Foreword - Update on the Service

2024 has been a year full of change, new residents have joined us as well as new staff and we feel that 2024, although busy, has been full of positive change.   

The Old Malthouse has gone through a few changes to the internal structure home for which we have received many compliments, and we are pleased to have created a welcoming new look to the home which is having a positive impact on the care and support our residents receive. 

Changes & refurbishments

The Old Malthouse is undergoing ongoing 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, and a place that our staff will enjoy working in.

The bathroom on side 2 of the home has been made bigger with a bath, toilet, hairdresser basin and shower. New fittings has made the bathroom more welcoming for the residents to enjoy.

By creating the new bathroom, we were able to knock through the smaller dining room into the old bathroom to create a much larger, user friendly space.  New lighting and flooring, along with redecoration and new furniture has made the dining room a delightful area to sit and enjoy meals together.

We now only have four bedrooms to redecorate, which will happen when we feel confident that a temporary move for those residents will not cause disruption or upset due to the change in their surroundings. 

The refurbishment plan for the future ….. The smaller kitchen on side 2 will be refurbished, with new cupboards and fittings, the lounges will be painted and spruced up, with the TV’s also replaced.  The corridors will also be repainted and tidied up. 

Since our last newsletter, we have upgraded our laundry equipment with new washers, driers and an ironing machine.  A new, more efficient, boiler tank was installed recently, and a new industrial dishwasher is due to be installed in the main kitchen this week.

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 to the families that have returned their feedback forms, we look forward to receiving any of the outstanding forms. 

Remembered

It is with great sorrow that we had to bid farewell to some of our amazing and much loved residents over the past months, they are dearly missed and we are honoured to be part of their lives.

May they rest in peace and forever be in our hearts, our sincerest condolences to all the families and friends.

Activities in-house and in the community       

We have recruited an additional Activities Coordinator, Reece, who is currently shadowing Faye, getting to know the residents and their likes and dislikes.  This will mean that an Activities Coordinator will be on shift 7 days a week, and some days they will both be here, meaning we can facilitate more community based activities. 

The activities team will be using a more focused approach on individual’s choices, interaction, 1:1 time, functions, Village Venture bus, outings to the local church, coffee shops, Yesterday’s club and group activities such as music, art, exercises, Bingo, Singing along with Victor Munro and Tickled Pink Productions.

The gardens are more welcoming for the summer for everyone to enjoy, weather permitting. The gardens have been receiving a little more attention, benches have been painted, decking and fencing stained to enhance the gardens and make them more presentable to sit in and enjoy the experience.

Some of our residents enjoy family visits and going out with the families for meals, tea or coffee when they visit. Some residents also bring their pets in for their family members to enjoy time with them and may share them with other residents in the home while they are visiting which brings many smiles.

We are also planning a family fun, date to be confirmed. We will send out a notification as soon as we have formalised the details. We had a very enjoyable and successful family day last year and would like to repeat if not have a better one this year.

Care Planning

During the earlier part of the year, relatives were invited to review the care plans of their loved ones, we thank you for your input.  The information you provide is valuable in ensuring we can offer personalised care for our residents.

We will be sending out further invites over the next few months.  However, should anyone have a particular request, please contact me.  I have an open door policy, and welcome your feedback in improving our service.

Key Worker system

The home has a key worker system in place. The specific function of each key worker will vary but their overall role will be to co-ordinate the support and care provided for the individual resident/s assigned to them.                                                             

The aim is for each resident and their family members to have a point of contact within the staff team.