Dementia care at Sundials, Bristol
Accredited with a CSCI ‘excellent’ rating, Sundials is home for twelve residents living with dementia, one of two dedicated St Monica Trust dementia care facilities in Bristol. Built at Cote Lane in Westbury, Sundials is part of the Trust’s Garden House care home, a care facility built within a 200-strong retirement community, enjoying 26 acres of mature parkland.
What strikes you when you arrive is the relaxed and intimate atmosphere. Residents with dementia are encouraged to make their own decisions about what to do and when to do it. The main living area is an open plan kitchen where staff organise supper and residents share the experience in any way they choose. Some help with preparation or lay a place at table. Others just enjoy the comforting smell of something familiar cooking. Dani Drew, manager of Sundials, believes the shared kitchen facility contributes hugely in helping residents with dementia feel at home. “Most people enjoy being involved in everyday activities, whether it’s just a bit of washing up or helping to make a cup of tea,” she says.
This is where staff, residents and friends come at lunch time to enjoy a three-course meal, freshly prepared in the Cote Lane kitchens, sharing time together before the afternoon’s activities. Household tasks, cookery, crosswords, painting, gardening therapy, quiz sessions provide stimulation and entertainment, both important contributors to ongoing health and wellbeing.
The small lounge, a quiet retreat with fire place and electric candles, houses Mary’s china cabinet, something she treasured at home and continues to enjoy at Sundials. Each bedroom room has its own door into an extensive communal garden, a secluded area that combines sights, sounds, scents and textures to help stimulate memories and provide a haven for those who live and work here as well as visiting friends and family. Mary chose a south facing room. Outside, she has potted blue hydrangeas to complement the wisteria. Once inside the facility, no doors are locked. All residents enjoy as much independence as possible within an environment that feels safe and remains secure.
“Mum finds life here very calm. She’s much less anxious because everything is led by the residents here. They choose exactly what they want to do and when they want to do it. If she wants porridge in the middle of the night she can have porridge in the middle of the night. People with dementia can become anxious when they are asked to do things they don’t want to. Everyone here is so unbelievably caring. They are so sweet to her and spend a lot of time talking to her about her life and what she would like to do. That’s important.”
Penny Baugh, daughter of Sundial’s resident
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The Russets
The first purpose-built specialist dementia care facility in North Somerset, stands next to a brand new retirement village, Sandford Station
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The Orchards
Recently refurbished and part of an award-winning retirement village, The Orchards was the first dedicated dementia facility in Bristol from the St Monica Trust.
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