How we lead the way as a Dragonfly Care Home

Posted on 21 July 2022 by Nicky Macfarlane

Why we believe meaningful care matters

Huntington House continues to lead the way in the provision of residential care and as the first accredited Level One Dragonfly Home, achieving an Excellent rating from Meaningful Care Matters, for the delivery of the Dragonfly Approach in 2022.

Offering a highly engaged service with a high value on meaningful moments and a true person-centred philosophy. People’s individuality and expression is evident and people can express that freedom and be themselves.

“I don’t think you could find many Huntington’s. It’s extremely well run. Different people get different things. I love it! I came for two weeks and have stayed for months.

It’s the attitude you just couldn’t fault. They have been very understanding to me as a smoker as so many places don’t these days. AND they’ve let me have my dog Woolly – they had a vote on it and then Maggie said “Woolly is welcome!” Resident of Huntington House

A leading Dragonfly care home

Meaningful Care Matters conducted the audit during June 2022, accrediting the home with flying colours, recognising the hugely impressive achievement of the whole team at the Huntington & Langham Estate after the challenges of the last two years from managing Covid-19.

On receiving the news Charlie Hoare, Managing Director of The Huntington and Langham Estate said:

“I’m so very proud of our team, and completely overwhelmed with the outcome, especially having managed to maintain such a high standard of true person-centred care when Covid-19 has presented so many challenges along the way.

Reading the report made me incredibly emotional, having needed to navigate the government Covid-19 guidance over the last 2 years, whilst maintaining our family ethos and the Dragonfly Approach at Huntington House. Knowing that the effort to balance it all, has had a positive impact on people’s lives makes it all worthwhile.

There is something so fundamental about looking after each other; it is why we exist as humans. Life in care homes should reflect life in general, and while the care industry still has a way to go to achieve a truly holistic approach, being the first accredited Level One Dragonfly Home is arguably the best evidence that we are leading the way.

For me, both professionally and personally, it’s the positive comments from the people that live and work here that are so important, as well as feedback from family members.

Having an independent audit by Meaningful Care Matters, ensures that we remain focused on the most important part of running a care home; the people and their freedom to be themselves.

The expert insights provided in this years report, into how to embrace people’s individuality, and the impact of the environment on their experience of life in a care home, will become our care encyclopaedia for the next year, until the next audit!”

Working with Meaningful Care Matters

Established in 2019, Meaningful Care Matters (MCM) focuses on the development of resilient relationship-centred cultures of care shaped by the people living and working within them. MCM believe that caregiving is meaningful for everyone involved when cultures of care express the personhood of people within them. In these person-centred services both “caregivers” and recipients of care can flourish.

The Dragonfly approach is about the ‘whole person’. While traditional care focuses primarily around clinical needs, the Dragonfly approach gives control back to the person who is being cared for and values the person on an emotional and social level, meaning each person is “free to be me”.

“There is a real feeling of home here. It is informal relaxed and family like. We always ask “How would I want my loved one to be treated?” That’s the starting point. With the Estate, you can feel the love – everyone truly does care and people have fun!

Even during the pandemic, we managed to have outdoor parties and we could use the buggies to go round the beautiful gardens”. Team Member at Huntington House

There is lots more information about The Huntington and Langham Estate available on our website. https://huntingtonlangham.estate/

We love to show people around the Estate and our two wonderful homes so please do send us an Email to huntington@hlestate.co.uk or call us 01428 604600 to arrange a visit.

Highly Commended Care in Surrey: Praise in three award categories at the Great British Care Awards!

Posted on 11 November 2021 by Nicky Macfarlane

Huntington & Langham Estate has been highly commended at the Great British Care Awards.

The inaugural awards evening for the South East took place at the Hilton Hotel, Brighton on the 6^th November. The prestigious awards are a series of regional events across the UK that bring together the statutory, private and voluntary sectors to celebrate the elitism of teams and individuals who have demonstrated excellent care.

Huntington & Langham Estate were highly commended at the awards ceremony for a total of three categories: The Care Employer Award and The Dignity in Care Award, while Registered Manager for Huntington House, Maggie Cain, was highly commended for The Care Home Registered Manager Award.

The commendation to Huntington & Langham Estate for The Care Employer Award was in recognition of the compassion and investment in its people, with the awards body commenting, “They invest time in their people and this is demonstrated by their long serving employees. This investment is filtered down to the people who live in their homes not only from the quality of care provided, but also enabling a continuum of care”.

Huntington & Langham Estate was meritorious in the category for The Dignity in Care Award, the judges commenting, “Huntington & Langham’s person-centred approach is at its core, with a clear passion and drive to provide meaningful care. They strive to nurture dignity and privacy throughout their services, placing residents at the heart of everything they do”.

The Care Home Registered Manager Award pays tribute to managers with demonstrable talent to lead and motivate their teams to provide extraordinary care in extraordinary environments. The judges said, “Maggie has installed a real family ethos into her team, supporting them and encouraging them to flourish. The Dementia Care Matters initiative is ground breaking and a massive achievement”.

Charlie Hoare, Managing Director at Huntington & Langham estate comments, “To be recognised for a single award by such an elite body as The Great British Care Awards is an honour, but to be highly commended for a total of three categories is an absolute testament to the hard work and dedication of the extraordinary people I am proud to call my team. The Great British Care Awards celebrate the very best people and teams in the care industry; the standard is elite and we are therefore delighted to be recognised among the very elite of care teams and individuals in the country”.

To discover more about Huntington & Langham Estate and our two award-winning care homes, take a look around our website

To book a visit, please contact us

Random Acts of Kindness Day at the Estate

Posted on 17 February 2021 by Ricky

How we’ve been spreading cheer this Randon Acts of Kindness Day

Here at the estate, we’re passionate about embracing any opportunity to spread joy within our home, and throughout the community.

The past year has been a rollercoaster ride – and so, we think it’s more important than ever that we clutch to little nuggets of happiness whenever they arise.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy reading all about the random acts of kindness we’ve been exhibiting throughout February.

Surprising Our Care Team

To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day, we’ve taken the opportunity to show our gratitude to our care team for all the hard work they do each day.

So, we surprised each member of the H&L team with either a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates. It’s safe to say that they were delighted with their gifts!

Spreading the Love on Valentine’s Day

Last Sunday, we donned our creative hats to celebrate the day of love.

Three members of our wonderful team clubbed together to create mini hand-made Valentine’s cards for the H&L family. A small act of kindness really does go a long way; our residents were overjoyed with the gesture!

Getting Crafty

It’s not just our staff that love getting creative; it turns out that our residents do, too!

We were delighted to see their enthusiasm for making Valentine’s cards and sending love to their nearest and dearest.

Baking Sweet Treats

At the estate, we think there’s little better than a tray of warm, freshly baked goodies.

We were delighted to discover that one of our residents had decided to treat us with a delicious array of shortbread, moulded into heart shapes in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

We Have a Secret Hairdresser Among Us…

This may come as a surprise to some of you… Bess, one of our team leaders, has a special talent (aside from her wonderful caring nature!); she’s actually a qualified hairdresser!

During lockdown, Bess has very kindly been putting her skills into practice, making our residents feel special with a fresh haircut.

Thank you to all our staff and residents for continuing to spread kindness and joy at our home, and throughout the community. It truly does make all the difference at a time that’s so difficult for us all.

How did you celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day? Let us know via our social media channels.

There’s no business like snow business…

Posted on 5 February 2019 by Ricky

MD’s Musing

I used to have a love-love relationship with snow. Now it’s more love-stress. As an organisation, we’ve always offered lifts to our staff in our 4×4 in adverse weather, but with constantly increasing staffing numbers and the company’s 7-seater 4×4 in the middle of a repair job last week, the snow presented a particular logistical challenge this time.

With around 50 staff on duty over 24 hours and nearly 10 different shift changes across the various departments, it meant driving for the best part of 18 hours on Friday. Throw a couple of fallen trees into the mix, which blocked our drive, and it was probably a 20-hour shift for our stoic maintenance team.

Our maintenance Hero’s

Short of giving them an actual medal and thanking them on bended knee, I’m not quite sure how we can recognise such a valiant effort. Overtime rate and a box of biscuits doesn’t seem enough for the role they played in keeping everyone safe and sound.

Perhaps listening to them about how we can improve things for next time, and putting a more robust strategy in place that doesn’t rely so heavily on one or two vehicles and people is the kindest thing to do.

During my last driving shift on Saturday evening I was contemplating what takeaway I was going to pick up on my way home only to find our local village had turned into a ghost town. The takeaways and even the off-licence had closed early. And then the responsibility of our situation really struck me.

Open all hours

We can never simply shut our doors and close for the day. A nurse half an hour late for their shift could delay a time-specific medication for someone with Parkinson’s disease. And being short of care staff could put someone recovering from a stroke at risk of a pressure sore and infection.

By Sunday morning, everyone managed to make it to and from work under their own steam, for which I was extremely grateful, and remember thinking that I’ll never take people simply turning up for work for granted again!

Times like these really highlight what an amazing team we have, and how fortunate we are to have people working for us who put other people before themselves.

So, all that was left to do was spread some salt one last time before tentatively checking the weather forecast to make sure the temperature was indeed due to stay above zero for the foreseeable. Long may it last.

All the best,

Charlie

The WayBack: challenging dementia with virtual reality

Posted on 28 November 2018 by Ricky

A few years ago, a group of friends decided to team up on a Kickstarter project after seeing their loved ones face Alzheimer’s. They came up with the idea to use virtual reality to trigger happy memories, helping those living with this cruel disease as well as their family members and friends. They called it The WayBack, as sometimes the best way forward is to go WayBack!

Did you know that Alzheimer’s disease is the biggest health challenge this country faces, costing more than cancer or heart disease?

Alzheimer’s affects our ability to remember, understand and communicate and often leads to severe memory loss and the inability to recognise friends or family members, which is heartbreaking to see.

At some point, this disease will inevitably affect everyone’s lives. We see this first-hand every day at the Huntington & Langham Estate and although we provide support and reassurance to the people who live here and their loved ones where we can, people often feel vulnerable and helpless.

Virtual reality offers a way to go further, which is why we were delighted when we were asked to be involved in this pioneering project, putting new technology to good use and helping to improve the lives of those living with Alzheimer’s.

The initial stage of the Kickstarter project saw the team ask for help to get the concept off the ground, and incredibly, 230 backers pledged £35,040 to help bring this project to life.

Watch some of those living at Huntington & Langham estate test the headsets and our Director Sarah Chapman share her thoughts.

What an amazing achievement! Congratulations to all those involved.

It really was incredible to be involved in such a pioneering project and we can’t wait to see the impact The WayBack will inevitably have on dementia care, both here at the Huntington & Langham Estate and in homes across the country and further afield.

Here’s to the next chapter of this incredible idea that’s sure to change lives, for the better. With the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 already covered, plus England’s World Cup victory in 1966 and the 1969 Apollo landings in the pipeline, what significant event in modern history will we be watching through our virtual reality headsets next? Whatever it is, we hope we can help by testing it out here in our home.

Visit thewaybackvr.com to find out more and to download the free WayBack app.

Another award recognising Langham’s exceptional care

Posted on 20 November 2018 by Ricky

Remember, remember the 8th November…as that’s the night when the high-profile Gala night for the National Dementia Care Awards was held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, hosted by Labour politician, Hazel Blears.

Over 450 guests were in attendance, and we’re proud to say that one of our own was in attendance as she had been nominated for an award – Maggie Cain. For those of you who know Maggie, this will come as no surprise! And for those of you who don’t, you’re more than welcome to visit us at Langham Court anytime and see the positive impact Maggie has on our residents’ lives.

We’re delighted to say that on the night, Maggie was presented with the award for Dementia Care Inspiring Leader 2018, which is an absolutely incredible achievement! This is what the two judges had to say: “Maggie has such a big heart and huge compassion. She inspires the staff by simply being herself – she is a lovely human being. Maggie’s greatest joy is seeing others blossom in a culture of kindness, love and respect…family.”

A bit about the awards

Once a year, the National Dementia Care Awards are held, organised by the Journal of Dementia Care, which is a multidisciplinary journal for all professional staff working with people who are living with dementia. This includes those working in hospitals, nursing and residential care homes, day units and the community.

Created to recognise the very best individuals working within the dementia care sector, the awards are highly coveted, identifying those people whose exceptional work and contributions make better, person-centred care a reality. This year, there were 16 categories, with four or five finalists within each of those categories, and two independent judges carefully choosing the winners.

Maggie’s great achievement

Maggie was nominated for the Dementia Care Inspiring Leader 2018 award by Julie Drake, who is the manager here at Langham Court, and notably the 2017/8 National Dementia Manager of the Year.

In Julie’s words, “Maggie is an inspiration to the whole Langham Court care team. She has the gift of befriending everyone she meets and is a cornerstone of the success of Langham Court. Maggie has been one of the team for over five years and continually works to enrich of the lives of the people living at Langham Court and those of their families.”

As her name was announced at the Gala as the winner, Maggie was completely overwhelmed, mentioning in her acceptance speech how she felt extremely humbled, thanking her wonderful team for their backing. Maggie admitted that she is not very good at self-promotion, preferring to spend her time quietly working behind the scenes and making sure that everyone who lives and works at Langham Court always feel like they are ‘at home’. Maggie’s commitment, energy and passion truly reflect the home’s ethos and we couldn’t be prouder of what she has achieved.

To experience Langham Court for yourself, please do get in touch – we would love to hear from you and are always happy to help.

An alternative style of care home living

Posted on 25 October 2018 by Ricky

Before Langham Court opened in 2013, we spent a lot of time researching which model of care to follow, and one approach stood out above the rest. This was the ‘Butterfly’ model, which we saw as the most intuitive approach. It reflected our family ethos here at the Huntington & Langham Estate too, so we decided to follow it from day one.

A Butterfly Home

At the time, there were only a handful of ‘Butterfly’ homes, but now with more homes on board and to positive impact of this model of care so clear to see, we’re so pleased we made the decision back in 2013 – the impact it has on our residents’ lives is evident. We’re proud to be part of the top 1% of UK care homes, with a CQC rating of ‘Outstanding’, but things are about to get even better.

We’re delighted to announce that here at the Huntington & Langham Estate, we’re pioneering a brand-new model of care in both our homes on behalf of Dementia Care Matters, who developed the ‘Butterfly’ model. We’re piloting this new, ground-breaking project to challenge the traditional nursing home model that exists in most care homes across the UK by breaking down barriers that often exist between staff and residents and doing away with service-led routines and language.

Where did the model come from?

For over 20 years, the team at Dementia Care Matters have been paving the way for modern dementia care with their ‘Feelings Matter Most’ approach. Dr David Sheard, who founded it all, said: “We applaud Huntington House for being pioneers. Implementing the best ideas from Butterfly Homes across the whole care sector is the next transformation needed in the UK. All Care Matters.”

This unique model is a huge success in Canada already, and has appeared on front pages of newspapers and on national TV. What emerged from the success of the Butterfly Model was how obvious it was that its core values aren’t just relevant to dementia care, but all care. That’s why, with a potentially revolutionary impact on the care industry, Dr Sheard is adapting the original Butterfly Model to do just that.

Dr Sheard commented, “Feelings Matter Most in life whether you have dementia or not. Emotional care should be at the heart of all care. Butterfly Homes have proven quality of life in dementia care is a basic human right. The mission of Dementia Care Matters is to be a disruptor of all poor care. The essence of great dementia care can now be a model of care for everyone. Culture change across a whole care home enables everyone to flourish.”

Dementia Care Matters at the Huntington & Langham Estate

We have seen first-hand on our Estate how the Dementia Care Matters model works, and we have even won awards for it. Julie Drake, our dedicated Home Manager, won the Best Manager Award at the National Dementia Care Awards 2018 for all that she has done here.

We are also finalists at the 2018 National Dementia Care Awards for Best Activities. And it’s all thanks to how we have changed our approach by following Dr Sheard’s advice. You really can see the difference in our residents’ lives, and that’s what it’s all about. We’re so pleased that this approach can now be adopted in Huntington as well as Langham.

A bit more about the ‘Meaningful Care Matters’ model

The ‘Meaningful Care Matters’ model essentially aims to truly put the ‘home’ into nursing homes and give the people who live in them a voice.

When the residents were consulted about their feelings towards taking part in this pioneering project, one person said: “You’re not going to change the marmalade, are you?” Charlie replied, “You will be able to have whatever marmalade you would like.”

While the topic of marmalade may seem trivial to some, the ‘Meaningful Care Matters’ model appreciates that the little things in life are important and are a huge factor in making a place feel like home. While one person might have thick-cut marmalade, another might have thin, and someone else might choose to make their own. There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’, and in the extreme, each person might have a completely personalised menu for each meal that reminds them of their cherished childhood memories.

What we hope to achieve

Much of the stigma attached to nursing homes is fear of losing that all-important independence and having decisions made for you. As a minimum, the ‘All Care Matters’ model will enable residents to be more independent again by re-engaging people in their own decision-making. As a maximum, it could mean an even more fulfilling life for those living in a nursing home than living in their own homes!

To find out more, please do come and see us here at the Huntington & Langham Estate, where we can show you around and answer any questions you may have about the Butterfly approach and how it has the power to transform residents’ lives.