Residents at Hillside Lodge Care Home in Berwick have created their own Olympic torch and over 70 local schools, charities, businesses and community groups have been involved in a month-long torch relay, following an invitation from the care home on social media.

On 17^th June, residents visited Tweedmouth Prior Park First School and handed the torch to pupils to start the relay. Some of the community participants include: Berwick Cancer Cars, The Grove School, Border Links, Berwick Animal Rescue Kennels, Holy Trinity First School, Berwick Community Trust, HospiceCare North Northumberland, Berwick Museum and Art Gallery and Berwick Youth Project.

On 20^th July, the torch returned to Hillside Lodge Care Home, carried by members of the ‘Tweed Striders’ running club, who were welcomed by residents and members of the community who took part in the relay. Andrew Smith from Berwick Cancer Cars piped the runners in on his bagpipes.

The torch relay kicked off the care home’s ‘Going for Gold’ Olympic activities which included a sports day held on 26^th July where residents competed in a series of events designed for all abilities to take part in, including ‘oeuf et cuillère’ races, armchair archery, balloon volleyball and tabletop hockey.

The care home’s Magic Moments Coordinator, Rachael Howlett, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response from local people who wanted to be part of our community Olympic torch relay after I posted an invitation on the ‘Berwick-upon-Tweed Notice Board’ Facebook group to see if anyone would like to join in. The residents here at Hillside Lodge have been following the torch’s progress as people have been sending in pictures of its journey through Berwick and the surrounding areas. It’s fantastic to have so many locals getting involved, and it’s been a great way to keep our residents connected to the people and places in their community.”

Football fever as our homes take part in The Euro 2024 celebrations!

Football fever has arrived at Four Seasons Health Care Group care homes across the UK with residents and team members enjoying the build up to the all important matches.

The care homes have introduced dedicated ‘FanZones’ decorated with bunting, flags and scarves to get everyone in the mood for cheering on Gareth Southgate’s and Steve Clarke’s teams and pop-up pubs will serve beer and bratwurst rolls.

Residents will be enjoying their own games of ‘Slipper Soccer’, competing with team members in penalty shoot-outs and playing score prediction games as they follow all the action throughout the tournament.

About us

Four Seasons Health Care Group is one of the UK’s largest independent health care providers with care homes across the UK providing long-term and respite, residential, nursing  and dementia care for older people. Find a care home near you.

Thinking about getting your loved one with dementia a gift?

Knowing what gifts to buy your loved one with dementia can be a tricky task but one well worth doing. Selecting gifts for someone with dementia can demonstrate your care and understanding whilst also providing them with a gift that can stimulate their senses, promote comfort, and bring them joy.

It is important to pick a gift that is suited to your loved one’s tastes and changing abilities. You may want to consider what stage of dementia your loved one is at as there are different gifts to suit all stages. We have picked some of our favourite gifts for people with dementia that will be perfect for showing your care and understanding whilst also providing a stimulating, engaging, and comforting experience.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are an excellent gift for loved ones with dementia. They offer an enjoyable activity that promotes both mental stimulation, and sociability, when played with others. You can pick a puzzle box depending on your loved one’s interests and hobbies. This is a great way of evoking fond memories whilst offering cognitive stimulation.

Jigsaw puzzles such as a 35-Piece puzzles can be a good option for those with early stages of dementia and 13-Piece can work for those in the mid stages of dementia. The specialised larger puzzle pieces can aid those that may struggle with tactile skills.

Digital Clock

A digital clock is a great gift for those in the early stages of dementia as they can aid in overcoming practical challenges and any difficulties with memory. These clocks are highly accessible for those with dementia as their large clock faces are clear and easy to read. This can help to give a person with dementia a sense of comfort and understanding when they are feeling confused.

Memory Box

Memory boxes are the perfect gift to show your care and understanding to your loved one with dementia. You can create this from scratch full of nostalgic shared memories, experiences, and lots of photographs. This is an amazing way to forge strong connections and heartfelt conversation starters.

If your loved one is in a care home then this gift will be even more special as it can help them to establish their new living space as a home that holds all their well loved trinkets and possessions.

Fidget Widget Tools

Fidget tools are an excellent option for those with later stages of dementia. Relish and the Alzheimer’s Society worked collaboratively to create fidget widgets that offer different motions such as twisting, turning, sliding, rolling, and spinning.

These tools are a great way of fostering tactile stimulation which can aid focus and engagement. In addition, they have a calming effect and can distract individuals from distressing thoughts or situations.

Painting Kits

Painting kits are a great option for those in the mid stages of dementia. Not only is painting a perfect way to get creative and have fun but it can also serve as a therapeutic outlet for emotions. These dementia friendly paint kits from Relish only require water and a paintbrush for the colours to appear!

All of these wonderful dementia gifts are available to shop on https://relish-life.com and https://shop.alzheimers.org.uk/

Why not pay us a visit?

To find out more about our approach, why not pay us a visit? We offer a range of care, from residential dementia support for people who need a little help with daily tasks, such as washing, dressing and taking medication, to nursing dementia care for those with long-term medical conditions or physical disabilities.

About us

Four Seasons Health Care Group is one of the UK’s largest independent health care providers with care homes across the UK providing long-term and respite, residential, nursing and dementia care for older people. Find a care home near you.

Dementia Action Week is here! This is an annual campaign with a goal to raise awareness about dementia, challenge stigmas associated with the condition and encourage people to take action on dementia. This week serves as a powerful reminder of the millions of lives touched by this complex condition worldwide.

One of the focus’ of Dementia Action Week is to promote awareness and understanding of dementia. Learning about dementia is crucial in raising awareness of the condition. A better understanding of the condition helps us to better understand their experiences, challenges, and needs, fostering a more inclusive and supportive society.

What is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term for many conditions and illnesses which produce similar signs and symptoms and therefore are referred to collectively as dementia. The key features of dementia are cognitive decline and disease.

Types of Dementia

There are over 200 different types of conditions that have been identified in which dementia is the key symptom, but the underlying causes are different.

The most common types are:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Vascular Dementia
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Frontotemporal Dementia
• Alcohol related dementia

It is also possible for a person to live with two types of dementia together, usually Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease dementia with Lewy bodies. This is called Mixed Dementia. Approximately one in ten people who live with dementia are diagnosed with having more than one type.

Our Approach to Dementia Care

At Four Seasons Health Care Group, our approach to dementia care is a positive, life enhancing approach which is demonstrated in exceptional experiences for our residents, delivered by teams who are committed to making a difference and providing care through positive relationships.

We recently introduced our new approach to Dementia care into all our care homes.  This is supported by a large investment into our team, new approach to our dementia care and newly trained Dementia Champions in many homes leading dementia awareness, understanding and care for our residents.

We have trained 230 Dementia Champions, who have gone on to deliver over 5000 (and still growing!) workshops into our homes. Dementia Action Week is not just a week; our team members are on a continuous journey to promote awareness, understanding, and helping to take action on dementia!

All of our teams’ hard work can be seen in the results of our 2024 Customer Satisfaction Survey, with families providing some lovely feedback, for example:

Why not pay us a visit?

To find out more about our approach, why not pay us a visit? We offer a range of care, from residential dementia support for people who need a little help with daily tasks, such as washing, dressing and taking medication, to nursing dementia care for those with long-term medical conditions or physical disabilities.

Fiesta fun for our residents as they celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Our homes welcomed family, friends and members of their local community to a Mexican-themed party to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo festival.

This vibrant Mexican holiday is all about embracing culture, having fun, and, of course, enjoying delicious food. On this special day, our residents and team commemorated the rich heritage and traditions of Mexico.  This is part of our care home activities programme called Magic Moments, which aims to help residents enjoy every day, make memories and have a little fun.

Mexico is the first stop on the care home’s ‘Cruise Around the World’ armchair travel activity, which, throughout the year, will see residents at our Four Seasons Health Care/brighterkind care homes across the UK, experiencing the sights, sounds, tastes and culture of destinations they’ve always wanted to visit. The ship will also be docking at fondly remembered destinations, so residents can share their stories about their travels in the past and take a trip down memory lane.

About us

Four Seasons Health Care Group is one of the UK’s largest independent health care providers with care homes across the UK providing long-term and respite, residential, nursing and dementia care for older people. Find a care home near you.

Our residents celebrate National Pet Day with furry companions bringing joy to our care homes!

National Pet Day this year reminded our homes of the invaluable presence our furry friends can bring. The day was celebrated with nursing home pet therapy sessions and our team and resident’s loved ones bringing in their pets for a visit. Our homes cherish the positive impact animals have on the well-being of our residents.

Before coming to stay with us, many of our residents had a cherished pet companion back at home that they miss dearly. To bring that bit of comfort and companionship back into our resident’s hearts laps, many of our homes organise pet therapy and specialist animal visits. Residents said that National Pet Day allowed them to ‘reminisce about when we had pets of our own’.

About us

Four Seasons Health Care Group is one of the UK’s largest independent health care providers with care homes across the UK providing long-term and respite, residential, nursing and dementia care for older people. Find a care home near you.

Our residents are feeling fit & fabulous at the launch of our new community ‘Four Seasons Feel Good Club’

During our launch event, our residents have been joined by members of their local communities at the opening of the new ‘Four Seasons Feel Good Club’. Our new club will run in all Four Seasons Health Care and brighterkind care homes across the UK, to bring residents, teams, family members and the local community, the opportunity to get together for a series of fun, feel-good activities throughout the year.

The Club is part of our Magic Moments care home activities programme designed to help residents stay independent and active for as long as possible. It’s also lots of fun and includes movement, armchair exercise, sport and laughter.

Four Seasons Health Care Group is one of the UK’s largest independent health care providers with care homes across the UK providing long-term and respite residential, nursing and dementia care for older people. Find a care home near you.