About
History
GreenAcres Specialist Dementia Care Home, formally known as The Green Acres Hotel, was once a forty-three bedroom, three-star hotel, which operated for more than forty years, serving Guernsey’s tourism industry. However, due to a decline in tourism, the Hotel permanently closed its doors on 31 October 2012 and was left derelict for a number of years.
In 2014, after many long and detailed discussions, five individuals, three local doctors, one Registered General Nurse and her husband, who had detailed knowledge of building construction, unveiled their plans to convert the unoccupied Hotel into a Specialist Dementia Care Home.
After a year of campaigning with fantastic support from Guernsey’s community, plans to refurbish the former Hotel into a specialist facility were approved on 21 July 2015, with work on GreenAcres commencing on 1 March 2016.
GreenAcres is now a privately-run Specialist Dementia Care Home with 47 beds that opened its doors to its first resident on the 1 February 2017.
Present Day
As specialists in dementia care, we recognise the importance of caring for people as individuals and striving to understand personal needs. Our experience demonstrates that careful design of physical and social environments supports people living with dementia, providing safe and stimulating surroundings that have a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
Our aim is to provide a facility that has a welcoming, homely, comfortable and friendly atmosphere, a Home where residents, relatives and visitors feel able to relax and where individuality is recognised. Making time for our residents underpins everything we aim to do at GreenAcres so that life is happy, sociable, comfortable and safe. Our dedicated and committed dementia care team is on hand 24 hours a day offering expert person-centred care. Our residents are encouraged to remain as independent as possible within their own personal limitations, enabling them to realise their own aims and helping them to achieve goals in all aspects of daily living.
We have carefully developed the gardens, after consulting with experts, to create a so-called “sensory garden.” This is safe for all residents and is designed with different scents, textures and colours. We actively encourage our residents to be out in the open taking part in activities, relaxing and reminiscing. They are also able to enjoy petanque, the adapted planting areas and potting shed. We also have activities inside such as musical events, exercise classes, baking etc. Where feasible, we encourage the residents’ hobbies.
Meals are freshly prepared onsite by our chefs. They get to know the residents and try to cater for individual tastes whilst providing nutritious and varied food. We appreciate the importance of meal times and routine in the residents’ lives and endeavor to make them enjoyable experiences. Meals are provided in our light and airy main dining room although some residents prefer to eat in the quieter bar area.
The Home has pleasant views and is located in Guernsey’s countryside. We have many outings to give our residents the opportunity to enjoy local beaches, garden centres, pub grub etc. Events for residents, families and friends include a meat draw, summer fete, Christmas, birthday and Liberation Day celebrations, Alzheimer’s Association events and family parties.