Dedicated expert dementia care and support at Haviland House in Worthing

Award-winning wellbeing co-ordinator Eileen Garbutt organises group and 1-2-1 activities

We pride ourselves on creating a family feel at Guild Care, ensuring we get to know all residents, families and friends individually. In Haviland House, which is our purpose-built dementia care home, our team focuses on providing the best possible person-centered care for people living with dementia.

The home has five different households, catering to people living with different stages of dementia. A diagnosis of dementia can be life-changing and it often takes time for an individual and their family to process the impact that it will have on their day-to-day lives.

Haviland House offers a homely and comfortable environment. We have spacious single occupancy rooms with ensuites, while there are also communal areas – including a lounge, dining room and themed spaces, such as a sensory room and an indoor potting shed.

Someone with dementia may feel both agitated and scared about moving into a care home, because it is a disruption to their normal routine and environment. It’s important that our residents feel they are being given the time to be recognised and understood for the person they are, to help them settle into their new home.

Guild Care is Worthing's largest established social care charity

Initial conversations with families can last from a couple of weeks to months, depending on their circumstances, as we like to make sure this is the right move for everyone involved. This also allows us to get to know the families and establish the care and support their loved one needs. Our team works closely with residents’ families and friends to understand their loved ones’ lives, as well as their likes and dislikes, starting from the admissions process through to moving in with us. We regularly hear about the impact that this personalised experience can have.

The daughter of one residents told us: "We are so blessed to have found this home. The staff are amazing, and Mum is so happy and well cared for there. She is able to have her hair and nails done, enjoy outings with fellow residents and she loves the garden. There’s lots of entertainment for her to enjoy, which gets her singing and dancing. “Mum looks 20 years younger since she has been there. She is safe and well looked after and we receive regular updates and photos by email, as we live overseas.”

Each week we run a regular programme of activities and sensory sessions to keep residents’ minds and bodies active. These sessions often feature music from their favourite artists and smells that they used to enjoy, to stimulate memories and reminiscence.

Additionally, residents and families benefit from the sights, sounds and smells of the home’s beautiful gardens during the warmer months. Avallon McCormack, Home Manager at Haviland House, shares what makes the care home a special environment in which to live: “We ensure our residents are fulfilled, engaged and well cared for. Getting to know our residents, seeing them happy and empowering them to enjoy their lives, is one of the greatest rewards for us as a team.”

To find out more about Haviland House, or to book a tour around our home, please contact our customer enquiries team on 01903 327327 or email [email protected]