Cinnamon Grove – Establishing Excellence in Elderly Care

Taking elderly care as their primary mission, this establishment managed by the Wickramarachchi family which started off as a relatively small family funded venture has now managed considerable odds and within an incredibly short time frame of ten years, established themselves as the benchmark in elderly care in Sri Lanka.

Recognised globally for their reputation built on excellent service, innovation, quality and outstanding staff training and development, they have attracted clients from across the globe.

One of their main focus points is on Dementia Care and Training. Although Sri Lanka may be known for its natural beauty and ancient attractions, it is now recognised as a regional center of excellence for Dementia care, as stated by officials and medical professionals from Japan during their visit to the facility in 2018.

Sri Lanka currently has no set Dementia care or elderly care standards, therefore, rapid staff recruitment and intensive training had to be undertaken from inception to ensure their goal of operating to western standards wasn’t compromised. Staff is carefully selected and their policy has been never to hire from third parties as they have their own recruitment and training processes in place.

When a new staff member is recruited, the training period can extend up to 6 months until they are fully able to carry out the duties independently at the care home. Most of their staff is NVQ 3 level certified in caregiving.

Constant staff training and hand-over sessions take place throughout the month to keep staff motivated to ensure a streamline operation is in place. Staff are constantly monitored and supervised on a daily basis and staff appraisals are carried out annually by the management.

Having worked in the United Kingdom before setting up this facility in Bandaragama, one of the biggest challenges the management has faced is to constantly supervise their staff. The management provides incentives on a monthly basis along with holiday bonuses geared towards motivating the staff.

Cinnamon Grove has collaborated with educational institutions in keeping up with new trends and they also work with schools and colleges that offer foreign qualifications and diplomas in caregiving as a site for practical training. Currently they are working with the Australasian Academy who’ve already had several batches of students complete their practical training at Cinnamon Grove.

Their first resident at the facility was a Canadian citizen with severe Alzheimer’s disease. Although she was not accepted at several facilities in Canada and Sri Lanka, they managed to settle her quickly into the home and 2 years later, her stable condition was testament to the high quality specialized care offered by the facility. Since then, they’ve had many challenging individuals suffering from Dementia that they’ve managed to settle within a period of 6 – 12 months. It was evident that the calm surroundings and lush gardens together with the dedicated care extended to the residents.

The typical day of a resident at Cinnamon Grove is an interesting one! Residents are not left inside their rooms for long periods unless they insist on doing so. Some of them are quite feisty and have a mind of their own. They have two activity sessions every day. One in the morning which starts off with a light exercise session followed by an interactive session where each individual gets to participate either in a physical activity or one that is more mentally stimulating such as a game, a quiz, arts and crafts or a discussion.

Some days it may be a debate or discussion where they will get into two groups and discuss a certain topic. They also conduct an evening activity session followed by afternoon tea, which can be a continuation of the morning discussion or a mix of board games, throwing games or singing and dancing. Even those with a failing memory do have a good long-term memory and are therefore able to actively participate in these sessions. These activities that their staff plan regularly play a huge role in keeping residents stimulated, active and healthy. All these activities help in slowing the deterioration of those suffering from Dementia.

The organisation works closely with doctors to whom they provide as much information necessary in order for them to prescribe the right medication especially for those with a failing memory. Unlike when dealing with a normal illness, it is very helpful for a doctor to be briefed with an accurate account of the individual condition when it comes to those elderly residents who suffer from Dementia. Its vital residents get the correct medicines and correct dosages at the correct time to keep the condition such as Dementia under control.

Qualified staff dispenses medication and follow a strict regime in administering the medication which is checked, supervised and signed off each time a resident is given medicine. Most medical professionals have praised their system of medicine administration as it becomes very easy for doctors to prescribe and understand the condition of the individual. Cinnamon Grove’s timely medicine administration system helps residents to get the right medication at the right time in order to keep them well and maintain a better quality of life.

When it comes to serving meals, nutritionally balanced diets are offered to residents through careful planning. The menu planning process takes into account residents’ preferences, physical condition and medical history at all times.

With the rise in inflation the cost of food products has skyrocketed during the past 12- 18 months; yet, they have never compromised on the quality and the nutritional value of the food served at Cinnamon Grove.

Residents of the home celebrate their birthdays and all local special festivals with traditional customs taken into consideration making them feel at home by engaging them in all those events. (News release)