18th May 2014

Tweed View Care Home is 'dementia-friendly'

Knowledge of dementia is improving all the time, and stigmas associated with the condition are starting to be overtaken by practical solutions that can make a huge difference to those experiencing dementia, and their carers.

Here at Tweed View Care Home Berwick we pride ourselves on being able to listen to the experts, and that's how we've quickly developed our reputation as specialists in dementia care.  We've closely observed the ground-breaking work by Stirling University in the design of care homes providing specialist care for people experiencing dementia, and have adopted many of their recommendations in the upgrade and refurbishment of Tweed View Care Home over the past few years.  

Stirling University developed a 'Virtual Care Home' to demonstrate dementia-friendly design in care home settings.  As they explain, 

"Understanding age-related changes and impairments is the first step towards creating living environments which support the needs of older people and those with dementia, keeping them safe from dangers such as falls, which can have a devastating effect on an older person; allowing them the freedom and confidence to use their abilities to the fullest extent, in all things from the mundane to the creative; aiding memory in day-to-day living; and reinforcing personal identity."

When you visit Tweed View Care Home you will recognise many of the features recommended in the virtual care home, in our dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms as well as the lounge areas.  The most obvious example, though, is in our corridors.  Bedroom doors are adorned with a specially designed transfer that emulates the front door of a house, including traditional iron-mongery.  "This has really helped the residents to feel at home and secure in their rooms, and is also a really successful way to maintain the privacy of residents", explains Moira Simpson, Care Home Manager who is pictured above beside one of the specially designed 'front doors'.