AN Aberdeenshire care home is celebrating after achieving the highest possible rating from the Care Inspectorate.
St Modan’s in Fraserburgh received an unannounced inspection from the Care Inspectorate in July. The subsequent report from the visit rated the care home and its team as Grade 6 across the board – signifying an ‘excellent’ sector-leading performance for the setting and the support of people’s wellbeing.
Staff were praised and identified as ‘real assets to the home’, while the new therapeutic sensory room was recognised as benefitting people’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
The sensory room, which opened last year, has produced sensational outcomes for residents and their families, including improved relaxation and better family interactions for residents living with dementia or brain injuries.
Activities in the room include colour and music therapy, using equipment such as colour-changing lighting, an infinity tunnel, and an interactive bubble tube. In the words of one resident, “It’s the most magical room, very relaxing and makes you feel miles away from the busy room. I enjoy having my music on and watching all the lights change colours.”
As part of the report, it was noted that the time taken with researching and consulting prior to the creating of this room, contributed to its clear impact on people’s health and wellbeing. This demonstrated that the team has ‘a focus and commitment that people’s outcomes were the driving force behind change’.
Qualitative results since the opening of the sensory room include a significant reduction in falls, reduced requirement for medication and fewer incidents that could result in harm. The report noted that the service’s drive to ensuring that people live well with dementia, had resulted in a resource that had ‘sector leading impact and outcomes’.