June

June has been a resident at Springkell House since moving here from Kent in the autumn of 2022. After being diagnosed with dementia a few years before, June started to struggle at home on her own. Her daughter who lives in nearby Guilford, was keen to have June living closer to her family, somewhere she would be safe and they could visit her regularly.

June quickly settled in to Springkell House and has thrived since being here. She is a lovely, friendly lady who welcomes everyone to the home with her beautiful smile. She enjoys taking walks in the village and sometimes helps to walk our staff member’s dog. June has made many friends since being here and likes to join in with most of the activities with the other residents, especially music and animal therapy. She particularly enjoys arts and crafts, which she always does with a smile, like sewing decorations for our fabric Christmas tree.

June’s daughter, Claire explains how she came to choose Springkell House as the right home for her mother, and what their experience has been like of the home.

“My mum had lived in Chislehurst in Kent for much of her life and was quite happy living independently in her home. However, we started to notice that she was not acting like herself, was forgetting things and would get confused quite easily. At the start of lockdown, when she was only 71, she was diagnosed with dementia. Her diagnosis was delayed due to it being during lockdown, but we were eventually able to get a diagnosis and the help she needed.”

“We had carers going into her home twice a day to help with her medication and to make her food, and I was going back every weekend to look after her. But she became unhappy, she was forgetting things, getting upset and calling me constantly throughout the day. She had become quite neglectful of herself.”

“We reached a crisis point when she started to wander the streets at night. I got a call from her neighbour in the early hours of the morning as Mum had been knocking on their door and had left her own front door open. I lived an hour away from her and was obviously very worried as I didn’t want her wandering the streets alone at night. Although Mum was adamant she didn’t want to go into a home, we knew we needed to make that decision.”

“I had been looking for a home closer to me in Guildford and to my brother in Oxfordshire, so we would be able to see Mum more frequently. I had looked at quite a few places and she had been on the waiting list for one home, however a consultant at the hospital I work in recommended Springkell House to me. Her mother had lived there and was really well looked after, so I went to look around the home and I liked it.”

“We were looking for somewhere that could accommodate Mum’s dementia and would cope with her needs as they changed and the dementia progressed, as we knew it would. I didn’t want to have to move her again later down the line. The staff at Springkell House were clear that they had experience with dementia patients and could meet all of her needs.”

At Springkell House we understand that moving in to a home can be a difficult time for both the resident and their families, particularly those that struggle with the confusion associated with dementia. We do everything we can to ensure a smooth transition into life at the home, making sure the resident feels comfortable and safe as soon as they arrive, setting up their room with their things so they have a sense of familiarity. We are equipped to support residents, and their loved ones, through this emotional upheaval in any way we can.

“The drive to the home with Mum was hard, she was concerned about where she was going but I reassured her that she would like it there. I knew she was no longer safe in her own home and that this was the best thing for her. The staff at Springkell House were so lovely and welcoming as soon as we got there, they were sensitive to the fact that mum was feeling bewildered and confused so did everything they could to put her at ease.”

“Mum adapted really quickly to living at Springkell House and I think that’s because of how amazing the staff were. She stopped asking about going home after a few months. It’s a nice building and really feels like a home, unlike some newer builds which don’t feel as homely. It made Mum feel at home because it’s a house, she now recognises it as her house and where she lives. The feeling within the place is lovely. I visit her on weekends and am so happy to have her closer to me.”

The Springkell House team understand that all our residents are unique and have different needs, so we adapt our care to suit each individual. Our staff are trained to support a variety of conditions and we create individual care plans which are amended as the resident’s needs change. We take the time to get to know each person so we can be sure we are supporting them in the best way possible.

“Mum is pretty active and fully mobile, so she doesn’t need too much physical support at this stage. They are able to give her a feeling of independence there. Jon, the home manager, recommended that we move mum to another room upstairs, she spends a lot of time outside her room during the day, so at least twice a day she now has to go up and down the stairs which keeps her moving. Little things like that they think of, they think outside the box.”

“Mum is so happy here. She’s not angry which is often common with dementia, quite the opposite, she is really loving and always tells staff that she loves them when we are leaving for a trip out. She feels at home and safe at Springkell House, having that feeling is really important with dementia. It’s the emotional side of things that is key with dementia, the fact that she feels very protected and safe there helps a lot. She doesn’t remember what she has had for dinner or what she has done that day, but remembers her past life very clearly, which is the nature of dementia.”

“She has put on weight since being there, she was only eating microwave meals at home which she wouldn’t always want to eat (not that I could blame her). Now Mum gets lovely home cooked meals three times a day. She likes the food but doesn’t always remember what she’s eaten, but she is clearly eating well. They always offer to bring me a cup of tea when I visit and will bring me a slice of cake as well which is really nice.”

“The activities they put on for residents are very varied. I went to their summer party, and they also had parties for the jubilee and bonfire night. On the weekdays they are always doing crafts. There’s a donkey that visits and they are happy for me to bring my dog in, which is great because my mum loves animals. They make sure activities are at the right level so everyone can join in. Mum likes sewing, so they were getting her to sew Christmas decorations last year. They know that my mum has friends there and are aware of the relationships between the residents, they take the time to get to know them well.”

“The staff at Springkell House have been brilliant, particularly Danka who always reaches out to me. I get emails from with photos of Mum doing activities and other things. She doesn’t always remember doing the activities, and if I ask her what she’s been doing she says nothing. But I get the photos, like a photo of her holding a goat, so I get to see what she’s been up to.

At Springkell House we pride ourselves on the strong relationships we are able to develop with the family and friends of our residents, it’s a key part of the overall service we provide.

“The staff reach out regularly and get back to me straight away if I ask them something. They know who I am when I call, they take the time to get to know us all. They are so helpful when I take Mum out, they make sure she looks nice and has makeup on, which is really important to her as she used to love putting makeup on and always wants to look nice. It’s these actions that show how compassionate and caring they are.”

“Mum is really happy and they are the loveliest bunch of people. When my time comes, I hope there are people like them working in the home to take care of me. The home has a wonderful atmosphere, it seems to be a happy place to work and live from what I can see. Mum is happy and has thrived there.”