New opening
dementia, who will occupy the second floor in due course – require such assistance. HC-One uses Radar Healthcare’s event reporting and quality assurance system to both ensure that incidents of potential concern are spotted as early as possible, and to analyse the data behind such events to enhance quality of care. The provider is also using Nourish to digitise and simplify care management, shifting away from paper care plans and, again, using data to optimise resident care and safety. Michelle tells me that the provider is
committed to using digital tech to empower its staff. All staff have unique email addresses, access to HC-One’s intranet system, and, by extension, Microsoft’s Viva Engage employee communication platform, which links all HC-One care homes and via which staff can share best practice and support each other in what can, of course, often be difficult and challenging roles. Michelle is also keen to stress that, despite
negative stereotypes, residents themselves are far more comfortable with technology than many might give them credit for. She tells me that gone are the days that a resident might ask a member of staff for a pen and pencil – rather, they are far more likely to ask her for a spare charger for their iPad.
Dining and socialising When it comes to meals, everything is taken care of by in-house chefs and kitchen staff. Michelle and the Bluebell View pride themselves on providing a luxury, à la carte dining experience, and residents can expect a full, restaurant-style dining experience, with a three-course meal, wine, cheese and crackers, and coffee, served by the kitchen staff themselves.
“The ‘dining with dignity’ experience
is paramount for HC-One across all our homes,” explains Jodie. “I don’t think there are many care homes where you can have alcohol with your meal and things like that.” Residents are encouraged to treat their
evening meal as a social event – to wear smart clothes should they wish, and to spend time chatting and engaging with each other over the course of their meal – essentially ‘going out’ without actually going out. Residents can also expect a range of other services and amenities, such as a hair salon and nail bar where, again, the aim is provide something special for residents, who will be able to relax with a magazine, a cup of tea, and a friendly chat – just as they would in any other salon.
Thoughtful interior design
It is clear that a great deal of thought and care has gone into the interior design of Bluebell View. The new home is bright, airy,
November 2024
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
and quiet – despite being located on one of the main roads into the centre of Oswestry – while residents’ rooms feel spacious and are fitted-out to a high spec, with en suite wet rooms and access to the garden for those rooms on the ground floor. Communal areas such as reading rooms, dining areas, and lounges are comfortable and contemporary, and pictures and photographs of the local area abound. Following my visit, I caught up with HC-One interior designers Lois Wheeler and Rachel Clark and asked them how they approached the interior design of Bluebell View. They told me that reflecting Oswestry and its history was a key part of their design ethos.
For example, the designers commissioned artist Richard Briggs to create artwork depicting local landmarks and places of interest – these pieces are on display in the reception area as well as in communal areas around the home. Other works of art reflect much-loved local events – Oswestry hosts an annual balloon carnival, for instance, so there are works reflecting that, too. As Oswestry is well-known for – amongst other things – its Tudor architecture, Lois and Rachel incorporated various nods to the Tudor period throughout Bluebell View.
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