Creating A Welcoming Care Home - 3 Crucial Decorating Points To Consider

Many of us 'baby boomers' find ourselves sandwiched neatly between caring for our children and caring for our elderly parents.  And, looming on the horizon is the possibility that we may one day have to make some emotionally difficult decisions about our parents' long-term care.

Nobody would want to live in a sterile, unwelcoming environment. Much can be done with clever decorating to create a place which fosters a feeling of security and comfort - and these are the type of places we would prefer our loved ones to inhabit when home care is no longer an option.

If you own a care home or any other type of residential home, the following tips are worth considering for the benefit of your residents and staff.

Creating a welcoming environment in your care home isn’t just about employing friendly, warm and dedicated staff; you also need to set the scene with well-considered decoration. Safety and hygiene need to play a part in the decision making process when it comes to interior choices but that needn’t be at the expense of the aesthetic appeal of your care home. It’s important to get things right for the residents and staff who will spend a lot of time in the same areas every day and to impress visitors to the premises to help your business stand out.

Here are a few crucial decorating points to consider…

Colour and light

You don’t need to be familiar with the seven chakras to engage in colour therapy to recognise that different colours can impact our moods. When you are choosing the colours of your walls, furniture and soft furnishings, this can help you make calculated choices to improve the daily experience of your residents. Yellow is a warm colour that is said to have positive connotations and research has found that it works to wake up the brain. Red, another warm colour can be associated with aggression and feelings of anger whereas pink is actually used within some prisons because it has been shown to lower confrontational behaviour.

The cooler colours of blue and green are said to have a calming impact upon our moods, but did you know that diners have been shown to eat fewer calories when eating in rooms where blue dominates? This is thought to be in part because of the low occurrence of blue foods in nature. This means the shade may not be an ideal choice for your dining room!

Choosing the right colour can make such a different to the atmosphere

It’s not just colour that can improve our mood, having a good presence of natural light is crucial in a care home where guests may not be able to go outdoors as much. Choose window dressings that allow light in while maintaining privacy and consider using bi-fold doors both externally and internally to allow light to flow throughout the building. There’s no need to stick with modern PVC if it doesn’t fit in with other elements of your design scheme, Creative Doors Direct have some nice oak options.

Choosing furniture

Ease of cleaning, comfort for guests and ability to withstand wear and tear; care home furniture needs to meet higher criterion than items used domestically. When selecting items such as arm chairs you’ll need to consider breathability of fabric, how easy it will be to remove spills and other stains for infection control purposes and whether the fabric will withstand constant cleaning too. Lookout for stain resistant fabrics and designs that incorporate spaces for easy cleaning as well as mechanisms for helping individuals rise and lower themselves where needed.

Surfaces such as chests of drawers and tables should be sturdy and easy to wipe clean. Where possible, choose designs that are free from sharp corners too. For dementia sufferers, furniture items that allow visibility of items stored inside can be particularly helpful. Drawers with gaps that allow easy access and visibility of the contents and wardrobes without doors or with partial doors are good examples.

Finishing touches

It’s often not practical to allow residents to personalise lots of areas of the home, though many homes allow to residents bring their own duvet set or hang their own curtains along with displaying personal photographs and art. This can help residents to feel more at home and also plays an important part in retaining happy memories. Retro decorating takes this element to the next level. The term describes the practice of decorating areas in furniture, soft furnishings and wallpaper or paint styles that residents are familiar with from the past.

Finishing touches can make all the difference

This type of environment is kept free from modern gadgets and might feature items such as old style dial Bakelite telephone. Similarly, toilets may use the monochrome style design with black seats that have long been used in public spaces. Decorating in this way can help some dementia sufferers to feel more confident and comfortable in their surroundings, though it’s obviously tricky to strike a balance for residents born in different decades or in some instances, different countries.

Have you recently decorated a care home or another type of new business premises? What were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? I’d love to hear about your projects, so please share your tips!

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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A 5 Minute Strategy That Might Save Your Relationship

God, people are so annoying aren't they?  And, having been cooped up with several of them for over 10 days, it's fair to say a few of us might be a little, well, tetchy.

Love is... bringing you your early morning cuppa

Unless you're a relationship guru or have rock solid assertiveness skills (no, me neither), that sanity-saving alone time, those moments of peace where you remember who (or even where) you are and that space just to breathe have probably all fallen by the wrapping-paper strewn wayside.

Oh, alright.  Yes it's selfish but we women often brand anything that is soul-feeding selfish.  Men, to happily stereotype and generalise, don't seem to suffer the same angst involved in taking time out. They'll chuck trainers in a bag and breeze off to the gym or leg it to the pub for a 'swift half' without having to raise it with their therapist later.

The thing about stereotypes, you see, is that there's very often no smoke without fire.  But it is very un-PC these days to say that.

So, what can we do to keep the peace and to avoid wrecking perfectly decent relationships with basically lovely people?  Some of us have a terrible habit of sabotaging the very things that make us happy for no other reason than we are bored and need to create a bit of drama - or we're crying out for some 'me time'.

It's no surprise that lots of relationships finally bite the dust during holiday periods when couples are forced to spend time together and have to deal with their issues.  Or the fact that there are no longer any issues between them whatsoever.  The latter of course is a common problem once the children have left home or are old enough not to need round the clock parenting anymore.

But, equally, sometimes it's just a bad case of cabin fever and too much time to analyse that's the problem.

I'd suggest that if you are finding yourself in fault-finding mode and wondering why your life hasn't turned out to be the Disney cartoon fantasy many of us baby boomers were promised, then you do the following.

When that critical voice in your head keeps yabbering away - "they never, if only they would, why won't they, " and on, and on, and on, just take 5 minutes and list 5 things you like and appreciate about them.

I'm not suggesting you get out a flipchart but just list them in your head or write them in your diary.

These don't have to be huge things - just things that make you smile and feel cared for.  Love doesn't always appear wrapped in a grand announcement.

Do they bring you a cup of tea in the morning?  Do they record your favourite TV programme for you if you're out?  Do they cook your favourite meal when you're feeling a bit down or run you a bath?

Everyone has their good points.  Well, almost everyone.  And I'm sure if you think hard enough you can remind yourself of why you thought it was a good idea to let them into your life in the first place.

Just 5 minutes.

To preserve one of the most important things in your life.

It's worth a try, surely?

Because if that 5 minutes stops you losing your temper, flying off the handle or saying something hurtful that you don't even mean, those minutes may be very valuable indeed.

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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The ONE Thing That Will Definitely Scupper Your New Year's Resolutions

How are you doing so far?  If you're like me, you'll have written a list of resolutions that is about the same length and complexity as the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Heck, short of wearing a hair shirt this year, you will be perfect dammit!

Make sure you're the captain of your own, er, kayak

You will have sleek thighs, a spotless house and the inner calm of the Dalai Lama.  No more excess consumption of sugar, carbs, things in packets or boxes, shouting at the kids, thinking anything vaguely 'toxic'.  You get the drift.

Days will be filled with endless random acts of kindness.  You are going to be soooo good, every time a butterfly flaps its wings, the lakes of positive karma you are generating are going to make a yak smile in Nepal.

Except.  Except....

I can guarantee that there will be a flaw in your cunning plan to be nicer than Mary Berry whilst combining the intellectual vivacity of a young Germaine Greer with the mysterious allure of Claudia Winkelman's fringe.

If you are not doing it for YOU - you're on a high road to nowhere.

Yes, if you have added a resolution to your list to make someone else happy at the cost of your own bank balance, peace of mind and happiness, it's all going to go pear-shaped pretty early on.

How many of us join gyms because our partners helpfully 'suggest' we'd look better if we lost a few pounds?

How many of us decide to read mind-numbing pseudo-scientific tomes and dreary best-sellers in an effort to make ourselves more interesting.

It's about as sensible as learning all the 64 words for 'the' in Russian language when the nearest you'll get to Moscow is a bottle of vodka.

There are, indisputably, resolutions we should undertake for the benefit of our health - drinking less, eating better, exercising more, but if we are doing any of these to seek someone else's approval, now is not the time.

I think our motivation to make serious, long-lasting changes can take a real knock if we fail with our resolution at the first hurdle.  Better to wait until we are ready - at a time not dictated by the turn of the year, the addition of another digit to the man-made records of time.  Man-made - there's the rub, to quote Shakespeare. Is anyone keeping a track of the change of years in the rest of our galaxy (apart from astronomers)?  No? Exactly.

You know, if you find yourself designing your life with the sole intention of pleasing others, the best New Year's Resolution you could make, if you can't quite kick the habit, is to please yourself.

If we are happy in ourselves, don't you find that a lot of petty problems fall away?  We don't worry about the extra pounds, our weird laugh, our inability to read a wine-list or, in Ieuan's case, a habit of adding strawberry jam to his chicken goujons.

We can learn a lot from our kids.  They embrace the moment and are glorious in their individuality - right up until a helpful adult suggests a few 'changes' they might like to make.  You can see where it all starts, can't you?

So, this New Year's Day, I hope you'll junk the resolution list and instead write a list of things to do just for you.

And if they're weird, odd or laugh-out-loud peculiar - good.

Trust me, the Galaxy Time Police are probably having today off too.

Happy New Year!

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Our Family UK Staycation Bucket List 2016

Now, as you know, the Hobbis family sojourns into the wilderness have basically got as far as Devon since it has taken me the last four years to muster up the energy to get my passport updated.

Selfridges, Birmingham

But it strikes me that, although the parenting rite of passage that is the Disneyland visit is on the agenda, if ever there were a year for supporting our home nations, it's going to be 2016.

Leaving aside the, to me, incontravertible proof that climate change IS beginning to affect us and the likelihood that the levels of rainfall we are seeing are here to stay, the UK has so many glorious beauty spots, places of interest and cultural quirks that exploring as many as we can should be on all our travel bucket lists.

The other side of this rather waterlogged observation is that, this year, the UK tourist industry needs our financial support more than ever.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's at a time when the Costa del Sol package holiday was in its infancy. Those who braved air travel to fly to Spain were considered very 'posh' indeed.

My Dad took a different approach.  He took his family to all of the areas of outstanding beauty in the UK. We travelled up to Inveraray and back down to Edinburgh.  We visited Keswick and Ambleside in the Lake District and marvelled at the beauty of the Lakes.  We stayed just outside York and visited its cathedral and explored the Shambles.  The Cotswolds were (and are) a favourite haunt with many visits to Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-On-The-Wold.  We saw Donald Sinden as Othello in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and travelled by boat to Hampton Court out of a dusty and overheated London.

We explored North and Mid Wales and stayed in a cottage in the shadow of the mountain, Cader Idris just outside Dolgellau.   My sister and I splashed about in the river close to the Swallow Falls at Betws-y-Coed.

My parents are from Plymouth and most summers were spent visiting our grandparents.  There were many trips on the "Dockyard & Warships" boat trip, drives to Modbury Beach and Burgh Island and drives over Dartmoor to see Widdecombe and climb up Sheepstor, hopefully (but not always) avoiding the rain.  On Lands End, the winds were so strong, we had to hold on to my mother, lest all 4 foot 11 inches of her blew away to sea.

These are all places I hope to visit with the family over the next year or two.

What my Dad gave us, I now realise, was an education about the wonders of geography and history that was far more interesting than the O level geography syllabus topics of glaciation and orange growing in California.

There are, though, many gaps in my UK travel education and places still to explore.  My grandmother, Jessie, had relatives in the West Midlands and, aside from a trip in the 80's to see Chris de Burgh in concert (even pre-"Lady In Red"!), Birmingham is a city I have yet to explore.

Victoria Square, Birmingham

It's so much easier today now that hotels have comfortable, spacious family rooms.  I remember on our trip to London in the 70's that my Dad rushed out to buy a camp bed to put up next to our hotel room's sole, rather rickety double bed.

These days, too, there is a far greater range of family friendly activities.  Around Birmingham we could visit the National Sea Life Centre or Cadbury World. Then there's the award-winning Black Country Living Museum near Dudley.  I might persuade the Husband to take the kids to the National Motorcycle Museum whilst I explore the shops in The Bullring which has over 160 shops.

Another city I have never visited is Newcastle Upon Tyne which has Europe's largest shopping centre, The Metrocentre.  It has 300 shops, an 11 screen cinema and a fun fair!

Tyne Bridge

There's the science and local history museum, The Discovery Museum, The Great North Museum which has a planetarium or the contemporary art gallery, The Biscuit Factory for starters.

Yes, 2016 is going to be a great year for exploring and I sometimes think that if you waited for perfect weather in the UK, you'd never go anywhere.

No wonder my Dad made sure we always had our waterproofs with us!

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

*collaborative post

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Throwing A Children's Birthday Party? Read This.

Whether you’re planning for your own child or just helping out a new mum, birthday party planning can be an extremely stressful affair. You want every aspect of the day to be perfect from the icing on the cake to the colourful decorations. But planning such a momentous occasion in a child’s life does not have to be difficult. 

Follow these tips and make it a birthday party to remember for all of the right reasons. 

Choose a simple theme 

Having a theme is a very good idea as it can inspire the whole feel of the day. It can inspire colour palettes, games, decorations and even food, but only if it is simple. Over-complicated themes that are difficult to execute can take a lot of time and effort that you could spend elsewhere. 

Consider what the child likes and dislikes to help you find a suitable theme they will love. Remember classic themes such as pirates or princesses always work and suit a wide age group. 

If you’re stuck for ideas, you could hire party planners such as Pickle Pie Parties or Twizzle to organise a theme for you. They could also help you with invites and entertainment for the party, giving you more time to enjoy the process. 

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Get creative with food 

Kid's party food options such as sausage rolls and sandwiches are perfect. But you could create something more magical and inventive too. You could use food colouring to dye the snacks and drinks your child’s favourite colour or a colour relating to the theme. 

A Frozen princess party, for instance, would look great with icy blue and white coloured food. You could also bake cupcakes that feature each of your guest’s names on in icing or chocolate. The children will get excited about finding which cupcake is theirs.

If you aren’t really into baking, you could hire an ice cream and candy floss cart or a burger van for the party instead. You can rename every food and drink provided with your child’s name or their favourite cartoon character’s names. This will make it more intriguing for the children and adults attending. 

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Decorations add the fun 

It doesn’t matter if you’re holding the party in a local hall or at home; it’s important that it feels fun and extraordinary to the child. Decorations are important for a birthday party and will highlight the theme you have chosen. Balloons, bunting and banners are classic birthday decorations that are still just as popular. 

You can also get crafty and make some of your own decorations if you wish. For instance, you could use large pieces of coloured paper to create oversized leaves and flowers. These will create a beautiful jungle atmosphere in your venue. 

Use Pinterest and party pieces magazine for inspiring and unique ideas to decorate and style your event and don’t refrain from making your own. 

Children’s parties need to be fun so make this a priority in your planning. It doesn’t matter how many people attend, as long as everyone spends the day smiling and laughing. 

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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Post Christmas Divorce Rush Predicted To Avoid Hike In UK Divorce Fees In April

Online divorce firm divorce-online.co.uk, the single biggest filer of divorce petitions in England and Wales, is predicting a big spike in divorce filings in January as couples rush to beat the Government's proposed hike in court fees to file a divorce.

Divorce is stressful enough, without the added financial worry

The fees will rise in April from £410 to £550 a massive 34% increase, despite the actual cost of processing a divorce having been calculated at £260.

A draft statutory instrument has been laid before parliament and unless the Government do a U turn in the next 3 months, the fees will be introduced at the start of the new financial year.

As one of the largest firms sending divorce petitions to the divorce centres, Divorce-Online are already warning potential divorcees of the coming rise.

Mark Keenan a spokesman for the company believes that the rise will prevent couples on modest means from formalising their split and many couples will be left in a legal limbo for years, separated but not able to finalise their divorce because of the sheer cost.

Since the withdrawal of legal aid in 2012 for divorce cases, the number of people looking for cheaper alternatives to traditional solicitor led divorce routes have rocketed using services provided by companies like Divorce Online.

As the cost of divorce in the UK rises, it is likely that even more couples will turn to the Internet to seek a more cost-effective alternative to the traditional high street legal practice.

Further information: contact mark.keenan@divorce-online.co.uk.  Twitter @mrdivorceonline

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Want 2016 to be YOUR year? Tell yourself A Better Story.

Now we're all approaching the traditional post-festive slump, my thoughts automatically drift to New Year and those things I would like to improve.

Write yourself a brighter future.

We have already probably read, by now, the myriad of pop psychology suggestions to transform our existence - from writing gratitude lists, to mindful meditation, seeking your guardian angel and rebalancing your chakras.

Listen, I love this stuff and you won't find any cynical sniffing from me if you tell me your goal next year is to explore your spirituality.  Too few of us are stuck in a kind of two dimensional hell of work and shopping with very little actual human connection inbetween.

But here's the thing I want to suggest you try.

If you stop and listen closely to the voice in your head, that incessant chatter which is you (probably) berating, criticising and scolding yourself, you might notice something.

You say the same stuff over and over and over and over ......

Basically you are retelling your life as a story in which you may not necessarily be playing the role you want to play.  Is there someone else you have cast as the star whilst you have a mere walk-on part?

If you think about your history, your past, it is a collection of memories you've put together seen through just one perspective - yours.  We can never know exactly what someone else is feeling. Their behaviour may give clues, of course, but nevertheless, the only person we can truly begin to understand is ourselves.

Some of the people we find most inspiring, whether they are celebrities or members of our family, have the ability to make their own sunshine.  They put a positive spin on everything that happens. They are the 'silver lining people'.

Hands up, on occasion, I find 'silver lining people' extremely annoying but in my more sanguine moments I acknowledge that they are definitely on to something.

So, rather than retell yourself ghastly tales of past times when you were the fall guy, the stooge, the fool, where you let your light be eclipsed by someone with all the brightness of a 20 watt bulb, why not put a twist in the tale?

Ask yourself.  If I were to rewrite this, what would have happened?  And, in future, when you think of that time, tell yourself this new story.

If the old version of events has a terrible hold on you, see yourself writing it down then pick up the paper, scrunch it into a ball and chuck it over your shoulder.

Or pretend you have set it on fire and those horrid memories have literally gone up in smoke.

As you look to the future in 2016,  why not write yourself the story of the year now, complete with a list of what WILL happen. I don't mean a bucket list.  I mean a list of glorious, golden outcomes.

Faith and positive thinking may make them happen.

We are adult and know that there are no guarantees in life but, equally, to live with an optimistic view where you let in the light has to be better than starting another year in a fug of gloomy despondency.

January is such a dark, dank month.  We miss the sun and the light both emotionally and physically. Those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) must feel this loss of light even more and, once the Christmas bonhomie has passed, there is a tendency for those of us who suffer from depression to sink into a deeper pit of our own hopelessness and melancholy.

But if we look around us, the best loved stories are still there and are a testament to our eternal belief that good triumphs over evil, that light always wins out over darkness.

I am thinking not just of religion but of the Harry Potter stories and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

If we can let ourselves enter their worlds and believe so willingly,  why don't we write our own sagas and recast ourselves as heroes and heroines.

Ultimately you know, we've all got the Force.

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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