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

Professional Elderly Care in Surrey: Celebrating Our Award Shortlistings!

Posted on 27 October 2021 by Charlie

At our professional elderly care home in Surrey, we’re delighted to share some news with you!

This month, we’re celebrating our shortlisting in several categories in the regional Great British Care Awards, as well as at a national level in the Caring UK awards — two of the care sector’s leading forms of recognition.

Recognising Professional Elderly Care: The Awards

We’ve been shortlisted in four categories at the Great British Care Awards, including The Care Home Registered Manager Award for Maggie, who oversees Huntington House, as well as the The Dignity in Care Award, The Care Employer Award and The Care Team Award.

We’re also shortlisted at a national level in the Caring UK Awards, with our team at Langham Court gaining recognition for their hard work in dementia care.

The format of the Great British Care Awards sees them celebrate the achievements of regional professional elderly care services, before the regional winners then compete at a national level – so this is an incredibly exciting opportunity for all at the estate!

Professional Elderly Care: Reflecting on the Past Year

The past couple of years has been incredibly difficult for everyone in the healthcare sector – so to be recognised at this point in time truly is an achievement.

Charlie, our director, said: “Being shortlisted in a leading industry award is always something to celebrate, but to be shortlisted in five separate categories really is fantastic and the team here are delighted. Everyone has worked so hard in the last 18 months to overcome the challenges of the pandemic, so to receive recognition for the services we’ve been providing during that time is a really wonderful feeling and we’re enormously excited at the prospect of winning.”

The Great British Care Awards will take place on the 6th November at the Hilton Hotel in Brighton — with the Caring UK Awards following later in the year on the 2nd December at an awards ceremony, hosted by Emmerdale actor Dean Andrews, at The Athena in Leicester.

Both events intend to celebrate those who have gone above and beyond in the care industry and will offer the opportunity for care providers across the UK to reflect on their resilience throughout the pandemic.

Charlie added: “The interviews that have occurred as part of the award shortlistings offered a moment of reflection for all the positives that we, as a team, have achieved during 18 months of dealing with almost relentless challenges. It’s so important to take stock at times like this, and whether or not we win, I am immensely grateful to have had everyone at the estate by my side through the ups and downs of the pandemic.

“Our team have done a magnificent job under the most trying of circumstances to deliver consistently excellent care throughout the pandemic and it’s all thanks to their hard work and dedication that we’re in the running. So I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for their efforts, and in particular, Maggie and Anita who have done a tremendous job in managing their respective teams. Fingers crossed for the win!”

At the estate, we’d like to thank everyone who has supported us so far throughout our journey. Without our wonderful residents, family members and dedicated staff, we certainly wouldn’t have made it this far.

If you’d like to find out more about our professional elderly care home, please do browse our website.

Alternatively, to book a tour today, please contact a member of our team.

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.

Where We Go to Find True Happiness

Posted on 17 August 2020 by Ricky

We are so lucky at the Huntington & Langham Estate to have extensive grounds and access to our meadows, woodland and gardens to stroll through and listen to nature.

The great outdoors

One thing we’ve realised, for sure, is that getting outdoors instils positivity amongst us all.

Making the most of our natural surroundings has really helped us to recognise what’s important – and, simultaneously, what truly isn’t.

This was definitely the case during the pandemic when we enjoyed using our garden spaces to breathe in the fresh air, greet our friendly livestock and bathe in peaceful stillness.

This video showcases the beauty of our natural surroundings all accessible using our own buggy, available to tour the grounds.

To find out more about our services at the estate, take a look at our website.

Reflecting Back on Summer at the Estate

Posted on 3 August 2020 by Ricky

Here at the estate, we love embracing all seasons; and as we edge closer into the autumn months, we’re taking some time to reflect over the fun we had during the height of summer.

Time for reflection

As the weather began to warm up, our lovely residents loved making the most of our beautiful outdoor spaces. Some of our residents found pleasure in maintaining our gardens, whilst others enjoyed picking fresh flowers from our on-site fauna.

It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying the warm weather, and taking the opportunity to get some light exercise and fresh air.

Did you know we have our own estate taxis service, which takes our residents on a tour around the estate. It’s safe to say that they made a few furry friends along the way!

If you’d like to find out more about what we’ve been getting up to at the estate, be sure to check out our social media channels.

Meet the team: Bess

Posted on 27 September 2019 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.

Why it’s important to spend time outdoors

Posted on 1 August 2019 by Ricky

Whilst it’s important for all of us to get outdoors, it’s even more essential for older generations to spend time outside, as it’s been shown to boost our mental and physical health.

Mental health benefits

Being amongst nature offers a multitude of mental health benefits, with exposure to sunlight and a natural breeze helping to instantly boost our mood. As humans, we are genetically programmed to thrive in the outdoors, so spending too much time indoors can contribute to increased anxiety and stress.

The mere smell of fresh grass, fresh flowers, dried herbs and pine provides us with a natural dose of aromatherapy that does wonders for refreshing and rejuvenating the mind.

Physical health benefits

Surrounding yourself with the earth’s natural elements can also positively impact your body’s physiological state. Increased exposure to sunlight is thought to reduce physical pain, whilst also nourishing the body with a natural source of vitamin D – which is needed for overall bodily functions and reducing inflammation.

Spending time outdoors, studies suggest, also boosts the immune system, increasing your white blood cell count to reduce the instances of illness and infection.

How you can get outside

It’s essential the older generation stay as mobile as is possible, and venturing into the outdoors certainly makes it easier. If you find that you’re limited physically, then it’s worth asking a family member or carer to assist in helping you take that step.

Not only will this help to build your confidence in having a change of scenery, but you’ll also have someone you trust on-hand for support.

Reconnecting with nature

As humans, we are biologically and instinctively drawn towards nature. It’s therefore more important than ever that we take the effort to rekindle our innate connections with nature, simply by spending time outdoors and making the best use of our senses. Taking a mindful approach to the outdoors is the best way to do this, and maximises the health benefits you’ll be gaining.

Take the time to consciously notice the refreshing smells, and beautiful sights and sounds that you experience.

At Huntington and Langham Estate, we encourage our people to spend as much time as is possible in the outdoors. Whether that’s venturing out for a walk, sitting outside with their favourite tipple, picking up their gardening hobbies or engaging in some flower picking (which is a particularly popular pastime), we like to ensure that our people are really taking in their surroundings – however they choose to do so.

To find out more about the care we offer, please click here.

Is residential care right for you?

Posted on 6 June 2019 by Ricky

If you, or a loved one, are finding it difficult to live independently, then residential care may be the best route to take for the next chapter. Not only does professional care provide residents and their families with reassurance, but it also offers a sense of security that’s often not achieved when living alone.

Residential v Nursing Care

Residential care isn’t quite as all-embracing as nursing care. Whilst residents are provided with nutritious meals each day and helped with personal care, they have access to their own accommodation and en-suite bathroom.

The Huntington and Langham homes also provides residents with television and telephone points, as well as luxurious lounges and a conservatory for socialising with others. Our carers are always onsite, willingly providing assistance with everyday tasks as and when needed; but those in residential care are, first and foremost, afforded independence.

Regular outings and activities

Surrounded by scenic gardens, and features an onsite bar and café. Residents are invited on regular trips out in Surrey, and have the opportunity to take part in activities that are suited to each individual’s residential care needs. These can include
baking, gardening and pet therapy. Visitors are, of course, welcome, and we
encourage our residents to make the most of socialising opportunities.

Making the transition into care easier

Although residential care provides the ability to live independently, it can still be difficult to make the decision as to whether this transition is the best option for your loved one.

Feelings of sadness, guilt and relief are all common – but if you’re caring for a loved one and struggling to juggle this with other commitments, then it will be within both
yours and their best interests to seek extra help. If you’re considering this
option, take the time to speak with your loved one about how they would feel about
moving into residential care. It might be worth enlisting the help of a
professional carer when discussing these options if it proves to be too difficult.

If you think your loved one could benefit from a little help with daily tasks, but is still able to live independently, then residential care could be an ideal long-term solution for both them and you.

We encourage anyone in the process of making these decisions to come along and take a look around our homes, discovering everything that is on offer. If you’d like to explore residential care in more detail, click here to speak to a member of our team.

Tasty tarts and perfect handmade pies

Posted on 29 April 2019 by Ricky

An afternoon of home baking in Huntington House

Last week, two lovely ladies living here in at the Huntington and Langham Estate decided to get their hands dirty in the kitchen and have fun with a spot of baking! Molly has lived here for quite a while and Veronica has only recently moved in, so they haven’t known each other for too long, but they decided to join forces and have some fun together as they both fancied getting creative in the kitchen.

Meaningful care matters

With the introduction of Meaningful Care Matters Dragonfly approach into Huntington House, following the success of the Butterfly approach implemented from day one in our specialist dementia care home, Langham Court, we have made all sorts of changes to our residential and nursing home here in Surrey.

There’s such a strong focus on the wellbeing of the people living here; we believe everyone should be able to lead as independent a life as they would like to here in our home, so we have put all sorts of things in place to facilitate this, and it seems to be going down a storm. As part of that, we decided to build a kitchenette!

This isn’t the typical kind of kitchenette you see in most care homes where it’s used to make the odd cup of tea and slice of toast – this is a proper kitchenette and people living here are encouraged to make use of it whenever they fancy it, so everyone is able to cook and bake whenever they want to.

Although it’s not everyone’s idea of fun, the facility is there to be used at any time, with the team always on hand to help, of course. For people like Molly and Veronica – who are really quite independent, they just happen to be living with early memory loss – it’s the most amazing way for them to be engaged in meaningful activities and fully connect with how everyday life would have been for them in days gone by. It’s these small things like being able to bake that we take for granted.

How baking can help with early memory loss

In fact, Molly was a great baker at home and on quite a few occasions has mentioned that she missed being able to bake. Molly wanted to make jam tarts and said she used to make them every week for her family, so it was a pleasure seeing her in her element, baking for the first time in a while – and it was amazing tasting the finished tarts too!

Molly completely remembered how to make shortcrust pastry from scratch, along with all the exact quantities she needed – all we did was provide the ingredients. She spoke about making apple pie and custard as well as Eccles cakes, so fingers crossed we can make those very soon.

Whilst enjoying making pastry, Molly chatted about growing up in Lancashire, walking about how much she loved cooking for her husband and family. Seeing and hearing Molly during the couple of hours spent in the kitchen was just so wonderful, and everyone who wandered past the kitchenette commented on how great it was to see, smell and taste.

In addition to the delicious jam tarts, we also cooked mini chicken and leek pies! Veronica was keen to stop, chat and get involved, so she helped Molly by getting the pastry cutters out and filling the tins. Both the pies and tarts went down extremely well with everyone, and another baking session is planned for after Easter.

We are thinking of starting a recipe book to record our successes – hopefully we won’t have to include any failures, although learning as we go is all part of the fun.

Why don’t you pop in and see us at our lovely home here in Hindhead? It would be lovely to see you and you may even be lucky enough to have a sneak peek at our recipe book.

Have you seen our Haslemere Hounds?

Posted on 16 April 2019 by Ricky

Supporting a local artwork project for charity

There are two rather large dogs on the Estate at this very moment… but don’t worry, as if you’re not too keen on canines, you’re perfectly safe with this pair as these two greyhounds are made from fibreglass!

Bordering Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, Haslemere is a lovely market town, and one thing that makes us different is our annual animal artwork project. Have you heard of the Haslemere Hogs or the Haslemere Hares or the Haslemere Hounds?

Here at the Huntington & Langham Estate, we were delighted to be taking part in the 2019 round of this annual animal artwork project for charity. In case you’re unfamiliar with this project, it was in its third year and takes place in and around Haslemere.

Here’s an overview of how it started and what it’s all about.

Brian Howard MBE, former Mayor of Haslemere honoured by the Queen for services to the community, thought up the project to help local charities. The idea is to fundraise through the purchase, painting and display of various animal models. Back in 2017 in its inaugural year, we painted Hogs and the project raised £35,000 – last year, the Hares raised over £50,000! Can 2019 go bigger again? We certainly hope so.

The Huntington & Langham Estate has supported this project each year and this year, we have painted Lady Langham and Huntington Hound! People living and working here on the Estate worked together to come up with the themes and decorate the models – what do you think?

The Hounds are all being decorated now, ready to be displayed from May to September – they will then be auctioned off with the proceeds going to a variety of local charities, which is absolutely brilliant for the area.

Keep an eye out for them in Haslemere and the surrounding villages as you’ll be able to spot not only our two creations but many others!

Thank you to Brian for 35 years and counting of ‘selfless service’ to the town – we couldn’t be prouder of our care home in Haslemere being a part of this wonderful charitable project and hope to continue to participate for many years to come. Our only question is, what will the next animal be?