What is the household model?
After researching the Household model in the USA, we established a new level of care that puts the needs of the resident at the centre of everything we do. This innovative and award winning approach led to a complete overhaul of our buildings and culture.
Moving away from more traditional task orientated approaches to care, we created flexibility in our approach taking away institutional routines and symbols, while still maintaining our excellent standards and professional practice.
Our Household Model of Care breaks down the traditional facility into households, each with their own front door for privacy, kitchen, living rooms, private bedrooms, comfortable dining rooms, private back gardens and plenty of extra spaces. Gone are the institutional ward type buildings and practices.
Our staff wear regular clothes. The households are furnished in comfortable homely décor, cosy sofas, and personal belongings. Our households smell like home, look like home and most importantly feel like home.
Everyone who lives here has the freedom to choose how their day goes; when to wash, when to get up, when to eat and how to spend their day.
Household life is “normal,” yet full of new experiences and stimulating activities.
We are working with Dementia Care Matters to develop the highest standards of care available in Ireland, tailored to the specific needs of people living with dementia and their families.
About 40,000 individuals in Ireland have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia with an increase in these numbers expected. These numbers represent huge numbers of families living in Ireland with loved ones who require special care.
Our specialist dementia care extends through our range of services at Drogheda, Ardee and Homecare.
In our specialist dementia care households in both Moorehall Lodge Ardee and Moorehall Lodge Drogheda, we provide specialist care to include activities for residents with dementia-related conditions.
We all live in the moment – moments matter. For everyone with or without dementia all we have is now. We cannot yet fix dementia as a condition but we can fix our approach. Showing people living with dementia that we know their feelings matter most can transform lives.
Being natural in dementia care involves flitting between people, being still, connecting, creating colour and changing moments, just like a butterfly. Our staff know in their heart that quality of life matters. They learn how to look, sound and feel like butterflies at work following the innovative Butterfly Approach.
We are Ireland’s first accredited Butterfly Centre. We have been on this journey for a number of years and feel that we offer a unique model of care for people with dementia.