Crawley Care Home Unveils New ‘Kindness Room’ as Part of Project to Improve the Environment for Residents

Deerswood Lodge care home in Crawley has announced the introduction of a new ‘kindness room’, as part of a wider project to improve and enhance the environment and overall experience for residents and visitors.

Residents at the Shaw healthcare-run home in West Sussex have been making the most of the exciting new space – which has been transformed from an old smoking room – since the middle of June.

It provides residents and their loved ones with a space to enjoy a myriad of home entertainment and take part in talks and other social events. They’ll be able to watch televised sporting events and immerse themselves in the home cinema experience, thanks to a brand new 85-inch television.

The kindness room has already hosted a 1980s-themed film week, complete with popcorn and ice cream for the authentic, cinematic experience.

The concept for the project came in 2019, when newly appointed manager Wan Nowakowski – together with the ‘Friends of Deerswood’ community group – decided it was time to come up with some creative ideas to help improve the environment for residents and their visiting loved ones.

Brian Baker, a volunteer and ‘Friends of Deerswood’ community group member who has been spearheading the project, said:
“At its core, it’s about designing an environment that promotes Shaw healthcare’s key values; wellness, happiness, and kindness. We focus on activities and pastimes to promote healthy minds, well-being, creativity, and enjoyment.

“Great care starts with thoughtful spaces filled with joy. It’s what the kindness room is all about.

“The kindness room marks the third innovate space, following the creation of the ‘wellness room’ – an area for hairdressers, pampering, doctor and nurse visits, and the ‘happiness café’ – which allows for coffee mornings and celebrations.”

The fourth and final area in Deerswood’s transformational journey is being marked by the ‘rewilding project’. The outside space will take shape over the coming year and will include the planting of a small orchard, a vegetable patch, and sensory trail. It will also provide opportunities for schools and local community groups to explore and enjoy.

Deerswood Lodge is a modern care facility made up of nine self-contained living units that opened in 2006. It caters for a wide range of care purposes, including dementia care, respite and residential care, as well as specialising in physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

Councillor Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adults’ services, said:
“The Kindness Room is an excellent innovation by the staff at Deerswood Lodge and it will undoubtedly add to the friendly environment whilst enabling residents to enjoy the connection of shared experiences in an enhanced and homely atmosphere.”