Lifestyle

PJ Care: Enabling unique lives

Last issue we caught up with the team at PJ Care to find out about the neurological care they provide. Now, Regional Manager of Eagle Wood (PJ Care’s award-winning centre in Peterborough), Jon Olsen, takes us through their specialised approach

Neurological care spans a broad range of complex conditions ranging from acquired brain injury through to Huntington’s Disease. The impact of these life-limiting conditions on the individual, family and friends is profound. Making life more challenging is the experience of having to navigate the complexities of attaining funding and a placement for subsequent specialised care.

Our Peterborough Care Centre is truly unique. We have four care models which are based on the philosophy of not defining people by their illness, but by the needs of each resident and level of care required to maximise their lives. Eagle Wood provides units that individually specialise in progressive neurological disorders, early-onset conditions, rehabilitation and complex care. It is through a unique model of care that our care and nursing experts can come together on one site to knowledge-share and engender collaborative working for the benefit of all

Caring for young adults from aged 18 brings a whole host of bio-psycho-social considerations and we are experts in this approach. Our clinical psychologists, consultant neuro-psychiatrists and nursing teams are passionate about delivering evidence-based models of care. Our fundamental approach to care is that each resident is treated as a unique individual, where not only are their physical needs are met, but their psychological needs too, addressed through our well-being programmes. We know that when an individual acquires a brain injury, this is only the beginning of their journey, albeit a different one. There is significant clinical evidence that the brain can heal and there is opportunity to achieve synaptic adaptation so that people are able to regain some of their previous levels of functioning. Our centres provide an environment to support this process from a cognitive, physical, emotional and mental health perspective.

Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists are part of our multi-disciplinary team and provide intensive in-house therapy aimed at rebuilding abilities and providing adaptation techniques. We have a physiotherapy gym, therapy kitchen and hydrotherapy pool at our Eagle Wood Centre, which through our personalised approach to care allows us to provide therapy when it best suits our residents, which in turn helps people meet their recovery goals.

As well as rehabilitation and support, psychological wellbeing has a profound influence on this process. We strike a balance here between structure and a flexible approach. Having accessible outdoor spaces, large open units, bigger than average bedroom sizes and a high staff-to-resident ratio allows us to provide individualised care. Day-to-day life for our residents is a blend of important routines, a healthy diet, quality sleep, exercise and that all-important mental wellbeing factor. We have activity teams working on bespoke plans for each resident, as well as collective sessions and group trips.

The high level of engagement and interaction between Eagle Wood staff and our residents plays a vital role in managing more challenging behaviours and progressive conditions. Activities and rehabilitation form part of overall treatment plans which are monitored and adjusted with neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology input – two further key roles within our multidisciplinary team. Across all our centres, our three pillars of Compassion, Commitment and Care shine through in every decision and action we make. It is all about our residents; they are at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud to continue providing this specialised service in an under-provided for area of care.

If you’d like to speak to PJ Care, please call: 0330 2020304, email: or visit the website for more information about the referral and placement process and the services they provide: www.pjcare.co.uk

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