Enabling Independence & Quality of Life
At Wisteria, enabling independence and quality of life comes before everything else. Contact our friendly team today, and let's talk about how we can support you and your loved one.
Everything we do is about person-centred care, considering the needs of the individual and ensuring they have the best possible quality of life.
In 2012, Louise met Professor David Sheard, a revolutionary in the world of dementia who challenged existing and accepted methods of care and turned them on their head. Louise was deeply inspired and realised what he was saying would change how care was delivered for those living with dementia; much of what he advocated forms the basis of our ethos today.
Ensuring environments are warm, comfortable, safe and secure with good nourishing food is a given, but it’s so much more than that; they should offer:
- Independence
- A sense of fun
- Nurturing environments
- Dignified care
- Stimulating activities
And… definitely not be institutional; some stay for many years, it’s their home, it should feel like one, it’s like a family.
Day-to-day life should be meaningful and fulfilling, offering activities reflecting on skills picked up over a lifetime, from gardening, painting and music to hanging out the washing or peeling the veg for Sunday lunch and lots more, improving cognition, offering stimulation and providing a sense of purpose and self-esteem.
It all started around 25 years ago when Louise bought her first Plymouth care home at Stoke, later adding one at Plymstock, then Woolwell and finally, our latest home at Honicknowle, all specialising in family-led care for those with dementia.
Louise met Professor David Sheard, a revolutionary in the world of dementia who challenged traditional methods of care, which can be ineffective for people with dementia, instead focusing on a relationship-based approach, where feelings come first. Louise reflected on his methods, implementing them in her own homes.
We’re proud to be a leading light in the Plymouth care community, providing excellent quality of life care with kindness.
At Wisteria House, we know that as a person’s dementia progresses and their ability to make decisions deteriorates, they go from being thinking beings to ‘feeling’ beings. Most of their decisions and communications are based on their present feelings and their sense of reality. In our homes, we try hard to jump into their world and connect with their present feelings, interpreting their words or communications, regardless of how irrational these may seem to us.
We focus on relationship care, prioritising feelings so that our residents feel supported and valued. We work hard to create an environment that feels like home, offering safe and supportive care that makes sense.
At Wisteria, enabling independence and quality of life comes before everything else. Contact our friendly team today, and let's talk about how we can support you and your loved one.