A meaningful, inclusive, and comprehensive activities and wellbeing programme is one of our four pillars of quality at Porthaven, alongside exceptional care, inspiring environments, and great food. In 2016, our leisure and wellness offering won an award for the Best Activities Team Development — which is particularly special as it has only ever been awarded […]
Moving into a care home is an emotional transition for many and knowing when someone should go into a care home is different for each individual. However, ensuring you stay organised throughout the process is important to ensure the move goes smoothly. Remembering all of the people and organisations that you need to inform when […]
At Porthaven Care Homes, around 70% of the residents that we care for are living with dementia and due to their memory loss and other symptoms, they are often unable to manage their financial affairs alone. So, who is responsible for paying care home fees and is there any funding available for dementia-specific illnesses? In […]
As we age, we’ll likely each need a little care and support at some point. Whether that’s help carrying out day-to-day tasks, or assistance with developing medical conditions, it’s important that we take the time to choose the correct care for ourselves and our loved ones. What is the difference between a care home and […]
There is a lot to consider when moving a loved one into a care home, with one of the biggest considerations being how the fees are going to be paid and by whom. Unless a signed contract is in place, the next of kin is not responsible for the care home fees of their loved one. This article […]
Your complete guide to choosing a care home Selecting the right care home for your loved one is a significant decision that requires careful consideration and research. It means finding a place where they will be safe, well cared for, and supported to enjoy their best quality of life. In this article, we will provide you with a guide […]
As we age, our health, needs, and capabilities all inevitably change. At some point, the question of whether a care home is necessary may arise. While this is a deeply personal, and often difficult decision to make, it is an important one. Ensure you consider all factors involved in order to prioritise the well-being and quality of life […]
This year we took part in Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal by hosting a traditional pub quiz complete with prizes for the winners! Alongside visitors from our local U3A and Women’s Institute, our residents, their loved ones and our team members had a brilliant evening competing in the quiz, which included a general knowledge round, […]
Recently our fantastic Chef Steve, who is also an artist, started an art group for our residents, which has gone down a treat and continues to grow. Each session, Steve brings a piece of art in for our residents to work on, and our activities and wellbeing team have been overjoyed to see how keen […]
In April we were visited once again by our friends from Inspiring Animal Therapy, who brought with them a range of fascinating animals to meet our residents. Included in their visit this time were rabbits, chicks, lizards and even a few cuddly lambs! Our residents love animals, so this opportunity to spend quality time with […]
As part of this year’s Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal we decided to invite our local community to join us for a coffee morning fundraiser in our café. Attendees were wowed by our chef’s homemade lemon cake, which paired perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. During the event we also held a raffle, […]
In March we were lucky enough to be touched by a spot of spring sunshine, so we decided to take a trip to Bucks Goat Centre! Our residents thoroughly enjoyed getting up close to the farm’s friendly goats, who we are sure are also looking forward to the summer months ahead.
Earlier in the year, we were visited by the fantastic Leo and his trainers Jennie and Peter, who are part of Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. This charity works to train fantastic dogs like Leo to alert deaf people to important and life-saving noises that they may otherwise miss, such as a smoke alarm or […]
In April a number of our residents visited the team at Wiltshire Air Ambulance to hand over a cheque for £343.90, which we raised through several recent fundraisers for this life-saving charity. During our visit, we were given a talk by one of the team’s paramedics, and our residents had plenty of questions for the doctor […]
To mark International Haiku Day, we were lucky enough to enjoy a special visit from award-winning poet, John Hawkhead. John led a haiku workshop for our residents, which was well-attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all. One of our residents even wrote a haiku so beautiful that John said it was worthy of being in the […]
In April our residents and team members had a fantastic time celebrating St George’s Day by slaying their very own dragon! In preparation for the day, our talented resident Jill kindly designed a superb dragon for us to take turns slaying in true St. George spirit. Afterwards, everybody sat down and enjoyed a glass of […]
Recently our residents enjoyed a trip to Odds Farm Park to meet their new Easter additions to the farm, which included beautiful lambs, piglets and baby goats! It was wonderful to witness the wonders of nature up close as we interacted with various friendly animals in a fun and engaging environment, and everybody agreed the […]
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, our Activities and Wellbeing Coordinator Mags and Client Services Manager Carmen visited Chalfont Park Sports Club with hats full to the brim with delicious mint chocolate treats! Gearing up for an exciting cricket season ahead, the club’s manager Jerry is looking forward to welcoming our residents to Chalfont Park once […]
In February we hosted a delightful Valentine’s Day event filled with sweetness and music! Our residents, team members and friends from our local community came together for an amazing baking competition, a lovely pianist performance and a great opportunity to celebrate platonic, familial and romantic love. Our chef Kiaran and guest judge Angela, who formerly edited […]
Earlier in the year, our residents enjoyed a serene cheese and wine evening accompanied by beautiful music performed by cellist, Helena Roswell. In preparation for the event, our Client Services Manager Laura and Activities and Wellbeing Coordinator Josie visited a number of local businesses in Cheltenham, including Tivoli Wines and Maison Chaplais, to hand select […]
As part of this year’s Great Daffodil Appeal, we hosted a vibrant Caribbean party here at Thirlestaine Park complete with steel pan drums and a themed bar! Our residents had a fantastic time dancing to the uplifting and soulful Caribbean music produced by the talented Julie’s drums, and most of our team when passing by […]
To celebrate Valentine’s Day we asked our residents to share their wedding photographs with us so that we could showcase them as part of a photography exhibition in our lounge. We then invited our residents’ loved ones and members of our local community to join us and reminisce with our residents as they looked through […]
As part of the annual Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal, we held a community bake sale and invited everybody to sample a variety of delicious homemade treats baked by our residents and team members. There were a huge selection of cakes on offer, including clementine cake, lemon drizzle and a particularly playful colourful sponge cake […]
To mark National Gardening Week, we decided to get started on our sustainable garden for this year’s Porthaven Garden Challenge. With the help of friends and family, our residents and team got to work clearing out the winter crops and preparing for summer by planting plenty of flowers, fruits and vegetables. We all had a […]
Earlier in the year we invited our friends, neighbours and community to join us as we celebrated the life and works of Robert Burns with a spectacular Burns Night lunch. Our marvellous kitchen team produced a mouth-watering meal for everybody to enjoy that included Highland salmon, haggis, neeps and tatties, which we enjoyed whilst listening […]
This year Easter was a time for our residents to spread joy in a truly delicious way! Led by Raanan from R&M Fine Chocolate, our chocolate egg decoration workshop became the highlight of the season. With creativity in abundance, our residents poured their hearts and souls into creating their very own chocolate masterpieces, and the […]
We are thrilled to share that our recent quiz night in aid of Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal was a great success! The incredible support we received from our local community made all the difference in raising vital funds for such a meaningful cause, and we would like to say a huge congratulations to our […]
In March, our residents and their loved ones celebrated Drink Wine Day here at Astbury Mere with a delightful afternoon wine tasting. Jessica and Jay from the fabulous Lion and Swan in Congleton curated a splendid array of wines, each with its own unique story and flavour profile, for us to sample. Jessica and Jay’s […]
Our residents and team members love to utilise the fantastic facilities on offer in Farnham, which includes the brilliant Farnham Leisure Centre. Having recently launched a community sports programme, our residents took a trip to the leisure centre for a private swimming lesson, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. While some of our residents hadn’t […]
Our spring was packed with exciting Easter activities, including themed baking, arts and crafts and a visit from our local primary school. During this visit, we were joined by the wonderful individuals (and animals!) from Pony Pals, who brought with them rabbits, guinea pigs and even a duck! Alongside these events, sunshine walks in our […]
Here at Bourne Wood Manor we are always looking for ways to help our residents celebrate special occasions, so when we were gifted afternoon tea for two by The Bush Hotel we knew our lovely residents Ewart and Val would enjoy the experience. The pair had a splendid time sampling various different sandwiches, scones and […]
Recently we received a visit from our local firefighters, who joined our residents and visitors for a chat all about the vital work they do supporting our community. Everybody was then treated to a tour of the fire truck, which we all found incredibly interesting. Whilst having a look around, our resident Annie took the […]
We were delighted when our wonderful resident Monica’s daughter, granddaughter and two great granddaughters visited us for a spot of coffee and cake on International Women’s Day! Seeing the four generations of women together was amazing, and Monica was delighted with the photograph we captured for them.
In February our lovely resident Joyce celebrated her 100th birthday with afternoon tea organised by our kitchen team, which she shared with her loved ones. Much like many of our centenarians, Joyce was delighted to receive her customary birthday card from His Majesty the King, which she had been eagerly anticipating. Joyce was born in 1924 […]
In an effort to promote life-long learning and our residents’ wellbeing, we have recently introduced a new regular French class led by Liz from Languagility, with the aim being to stimulate minds, encourage personal development and cultivate an atmosphere of joy and discovery. Fuelled by Liz’s contagious enthusiasm, each session is a playful and engaging […]
Here at Prestbury House, we are regularly visited by our friends from Inspiring Animal Therapy, who always bring a smile to our faces. Led by dynamic duo Lilo and Nellie the dachshunds, the team always bring with them a number of feathered friends and, most recently, two lovely baby lambs. With their tails wagging, Lilo […]
On the 28th of March, our home celebrated two very special birthdays as our fantastic Home Manager Rachael turned 30 and our lovely Senior Carer Rakitha turned 40. As a home, we decided to pull together and surprise the pair with an aptly decorated home and some gifts, which they both thoroughly appreciated. To celebrate their […]
As we get closer to the summer months, we have started working on our garden to ensure it looks its best. With the help of our Maintenance Technician Ion, we have been planting fruits, vegetables and herbs in an effort to make our garden more self-sustaining in line with this year’s Porthaven Garden Challenge. We […]
Congratulations are in order for our wonderful team member Cecilio, who was promoted to Activities and Wellbeing Lead earlier this year! This promotion was incredibly well deserved, with many of our residents expressing how much they enjoy spending time with Cecilio and taking part in the activities he organises. This fantastic news follows the completion […]
We are incredibly blessed here at Chiltern Grange to not only have a brand new gym but also our very own enthusiastic physiotherapist, Pasha! Pasha worked as a physio for over ten years in India before joining our team, and when he is not working he enjoys playing cricket, listening to classical music and reading […]
We would like to say a huge congratulations to our wonderful Deputy Manager Jane for recently receiving an ‘Unsung Hero’ award from Acute Training Solutions. Jane was nominated for her positive attitude, great listening skills, hard work and dedication to our home. Jane is a favourite amongst our residents and team members for her compassion […]
As part of our fantastic recent refurbishment, we decided to enlist the help of students at Stokenchurch Primary School in renaming our residential, memory and nursing suites. This challenge was embraced with much enthusiasm, and we received lots of creative ideas from students of different ages. After some deliberation, we settled on our three winners […]
To mark Drink Wine Day, earlier in the year we took a trip to Denbies Vineyard for a look around their fascinating facilities. Our residents learnt more about the history of the vineyard before enjoying a wine tasting of their best red and white wines, which was a brilliant experience to take part in. For […]
Our residents felt a warm glow in their hearts this Valentine’s Day as we reminisced on famous couples in music and cinema history with the ever-popular Tim from Dawson Talks. Afterwards, we had a love song singalong and discussed our favourite romantic moments from different films, which included ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The King […]
This year our Lavender Oaks residents celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a performance by the incredible Kevin Lowan, who wowed us with his singing and fiddle playing! Decked out in our best themed accessories, our residents and team members had a great time dancing along in our café. Thank you, Kevin!
Here at Tonbridge House, we love a good cheese board, so we knew we had to take part in a day dedicated to one of the world’s most beloved and versatile foods…cheese! To mark the occasion, our kitchen team put together a mouthwatering selection of fine cheeses and crackers for our residents to tick into […]
For this year’s Burns Night, our residents and local community got together to enjoy a very Scottish celebration. Our kitchen team provided a traditional haggis cooked to perfection followed by homemade shortbread, Dundee cake and fantastic whisky-flavoured cupcakes, which were thoroughly savoured alongside a wee dram! Attendees were also entertained by Paul Fey, who gave […]
In March we were treated to a visit by Maggie the Shetland pony, who joined us from Pukka Ponies Equine Rescue in Maidstone to put a smile on our residents’ faces. To begin with, Maggie spent time visiting our residents in their rooms so that everybody had the opportunity to give her a fuss, and […]
We would like to introduce you to our amazing new Home Manager Rimi, who joined us in January. Rimi has worked in the care sector for over 15 years and has a passion for care that started when she assisted her mother in nursing her father, who was living with Parkinsons and dementia. Whilst nursing […]
Music plays a big part in life here at Hartfield House, so recently we were thrilled to have the wonderful Krishna and Radha perform for our residents! Krishna and Radha, whose mother is part of our lovely night care team, treated our residents to some amazing music and songs, which everybody thoroughly enjoyed. We are […]
Back in November, we planted plenty of seeds ready for the spring, and recently we have begun to see the rewards of our hard work as our daffodils and tulips have begun to bloom! As part of this year’s Porthaven Garden Challenge we are striving to make our garden more sustainable, so we have installed […]
Here at Falkland Grange, we always make sure to reflect our residents’ interests and hobbies in the activities we offer within our home, gaining this insight during conversations with them and at our monthly resident meetings. Following such feedback, we are extremely excited to have recently unveiled The Falkland Arms, our very own pub pool, […]
Our lovely resident John recently gave a very warm welcome to his firm friends Marco and Alan, who came to visit for a reunion ten years in the making! The trio reminisced on their time sailing the world together on impressive ships such as The Tenacious and The Lord Nelson, with Marco being the chief […]
Earlier this year our residents, their loved ones and friends from our local community enjoyed a fantastic Burns Night taster menu prepared by our award-winning Head Chef, Sam. Sat in our stunning private dining room, those in attendance were also treated to live entertainment by a visiting bagpiper between courses. Afterwards, everybody shared lively stories […]
As part of this year’s Great Daffodil Appeal, we held a fabulous fundraiser complete with entertainment by the marvellous Mini Concerts, food prepared by our talented chefs and a raffle. The main event was a delicious afternoon tea, which included freshly baked scones, yellow cupcakes and banana bread and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. With […]
In March, we celebrated our lovely resident Pamela’s birthday. To mark the occasion, our talented chef made a delicious birthday cake that we presented to Pamela as we sung happy birthday. Pamela kindly shared her superb cake with her fellow residents and our team and then spent the rest of her special day celebrating with […]
Our residents here at Upton Mill thoroughly enjoy their weekly trips out and about on our minibus, and so far this year we have been lucky enough to visit a number of fantastic places. Some of our favourite trips have included a visit to the Aerospace Museum in Bristol, a scenic drive around the beautiful […]
The weather may have been a bit unpredictable during the first half of this year, but that hasn’t stopped us from taking every opportunity to get outside and enjoy our beautiful gardens! Our Healthcare Assistant Annie, who is a keen gardener, regularly comes into our home on her day off to meet with our residents […]
Our residents always look forward to their monthly flower arranging classes with Chris, and as we stepped into spring several of our ladies enjoyed an Easter-themed session crafting some wonderful yellow chicks! Observing Chris’s kind and caring approach, it is no surprise to learn that she was a nurse for over 15 years, specialising in […]
Here at Deer Park, we believe it is the extra special touches we offer that make all the difference. This includes hairdressing, beauty and therapy treatments by Paula and Charlotte from Dignity and Grace in our stunning home salon. With a degree in dementia science, Paula’s vast experience means that all of our residents can […]
Earlier in the year, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to take our resident Dave for an afternoon of golf at our local driving range, Ridge Golf Club. Having previously played at his local club and in Portugal, Dave has a real passion for golf, so he thoroughly enjoyed getting out on the green […]
This year our residents celebrated Valentine’s Day with a fantastic event attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Maidstone. Attendees were entertained by live fiddle playing, enjoyed homemade canapes and had the opportunity to view wedding photos belonging to our residents and team members. Leading up to the event, our activities and wellbeing coordinators led […]
In January we enjoyed a wonderful Burns Night celebration where our residents were treated to a selection of Scottish staples, including haggis and shortbread. As per tradition, our fantastic guest bagpiper piped in the haggis before walking around our different suites so that all of our residents could hear his superb music. Afterwards, we all […]
On Wednesday we invited the Town Mayor of Harpenden Councillor Fiona Gaskell and her Consort Philip Gaskell to join us for a sneak peek of our newest home, which is currently being built in Harpenden. Joined by members of Kori Construction Limited and Condy Lofthouse Architects, our superb construction and architectural teams, members of our […]
Narcis joins us with nine years of experience in the senior care industry, before which he worked as a firefighter and paramedic. Narcis has been a qualified nurse since 2014, which is also the year he moved to England. Throughout his career, Narcis has been a Home Manager for several other care providers. Looking to […]
We are thrilled to introduce our very first team members, Denise and Narcis! This dynamic duo are joining us as our Client Services Manager and Home Manager respectively. Starting in our Windsor head office, Denise and Narcis have spent the day getting to know our senior management team and learning more about what it means […]
In June we took a trip to the Macclesfield Cenotaph with our resident Pat to pay our respects to members of the armed forces both past and present. With an army instructor for a father, Pat was born and raised in a military household, and later went on to marry an army officer. Throughout her […]
Carehome.co.uk, which determines its ratings based on reviews from residents, service users and their family and friends, recently recognised Porthaven Care Homes as a top 20 rated mid-size care home group. With a group review score of 9.8 out of 10, this is the eighth year in a row that Porthaven have been presented with […]
Here at Porthaven we are thrilled to announce that we were awarded ‘Best Care Home Group over 10 settings’ at the 24th National Care Awards on Saturday 26th November. The National Care Awards honour the very best within the long-term care sector by recognising those who display unending dedication towards providing exceptional care. We competed […]
At Porthaven Care Homes, food has always been one of the pillars of quality we pride ourselves upon. Our chefs play a key part in the health and wellbeing of our residents and so we ensure they are trained well and have a constant source of inspiration to create exceptional dish after exceptional dish. Over […]
