Chesterfield care home launches specialist dementia care community

Orchard Care Homes has announced the Riverdale Care Home in Chesterfield is now offering specialist Reconnect dementia care.

The home on Sheffield Road has been established in its city-centre location for over a decade. It is already a specialist dementia care, residential care and short-term respite care home, but has now introduced a ‘Reconnect Community.’

These innovative communities adopt a person-centric approach to dementia care in a therapeutic environment, aiming to understand why people exhibit the behaviours they do and adapt support to reduce distress. 

Over 900,000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in the UK and long-term specialist dementia nursing placements are essential to cope with growing demand. Riverdale Care Home will be able to provide the local community with a more holistic solution for those living with dementia, introducing environmental and care approach changes to foster positive outcomes.

Orchard’s Reconnect model succeeds by offering genuine inclusion. To reflect a homely atmosphere and promote choice of activity, Riverdale has adapted its environments to include areas found in a typical family home, including DIY work rooms, kitchens, a laundry room and gardens.

Residents can choose to use these spaces as they would in their own home, and family members are encouraged to be as involved as they would like to further feelings of identity and ownership. The launch of a Reconnect community also involves an increase in staff specialist dementia training – ensuring residents have the support needed to thrive in their own space and have the freedom to spend time in warm company or enjoy the solitude of solo activity.

Michelle Rose, Registered Home Manager, said: “We’ve seen people’s lives transformed within Reconnect communities and we are excited to be now able to offer this along with our existing care services in Chesterfield. This tailors care towards ‘reconnecting’ people with their past life and experiences. Meaningful occupation and engagement is key, and we are thrilled that people who live here have the chance to maintain life skills and derive meaning from each day by living as normally as possible.”

Orchard Care Homes has a portfolio of 23 care homes across the Midlands and the North of England. The Riverdale Care Home in Chesterfield has been awarded Quality Premium status for good care by Derbyshire County Council and ‘good’ status from the Quality Care Commission.

Earlier this month Orchard Care Homes was named the 2023 winner of the LaingBuisson Award for Excellence in Large Residential Care.  The business also recently revealed it had achieved a 5-star food rating at every home across its portfolio and celebrated a reduction of up to 91% of significant injuries from falls since adding PainChek technology to its prevention policy and post falls protocol.

For more information on Orchard Care Homes please call 01423 859859.