New opening
Capacity Act training cannot be overstated. “How do you make decisions for people in their best interest? If you’re a chef, for example, and a family member of a resident comes to you and says, ‘I don’t want my husband to have any potatoes’, what then? “Well, actually, the Mental Capacity Act applies. Does the person have capacity to make the decision? And if they do, then you need to know that the family member can’t make that decision for them. “And if Mr. Smith wants to have potatoes,
he can have potatoes, and you need to be able to explain that. The Mental Capacity Act is a really important piece of legislation for people living in care homes, and it’s important that people understand it really well.”
Happy staff, happy residents With fees starting at £4,500 per week, Loveday Kensington residents - or ‘Members’, as they are called - can expect 24-hour tailored compassionate senior and memory care. Loveday Kensington has a maximum of two residents per carer session, even if the Members are independent. “Staffing ratios in most care homes aren’t sufficient,” says Zackova. “Most care homes I’ve worked for, it’s a one-to-five ratio, sometimes one-to-six. “I recently visited a higher end care home and the manager said they have one-to-four care ratio. It may sound like enough but if somebody needs the help of two people then, all of a sudden, other people may need help. I don’t want to be political, but there should be a conversation nationally with the regulator about staffing ratios and how that affects care.” The smaller resident-to-staff ratio has a positive knock-on effect for employees. Of
Garden suite
the staff who started at Chelsea Court Place when it opened in October 2016, at least 70 per cent are still working there. “We are fortunate because what we offer is so different to many care homes in terms of the workload and expectations. Some staff, when they first start with us, can look on edge and say ‘What do I do now?’. “We will say to them: ‘Well, you can sit
Private dining area Key suppliers
Architect: Life 3A Interior design: Life 3A & Stylesmith Baths: Arjo Laundry equipment: Allsop & Francis Flooring: Domus Group & Solus Ceramics Lifts: Stannah Nurse call & acoustic monitoring system: CLB/Adaptive IT Outdoor furniture – Cocowolf & Talor
down and talk to the members, join in with the activities, and spend quality time with them. Some staff are just not used to being able to do that and it can make them feel great at the end of their shift. It is also highly beneficial for our members, too.”
Cinema room 28
Activities that go the extra mile Activities at Loveday Kensington are extensive. Loveday’s Extraordinary Days programme an innovative, evidence- based activities schedule brought to life in collaboration with the research team at the aforementioned Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory. One specific activity arising from the research is psychodynamic dance movement therapy. The Extraordinary Days programme applies neuroscience and psychological evidence that provide stimulating activities involving art, music, language, learning and storytelling help improve interactions, mood and mobility for those living with dementia. The programme consists of five elements to ensure every Member lives every day well: Sense & Sensory, Mind & Memory, Arts & Culture, Eldergym, and Culinary Masterclass. Activities are also developed around a lifestyle assessment of each resident, such as their favourite meal, anniversaries, favourite restaurant, favourite book, favourite poems and so on.
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com April 2022
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