It is lovely to have some warmer weather, having spring on the doorstep we start to see all the wonderful colours of the spring flowers.

Firstly I would like to welcome both our new staff who have joined us from our other home The Conifers and all the residents who decided to move and reside at The Old Malthouse.

Whilst we appreciate making any move to a new home can be difficult I have to say thanks to all the staff and the residents friends and families the transition was very smooth and residents have settled in better than we all had expected. One member of staff said to me ‘I cannot believe how well residents have settled into a night time routine, they are sleeping well and very settled’.

I am sure it has made a difference that so many of The Conifers staff transitioned across to the Old Malthouse at the same time.

We will be issuing all staff with name badges for ease of identification.

We are also working to put up an organisational structure board in the entrance area.

Changes & Refurbishments

The Old Malthouse is undergoing refurbishment and decoration to improve the facilities, rooms and overall look and feel of the home.

This will endeavour to make the home a place that your family members will want to live in and be part of and more welcoming for our visitors, a place that our staff will enjoy working in.

The vacant bedrooms were being upgraded and painted to facilitate the residents relocating to the Old Malthouse from the Conifers which closed down at the end of March 2023.

The move went well and the residents have all settled well. Thank you to the Conifers staff who helped with the transition to The Old Malthouse.

Thank you to the staff from both homes for making everyone feel welcome and a smooth transition. The staff are now focusing on getting to know residents from both homes and each other and visa-versa, you will have the opportunity to meet them during your visits.

The communal lounges, bathrooms and dining rooms are being improved for residents to enjoy.

We will soon commence work on existing bedrooms to improve them as well so that they all will look and feel better and enhance the overall appearance. We will attempt to do this with as little interruption to the resident as we possibly can

The old listed part of the building is also being renovated to make more bedrooms available and also a more welcoming entrance and visiting area.

We continue to concentrate on the home improvement plans to modernise the interior.  As a Company we feel passionate to ensure the resident's home is a safe space that also meets the needs for our residents living with Dementia.  

We have refurbished the dining room and are hoping the reconfigure our other dining area to create more space and a better dining experience.  Creating a suitable environment can have a huge impact on the amount of food and fluids someone with Dementia consumes.  

You may see some adjustments aroud the home to help orientation such as signs for facilities such as toilets and bathrooms and people's bedrooms also have red light switches. 

Now that the weather is changing and it is getting lighter and warmer, we will be concentrating on our outdoor space as we know it has many benefits.  Natural daylight has Vitamin D which is good for our general health.  The sights and sounds of nature have a calming effect and can help with our  moods.  Gardens and outdoor areas provide places for activities, such as planting, digging, mowing grass, exercise, hanging out washing, walking or just sitting and relaxing.  

Surveys

You may be aware that once a year we ask friends and family to complete a questionnaire on the service we provide your loved ones. We also gather feedback from outside professionals and our residents and staff.

Thank you all for taking the time to complete the questionnaire, without your feedback we would not be able to analyse your valuable comments to make the necessary improvements in the home and improve the lives for all the residents who live at The Old Malthouse.

It is extremely important to hear from you so that we could change our assessment process in any way when we are looking at new residents moving into our home. We recognise a smooth transition plan has assisted in settling the residents quickly and with minimal stress.

New Activities in the community

Now we can get out and about more easily, we are working hard to look at local community base activities to offer to our residents.

The activities team has been increased for a more focused approach on individual’s choices, interaction, 1:1 time, functions, outings and group activities such as music, art, exercises, movie sessions and Tickled Pink Productions.

The gardens will be more welcoming for the summer for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to another family for the donation of seating and table for the garden, this will come in very useful when taking residents into the garden area.

We are also planning a family fun day once the warmer season approaches, date to be confirmed.