Service User: Both physical and learning disabilities , Dementia, Hearing impairment , Infirmity or ageing , Learning difficulties , Mental disorder other than dementia , Physical disability or illness , Visual impairment , Young age
Specialist Care: Alzheimer's/Dementia, Cerebral palsy, Challenging behaviour, Convalescent, Day care, EMI, Hearing/Speech impairment, Learning disability, Multiple sclerosis, Older People, Palliative & Terminal care, Parkinson's disease, Physical disability, Respite nursing care, Visual impairment |
|
Set in acres of picturesque Lanarkshire countryside, Monteith House is rich in history and personality. The mock gothic manor house was originally built by local MP Henry Monteith in 1823 and observers could be forgiven for mistaking the care home for some well preserved ancestral pile.
But care home it is and these days Monteith House offers accommodation to a mixture of dementia residents, the elderly frail and elderly disabled – all in luxurious and aristocratic surroundings.
“It’s absolutely perfect, and I’m very happy,” says resident 93-year-old Jenny Parton. “I have a lovely room, comfortable bed, plenty of good food and every kindness from the staff.”
Jenny has had a long relationship with the care home. A well known local singer, she used to visit Monteith House with her pianist sister Mary McIvor to entertain the residents. Even after Jenny and Mary moved into the home, they would still play and sing – much to the delight of the other residents.
“The Thursday before Mary died there was a sing-song in the day room and she was playing the piano, and a woman I didn’t know said: ‘Who is she?’ and I said: ‘Well, she’s my sister, but she’s also a resident here’. She said: ‘she’s a wonderful player, I’ve never seen the like of her’.”
But Monteith House offers far more than just good entertainment. The care home has 55 beds – 47 single rooms and four doubles. Thirty-one of the rooms are ensuite and all the rooms are a good size. Some even have their own kitchenettes – so residents can dine when they like and eat what they want.
The countryside around the home is also a muse for some of the more creative residents. Indeed, many use it as an inspiration for painting and drawing – and their work can often be seen on display on the walls of the corridors and day rooms.
Monteith House employs about 100 people full and part time, from nurses and groundsmen to cooks and cleaners. And to ensure the residents get the best possible experience from the home, management encourages dialogue between everyone; the idea being that open dialogue means improved services. For example, the cook has built a menu around the specific dietary needs of the residents, based on their likes and dislikes.
As a result, the home offers a comprehensive menu of meals, starting with the option of a full Scottish breakfast in the morning, and including freshly-baked goods throughout the day.
The home also retains strong links with local people and given the building’s historical importance to the nearby towns of Carstairs and Carwath, it’s far more than just a care home. Each year, for instance, the residents and the local people are treated to a summer fete, which is held in the grounds of the home. These links with the wider community help to keep residents in contact with the outside world and means that Monteith House retains its role at the heart of local events. |