OPENING SPEECH 29 NOVEMBER 2013

  1. Welcome- residents, staff, relatives, friends and editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop.
  1. Special day to mark the opening of the Hartley House extension, a project which has been in the works for almost 2 years and which was finally finished in October this year. A labour of love which also involved a lot of heartache.
  1. Care homes have had a lot of bad press. The government has reduced funding for elderly care and the councils have responded by cutting back on placements. This means people are staying in their own homes longer, visiting A&E more often and are coming into care homes more frail than ever before.
  1. Our work in care homes has changed dramatically as the needs of residents has changed. Most noticeable has been the number of new residents who have dementia and whose families and relatives can no longer cope at home. We have had to change how we look after people by improving their environment and ensuring our staff still have the right skills and training.
  1. Our staff have responded magnificently to these changes and deserve all the praise and support you can give. They have an incredibly demanding and responsible job that they are expected to carry out with a smile. Many are young and learning, others have years of experience, but all contribute to the care that residents receive. And it is not only the carers – it is the cooks, the activities staff, the housekeepers and laundry staff, the maintenance technicians and the many volunteers that add to the experience. Many families also contribute generously with their time, helping their loved ones as well as other residents and staff. We really are a Big Society here, and I think you all deserve a big round of applause.
  1. We have tried hard to make this a dementia-friendly home by incorporating all the reasonable ideas that we were able to research. We are especially proud of:-
  2. The sensory gardens
  3. The enclosed outdoors spaces that are safe to wander in
  4. The bright colours that mark the new bedrooms
  5. New dementia friendly furniture
  6. Light airy spaces for residents to sit in and meet with friends and family
  1. Our new facilities have greatly helped this process. When we took over this home in 2010 there was only one bedroom with en-suite facilities. There are now 22 en-suite bedrooms, almost 50%. The lounge space has been dramatically increased and gardens have been established in three courtyards. I hope you will agree that this looks like a nice place to live.
  1. Much credit for this rejuvenated home must go to our architects, Tim Ball (and John) of JHD who, using the experience of his own mother being in care home, was able to create a vision of a light and airy place. Also the main contractor, Rob Barlow of BEC, who worked though some difficult and very muddy times during last winter when the temporary staff car park sank into the mud. Thank you for creating a wonderful home and for giving us back our parking spaces in one piece.
  1. I have to thank many people:-

Firstly our staff, residents and visitors who have endured almost a year of construction going on around them. Well done for keeping the home going under difficult circumstances.

I would like to specifically mention the many volunteers and organizations who give generously of their time. In no particular order:-

  1. The Scouts and Beavers (Terry Davies and the Akela) who have put in a garden, maintained the garden and entertained the residents with songs and stories. Our residents love a visit from children. Terry’s mother Freda was a resident in the home and we are delighted that he has kept his ties to the home.
  1. The Friends of Hartley House (Marian and Linda and many others) who over the years have donated both time and money to various projects, including the magnificent activities chalet that is located in the new courtyard.
  1. The RVS (Judy, Carol and Elaine) who do a trolley service, helping residents to continue shopping and choosing their own cosmetics and toiletries.
  1. Cranbrook Primary School (Leslie who cannot be here tonight), who run the wildly popular Wednesday lunch club at the school, always great fun for everyone.
  1. The many work experience volunteers from Cranbrook schools and local colleges – Charlotte, Sophie, Beth, Rebecca, George and other who have all helped magnificently and sharpened their jigsaw skills. We all love their youth and enthusiasm.
  1. Cranbrook School who have generously donated funds for dementia activities and who continue to supply steady stream of musicians to the home.
  1. The local churches, St. Dunstan’s and the Baptist Church in Hawkhurst who deliver weekly services and sometimes entertainment to the residents.
  1. Dr Bruno Capone from Hospice in the Weald who has provided valuable support in enabling us to achieve the Gold Standard Framework in record time.
  1. We have prepared a ceremonial ribbon cutting to mark the opening of our renovations. Two of our residents, Michael and Phyllis,will hold the tape for cutting.

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