Services – St Michaels Rest Home

Dementia Care

Respite Care

Palliative Care

Activity Program

MONDAYS – Dave the Singer and Chat and Chuckle
TUESDAYS – Quiz with Brett and reminisce
WEDNESDAYS – Bingo and Book reading/Newspaper
THURSDAYS – Painting and Chair Exercise
FRIDAYS – Cake Decorating and Ball Games
SATURDAYS – Musicals and Arts + Crafts
SUNDAYS – Movies / Documentaries

The first thing you will notice about the Dementia Care provided at St Michaels Rest Home is that it is person-centred. Rather than think in terms of ‘Dementia Care’ we think about caring for the person living with dementia, and supporting you.

We really want to emphasise this individualised care because when we meet a person living with dementia for the first time we always think about them as much more than just someone with dementia – dementia, as much as it may have altered a person’s experience of life, is just a part of their life, but not their whole life.

Life Before Dementia

At St Michaels we create the sort of welcoming and familiar environment that really helps residents deal with the challenges of memory loss due to dementia and preserves their sense of identity. Life before dementia therefore is key to shaping life after its onset. We strive to find out as much as possible about an individual, their likes, dislikes and habits – you know, the things that makes them who they are and gives them their identity. We want to get as full a picture of their life story to date and then we reaffirm that story through conversations, personal items like pictures, ornaments and clothing, and even the layout, décor and ambience of our rooms. We focus on what the person can do rather than what they can’t. We want them to know that life goes on. Recognizing our residents’ needs in this way preserves dignity and independence.

Shaping the Dementia Care we provide

Another benefit of person-centred Dementia Care is that it enables us to provide an individual with as much opportunity as possible to continue doing the things they’ve always enjoyed. This emphasis on their preferences and needs informs their care, for example, when it comes to participating in our wide range of activities and programmes, such as cooking, sewing, board games and gardening.

As well as the obvious things, like knowing their primary and secondary healthcare needs, little things like bedtime routines, how a person likes their tea or coffee and even how they brush their hair, can also help.

St Michaels has a long track record in excellent Dementia Care but we never rest on our laurels. We can’t. Each person that comes to us for care and support is different and unique. Each carer is also unique. While one thing may work for one person it may not work for you, so we’re constantly learning and applying new things to support those who seek our help. Our staff is trained to recognise and value each individual and will work with you to help implement the things that work and to tweak those that don’t.

People caring for people

At St Michaels Rest Home you will find dedicated, compassionate, caring staff who are trained in helping our residents and their family members to live with both the good and bad days that go hand-in-hand with memory loss with dementia. Everything we do is motivated by a drive to provide comfort and security in a home to home environment.

Staff members often come up with new and creative ways to improve the experience for our residents. This is key, because these ideas often come from what we learn from our residents and this in turn helps to shape our people-centred approach significantly.

You will notice that each staff member is trained to have a good understanding of the effects of dementia. They understand the various illnesses that lead to different forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, which can be reassuring when things are extra challenging and you need to talk.

When Dementia Care in East Sussex is your priority

If you live locally then finding dementia care in East Sussex might be very important to you. Having to move far away from the area they’ve known all their life can be very distressing for both the person with dementia and their carers. Choosing a care home in East Sussex makes the transition much easier and means you are able to visit as often as you like.

Dementia Care at St Michaels

Care staff trained in positive validation techniques of dementia care
Safe, secure and uplifting environment
Spacious indoor and outdoor areas
Specially designed ‘peaceful areas’
Life enrichment and specialist cognitive stimulation exercises

Person-centred care

The nature of dementia is to affect the memory, so people living with the illness may struggle with short term memory, reasoning and communicating. It can be difficult and distressing for both the person with dementia and those close to them, like family and friends.

Individualised or person-centred care is the approach we take to help our clients and those around them minimise this distress. We work with each person to understand their background and journey, their interests and passions, and their general life preferences. It could be something as simple as knowing how they take their tea or their bedtime routine. We try to learn as much as possible about each person’s story and then use that as the basis for building a care plan that will help support them in the best way possible.

We take the approach that each person had a life before dementia and that life doesn’t just disappear or become unimportant just because they are having to live with the illness. Individualised care means that each person’s care in unique to the person, their needs and the people who love them.

Finally, at St Michaels we value continued learning and training. We draw on the knowledge and expertise of professionals from a range of health and other backgrounds so we can support our clients in all areas of their lives.

Sometimes, you just need some time to relax and take it easy. Everyone who looks after their loved one needs good break to recharge their batteries.

In addition to permanent residence, St Michaels often host people who stay with us for shorter periods of respite care, whether this is after a period in hospital, post-operative or simply to provide their full-time carers with a much-needed break. Respite care can also be a useful way for potential residents to try us out before committing to moving in with us full-time. We provide the same level of care to all respite residents and attention to detail as our permanent residents, including a full assessment of individual needs.

It’s easy to find out more. Just get in touch to arrange a visit. We’d love to show you around our all the facilities at St Michaels.

Care service provides as

Full personalised assessment of your care needs
Your own individual care plan delivered by trained staff
A choice of at least five optional, life enriching activities to enjoy each day if you’re feeling up to it
All meals: nutritious, delicious and freshly prepared by our chefs
Restaurant-style dining – a great way to make new friends
Your own luxury private bed room, complete with en-suit.
Complimentary tea and coffee making facilities in your suite
Fully furnished rooms, including chest of drawers, bedside cabinet and lamp

Cost for care

Once we complete a personalised assessment of your needs, we will be able to let you know precisely how much your respite stay will cost depends on room and floor. We will charge weekly fee for the care you need and costs include all accommodation, meals, personalised care services and activities.

Get in touch with us now for a detailed quote based on your personal needs.

Double Room for Couples

Understandably, couples who have been married for many, many years don’t want to live separate lives in their golden years.

St Michaels has one lovely double bed room with en-suite for couples who can carry on living together in their own room. They can feel a new home for their later life – surrounded by their own belongings

Palliative care is an area of care that is focused on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients. We all want to end our lives in quiet dignity, free from pain, in a place where we feel at home, surrounded by family or friends.

The final stages of a person’s life can be even more of a complicated and emotionally overwhelming experience for the family of someone with late-stage dementia or a terminal illness.

As well as providing support and care, our staff will work with medical staff, hospices and other professionals whenever needed in order to provide a comfortable environment for the resident and to relieve suffering as much as possible.

Twelve week property disregard

When a local authority assesses a person to see whether they require long care and support, they will also do a financial assessment to determine whether the authority should be meeting the cost of this care. Although this assessment covers both savings and property, for the first 12 weeks of care the authority will ignore the value of property to enable individuals to find a way of deriving revenue from their property if funding is required. This might be through sale or renting it out to tenants. This is known as the twelve week property disregard.

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