Care Homes

Robin Hood House |Little Gaddesdon

The manager Peter Hodges returned to the company in April 2012, he began his career at Robinhood House and went on to manage a home with a large company, after 4 years of managing a care home with a large company, the opportunity arose for peter to return to a small family company.

Description of home

Robin Hood House is a beautiful kept 16th century three storey house, small friendly residential care home offering long term and respite care to people living with dementia. The home has 22 single bedrooms and 1 double. It has 2 large lounges, a dining room and a lounge/diner with patio doors, which open onto a secure paved patio area with access to a large lawn area.

Location

Robin Hood House is situated in the village of Little Gaddesden, it is set in beautiful grounds surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the National Trust Estate of Ashridge. It is only a short drive away from the towns of Berkhamstead, Hemel Hempstead and Dunstable.

The environment

Robin Hood House is a beautiful 16th century old building set within peaceful, scenic grounds.

The House is set on 3 floors. Each floor is accessible by either a lift or stairs, on the ground floor there are 2 lounges with garden and woodland views, 1 dinning room, 1 lounge diner with french doors opening up to a secure landscaped garden. There is also seating available in the spacious 17th century wall panelled hall within it a lovely grand staircase which is popular with our residents. The diversity of these communal spaces ensure residents have a choice of where they would like to relax. There is a kitchenette where families and residents can help themselves to refreshments. The first thing you notice the moment you step into Robin Hood House is everyone’s positive and friendly approach. Staff and service users alike are always given a warm welcome and we work hard to ensure there is a happy and family atmosphere to the home. To add to this homely feel, Robin Hood House is decorated and furnished in a style fitting the age of our service users, to avoid the home appearing to be a hospital or hotel, this ensures a ‘homely feel’. If they wish, services users can have their room decorated and personalised to their own liking. They are also encouraged to bring items such as photos, treasured ornaments and favourite pieces of furniture.

Activities for residents

There is a wide programme of organised activities at Robin Hood House, overseen by our full time activity organiser. These are designed to cover a range of interests, from sing-along’s and arts and crafts to cooking and reminiscence sessions. Singers and musicians come to entertain, and a pet as therapy dog visits the home every week. For those who are able, we take small groups on shopping trips and to the local pub for lunch. We also organise summer outings to the seaside. We also encourage ‘meaningful activities’ that our service users particularly enjoy, for example, ironing, peeling vegetables, hanging out the laundry, to name but a few. We have acquired a computer system for the residents so they can have their own e-mail address and keep in touch with distant family members and friends through Skype.

Katie our activity organiser has completed an activity leader programme which employs coaching, action learning and creative techniques to create more meaningful activities and will support the residents to get as much as they can from the programme and the equipment available.

Robin Hood House is also a member of NAPA “The National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People”.

Our Activity Organiser Katie was voted by Hertfordshire Care Providers Association as Activity Oganiser of the year 2011.

Wholesome tasty food

All meals are prepared and cooked in the homes kitchen by our dedicated cook, committed to delivering what the residents enjoy. Our kitchen have been awarded 4 stars (good) from Environmental Health Dept.

Every day there is a choice of menu, we serve meals that are both tasty and nutritious, using local produce where possible. Menus are changed on a regular basis and our cook likes to meet with residents to discuss their personal preferences. We cater for individual dietary requirements and, for those special occasions. Meal times are often thought of as one of the many “highlights of the day” and we ensure that the experience is enjoyable for all, including those that need extra support. We also take our service users out for lunch and enjoy fish and chips from a local fish and chip shop, the service users especially enjoy this.

Robin Hood House, along with the other homes belonging to Benslow Care Homes, supports Bedfordshire’s ‘Food First’ Programme. Whilst the accreditation is not available in Hertfordshire for providing good quality nutrition using real food, our home Chiltern View in Bedfordshire has been accredited and Robin Hood House is following their lead and standards.

Friends and family

We always extend a warm welcome to friends and relatives into the life of Robin Hood House, we operate an ‘open house’ visiting policy and our care team are always available to answer your questions. We offer refreshments to all visitors. We invite friends and relatives to accompany their loved ones on outings and to events held at the home. Relatives often tell us that they feel entirely at ease when they come here, as if they were visiting their loved one in their own home. We welcome feedback from Family and friends and endeavour to incorporate this in the individual care that is delivered in the home.

Garden setting

When the weather is fine, service users and their families can relax outdoors in our spacious and secure grounds, complete with garden seating and patio area. In the summer, we organise a garden fete, which relatives and friends are invited to.

Professional services

We have regular visits from District Nurses, hairdresser, dentists, chiropodist, opticians and mobile library, and we can arrange appointments with a GP and physiotherapist, etc as required. To ensure service users spiritual needs are met, we hold monthly church services within the home and can arrange services or visits of other denominations as needed.

Community spirit

Ensuring our service users remain involved in the life of the community helps keep them independent and active. Because of this, we ensure we maintain ties with the local church, local residents and with outside entertainment groups, enabling our residents to spend time interacting with a variety of different people.

Key information

Home manager:
Sandra Tyers

Address:
Benslow Nursing Home
Benslow Rise
Hitchin
Hertforshire
SG4 9QY

Email Us:
[email protected]

Telephone Us:
01462 459773

Summary of Services:
Nursing Care
Personal Care
Dementia Care
Respite Care