New Bedford Dementia Care Community offers fun, vibrant living

The Maulden community at Manton Heights Care Centre combines person-centred care in a warm and compassionate setting, with the latest innovations and service and technology to offer rewarding, life-enhancing experiences.

The new 18-bed Residential Dementia community is part of Manton Heights Care Centre and the RCH Care Homes Group, a family-run group of Care Homes whose values of Respect, Care and Honesty are at the heart of the services offered to your loved ones at what can be the time of greatest need.

Their homes are more than a home from home' as every single home is bursting with activities that promote wellbeing, stimulating mind, body and soul.

Care at RCH Care Homes is underpinned by the philosophy that residents should lead meaningful lives, with the opportunity to be active and independent despite any physical, sensory or cognitive impairment.

Newly opened Maulden Unit is a spacious modern environment comprising of 18 en-suite rooms, a lounge and dining room both leading out onto a spacious courtyard garden with seating areas looking across to the historic county town of Bedford. Every room is fully furnished, with other facilities also including a Cinema and Hair Salon.

Angela Gibson, Director of Care and Quality at RCH Care Homes, said: “we are passionate about what we do and firmly believe that by investing in the future of our services and involving, listening and responding to those who use them that we remain successful, responsible and provide care environments which prospective resident’s desire

Our staff are trained in values and person-centred approaches enabling our vision to become a reality of delivering an exceptional level of care' and where our residents have choice and control over how they live their lives”.

The new Maulden Community at Manton Heights has engaged research based innovative services and technologies which nurture the mind, body and soul.

Mind

The Digital Rainbow service developed in conjunction with the University of Warwick, is a giant touch screen that offers fun therapeutic benefits through games, images and sounds. This multimedia music and play incorporates simple wordgame puzzles and brain training in a friendly, accessible format, which is easy to see and use. It also helps develop physical co-ordination.

Body

It’s all too easy to concentrate on what cannot be done, while instead focussing on what can be achieved can have amazing benefits and allow people to age well. The Motitech Bike system at Maulden lets users use safe indoor bikes, set up with screens to allow them to tour the world – capable of virtually meandering up to the Coliseum, exploring the Lake District or visiting their local park, all from the comfort of a supervised cycle zone.

With various resistance levels, and able to be cycled using either arms or legs, this gentle exercise not only helps to restore muscle tone – a key component to preventing falls or recuperating from surgery – but also offers a pleasant experience to reluctant movers. It’s exercise, but in a fun, gentle way with beautiful sights and sounds to help users get the most out of their session, without feeling like they are doing forced physio.

Enjoying the chance to explore new places, and chat to her family about her adventures afterwards, one user said: “It lets you dream a bit, I feel alive.”

Spirit

The VR headsets which can be incorporated into the lifestyle schedule of the residents has opened up whole new worlds. Developed by Immerse Health and in conjunction with the University of Kent, the use of this technology has created something magical to take reminiscence conversation – a key part of care within RCH – to a whole new level.

Whether the user wants a calming, restorative environment – like the chance to explore a woodland from the comfort of their armchair, go on a familiar ‘day trip’ via the headset or travel to a much-loved holiday spot or exotic location. In fact, from the comfort of the lounge they can even go canoeing, in this multi-sensory, stimulating way.

This system allows the resident and the lifestyle team to explore together and chat through the experiences.

One user said the vivid VR experience was extraordinary: “It’s more than a scene it’s an experience. It is brilliant!”

The university’s research showed there were huge benefits both for residents with dementia and their care givers.

Angela added: “Working in these new ways is so important to us.”

Have I got more news for you …

The final innovation service which RCH Care Homes has brough into the home is the Famileo service. Like a personal, secure Facebook setting, multiple family members can share messages, photos and more, while the resident can also reply. And once a week, the lifestyle team prints all of that week’s messages to produce their very only Gazette. This personalised newsletter, in digital and print form, is hugely popular.

Racheal Smith interim General Manager shared the home’s excitement at the opening of the new community, “All of the team are excited about the opening of our new Maulden Community as it’s a contemporary area where residents can interact as part of a community and use the technology and innovative services to enrich their well-being. Our priority is to deliver person centred care and promote independence and we look forward to welcoming our guests”

Find out more at www.rchcarehomes.co.uk/bedfordshire/manton-heights-care-centre/