At Coate Water Care we have a duty of care to all of our residents, and though we all welcome the nice weather in summer, we also realize we have to take common sense measures to make sure the heat doesn’t have a negative impact on our elderly and more vulnerable residents.

First of all, we monitor individual residents to make sure they are not overheating. No two people are the same, and we will support residents to combat the heat as and when necessary.

Our modern heating systems mean we can adjust temperatures throughout the home and in individual rooms.

Extra fans are placed around communal areas and certain points of the homes are cooled by air conditioning.

There will be a regular supply of cold drinks. We offer extra fluids to increase the fluid intake of the residents during hot spells.

We may close curtains and blinds in rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler, and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors.

All of our nine homes in Swindon, Wiltshire, Gloucester, Warwickshire, Hampshire and Worcestershire have pleasant gardens and outdoor spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy. When the weather gets hot our residents are encouraged to wear a head covering or hat when outside and reminded to put plenty of sun lotion on.

In very hot weather we would urge residents to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, as per NHS guidelines.

We would not schedule exercise activities during the hottest part of the day.

There will be a wider choice of fresh summer salads on the menu.

To find out more about any of Coate Water Care’s nine residential care homes, about the way we care for people living with dementia or to book a viewing please contact our friendly Welcome Team on 01793 821200.