I recently visited a new care home in Wigan called The Rowans, which did not look like your typical residential care setting. It felt more like a hotel, which was unusual as it is 100% local authority funded. The interior design was incredible and rather than big communal areas, the building was split into smaller, comfortable spaces. I visited the on-site hair salon where you can have everything from a blow dry to a balayage and noticed music in every room from the residents’ eras.
I was there to film Nourish’s ‘Better Lives’ series of fly-on-the-wall documentaries that take a behind-the-scenes look at the adult care sector and the people who devote their lives to it. It did not take long to conclude that if I ever live in residential care, I would want it to be somewhere like The Rowans.
Nathan, the home’s Customer Experience Leader, told me, ‘It’s not just about keeping people alive, it’s about giving people a reason to be alive.’ Isn’t that what we all want? It should not change at the point where we may have to go into residential care.
It looked like everyone was having a lot of fun at The Rowans. Nathan invites community members to teach activities like crochet, the home runs a pen pal scheme with the local school and Sarah, the Manager, revealed that some residents had recently gone to a Meatloaf tribute concert. There are other freedoms within the home – one man likes to assist with the washing up while another resident helps in the laundry room.
Sarah told me, ‘I wanted to run a place with a homely feeling, somewhere that was more like a hotel than a care home. I’ve succeeded because everyone here feels like part of a family. They all have freedom and a voice to have a say.’
The pay-off for treating residents with respect and dignity, maintaining their freedom and encouraging excitement about life is huge. I met Liz, a social worker whose client had moved to The Rowans. She told me that their mobility had improved, physical wellbeing was more stable and their mental health was better. This should not come as a surprise, because there is plenty of research that shows optimism is good for us.
Activities at The Rowans go the extra mile. Nathan puts on a regular karaoke evening, and he likes to help residents tick things off their bucket lists. A lady with Huntington’s disease used to be a lollipop lady and wants to do it again. She believed her condition would prevent it, but Nathan is determined to make it happen. ‘These people have met presidents; they’ve sailed around the world and run businesses. Their lives don’t have to stop just because they are in a care home,’ he said.
I could not agree more and this is the ethos behind Nourish. Our software was developed to give those receiving care more autonomy, a voice and the best quality of care to ensure improved outcomes. People are like plants – the more love and care you pour into them, the better they flourish.
Following The Rowan’s lead is more about mindset than budgets. When wellbeing is a priority and you treat those receiving care the way you would treat your loved ones, you improve people’s lives. Whether it is going to a Meatloaf tribute or ironing a shirt – small, everyday things make a huge difference to people’s lives.
How have you prioritised the wellbeing of the people you care for in your setting? Leave a comment on this column or join the conversation to share your thoughts.
Lee Gilbert is Chief Marketing Officer at Nourish Care.
Email: [email protected]
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