Choosing family holidays with elderly parents is a way to unite the generations and create wonderful memories for all to share. However, holidays for elderly parents need a little more thought and care to select a destination that will be both enjoyable and accessible. Holidays give everyone a fabulous break from the norm, and we love sharing our residents’ excitement when they are looking forward to a break away with family and loved ones. So, whether it’s a mum and daughter trip, or a whole extended family excursion, we’ve rounded up the most suitable potential destinations in the UK for holidays for elderly parents. Your holiday planning Before we dive in with destinations, a few quick words about the things you’ll need to bear in mind when organising a holiday with an elderly loved one. Always consider your loved one’s unique needs. If they receive professional care – either in a care home or at home – you can speak to their carers about the most important factors to consider. You will have two main choices: staying in self-catering accommodation or in a hotel. Hotels are usually highly accessible and may have accessible rooms with specialised bathrooms. Alternatively, self-catering […]

Paying for care home fees can be worrying. It’s made quite bewildering by the different rules and terminology around available financial support. Here we help you understand your financial options, specifically with explanation of the savings threshold for care home fees, and help you understand what help may be available and what you may need to pay. When to pay for care Through frailty, isolation or dementia, it may be necessary for a loved one to receive support and care from those outside the family. The purpose of this care should be to ensure a high quality of life, and meet the individual needs of the person. The Care Act 2014 establishes the legal obligations of councils in England to ensure care provision. It sets how the level of care needed is determined and how it may be financed. The rules are set nationally, but there can be local variation. The costs of care, and who is responsible for paying them, vary according to a number of different factors such as where the care is provided, what care is needed, and what care is available. The broad concepts of funding care In a very broad nutshell, your local council may […]

If you’re searching for a residential care home or nursing home for you loved one, it’s vital that you are reassured that they will provide a high standard of care. CQC reports can give you some of that peace of mind. A care home is inspected and rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They decide if the care home is ‘outstanding’, ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’. Understanding how CQC reports are undertaken can help you compare different care homes and feel secure in the decisions you make for your loved one. What is the CQC and what do they do? The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is an independent regulator responsible for all care providers in England. They are charged with ensuring that care providers (including GP surgeries, hospitals, domiciliary care services, community care, dentists and care homes) are providing high-quality care that is safe, compassionate and effective. It is a requirement for all care providers in England to register with the CQC and undergo their inspections. These inspections involve different elements including unannounced visits, a review of records, and collation of feedback from service users and staff. From the inspection, CQC reports are created. You can look up the […]

Life-like dolls which resemble human babies, or soft cuddly toy animals, when given to those with dementia with the aim of achieving therapeutic effects, are broadly known as dementia dolls. Dementia dolls have been shown to be hugely beneficial to those with dementia, most notably in the later stages, and as such, their use is now loosely termed doll therapy. This isn’t simply ‘playing’ with a toy, but has a valuable purpose. Let’s explore more. The benefits of dementia dolls and doll therapy Various studies have been undertaken concerning dementia dolls and their benefits. More studies need to be done, but broadly speaking dementia dolls bring a number of worthwhile benefits, if used appropriately: ·         Enjoyment and soothing Those with dementia can find life confusing and bewildering. Many get simple pleasure from holding and caring for a dementia doll. It can help them feel secure, remembering a time when they were a parent of a young baby, and it feels reassuring. It brings up feelings of affection and value. They have been shown to bring calm to distressed or anxious individuals with dementia, and that is hugely valuable. Indeed, the studies consistently show that increased happiness levels are strongly associated […]

It’s a tough question, loaded with emotion, heartbreak and loss, but at some point you’ll probably find yourself wondering ‘when should someone with dementia go into a care home?’ Dementia is progressive. But it’s not always predictable. What is predictable is that, unfortunately, as time goes on you can expect your loved one with dementia to gradually need more care. However, knowing when is the right time for a care home is extremely variable and dependent on various different factors. There’s no single way of saying when the time is right. It’s about identifying when the right time is for this individual and their family. When should someone with dementia go into a care home? To understand when the right timing may be, it’s essential to first understand why a care home may be required. If you don’t understand this, it’s much harder to decide when to make the move. Fundamentally, a care home can make things both safer and easier for both the individual dementia patient and their family. A dedicated dementia care home, like three of our Eastleigh homes, is specifically designed to meet the individual needs of those with dementia. Meeting their needs is central to daily […]

Am I legally responsible for my elderly parent?   A lot of the information that will bombard you, as you wonder ‘Am I legally responsible for my elderly parent’ won’t actually be relevant. Much of the information out there covers the fact this is different from state to state in America. Here in the UK, it’s much more consistent. Knowing if you’re legally responsible for your parent in the UK is thankfully more straightforward and clear. Am I legally responsible for my elderly parent in the UK? The very short answer to this question is: no, you are not legally responsible for your elderly parent if you’re in the UK. When it comes to practical advice about care for the elderly, things are straight forward on paper. However, as with many things in life, the short answer doesn’t always paint the whole picture. Fundamentally, you are not responsible for your parents in a legal sense. The reality may be quite different though depending on your morals, whether you’ve taken out contracts with a care provider on their behalf, or if you’ve got power of attorney. Morals v legality Whilst in law you aren’t responsible for your elderly parents, morally you […]

What is Respite Care? Exploring Options for Elderly Loved Ones Respite care is a short-term, temporary break from caring for a loved one. It’s a service that we offer here, at Eastleigh, in our residential homes, when space allows. The goal is to give you a vital break. What is respite care? The reality is that caring for an elderly loved one can be demanding and exhausting. Even if you don’t have other commitments, ranging from your own dependent children to a job, caring for a loved one is physically and emotionally demanding. It is impossible to do it non-stop for months or years without burning out. A break is essential. Respite care is a way of giving the carer a temporary break from their caring commitments, whilst also ensuring that your elderly loved one is still appropriately cared for. There are a number of different ways in which respite care can happen. The simplest and easiest to organise is probably the type of respite care we offer here at Eastleigh: your elderly loved one temporarily moves into residential care, rather like a hotel stay. Their care needs are met, within the typical infrastructure of the residential or nursing home, […]

Creating a Personalised Care Plan for Dementia Patients A personalised care plan for dementia patients is essential for ensuring their needs are met, but also that structure and routine is provided that enables those caring for them to meet their needs. Additionally, the process of creating a care plan for those with dementia ensures that areas that have been forgotten or overlooked can be addressed. The concept of a personalised care plan for dementia With dementia, it’s fair to say that it’s sometimes difficult to truly see the individual. Instead, often people see the disease. As such, they miss who this individual was in the past, who they are now, and the future they have ahead of them. Yet, we firmly believe that it is only through considering the dementia patient as an individual that we can fully care for them, helping them gain meaning and contentment in daily life. For us, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works when creating a care plan for the individual with dementia. There cannot be a single set of routines to apply! Instead, this person, their needs, and their past and future, need to be considered. That’s the essence of a personalised care […]

Many families hope to enable their elderly loved ones to live independently at home. Caring for the elderly at home requires a realistic and honest approach, with strategies to ensure that everyone’s needs are met. The amount of care and support needed will depend on the needs of the elderly individual and the time and resources available to their family. It’s useful to take the following approach when you start caring for elderly relatives at home: Be realistic about what you can do: It’s understandable that you want to help, and may even feel an element of duty. However, it is far easier to be realistic at the beginning of the care journey than wait until resentment has built, you’ve become burned out, or there has been an unsafe situation or crisis. Consider your commitments, lifestyle, finances and abilities realistically, to decide what you can consistently offer and provide. Speak openly with your parents: We all carry the dynamics of childhood into our adult relationships with our parents. However, it’s important to be honest on both sides, even if that’s made more difficult by cognitive decline, perhaps because of dementia. Try to be open-minded and sensitive about their concerns, whilst […]

  Spring is just around the corner, and we’re seeing signs of bulbs pushing their way up in our gardens at our North Devon and Somerset care homes. It’s a welcome sign of hope and a perfect reminder that getting outside is wonderful and beneficial for all of us. It’s not just an old-wives tale either. Studies involving over 290 million people have shown that time spent outside in greenspace has an incredible array of benefits on our health, from reducing cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes risk, to reducing stress, premature death and blood pressure. At the moment, with the pandemic still placing restrictions on us, heading outdoors is one thing we can do. So, what are some of the benefits that are particularly relevant to the elderly? Benefits of being outside for the elderly 1.     Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin We’re all becoming more aware of the sizeable benefits of Vitamin D. Our bodies mostly get the Vitamin D that we need from the sun. In the UK, we particularly need to spend some time outside everyday between March and October to get enough Vitamin D. What we’re probably less aware of, is how important Vitamin D […]

The residents in our North Devon care homes are truly spoilt by the abundance of beautiful spots, as are we! We thought we’d share with you some of our favourite places where you can find peace and tranquillity. These are the most peaceful spots in North Devon that we love: Peaceful hidden gems in North Devon 1. Watermouth We’ve been fortunate enough to spot dolphins in Watermouth Cove, and you can’t escape from the magical sense of peace that those sightings bring. Yes, right by the cove, in the summer, jet skis launch, but fundamentally, this is a peaceful place for watching the world go by. If you have the mobility to get to Broadsands Beach, you won’t be disappointed and you’ll feel as though you’re floating through a child’s story book. 2.Ash Bridge, near Watersmeet A short and easy ½ mile walk from Watersmeet House is Ash Bridge where there is a beautiful picnic spot. You’re surrounded by ancient woodlands here and can listen to the water splashing nearby. 3.Wistlandpound reservoir There are lots of accessible paths at Wistlandpound Reservoir, which can be found on the edge of Exmoor, not far from Exmoor Zoo. It’s the abundance of wildlife […]

Eastleigh Care Homes are very happy to let you all know that we will be one of the first Care Homes in Devon & Somerset to be able to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all our Residents & staff .  Residents and staff who have consented  will receive the first dose of the vaccine this week.  Due to this, the staff in the home will be very busy on these days to ensure everything runs smoothly. We will be closed to visitors and would appreciate if phone calls could be kept to a minimum. Please see the following link for the NHS guidance regarding vaccinations in Care Homes. Care Home vaccination guidance