An Unparalleled Residential Care Experience

Posted on 22 July 2023 by Nicky Macfarlane

We are one big happy family (we even have competitive games nights!)

You’d be surprised how many people come to Huntington House for a short burst of respite care and request to return full-time afterwards.

That’s because though many of our residents experience the inevitable ailments which come with age, the buzz and activity in our home mean these ailments are a tiny part of an otherwise full and rich life.

However, back in their own home, former residents can feel unstimulated, bored and palpably alone, and these ailments loom large throughout an otherwise empty day.

No wonder they’re so happy to come back.

An unparalleled care experience

Take a walk through our house or grounds on any given day, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a typical family home. Listen as you explore, and you’ll hear the friendly (and sometimes cutthroat) competition of group games and the excited chatter of another outing being planned.

Feast your eyes on the beautiful resident-made artwork adorning our walls. Feast your taste buds on our delicious food, served family-style and as tasty to eat as it is nourishing.

This colourful mosaic of care is possible as Huntington House is family owned and run. The family feel of our house supports us as we do all we can to gently encourage each resident to live their life as an individual, with the independence, personal freedom and expression they enjoyed while living at home.

Residents build relationships with other residents and our staff, which does wonders for their mental health. We help residents to continue with hobbies they used to love and even to learn new ones, thanks to team members and other residents.

Our residents have a quality of life that just can’t be replicated in a home care or other care environment.

Yes, we have a beautiful house and splendid grounds, a large, well-trained and loving team and years of caring experience, but what really makes us stand out is our steadfast value of meaningful care – the key tenet of the Dragonfly Approach, which we faithfully follow.

The Power of Meaningful Care

In traditional care, the day is run along task lines, and care can be perfunctory. Boxes are ticked off throughout the day – “make the bed”, “give them breakfast”, and “hand out medicine”. There’s barely time to get to know residents and no time to think about them as people with hopes, dreams and desires.

However, at Huntington House, we understand that our relationships with people, places and things all influence who we are and how we feel.

Our life is made meaningful by relationships which meet our need for love, attachment, belonging and comfort. These relationships make us feel secure, free and able – helping us to feel at home in ourselves, our bodies and our lives. This is as true at age ten as it is at age 100+.

When there’s a lack of warm relationships, as can happen in other care environments and at home, it adversely affects mood, mental and physical health and quality of life.

As identified in a recent Age UK report on loneliness, physical and mental health difficulties are key drivers in loneliness and ‘can reduce older people’s ability to participate in community activities and inhibit their ability to maintain or establish meaningful relationships’.

Our residents know that at Huntington House, relationships are everything. We ensure that all residents are “free to be me” and able to create a rich, full, nourishing life.

Believing wholeheartedly in the Dragonfly Approach means we value emotional intelligence, domestic living and respect, and we support every resident, caring about and for the whole person so they can write the next chapter of their story.

Our wonderful team magics this ethos to life. All over our house and grounds, and when we’re out on trips and outings, we bring colour, love and care to each resident’s daily life. Huntington House is one truly big happy family – arguments about Monopoly and all!

“She refers to them as ‘friends’, and that includes the staff as well as the people living in the home. It is this blurring which makes Huntington special. She is incredibly fond of them. I love that they will sometimes pop in and suggest going for a walk outside, which she loves. It feels very normal and relaxed rather than doing something to or for her. That’s beyond valuable to her.” – Family member.

At the Huntington & Langham Estate, we provide luxury care across our two specialist care homes. Family-owned and run, we offer dignified, compassionate and personalised care to our residents, giving them the nurturing support they need to continue living full, independent and meaningful lives.

To arrange a visit to the Estate and tour our homes and grounds, please call 01428 604 600 or complete this form.

A visit from the Easter Bunny & friends

Posted on 11 April 2023 by Nicky Macfarlane

We had some surprise guests at Huntington House on Easter Monday, including a Rabbit, Hen, Lambs, Guinea pig and lovely white Duck.With memories of reading Beatrix Potter stories and looking family pets to main topics of conversation, the visit brightened up a wet bank holiday.

Animal assisted therapy sessions are a regular event at Huntington House and Langham Court, proving to be a great mood lifter and conversation topic.

Getting up close to the animals and being able to cuddle, stroke and feed them gives a feeling of calm, stimulate the senses and has medical benefits such as lowering blood pressure.

Read more about our recommended therapeutic activities that can nurture your mental health.

Easter Pottery Painting

Posted on 11 April 2023 by Nicky Macfarlane

The crafting continues at The Huntington & Langham Estate after moving seamlessly from making greetings cards for Valentine’s Day to painting pots for Spring bulbs.

The residents at Huntington House have been busy again with a visit from Dolly Pots who run mobile ceramics painting sessions. We spent a lovely morning decorating the plant pots, Easter bunnies and baskets before they then went off to be fired, before being returned in time for planting up and displaying around Huntington House over the Easter weekend.

The painting brought people together and prompted plenty of conversation about the changes of the season and all things Spring, and also offered a sense of purpose for people wanting to continue their love of gardening.

Moving into a care home is often prompted by the daunting prospect of continuing to look after a whole house and garden independently. However, it doesn’t have to spell the end of a love of gardening.

In fact, many of the bedrooms at The Huntington & Langham Estate have their own manageable garden areas or direct access to an area of patio you can personalise. Indeed, there is also 30 acres of grounds to enjoy as well, with blossom trees in full bloom at this beautiful time of year.

Our ethos of personalised and loving care

Posted on 24 February 2023 by Nicky Macfarlane

When the family of one our ladies living in Huntington House, came to take her out for lunch last week, she wasn’t ready, and her family weren’t in the least bit surprised or upset.

That’s because she is a fan of having a boiled egg for her breakfast, and, having carefully taken the top off her egg, it wasn’t quite cooked to her liking, so she had requested another one which was a little runnier. We obliged with pleasure, so she could savour the breakfast she wanted before getting up and dressed.

This story is just one example of how residents enjoy our personalised, loving, caring approach. Our ethos is that every one of our residents has a meaningful day, choosing what they do and when they do it based on how they feel. From the moment they wake up, our residents’ emotional health, care, dignity and desires are always at least as important as their physical needs. This is the gold standard of personalised care we work to 24/7/365.

Family care in a home from home

Huntington House is family owned and run, and residents are treated like family. Residents and our team are free to be themselves in the warm, welcoming, homely and friendly environment we’ve created over the years – a quintessentially English country house suffused with love.

At Huntington House, we always go above and beyond to meet residents’ needs, and they get the nurturing support needed to be independent and live a full life. Residents can do all the things they enjoyed before moving in – walking, painting, singing, talking, debating, creating and more – and can participate in all the activities and socialising they want and need, with the reassurance of round-the-clock care.

Walk into the house, and you’ll see residents’ art on the walls and their interests and desires reflected in what’s happening at each given moment. Bedrooms are comfortable and welcoming but are just one of the areas where residents can spend time and enjoy themselves.

Residents and their families are encouraged to explore our 30 acres of beautiful grounds, help with our garden or wander through the woods to see the sheep, chickens and horses who share our space. This is very popular with our younger visitors!

Less mobile residents are accompanied by a team member whenever they want to go outside, whether for a gentle walk or a chance to sit and get some fresh air.

All you need is love

Unusually for our industry, our staff are positively encouraged to connect with residents, love them and care for them as if they were family.

We have higher than average staffing ratios to facilitate the levels of care we provide. That’s why, much like visiting a family home, when you explore the house and grounds, you’ll hear impromptu debates and conversations, see residents going on outings, laughing and chatting as they do crafts and hobbies or suggesting to the care team how seasonal decorations should be arranged. A contented hubbub fills the air, and that’s all down to our excellent team.

Our Home Makers and Carers are handpicked for their ability to effortlessly initiate stimulating activities and conversations. Every day, they take the time to create memorable moments for residents based on each person’s personality and needs.

Recently, a quiz question led to a conversation between a carer and a lady living in Huntington House, where they discussed the resident’s female partner and looked at photos together, with her beaming as she recalled a long-ago day out and had the time to reflect on her memories and talk about her love.

What shall we do today?

At Huntington House, no two people are the same, and no two days are the same. That’s why we say no to rotas, schedules and timetables and why informality, flexibility and spontaneity are so important to us all.

Visit or live with us, and you’ll never hear someone say, “I’m off to do 32”. You or your loved one will remain a person, not a number, a human being deserving of dignity and respect who is positively encouraged to continue living a full and enjoyable life with our loving support.

“The home has been exemplary in its care for my father. On his recent death, the staff members seemed just as upset as I was! The management is caring and hands-on; its supervision instils a caring attitude, which is so much the ethos of Huntington House from every member of staff. We have seen the kindness and willingness to do anything they can. I would not hesitate to recommend Huntington House.” – Janet S

We are Butterfly and Dragonfly accredited and both homes have a Care Quality commission Good rating.

To arrange a visit to the Estate and tour our homes and grounds, please call 01428 604 600 or complete this form.

How we beat the winter blues with crafts and baking

Posted on 18 January 2023 by Nicky Macfarlane

With the Christmas decorations taken down and Christmas cake all but crumbs in the tin, what better way to beat the winter blues than some craft making and baking.

Christopher had a great morning decorating some freshly made buns, whilst Graham and Sue wrapped up for a lovely walk around the estate in the warm winter sun.

Our colouful winter window display had the perfect backdrop of a snowy lawn outside of Huntington House, for residents using the lounge to enjoy a chat whilst continuing with their hobbies. Michael particularly enjoyed some colouring.

For more ideas to help relieve the winter blues take a look at our Art therapy activities ideas

Walk like an Egyptian!

Posted on 14 October 2022 by Nicky Macfarlane

A big thank you to Haslemere Educational Museum for visiting us again at Huntington House. This time we had a fascinating session all about mummies and Egyptian artefacts.

It’s always a wonderful day when we have a visit from the museum as the residents have so much to talk about afterwards, especially reminiscing about travelling to Egypt and discovering the Pyramids and wonderful history in person.

Advice for planning the move into a care home

Posted on 30 September 2022 by Nicky Macfarlane

When the decision has been made to make the move into a care home, there are a number of things to think about whilst planning the actual move. Forward planning will help to ease what can be a challenging time for all involved, just as any house move can be.

Overcoming any personal concerns before the move

For the person moving home it can be a big change, so it is important for family supporting the move to be supportive and considerate of their feelings, as the thought of the move is bound to be daunting. Whilst there will be lots to think about and organise, our advice is to remember to take time out to listen to any concerns in order to be able to find answers and offer reassurance.

We find those who visit us here at The Huntington and Langham Estate a number of times before the big day, become more familiar with their new home and by meeting the team and residents, they start to build new friendships quickly. If time and budget permits, it is also worth considering a short respite stay, in preparation for a full time move.

Arranging the best day to move into a residential home

For many families of a relative planning to move into a care home, due to work and family commitments the weekend is generally the best time, however not all residential care homes will take admissions over the weekend. We are more than happy to welcome you all any day of the week.

“I love to be able to welcome our new residents and their families over a weekend, as we understand the pressures of juggling work and family commitments during the week and want to make the move a stress free for everyone” Sarah Chapman, Director

We suggest agreeing the schedule with the wider family, as far in advance as possible so that the day itself runs smoothly. When you arrive its easy to just stay in the new room, but at Huntington House and Langham Court we encourage families to take time to go with their loved one to meet other residents and staff members, or to spend time in the shared areas together.

Our team will be on hand to welcome you all and we are conscious how upsetting the big goodbye on the first day can be, so are happy if the family slip away whilst our homemakers involve our new resident in doing something, so there isn’t the big break.

Visitors are welcome at anytime and we can arrange to prepare lunch for guest in one of our private rooms.

Packing for a move into a care home

As with any move it is good to plan ahead what to bring along to your new home.

There may be some items you want to replace or treasured possession not to be forgotten. If you are packing for someone else, it can be easy to forget or not know their favourite items of clothing for example so again, it’s good to open up the conversation well in advance, to give time to decide what is or isn’t coming.

As space may be a little more limited, it’s good to check this when you visit the home and plan how the items of furniture coming along will fit in the available space.

A few tips we share with families are:

As with the H&L Estate there are generally phone points in all bedrooms and private phonelines can be connected via BT, who will allocate a personal number to the room and bill in the same way as in a private home.
Electronic devices – any devices being taken with you into a new home will need to be in working order and in some cases checked by an expert (PAT tested) to make sure they are not a fire risk. So if there is a favourite radio or alarm clock which you plan to bring it is worth checking this in advance so not to be without it.
Internet – WIFI is available in each room and the team are on hand to help set up personal computers or tablets.
Pets – At the Estate we are happy to discuss loyal pets also joining our extended family, and will just have a few questions to check before giving the green light.
Clothing – It is a good idea to label clothes, as this will help them to not get muddled up in the laundry.

Top tip for making a care home feel like home

At H&L we actively encourage our residents to place items around the home, not just in their private rooms, as you will see if you visit us we have an eclectic array of artwork and photography around the walls all from our residents.

We have a great guide to help families think about how to decorate their loved one’s space as the things we have around our home generally have a memory or significance attached to them.

All of our rooms will be freshly decorated for your arrival and you’ll have a choice of colour, with new residents welcome to bring their own bedding to make their private room more familiar.

We also encourage you to bring your own furniture and will make our best efforts to make the room available before move day to bring in any pieces of furniture into the home.

Let our family look after your family

We work hard to make The Huntington and Langham Estate a home away from home and empower each person to continue living how they wish to. We don’t talk about activities and interests, we talk about life and living and have received some wonderful feedback from both our residents and their families which you can see here

We would love to invite you to visit our beautiful estate.

Please contact us via the web form or give us a call on 01428 604600 – one of our friendly team members will be happy to help you.

Are you planning ahead for Residential Care this winter?

Posted on 26 August 2022 by Nicky Macfarlane

With the rising cost of living and fuel prices set to reach over £4,200 a year, It is not surprising that families are worrying about how older relatives and friends are going to cope during the winter months, in particularly those who need to keep the heating on longer during the day to stay warm.

With the demand for Residential Care on the rise, here at the Huntington and Langham Estate, we are seeing a trend of more enquiries for last minute emergency admissions into our homes.

We will always do our utmost to accommodate all requests as quick as possible, but there may not be a room available straight away and others on the waitlist, along with the need to complete the required steps and paperwork to meet the required regulations.

If you think that there is potential a family member could benefit from additional support over the winter months, require respite care or is considering making the move into Residential Care, our advice is to start planning now.

How to choose the right type of care.

At The Huntington and Langham Estate, we adopt a holistic approach in both our homes and prioritise giving every member of our team and our residents a meaningful day every single day. For a selection of our recent resident activities take a look at our latest news

As there are a number of alternative styles of Residential Care, to consider we have covered the options available in our guide to How do you choose the right type of care home?

Is your loved one living with dementia?

As an award winning specialist butterfly home for dementia care, we provide family orientated dementia care and are here to help when the time comes that the progression of their symptoms means it is no longer safe for them to continue living at home.

Our butterfly approach to dementia care is proven to make a huge difference to the quality of life of a person living with dementia and in our article on the website share 5 benefits of seeking professional dementia care.

For anyone considering a move into a specialist home for dementia care, we offer advice on How to choose the right dementia care home for your loved.

What you can expect when contacting the team at Huntington & Langham about Residential Care

Whether contacting us here at the Huntington and Langham Estate by email or a phone call, our priority from that first conversation is to learn more about your circumstances, personal situation and needs.

It may feel that we are asking lots of questions, quite early on, but as we know everyone’s situation is unique, the information you share means we can discuss with you the support we can offer.

The benefits of coming to visit the Estate and take a tour of our homes.

Whenever feasibly possible for your family, we will recommend that you come and visit us at the Estate, to get a true sense of our home and approach to care. We can take you on a tour of the facilities, look at our available rooms and potentially meet some of our residents.

This is also a great opportunity for us to answer any questions you have, to help you make an informed decision about which home is best for your circumstance, provide reassurance about living in our home and talk about menu choices, activities and funding your stay.

If you are keen to take the next steps to becoming a resident, we can detail what will happen should you want to move in and explain about the pre-admission assessment.

What is a pre-admission assessment?

One of the requirements of the Care Quality Commission is that for all new residents we complete an assessment with one of our trained staff.

This is nothing to worry about, we just want to make sure we can provide the best level of care for your situation, by asking a number of questions which help us to understand the personal needs of anyone who wants to move into one of our homes.

There are no right or wrong answers, it is simply how we collect the information we need to create a personalised care plan and make sure we are able to provide any specific support or care each person requires. As well as health information we cover topics such as dietary requirements, hobbies,

We can complete the form face to face, on a virtual call or over the phone, however it works best for you and your family.

Is Residential Care right for you?

Making the final decision to move into a care home for the first time is always a difficult one with many emotions for all involved and deciding if residential care is right for you and your family can take time to consider.

If you are unsure about the benefits of a move into a residential home, in our article 5 ways residential assisted living can improve quality of life we share the feedback from our residents and their families who have taken the step to join us on the Estate.

We would love to invite you to visit our beautiful estate. Please contact us via the web form or give us a call on 01428 604600 – one of our friendly team members will be happy to help you.

The importance of short term Respite Care

Posted on 26 July 2022 by Nicky Macfarlane

The importance of short term Respite Care

The demand for Respite Care during the summer months is unsurprisingly high, with many families heading off on holidays whilst their children are on the summer break from school and others planning action packed days, during the warm weather.

For those who have a caregiving role in the family, the need to balance the support they give with their wider family can be challenging at this time of year. Whilst caregiving is very rewarding, it is demanding both physically and mentally and being able to take time away, can be hugely beneficial to health and wellbeing.

What is the purpose of Respite Care?

Taking a break from caring for someone else is the main reason people consider respite care, giving carers time for themselves. This can be based on day care, care in the home or a short stay at a residential care home of 1 to 4 weeks.

When is it time to consider Respite Care?

There are many reason caregivers make the decision to organise Respite Care for a person they support and our recommendation where possible is to plan this ahead of time during busy periods like the Summer Holidays.

Simply take time out to reboot and recharge physically and mentally
To enable them to spend more time with children or the family during school holidays
When the list of general household to do’s aren’t getting done and they need to catch up on themselves.
During renovation work to the home, which is likely to be disruptive
The need to attend medical appointments or treatment themselves
They simply just need a break

What are the benefits of short term residential respite care?

Whilst there are a number of options available for a respite break, such as asking friends or family to help out, employing a live-in carer or sourcing home care from a paid carer, there are added benefits from opting for short term residential care.

A short term stay in a luxury all inclusive residential home like Huntington House, can be a holiday in itself for people who need extra help in their day to day lives or live alone with change of scenery and the peace of mind being in a welcoming, safe and secure environment.

These short stays can also be a great opportunity to trial the services and environment of a Residential home, if a full time move is being considered. The socialness of joining in activities and chatting to the other residents and staff is often the thing people enjoy the most from their stay.

Respite Care for people living with Dementia can also be beneficial when it is in a specialist dementia care home like Langham Court. With the reassurance the person living with dementia’s needs will be taken care of, gives carers peace of mind to have a break whilst the stimulation of taking part in activities created with individual abilities and needs in mind can be a positive experience for those living with dementia

Who pays for respite care?

Where respite care can’t be fully funded within the family, there is funding available for respite care and local councils will complete an assessment of both your individual living and financial circumstances. This will be completed as a carer’s assessment and a needs assessment for the person who needs the care.

The Huntington & Langham approach to respite care

Whether recovering from an operation, injury or medical condition, or if you’re a carer and need somewhere safe for your loved one to stay while you take some time for yourself, our respite care is second to none and comes part and parcel with complete peace of mind.

We create a personalised care plan before any stay so that you and your loved ones can relax, knowing we’re providing specialist support in a comfortable home from home. We often find people settle into the home very quickly and extend their stay.

“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!” Respite Resident at Huntington House

You’ll be welcomed into the family and are encouraged to make the most of all that we have to offer here, such as an exciting activities programme, freshly-cooked meals and beautiful gardens, along with high quality care from our fantastic team.

Huntington House is a leading accredited Level One Dragonfly Residential Home. In our recent audit we received an Excellent rating from the team at Meaningful Care Matters, who described our care as:

“A highly engaged service with a high value on meaningful moments and a true person-centred philosophy, which is congruent in look, sound and feel as well as with regulatory compliance requirements. People’s individuality and expression is evident, and people can express that freedom and be themselves.

Our Home Maker team have a great mix of different skills and interests which helps offer variety in the day; with some residents enjoying the more structured activities such as quizzes whilst others value time with the team who are great at offering more 1-to-1 time and conversations.

How can I organise Respite Care?

If you, as a caregiver, need some time out, or you feel your loved one might benefit from a change of scenery, our respite and daycare services could be ideal for you.

We encourage anyone thinking of Respite care to come and visit us to take a tour of the homes and Estate, simply give us a call on 01428 604600 or Email us at huntington@hlestate.co.uk

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.