Welcome to Echelforde

Care Home Ashford

First-time visitors to Echelforde care home in Ashford, Surrey, frequently remark on the home’s welcoming atmosphere. Echelforde has lots of thoughtful touches that make it feel like home, and many of the dedicated team have been here for several years.

A quick guide

• Residential, dementia, respite and day care

• 50 bedrooms

• Fun and varied activities programme

• Two activity rooms

• Community shop

• Hairdressing salon

• Regular visits from GPs and other health professionals

• Landscaped gardens

• Fully wheelchair accessible

• Spacious day club

• Special diets catered for

Echelforde is a warm and welcoming care home delivering the best in residential, respite and day care for older people, as well as specialist care for those living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

Step inside

“ The home offers quality care in a warm, relaxed and homely atmosphere”

Your chance to try Echelforde

If you like the sound of Echelforde but would like the chance for your loved one to try it for themselves before making any commitment, talk to us about our trial days or afternoons.

All the members of our care team receive regular training to ensure that they are up-to-date with good care practice, including the latest techniques in supporting people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Residents who are living with dementia can find it hard to communicate what they need and become frustrated and afraid as a result. Developing an in-depth

understanding of the things that are important to them – whatever they may be – helps us connect past experiences with current actions and build an individual relationship with every resident.

At Echelforde, we strive to cater for each resident’s unique needs. We take into account the varying stages of dementia that residents are living with, and tailor our care and activity plans accordingly.

Support for the whole family

We understand that having a loved one move into a care home can be a big change for all the family. That’s why we provide help and advice if you need emotional or practical support or if you want to discuss ways of continuing to play a key role in your loved one’s day-to-day care.

We believe in supporting each resident and their family in any way we can, especially as their needs change over time.

We always welcome visits from friends and family that are respectful of our residents and their needs, and provide 24/7 telephone access. We are as keen as you to create a happy, fulfilling life for your loved one.

Our priority is to give your loved one the best of care while helping you both to enjoy special moments together – the quality time that you may have lost as their needs have changed.

A designated member of the team works with each new resident, taking time to get to know them and understand their likes and dislikes in order to design a unique care plan that’s suited to their exact needs.

Let us care for you

Good food with great friends

The team at Echelforde understand the importance of making sure residents enjoy great tasting, nutritionally balanced meals with plenty of choice and options. That’s why we offer a wide range of meals, from traditional favourites such as Sunday roasts, to more exotic options.

We work with specialist caterers to provide a range of over 200 meals to choose from, enabling us to tailor menus for each resident to suit all sorts of tastes, dietary needs or cultural requirements. We’ve plenty to tempt the most fastidious of appetites.

Some residents for medical reasons can find chewing or swallowing food difficult. In these instances we are able to provide a range of specially

prepared meals that allow residents to enjoy meals without the risk of choking.

Our care team also ensure that all residents are provided with regular drinks and snacks.

However if residents would like to prepare their own drink, then that’s not a problem, our care teams can support residents to use the kitchenette areas themselves, whenever they wish.

Meal times are always a big event at Echelforde. They’re a chance to savour tasty, nutritious and delicious meals together. What’s more, there’s always a good selection of tasty snacks and refreshments on offer throughout the day – or night.

Making every meal a treat

“ Everyone looks forward to meal times”

Comfort and warmth

Echelforde is a single-storey care home surrounded by beautifully green, secure gardens.

The home is organised into five tastefully decorated suites, which all have a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Each suite has a dining room, a quiet room and a lounge

leading onto a patio area. The home also has two activity rooms, a hairdressing salon and a community shop that sells toiletries, sweets and other items.

The large, comfortable rooms all have stylish furniture, a 24-hour nurse call system and telephone and television connections.

Residents are encouraged to bring something personal to make their room more familiar and we always try to accommodate small pets if we can. Relatives are very welcome to bring family pets in to say hello.

A beautiful outlook

Echelforde has a landscaped garden outside, which includes courtyards, mature trees and raised flower beds – it’s a perfect place to spend time with family and friends.

Throughout the home you’ll spot lots of little touches designed with your loved one’s comfort, relaxation and entertainment in mind. There are cosy, intimate lounges and sitting areas where they can relax and spend time with you.

All the comfort of home

Activity Based Care is at the heart of everything we do at Echelforde.Every resident is encouraged to carry on enjoying the hobbies and interests they love. Of course, we’re guided by residents, and wouldn’t dream of making someone do anything they don’t want to. However, those who do join in often discover new talents or just enjoy getting to know other residents through the many individual

and group activities laid on by our resourceful care teams.

Helping out around the home

Although we have planned daily activities, we also help residents continue doing those everyday things they used to do. It helps to maintain a sense of independence as well as a sense of routine.

So if your loved one used to do DIY around the house, our maintenance team are happy to get them involved in helping to put up a shelf. If your loved one was a keen gardener there are always jobs to do outside. Keeping our beautiful gardens and flowerbeds looking their best is a stimulating, relaxing way for residents to spend an afternoon. There are always plants to feed and water inside the home as well.

You name it, we do it: from memory games, quizzes and reminiscence sessions, to more physical pursuits such as our gentle exercise classes, there really is something for everyone to enjoy and take part in.

We call it Activity Based Care. It’s simply about helping residents to stay active and independent and continue making decisions for themselves – whether about their care or the activities we do.

Keeping active and having fun

“ Every resident is encouraged to carry on enjoying the hobbies and interests they love”

At Echelforde we make sure that there is always a choice of activities for residents to enjoy every day, whether it’s memory games, gentle exercise, quizzes, bingo, dominoes, puzzles or visits from entertainers. We arrange fun outings for residents too, such as trips to Heathrow Special Needs Farm or shopping on Ashford high street.

A Pets As Therapy dog also comes to see us regularly, and in the summer, a local petting farm visits with ponies, pigs, goats and sheep, as well as smaller pets such as rabbits and kittens. Zoolab also brings in exotic animals, which creates quite a buzz among residents.

Each year, we bring the seaside to the home so that everyone can enjoy a day on the beach, with paddling pools, sand, colourful bunting, homemade palm trees and music. We invite relatives along to join us for a

barbecue, candyfloss and a traditional Punch and Judy show.

On special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, our chef bakes wonderful cakes for everyone to enjoy. We also give our chef a break sometimes when we go out to eat at a local restaurant.

A chiropodist comes to the care home every six weeks, and residents enjoy a special discount on treatments. We also have a hairdresser visit weekly, to help keep everyone looking and feeling great.

Our activities co-ordinator plays a key part in getting toknow residents’ interests and hobbies and the jobs they used to do so they can plan a variety of activities and outings to suit all tastes.

What else do we get up to?

Echelforde College WayAshfordSurreyTW15 2XG

Tel: 0333 434 3023 careuk.com/echelforde

We’re here to help

RCSECHELHOMEBMar.16(4479)

We hope you like the sound of what Echelforde has to offer but appreciate that there’s lots to think about. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help.