsetting for those transitioning to residential care. That’s why it’s important to try and create a home-from-home environment in their personal space, incorporating some of their favourite items.

Decorate the room with photos

Distributing your loved one’s favourite photos around their space is one of the best ways to both warm up the space and make settling in easier. Not only do they provide a sense of comfort, they also act as a mood booster in times of difficulty, reminding the individual of their strong support network.

Photos are particularly important for those suffering with dementia. They can help to recall past memories that may be forgotten, and act as visual cues.

Try getting creative with the photo frames – you can use different textures and colours to add points of interest. Tactile stimulation is also great for dementia sufferers, providing sensory experiences that can act as a good distraction technique.

Incorporate familiar items and scents

One of the most effective ways to help your loved one settle into their new environment is, most certainly, encouraging them to bring familiar items with them.

This could include their own bed sheets, a favourite blanket, small pieces of furniture or an air freshener. Items that remind them of their home environment and hold sentimental value can help to make the space feel instantly more comforting.

Create a memory box

This is a particularly special touch for dementia sufferers, but can be equally as useful for any resident. Try creating a memory box to give to your loved one that they can keep safe in their personal space. Place a few treasured items in there, and then encourage your loved one to add to it regularly.

Flowers and plants

As humans, we are instinctively drawn towards nature, and our exposure to it has been shown to improve mental health. Try placing a couple of low maintenance plants around the room to purify the air and provide an instant mood booster, as well as some fresh or synthetic flowers to add a wider variety of colour.

Decorating your loved one’s space doesn’t have to be challenging; by simply adding some colour, texture and a few of their most treasured items, you can instantly make the room feel more comforting.

At Huntington and Langham Estate, we encourage our residents and their families to personalise their space as much as they can. To find out more about the care we offer, please see here.

What is holistic nursing care? | Huntington & Langham Estate

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Our approach to Holistic nursing care

At Huntington and Langham Estate, it’s amongst our values to take a holistic approach to the care we offer our residents.

We place equal importance on treating our residents with respect as we do on creating a happy, friendly environment. Just as in holistic psychology, an approach which emphasises the ‘whole’ rather than the sum of its parts, holistic nursing care takes a ‘mind, body & soul’ approach, rather than focusing on an illness alone.

Holistic nurses see the body, mind, soul and the environment as interconnected, instilling overall values of unity and humanism into the care they provide.

Carer and resident relationships

Holistic nursing care very much focuses on the relationship between the carer and the resident. The holistic nurse’s aim is to heal the whole person, rather than focusing solely on a problem area. This means ensuring the individual’s mental health is sound, in addition to ensuring they’re experiencing adequate social interaction, gentle physical exercise, nutrient-dense meals and time in the outdoors.

Holistic nurses are also encouraged to practice self-care so that they can provide high-quality care themselves, whilst taking time to understand their residents in-depth so that they can provide individualised care.

The mind, body, spirit and environment

An individual’s environment has an overall effect on their health. In order to experience maximum health and happiness, individuals need sufficient access to nature, as well as healthy foods and likeminded individuals with which to spend time.

Encouraging residents to take up new hobbies instils a new sense of purpose, as does spirituality; all of which can be experienced through activities to develop fine motor skills, such as knitting, gentle yoga and meditation.

Perceiving the mind, body, spirit and environment as interconnected is key to ensuring that each of these aspects is met through everyday care and activities.

Many of which can be achieved by establishing a strong, trusting relationship with residents, allowing their voices to be heard to create an effective, tailored wellness programme.

Individualised care

Taking a holistic approach allows carers to provide more in-depth individualised care, tailoring the care plan to the individual’s personal needs, whilst paying close attention to their quality of life.

Holistic carers can help promote healing through helping individuals make the right lifestyle choices for them, whilst involving their personal beliefs in the treatment process.

An individualised care approach emphasises the importance of a holistic carer and resident forming a strong relationship, in order for them to gain maximum health benefits and feelings of wellness.

We take pride in our holistic care approach at the Huntington and Langham Estate, always striving to meet the most intricate of individual needs. To find out more about the care we offer, please click here.

Dementia friendly activities for you and your loved one

Posted on by Ricky

As a progressive condition, over time dementia can reduce a person’s ability to engage in mentally stimulating tasks. Although this is, in part, a result of the brain’s inability to retain information, it can be frustrating for the individual to come to terms with.

There are, however, activities that you can engage in with your loved one that are less mentally challenging, instead stimulating internal feelings and senses that can work equally well to promote feelings of satisfaction and achievement.

Activities you engage in with your loved one should, ideally, encourage them to reflect on their life, promote emotional connections and help to prevent feelings of anxiety and depression.

Physical activity

One of the simplest yet effective ways to improve mental wellbeing is by engaging in gentle exercise. Encourage your loved one to take regular strolls around the local neighbourhood or try out a new practise, such as yoga. These can really help to clear the mind, not only promoting feelings of positivity but also making daily challenges that little bit easier to cope with.

Water aerobics or swimming are also great activities to try, with some fitness centres offering sessions designed specifically for those with limited cognitive abilities.

Cooking and/or baking

Working to stimulate the senses, cooking and baking allow us to use our senses of smell and taste, activating different areas of the brain. Not only does cooking allow the individual to bring a recipe to life, but you also have something tangible – and edible – to enjoy at the end.

If your loved one is struggling to follow a recipe, try taking the reins, feeding them the instructions slowly. It also might be a good idea for you to take on the more difficult tasks, allowing your loved one to enjoy the more simple, fun aspects of cooking.

Exploring your surrounding nature

As humans, we’re instinctively attracted to nature and, of course, there is a reason for this. We naturally thrive in the outdoors and the mere intake of fresh air, as well as the scent of foliage can stimulate feelings of peace, restoring internal equilibrium. There are numerous ways you can encourage your loved one to connect with nature – whether that’s simply taking a stroll through a botanical garden, surrounding them with wildlife or doing some gardening.

Arts and crafts

Encouraging your loved one to pick up a paintbrush can really help to unleash their creativity. Engaging in arts and crafts can help them to develop their fine motor skills and they might even pick up a new hobby. If your loved one doesn’t enjoy painting, try and persuade them to take up knitting or drawing.

Animal therapy

Being surrounded by animals has been shown to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, promoting mental wellbeing and the production of feel-good hormones. If you don’t own a pet yourself, try asking a friend to bring their furry companion to your home, or take your loved one to a local farm to spend time with small animals. Alternatively, you could undertake some research into local animal therapy services.

Just because your loved one is suffering with dementia doesn’t mean they have to miss out on fun activities that you can enjoy together.

At the Huntington and Langham Estate, we like to make activities an integral part of daily life. To find out more about our care, click here.

A home away from home at Huntington and Langham Estate

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At Huntington and Langham Estate, we’re always delighted to welcome anyone who needs our support, as well as their families, offering a hand to hold and a friendly face. From offering day to full-time residential care, our carers are dedicated to tailoring their care to each and every individual need.

Finding a home away from home

We’ve been lucky enough to provide our care to a former anaesthetist, Bruce, who has been living at Huntington House since undergoing some major surgery at The Royal Surrey hospital.

It was Bruce’s wish to stay living in Grayshott, having lived there all his life – so finding somewhere that was both familiar and offered the support he needed was highly important.  Although Bruce’s mental health had remained positive following the surgery, his physical health required some extra support.

We’ve since been speaking to Bruce’s daughter, Sarah, who told us of Bruce’s initial resistance to the idea of moving into a care home. We were thrilled to hear that, after searching the area for a suitable option, Bruce has never looked back since his move into Huntington House.

During Bruce’s journey as an anaesthetist, he had watched many of the local GPs continue their careers at Huntington House, a place that he knew of throughout his career – but one he had not initially envisioned as somewhere to reside in his own golden years.

Our history of care at Huntington House

We have also been home for a former GP, a gentleman whom it was a pleasure to care for and a former district nurse stayed with us – a lady who worked at a local GP surgery just a few years back.

We’d also like to share a particularly special story, featuring a paediatric anaesthetist who was living with Dementia, with us at Langham Court a few years ago.

After several attempts to leave the building, presumably to try and go to work, the on-site carers provided him with a doll, stethoscope and crib, which he placed next to his bed. He was then able to re-enact the fundamentals of his job, putting his caring nature into action and satisfying his need to look after others. He proceeded to drape the curtain over the doll as a blanket, and used the stethoscope to check the ‘baby’. His bedroom was thereon transformed into a consultancy room, and after this, he didn’t try to leave the building again.

It’s stories like these that really make daily life at Huntington and Langham Estate special. Our mission is to make our people as happy and comfortable as possible, taking the fear away from the complications that come with age.

If you’d like to find out more about our care at the estate, please click here.

The importance of hobbies in later life

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The importance of encouraging your loved one to take up a new hobby 

Trying to balance a full time job with family commitments is something that we all come to face in our adult life. It’s no secret that when combined, these can take up a large proportion of our time, making it hard to maintain a good social life and keep up with hobbies. After you’ve retired, however, you’re suddenly presented with spare time that you didn’t have before, and this provides the perfect opportunity to both pick up old hobbies and develop new ones.

Reduce stress levels

We all experience stress and anxiety at some point, and these can become more prevalent at particularly negative life events. Picking up a new hobby is a great way to distract the mind, alleviating feelings of stress by focusing the mind on a particular task. Whilst you’re learning something new, your mind has less time – and capacity – to deviate towards unnecessary negative thoughts.

Hobbies not only prevent feelings of stress, but they can also provide an effective outlet in which to project anxiety, where the individual is subconsciously encouraged to translate their worries into a form of mental or physical stimulation.

Present a new challenge

Taking on a new challenge makes way for the potential to work towards a feeling of accomplishment, which, when reached, creates a new sense of motivation to develop skills in other areas.

Mentally challenging hobbies also work in reducing cognitive decline, stimulating and exercising the brain. Activities such as puzzles, reading and learning to play a new instrument can all help to keep the mind active.

Mental health benefits

Learning and mastering a new hobby can instil a real sense of accomplishment, which, in turn, promotes feelings of confidence and increased self-esteem. The social interaction opportunities that come with many hobbies also works to reduce negative emotions and feelings of loneliness.

Picking up a new hobby also encourages the mind to be more creative, promoting mental exercise that ultimately, helps to improve the circadian rhythm and sleep patterns.

 Promotes spirituality and staying present

Once you’re truly committed to a task, you can really get in the zone and focus on being in the moment – something we often forget to do in today’s fast paced world. Mentally stimulating hobbies are particularly great for this, such as reading, yoga/meditation and arts/crafts.

Amongst our efforts to look after our physical body, we often forget to pay attention to our spiritual self, ensuring that we are living with intention and purpose. Getting involved in an activity that really means something to you can really emphasise the benefits it has on your physical and mental wellness, whilst helping you realise the things that you truly value.

The benefits that hobbies offer make them more than worth your while, and there really is no better time than the present to try something new.

At Huntington and Langham Estate, we like to encourage our people to try new activities whilst taking every opportunity to engage in social interaction with others. To find out more about how we care for our people, please click here.