Orchard Care Homes has opened its second complex dementia care service in Sunderland.

Archers Court Nursing Home in Farringdon opened its doors to new residents this month, building on the successes of Orchard’s existing Reconnect service at Ashlea Lodge in Millfield.

Hannah Miller, Dementia Lead at Orchard, said: “This Reconnect community will provide nurturing, holistic care that focuses on positive outcomes, improvement in people’s sense of well-being, purpose, and independence. Through focused, individualised support, the aim will always be towards reconnecting people as far as possible, to the world around them, to their identity and life. Higher staffing levels will support this, with care that is backed up with the latest evidence. It’s the positivity and joy that we bring to each of our residents that is our measure of success.”

With 18 beds, this Reconnect service will provide nursing care for people living with complex forms of dementia who are experiencing heightened levels of psychological distress and which often manifest themselves through distressed behaviours. The service will seek to reduce the dependence on medication, replacing it were possible with therapeutic interventions with the skilled use of people’s life story to create meaningful connections.