Deer Park View has been involved in the setup of community rehabilitation placements, as part of a new collaboration between three local care homes and St Mary’s University.
Physiotherapy students Ally Whittle and Emma Coombs completed their placements at Deer Park View Care Centre during November, December and January.
Throughout their degrees they are expected to catalogue 1,000+ hours on placement, gaining extensive experience in a variety of environments.
The students used skills from many different specialties including neurology, Musculoskeletal, respiratory and care of older people. This exposure to the care sector allowed Ally and Emma to further gain knowledge and skills in a diverse patient group, and broaden their verbal, non-verbal and tactile communications skills.
The students were also given the opportunity to learn more about various different pathologies such as Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke and frailty.
As we mark Global Intergenerational Week this week, Deer Park View are proving how valuable intergenerational connections are between local care homes and educational institutions like St Mary’s University. It can benefit residents by combatting loneliness, improving mental and physical well-being, and promoting mutual learning between generations.
Michael Smith, Home Manager at Deer Park View commented, “I always believe in collaborative work with other organisations in the local community. Ally and Emma were excellent with our residents and settled in quickly as part of the team. The residents have loved having them here, the additional work they have done with residents both on a 1-1 basis and group sessions have been invaluable. The lecturers at St Mary’s have been excellent, they provide regular support to the students and are on site frequently. We hope that we can welcome more placements in the future.”
Deer Park View Care Centre provides residential care, nursing care, and dementia care on a short term and permanent basis. For more information, please visit www.ariacare.co.uk/find-a-home/deer-park-view-in-teddington.
