Orchard Care Homes’ Langfield Care Home in Middleton, Greater Manchester, has opened a specialist dementia community.
Following Orchard’s Reconnect model, Langfield’s innovative ‘Reconnect Community’ will 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 on an individual basis.
To reflect a homely atmosphere and promote choice of activity, Langfield Care Home has adapted its environments to include areas found in a typical family home, including kitchens, laundry rooms, and garden rooms.
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. To make this kind of living possible, the home has an increased staff ratio, with colleagues trained to the highest standards of dementia care by Orchard’s specialist dementia team.
The new community was officially opened by the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Shakil Ahmed, who said: “It’s a great home, built to a very high standard. It has some outstanding facilities that are very rare to find in other homes. This home is a huge asset to the local council and will provide truly individualised care to the increasing number of people that live with dementia in Manchester.”
Care home manager Vivienne Daly said: “I've witnessed lives transformed in other Reconnect Communities within our group, and I'm thrilled to now bring this service to Langfield alongside our existing care offerings. A heartfelt thank you to Councillor Shakil Ahmed for joining us on this special day and cutting the ribbon, marking a new chapter for so many people living with dementia in the Manchester area.”
