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Essex NHS charity helps Rayleigh care home residents enjoy life’s little pleasures

Elderly couple sitting in folding chairs on a sandy shore, looking out at boats across a calm bay.

Residents at Rawreth Court dementia care home, run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), are benefiting from a range of new activities and improvements made possible through The Trust’s charity.

From seaside trips and afternoons at the bowling alley, residents are enjoying more opportunities to stay active, make choices and enjoy the little things that make life meaningful, thanks to EPUT’s charitable fund.

Also on the schedule are visits to garden centres, local attractions, bowling and Southend Pier. Whether it’s enjoying tea and cake, exploring somewhere new or revisiting a familiar place, the outings provide opportunities to socialise and maintain a connection with the wider community – helping to support residents’ independence, wellbeing and quality of life.

The CQC recently upgraded its overall rating for the nursing home from requires improvement to good, following an inspection in August. It is now rated good in all areas.

For people living in residential care, continuing to enjoy familiar activities and experiences can be particularly important. Getting out and about can help reduce feelings of isolation, lift people’s mood and give residents something to look forward to.

Back at Rawreth Court, charitable funding is also helping to make every day routines more enjoyable and accessible.

A round table with a blue tablecloth and yellow flowers is surrounded by four wooden chairs. In the background, a "Menu Choice" board hangs on the wall next to double doors leading to the conservatory.

A new picture-based menu board is helping residents make choices about what they would like to eat, using images of meals to make information easier to understand. The board also includes a clock and mealtimes, helping residents recognise daily routines and feel more confident about what is happening throughout the day.

Alina Kutraite, Registered Nursing Home Manager at Rawreth Court, said: “Moving into a care home shouldn’t mean giving up the things you love doing. We want our residents to continue enjoying life, whether that’s going out for the day, visiting somewhere familiar or simply being able to choose what they’d like for dinner.

“For people living with dementia, these everyday experiences and choices can make a real difference. They help people feel more confident, comfortable and independent, while giving them opportunities to connect with others.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the charitable funding, which has helped us introduce these improvements and give our residents more opportunities to enjoy the things that make them happy.

“It’s often the little things that mean the most, and seeing the enjoyment these experiences bring to our residents makes it all worthwhile.”

The EPUT charity has also supported new sensory activities and cognitive games to help stimulate memories, encourage communication, and provide comfort and reassurance during moments of anxiety or distress.

These activities build on Rawreth Court’s commitment to providing personalised, compassionate care, including its dedicated Namaste Care room.

Together, these charity-funded initiatives are helping residents maintain their independence, stay connected to their communities and continue enjoying the experiences that bring them happiness.

About EPUT:

  • EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.
  • The organisation has invested in inpatient facilities and community services to make them safer and more therapeutic. We have extensively invested in technology to keep patients safer, enhanced training, and are continuously working with our staff, patients, their families and carers to use learning and best practice to enhance our quality of care.
  • While there is more to do, the Trust has made significant progress through innovation:
    • Our 111 mental health crisis phone line ensures people in need can access support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
    • People with lived experience have been employed in designated roles across the Trust, ensuring patient voice is heart of the organisation and all that we do.
    • A number of new initiatives have been launched, helping people access the support they need when they need it most. These include a mental
    • health urgent care department, By Your Side maternal mental health service, Rough Sleeper team, mental health crisis ambulance cars, virtual wards and neuromodulation service.
  • EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 and provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex, Luton and Bedfordshire and Suffolk.  We employ more than 7,200 staff working across more than 200 sites.