By Kevin Burke, director of care homes and dementia services at Guild Care

Moving into a care home can be a daunting experience – and especially so for someone living with dementia. That’s why we make sure each of our residents are welcomed with open arms into our loving Guild Care family.

Haviland House, which offers dedicated residential and nursing care in an environment built specifically for people living with dementia – encompasses this family spirit.

Haviland House consists of five households, each suited to a particular stage of dementia. This ensures that all of our residents are always receiving the right level of care, no matter what stage they’re at in their journey with dementia.

Empathy at the heart of our care

Here at Guild Care, we’re proud to be a pillar of the Worthing community. Our Haviland House, Linfield House and Caer Gwent care homes, as well as our broad range of community support services, have benefitted people in Worthing for 90 years now. Our charitable status means we can dedicate more time to care, and our market-leading number of care staff ensures everyone benefits
from quality one-to-one time.

Our ongoing dementia training gives our carers a sense of how our residents see the world. Understanding things through their eyes enables our team to provide a respectful and compassionate approach to specialist care. Kerri Sparrowe, our Care Needs Coordinator and Dementia Lead, says: “The training enables our staff to understand dementia from the perspective of our residents, and the challenges they experience in day-to-day life. It makes you think about yourself and how you can tailor your approach, which means that our residents always receive the best care possible.”

Prioritising wellbeing

Our personalised approach to care also enables us to prioritise the wellbeing of every resident, which is vital for our residents living with dementia, who may require adaptable care.

Pat, who lives with us at Haviland House, is just one example. Pat often suffers from anxiety, which is a symptom of her dementia. To help alleviate this, staff have created a mini garden in the corridor outside her room. Pat finds it incredibly soothing and it’s a great escape for her.

Pat enjoys tending to her mini garden at Haviland House. It is a great escape for her. 

“I love gardening”, she says. “Me and my husband used to garden a lot at home, and we’d grow flowers, plants and all types of vegetables.”

The mini garden has also brought comfort to Pat’s family, who love that she is able to engage in something she has always enjoyed.

We have lots of green-fingered residents at Haviland House and many of them love our outdoor gardens, as well as our popular indoor garden room. It’s a beautiful space, with a balcony where our residents can relax and spend time planting and tending to flowers.

It’s in these moments that our residents can feel a sense of purpose and independence. For us, Haviland House is as much about providing the best possible care as it is about bringing joy to  everyone who lives there.

For more information about any of our services, or to enquire about one of our care homes, please call 01903 327327 or email [email protected].