A care home in Bristol with an innovative approach to dementia treatment has taken the bold step of opening its own working pub, with the aim of improving the quality of life for its residents.
The Humphry Repton House is one of the first in the country to come up with and execute such an idea, and it now has its own fully-functional nostalgic pub for residents to use. The idea is that residents can come to the pub to have a pint of beer and chat to their fellow residents, as well as staff, relatives and visitors. As activities co-ordinator Nicola Taylor puts it:
“It blurs the line between nursing home and normal life.”
“We’ve opened three times so far and each time it has been relatives, staff and residents socialising together, there were no lines. Arthur spent all afternoon here with his daughters, and they said he was like a new man!”
Humphrey Repton House also has a sensory garden and a nostalgic sweet shop. The aim for the management and staff, who are likely to have undergone specialist care training for treating dementia, is to provide person-centred treatment and care for its 45 residents, all of whom have moderate to advanced dementia.