Special touches help Vida Healthcare residents feel at home

This story is sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Anyone who has supported a loved one living with dementia knows how much time, energy and understanding is required to maintain their wellbeing and quality of life. A dementia journey can vary from person to person and symptoms can also change over time, therefore caring for someone living with dementia can be incredibly complex.

James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, discusses why specialist care is crucial for people living with dementia and how care home operators can ensure they protect the health and wellbeing of their residents.

About Vida Healthcare

He said:

“Vida Healthcare was established in 2010 with the aim of transforming the care available to people living with dementia. It was clear at the time that the majority of traditional residential care homes simply didn’t have the resources or the expertise to fully support their residents as they progressed on their journey with dementia.

“We set about challenging perceptions and practices in dementia care, with an emphasis on reducing the use of medications and to instead provide bespoke environments and alternative therapies to improve wellbeing and quality of life.”

Vida Healthcare now operates three specialist dementia care homes in Harrogate, which are all rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission as of June 2023.

Vida Hall in Starbeck.

Creating the right environment

When creating a care home, there are lots of aspects to consider. The choice of textures, colours, lighting and multi-sensory equipment can all actively promote a sense of stimulation, while innovative layouts can help to reduce anxiety, frustration and stress.

Memories are extremely precious, particularly for people living with dementia. Every environment and item can be specifically designed to trigger memories and encourage residents to share stories with staff, family and friends.

Different places are important to encourage residents to keep active and improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Gardens and terraces which have been incorporated into our three homes provide safe spaces that can be freely accessed.

Daily life

Care home residents should be encouraged and supported to make their own choices about how they spend their time to maintain independence and wellbeing. We encourage our residents to pursue their own interests and hobbies, socialise with their neighbours and treat the home as their own.

Where residents feel at home.

The passion, positivity and enthusiasm of staff is a key aspect of creating the right environment. Every staff member at Vida has the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to provide the best possible care and help people lead happy and fulfilling lives. We do this through training and practice which is rooted in creative connections.

Friends and family are a big part of life at any care home and communication with families is essential. Vida developed an in house app which offers a digital platform for families to see pictures and videos of their loved ones and life inside our care homes on a daily basis.

Wellbeing & life enrichment

Mr Rycroft added:

“We know that giving people a sense of purpose and self-worth is vitally important to their wellbeing. Whilst we do have wellbeing facilities, it is en-grained in our staff that it is all of our responsibilities to help our residents live a joyful and fulfilled day.

“We are focused on maintaining the independence and dignity of our residents. That might be just helping someone make their own cup of tea, or promoting someone to do simple house tasks like washing up and setting the table. Sustaining those every day tasks that sometimes we take for granted.

“We support our residents to remain a part of the local community and encourage them to get involved in a range of activities. Regular outings to the local town, parks and gardens is a fantastic way of getting residents to socialise and keep active.”

Vida Court opened in 2021.

For many people, a key factor when it comes to choosing a care home is the food. It’s important to offer a choice of delicious meal options that take into account dietary needs and preferences. Offering flexibility is important, from serving residents at regular mealtimes to giving them the choice to eat at different times in their own room.

 

For more information, please visit www.vidahealthcare.co.uk or contact admissions@vidahealthcare.co.uk. You can view the life inside Vida by visiting us on our social media pages.

Civic society objects to Harrogate Stray common land proposal

Harrogate Civic Society has objected to plans to designate the Stray as common land.

The Open Spaces Society applied to register Harrogate’s 200-acre expanse as common land, a move which has been met with opposition by some in the town.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and the Stray Defence Association have already objected to the proposal.

Now, the town’s civic society has become the latest to declare its opposition to the plan.

In a letter to North Yorkshire Council, Henry Pankhurst, of the Harrogate Civic Society, said registering the Stray as common land would lead to “confusion” as it is already covered by the Harrogate Stray Act 1985.

He said:

“If Stray land were to appear on the Commons Registration Act map then it would show up on local search results for property purchasers etc.

“This does not however outweigh the potential for confusion if both the Stray Act and the Commons Registration Act apply to the same land.”

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Mr Pankhurst added that the public had been consulted on changes to the Stray Act in 2016/17 and “made it clear that the act should not be changed”.

The move comes after the Open Spaces Society tabled a bid to register the Stray as common land back in January.

Founded in 1865 as the Commons Preservation Society, the OSS is Britain’s oldest national conservation body. Its past victories include the preservation of Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon Common and Epping Forest.

When the Commons Registration Act 1965 came into force, the Stray was exempted from inclusion in the common land register, but following the passing of the Commons Act 2006, the OSS has been trying to register such exempted land and wants to bring the Stray “back into the fold”.

When the application was made earlier this year, OSS case officer Hugh Craddock said:

“The decision in the 1960s to keep the Stray off the registers was understandable but misguided. 

“Only a quarter of one per cent of registered common land was exempted from registration, and exemption proved to be both misleading and unhelpful. The Stray has always been common land, and ought to be registered as common land.”

Council could sell Harrogate’s Jesmond House to raise money

North Yorkshire Council could sell its offices at Jesmond House in Harrogate to raise money.

The building on Victoria Avenue is next to the town’s Jobcentre Plus and is currently used by adult social care staff working for the council.

When the council was created on April 1, the new council took control of assets held by the seven former district councils, including those owned by Harrogate Borough Council.

The authority is facing a £30m shortfall in its first year and is targeting savings of up to £252m in its first five years.

Officers are currently undertaking a review of properties the council owns so it can save money, raise revenue and operate more efficiently.

The council’s Conservative executive member for finance, Gareth Dadd, said a number of “quick wins” are already underway to vacate spaces across North Yorkshire, including moving staff from Jesmond House to the Civic Centre on St Luke’s Avenue.

This could lead to the building being repurposed, sold or rented out to businesses.

A council spokesperson said that the Civic Centre, which opened in 2017, is not on the list of buildings that are at risk of being sold.

Gary Fielding, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director strategic resources, said:

“We are looking at all council accommodation with a view to consolidating our use of buildings so we make the maximum use of the space we have, reduce our carbon footprint and bring down costs.

“This is in the early stages of detailed work looking at all the buildings, and staff will be consulted.”

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Company involved in £46 million Harrogate district broadband installation ceases trading

A civil engineering company involved in the installation of a £46 million all-fibre broadband network in the Harrogate district has ceased trading with the loss of 165 jobs.

Leeds-based Makehappen Group Limited, which was working for CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent fibre infrastructure provider, appointed administrators Interpath Advisory last week.

The huge installation programme covering Harrogate, Knaresborough and latterly Ripon, was announced in 2020 and has been carried out on a street by street basis.

In response to the news, a spokesperson for CityFibre, said:

“We have been made aware that Makehappen Group has entered into administration.

“We would like to assure residents that work sites have been made safe, and we will remain in close conversation with our local authority stakeholders while we review our plans.”

Neil Morley and Howard Smith from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators of Makehappen Group Limited on July 18.

A statement from Interpath Advisory said:

“In recent months, Makehappen experienced significant pressure on cashflow after a number of contracts were withdrawn by their customers. 

“As a result, the company was unable to continue trading and service its liabilities as they fell due, so after considering their options, the directors sought the appointment of the administrators.

“The company ceased to trade shortly prior to the appointment of the administrators. With no prospect of trade resuming, it is with regret that the joint administrators have made all of the company’s 165 members of staff redundant.”

Meanwhile, Mr Morley, said:

“There continues to be a number of opportunities, but also challenges for businesses involved in the building of fibreoptic broadband infrastructure across the UK and unfortunately, Makehappen was the latest casualty of these challenges.

“As we commence an orderly wind-down of the business, our priority will be to provide support to all of Makehappen’s employees, including providing them with all of the information they require to make claims from the Redundancy Payments Office.”

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Harrogate district sees rise in demand for solar panels

Demand for solar panels in the Harrogate area has almost doubled in the last year as homeowners look to reduce their energy bills while helping to tackle climate change.

Rooftop solar panels that harness the power of the sun to generate renewable energy have been around for decades but with record-high energy bills they are becoming an increasingly common sight in our towns and villages.

Before installing solar panels, a developer or homeowner must first get permission from North Yorkshire Council.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service compared the number of solar-related planning applications in the first half of 2022 with 2023, in the former Harrogate district area, and found it had jumped from 27 to 57.

Experts have put the rise in popularity for solar panels down to high energy costs brought on by the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up wholesale prices.

According to the Office for National Statistics, gas and electricity prices rose by 36.2% and 17.3% in the year to June 2023. It said energy prices have been one of the largest contributors to high inflation since April 2022.

As well as reducing bills, solar panels are one way individual households can reduce carbon emissions. The Committee for Climate Change says the technology will be crucial if the UK is to meet its 2050 net zero target.

The UK experienced a heatwave in June which saw 9.3% of the country’s energy generated by solar, but the figure is likely to be lower for July due to the largely wet and overcast conditions.

Tim Larner, vice chair policy advocacy at Zero Carbon Harrogate, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“Zero Carbon Harrogate is delighted to note the increase in the number of planning applications with solar panels included and we congratulate those developers who are taking a sustainable and long-term approach.

“Not only does it make financial sense to include roof-mounted solar panels in all new developments, it’s also a practical response to the climate emergency.”

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It is not only homeowners who have been installing solar panels, schools including Oatlands Junior School, Harrogate Grammar School, Coppice Valley Primary School and Rossett Acre Primary School will install hundreds on their rooftops.

There has also been small-scale solar applications from farmers, with plans approved to add solar panels on top of agricultural barns in Burnt Yates, Beckwithshaw and Felliscliffe.

Mr Larner added:

“We need to be taking every opportunity to make our homes, schools, hospitals and offices more sustainable in all aspects of their construction.”

Harewood Bridge to be closed for four weeks from this week

Harewood Bridge near Harrogate will be closed on Wednesday for four weeks.

The bridge will close at 7am on July 26 until 6am on August 24 for essential maintenance work to be carried out.

The grade-II listed structure carries the A61 Harrogate Road over the River Wharfe and is a busy route between Harrogate and Leeds.

Leeds City Council is set to close the bridge in order for waterproofing, resurfacing and footpath repair works to be carried out.

The footway across the bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists throughout the work.

Advanced signs for the closure will be in place before the bridge is shut.

Cllr Helen Hayden, the council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said previously:

“Harewood Bridge is a strategic vehicle crossing used by thousands of people each day and therefore to close it requires careful planning. By carrying out the repair works during the school summer holidays we can hopefully limit the disruption with expected lower traffic levels.”

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A diversion route will be in place during the work from Otley Road, Arthington Lane, Main Street, Pool Bridge, Harrogate Road, Swindon Lane and onto Harrogate Road. 

The same route will be in place in the opposite direction.

Harrogate village bridge to close to pedestrians and cyclists tomorrow

A Harrogate village bridge is to fully close tomorrow for five weeks of repair work costing £60,000.

North Yorkshire Council closed the grade two listed Hampsthwaite Bridge suddenly on June 2.

It quickly re-opened to pedestrians and cyclists but has remained closed to vehicles.

Now it is expected to be fully inaccessible until September.

The bridge, on Church Lane, has three arches spanning the River Nidd.

Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said:

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”

The bridge, which links Hampsthwaite with Clint, is popular with pedestrians, dog walkers, cyclists and runners.

Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Hampsthwaite on the council, said:

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”

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Taxpayers set to foot £140,000 bill for three Harrogate Town Council consultations

The combined cost of three public consultations about the creation of Harrogate Town Council is likely to be £140,000, a senior Conservative councillor has said.

This week at a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council, councillors debated proposals to create a town council for Harrogate.

The council would be similar to parish councils in Knaresborough and Ripon but as yet, it has not been confirmed what services it might deliver.

In a second public consultation held earlier this year, residents backed the creation of two councillor wards arranged by the current 10 North Yorkshire Council divisions. Saltergate would have had one councillor.

However, Conservative councillors said they didn’t want to proceed with this model and instead wanted to see single councillor wards based around the 19 former Harrogate Borough Council boundaries.

Councillors ultimately voted by 49 to 32 to back these plans with another public consultation now legally required. It means the new council is not likely to be formed before 2025 — a year later than originally planned.

During the debate, councillors raised concerns about the cost of holding another consultation.

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Later in the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Chris Aldred, asked the Conservative executive member for corporate services, David Chance, how much the previous two consultations had cost and how much it would cost to “yet again” go out to the public.

Cllr Chance said that £45,270 was spent on the first consultation and £46,486 on the second with the money spent on printing, postage costs and digital marketing.

He said if the council decides to proceed with a third consultation that would be similar in form the the previous two, it would cost another £48,000.

Although he added that “there are other ways of carrying out this consultation at a much lower cost” but did not give any specifics.

Insurance brokers Clegg Gifford open Harrogate office

Insurance brokers Clegg Gifford opened their office in Harrogate yesterday with their superhero mascots in tow.

Clegg Gifford moved into the former Skipton Building Society office on Princes Street and launched with a party, inviting clients and local businesses.

It took just five weeks to get the office, which underwent a full refurbishment, ready for opening.

The move into Harrogate has employed four people so far but the office has the capacity for up to 15.

Toby Clegg, CEO of the Clegg Gifford group, told the Stray Ferret:

“We like to have fun. Insurance is not the most exciting topic but we’re different, we like to bring a bit of fun and put our people at the forefront.

“We find that approach gets a better outcome for our customer and ultimately makes them happier. We have always had a book of business here through our Westminster Insurance so we are building on that good foundation.”

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Scott Markham, branch manager at the new Harrogate office, said:

“We’ve had a fantastic turnout today, it’s just what we’ve been hoping for. It’s a fabulous location and well appointed.

“It’s about creating a really warm welcome, we want to be at the centre of the community as friends and neighbours with our potential clients.”

 

Plans lodged to convert former Parliament Street shop and nightclub into flats

Plans have been lodged to convert a former retail unit and part of a nightclub on Parliament Street into flats.

JC Robinson Ltd has tabled the plans to North Yorkshire Council which would see seven apartments created at the Grade-II listed building.

The proposal would see the former Sofa Workshop, which is next to the now closed Bijouled store, converted.

It would also see the upper floor of the former Moko nightclub and office space adapted to become flats.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said the application would cause no harm to the listed building.

It added:

“Subject to further detailing of internal and external works including the design of new window and door openings to the exterior of the building, it is considered that the development can be undertaken without giving rise to harm to the significance of the listed building.”

The move comes as the retail units at the site have been empty for some time.

The Bijouled unit, which would be retained under the plan, closed its doors in February this year.

Meanwhile, the former Sofa Workshop shut in April last year after the company entered administration.

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