Handsale’s Westerfield Care Home in Paisley, Renfrewshire has enhanced the living environment of residents with renovations and the addition of specialist care units.

Renovations include new furniture, a refurbished hair salon and the transformation of the quiet lounge into a private dining room, while the home also features specialist units designed to support residents with dementia, promoting a calming environment and assisting in slowing down the advancement of the disease.

Catherine Galbraith, home manager at Westerfield Care Home, said: “We have seen a real benefit from the integration of residents with dementia into the wider home. Ultimately, we’ve found that matching these residents to specific units has enabled us to have a calm atmosphere within the home.

“For example, if we have someone with an issue with eating and not knowing what to do with the food, they may watch someone else at their table in their unit and copy their actions. The integration, plus the other renovations within the home, has changed and uplifted the care environment, making it the best possible place to live and work.”

Resident Irene Harvey said: “Since I’ve been here, I’ve found that it’s exactly what I needed. It’s the type of place where I can be myself, but I can also be with other people. I go to the art group on a Tuesday and we paint with acrylics, which is something I hadn’t done since childhood, so it’s very enjoyable.”

Handsale care group manages eight residential and nursing care homes across England, Scotland and Wales.