New opening
“We recently reached out to the local school, who have a disability unit, and they find it really difficult to use the local cinema,” Sally tells me. “So we said, actually, ours is completely accessible to all, so the local 15 and 16 year olds in that school who needed wheelchair-friendly cinema all came in for the afternoon. “We’ve built a play garden in our garden for the local school – we have local nurseries and schools who come and visit us three times a week and use our facilities. So we’re not just reaching out to the older generation, but reaching out to the younger generation as well. “So that was a huge factor in why we chose Bath – to see where we could make a difference. Yes, we are a business, but it just ticked all of the boxes for us.” Hallmark has even gone so far as creating an outdoor classroom, so that when the weather warms up, the local school can have outdoor lessons in the garden. It is clear that Hallmark is taking such collaborations seriously – rather than schoolchildren simply coming and going as and when, there will be a structured lesson plan in place. Already, children come to Midford Manor every week to read with the residents, and the home hosts a gardening club where older and younger generations can grow plants together.
Across the board, Hallmark has made sure that children and families are accommodated. “We’ve incorporated toys into all of our new homes,” Verity tells me. “We’ve got baby changing areas in the visitor’s toilets. It just makes it more accessible and less stressful.”
There are also areas within the home
dedicated to facilitating family gatherings and celebrations. “We want the families to be here,” says
Sally. “Everything in our home is open. We run movie nights in our cinema – residents’ grandchildren can come and have their own movie night as a family.”
Bespoke design
It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Hallmark’s homes that the interior finish at Midford Manor more than justifies the home’s ‘luxury’ tag. Rather than simply apply a standard Hallmark interior design template, each Hallmark home boasts bespoke décor, furniture, and interior design that reflects the home’s location and the surrounding area. Interior designer Elodie Preston immersed herself in the history of Bath, visiting museums, studying local landmarks, and paying particular attention to the city’s famous
Georgian architecture. She was inspired by the latter to create a bespoke motif for the home that can be spotted on some of the flooring, incorporated into certain pieces of furniture, and imprinted on certain fabrics. Sally and Verity tell me that this attention to detail is greatly appreciated by residents and their families, who recognise the many nods towards familiar local elements. In common with Angmering Grange,
the second floor of Midford Manor boats The Residences, a collection of suites and exclusive communal areas that blur the distinction between a care setting and independent living, aimed at meeting a burgeoning demand for later living accommodation that, while still offering a bespoke element of care, caters to those who wish to maintain a comparatively high level of independence. The residents of The Residences expect a certain standard of living (as well they might, given that weekly fees for The Residences are substantially higher than Midford Manor’s £1,980 weekly starting rate), and this includes a ‘finishing kitchen’ to elevate Midford Manor’s already impressive catering to something more akin to a fine dining experience. It goes without saying, however, that all of the rooms and communal areas in Midford Manor are beautifully appointed, with care having been taken with every design element, no matter how small. Safety and peace of mind are also very important, of course, and Hallmark offers families the option to have Ally Labs’ acoustic monitoring system fitted in residents’ bedrooms. This has proven to be a popular choice, and for good reason, as Sally explains: “It’s amazing. I was absolutely gobsmacked
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com May 2024
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