Activities at Derham House Care Home

For residents at Derham House the long awaited reunion with one family member has become a reality, as one single named visitor is now allowed to visit each resident in their bedroom. We have literally rolled out the red carpet for our first visitors.

There has been much anticipation of this moment by families and residents alike.  Guidance was issued by the Government on March 4th and Barchester Healthcare, who run Derham House care home, is proceeding with a safe and cautious approach to visiting. Strict protocols are in place with all visitors required to have a negative Lateral Flow Device test result before being allowed into the home, and infection control measures and social distancing in place for every visit, with hand holding allowed but not recommended.

Despite the need for testing and social distancing, it was still welcome news for so many residents and their family members to be able to meet in the comfort of their bedroom. Residents and their loved ones are enjoying getting together and catching up face to face.

Jackie said: "I would just like to say a big thank you for letting me be your 1st Visitor into Durham house Fox Unit, and to all the staff in Fox unit for making me feel so welcome when I came to visit mum last Thursday, it was the first time I had touched her in nearly a year and it was very emotional, but the staff in Fox unit gave me lots of support. Also, it was the first time I had ever seen inside the unit or mum's room & I was very impressed; her room look lovely all decorated with balloons and mum looks smart and tidy with her hair all nicely set. I would like to thank you all for going the extra mile to make my visit such a memorable one, I’m so happy that mum has settled into Derham House, it’s so reassuring knowing that she is in a safe place and being well looked after. The Admin, carers and Nursing staff are so lovely in Fox unit treating mum with kindness, dignity, compassion and respect also keeping me well informed, I can see mum is very happy in Fox unit. The unit is also very responsive to Mum’s dementia needs.I am looking forward to my next indoor Visit and, moving forward into the coming months when it is safe enough for our family to share a visit together."

Crina Lee, General Manager at the home, said: “This is the first cautious step towards having a buzz of visitors in the home again. It was wonderful to see how happy it made the residents and their relatives. We have a great booking system in place to ensure the visits are well organised, and visitors are doing a great job of following the safety measures to keep everyone as safe as possible.  For those that are not able to come inside the home we are pleased to be able to continue to offer visits in our visiting suites or outdoors when the weather allows”

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support, and have a very clear admission policy and infection control protocols that must be met. Please do give us a call on 01708 641441 if you are looking for care or need any further help.

We celebrated International Women's Day at Derham House by encouraging our fantastic female members of staff to dress in either the traditional cultural clothing or to dress as a woman from history who has inspired them 

We later had a disco for the residents and enjoyed music from female artists from around the world.

The wonderful Feel Good Painted came to Derham House to decorate our windows with a Spring theme.

We are very grateful to Feel Good Painted for donating their time and skills. Our General Manager Crina presented them with a lovely bouquet as thanks from our residents.

The fantastic team at Derham House held a fundraising coffee morning for Mental Health Awareness Day this week and are still counting the funds raised for this great cause. 

The coffee morning held at Derham House for residents and staff was a great success. Discussions over the changing nature of mental health and in particular the effect of Covid-19 on society were covered. The emphasis on talking and sharing issues being the key step to tackling mental health issues was covered at length by residents who happily imparted decades of wisdom. 

Derham House has recently brought a bit of magic to residents by providing a new ‘Magic Table 360 and the Happiness Programme’ as a way to improve residents’ quality of life.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, the Magic Table 360 uses interactive games to connect residents with staff and with each other, and research shows it improves the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Using interactive light projections, the Magic Table 360, which can be played independently or in a group, stimulates movement by inviting participants to take part in all sorts of different fun activities such as popping bubbles, playing the piano, colouring in pictures, sweeping leaves or interacting playfully with fish. Games are rich in colour, movement and detail, and allow people of all ages to play in a safe and comfortable environment.

The Magic Table 360 is portable so it can be used wherever residents feel most comfortable, it can be projected onto the floor, ceiling, walls, a whiteboard or even the bed. The Happiness Programme allows for a range of games that change seasonally and have country-specific versions covering 14 different categories, so there will always be something new for residents to try.

The benefits of the Magic Table 360 has shown to improve mood and behaviours especially across the mid-to-late stages of dementia, greater physical, social and cognitive activity, reduction in withdrawn-like symptoms, weight gain and positive impacts on relationships with care staff, friends and family.

Crina Lee, General Manager, said: “We’re excited to bring a touch of magic to the residents at our home, the Magic Table 360 will make a big difference by helping to connect residents with staff and with each other, and it’s great fun for the young at heart.”

Dr Pete Calveley, CEO of Barchester Healthcare said: “We are delighted by the initial response of the residents at Derham House Care Home when using the Magic Table 360. Designed to create moments of happiness for the residents, it is heart-warming to provide positive and invaluable experiences, with residents more motivated to interact with staff, family and carers alike.” 

Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities

Our employee of the month is Delphine. A key member of the fantastic Derham House care team, Delphine won an overwhelming number of votes for Employee Of The Month.

Over the last year Delphine has offered to change her shifts and even her annual-leave numerous times to help out her colleagues who were struggling with childcare. Delphine is a wonderfully attentive and caring soul who is a firm favourite of the residents.