We are delighted to announce that Richardson Care has been shortlisted in two of the Neuro Rehab Times Awards 2023. They are the Innovation in Neuro Rehab award and Care Provider of the Year award. Well done to all of our employees and everyone who contributes to the services that we provide. We’re looking forward to when the winners are announced!

Innovation in neuro rehab

This award looks for providers who embrace innovation to give new hope to secure beyond-expectation outcomes in neuro rehab. The judges are also looking for providers who help to create examples of best practice that can be followed by the wider sector.

At Richardson Care, we have always been ahead of our time in providing a person-centred approach to care and rehabilitation. We think outside the box to enable service users to achieve their goals and are not limited by others’ expectations, which we often exceed.

The award nomination highlighted three elements: psychology provision, music enrichment and environment.

Innovation in psychology provision

Our core principles of enabling service users to engage in meaningful activities and be part of a community contribute to our aim of using psychological therapies and interventions to reduce the reliance on drug therapies.

The psychology team at Richardson Care is led by Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist Dr Pedro Grilo who is supported by four assistant psychologists – an unusually-large team to support up to 78 service users. The psychologists are based in offices at each home and have an ‘open-door’ policy, so in addition to their scheduled sessions, service users can access support whenever they need it.

We offer a wide range of psychological therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, EMDR, DBT, psychoeducation relaxation sessions, positive behaviour support, and drug and alcohol misuse work. In addition, we offer computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation therapy.

Computer-assisted rehabilitation technology

In 2020, we were one of the first organisations in the UK to use RehaCom®. Although it has become the leading European computer-assisted rehabilitation technology, it is used by very few companies in the UK.

This tool assists in the rehabilitation of cognitive difficulties that affect specific aspects of cognitive function: for example attention, concentration, memory, perception and daily-living activities. This means that specific difficulties can be identified then targeted and specifically trained.

The system is auto adaptive, meaning the activity will get harder or easier depending on the performance of the person. This enables them to progress steadily, and reduces frustration if they are finding some tasks difficult.

RehaCom® also offers Screening Modules to detect impairments and recommend corresponding cognitive training modules. Regular screening can provide detailed reporting to help show progression.

Lynda’s story of cognitive rehabilitation

Lynda suffered a hypoxic brain injury in 2010 and was in a coma for three months. She was admitted to Richardson Care in December 2014. She needed frequent prompting and encouragement with all aspects of daily living, such as personal care. She was also wheelchair-bound and had been told that it was unlikely she would be able to walk again.

Lynda started using RehaCom® in 2021 and since then has recalled previously-lost childhood memories as well as improving her short-term memory. Her attention, concentration and other cognitive skills, including mental maths, have also made significant improvements. She reports improvement in her self-esteem.

The holistic approach by the whole multi-disciplinary team has enabled Lynda to transform her life. She is physically independent and walks well unaided. She enjoys swimming, going to bingo, shopping and out to cafes. She has a part-time admin job at Richardson Care, where she arrives on time and completes her duties with enthusiasm. She has learnt to manage her emotions, develop confidence and resilience.

See Lynda using the RehaCom® system in this video: https://youtu.be/TsZqqJa-wVQ

Innovation in activities: Music enrichment

We provide a special range of music-basic activities at Richardson Care to enrich the lives of our service users in several ways. They bring joy, support well-being, increase socialisation and a feeling of community, improve co-ordination, speech and cognitive skills.

Music enrichment activities include parties, singing, dancing, karaoke, drum sessions, relaxation and story-telling. Find out more about our music enrichment activities here.

Innovation in design: The home environment

We passionately believe in creating a homely environment where service users can feel safe and comfortable. This reduces the fear that some service users have of institutional settings and creates a positive environment for rehabilitation. For this reason, staff do not wear uniforms. As well as creating beautiful homes, the design philosophy that we have at Richardson Care is to create a distinct place that service users can call ‘home’. More information about our design philosophy.

We will provide details of the Care Provider of the Year award nomination in our next blog.