When Dale Batten moved her mother-in-law to The Malthouse, she expected safety – not the sense of family she says shapes every day now
When Dale Batten moved her mother-in-law Jeanne into The Malthouse nearly four years ago, she hoped she’d found somewhere safe and steady. What she didn’t expect was how quickly it would feel like an extension of the family. ‘I wouldn’t wish her to be anywhere else, really,’ she says.
Jeanne, 93, had been living independently in Gillingham after losing her husband, with Dale supporting her through the move from Crewkerne and the long, isolating months of Covid. But as Jean’s needs increased, especially overnight, the choice became clear. ‘I couldn’t do it forever,’ she says. ‘But the decision really had to come from Jeanne, and she realised she needed more.’
The Malthouse team visited Jeanne first to assess her needs. ‘They were really kind,’ Dale says. ‘And then she moved in about 10 days later.’ The transition was smooth, though not without emotion. ‘She doesn’t like change. She’s a very private lady.’
Jeanne is profoundly deaf, relying on lipreading and a small whiteboard for communication – and she has periods of hallucination that can make visits challenging. ‘Some days are more upsetting than others,’ Dale says. ‘Some visits are very hard. Some are a lot easier. Today is a good day.’
What has made the difference, she says, is the patience and constancy of the staff. ‘They’re such a wonderful bunch of people here. They really are. If ever there’s any queries or questions, we just message or they phone. The communication is brilliant. It feels like family. That’s the difference. It’s not just a job here.’
Genuine care
Daily life is shaped around Jeanne’s abilities. She is encouraged to walk short distances for exercise, though she prefers the reassurance of her wheelchair close behind. She goes for lunch when she can. And when she can’t join group activities, the team bring them to her. ‘They make sure she doesn’t miss out,’ Dale says. ‘She has visists from the therapy dog, and the owls. And they took her to a farm one day – not a group trip, just her – and she loved it. The photos they sent were wonderful.’
The personal touches matter. When Jeanne’s niece visited from Australia – the first time for 35 years – the Malthouse team arranged a cream tea in the garden room. ‘It was beautiful,’ Dale says. ‘They just can’t do enough for you.
Dale sees the contrast clearly when she visits her own mother in a care home elsewhere. ‘You can’t compare them,’ she says. ‘When I go to see my mum, the manager sits behind a glass door. There’s an iPad to check in. No hello, no eye contact. I just go upstairs, see her, and come away.’ She shakes her head. ‘Here, you’re greeted at the door. They ask how Jean is. They fill us in. They genuinely care.
‘She doesn’t want to press her buzzer because she thinks she’s putting everyone to trouble,’ Dale says. ‘I say, “You’re not. This is why you’re here: to be looked after.” She appreciates everything they do.’
The conversation turns to longevity of staff – something The Malthouse is known for. ‘It tells you a story on its own,’ Dale says. ‘The carers, the cleaners, the kitchen team … they all stay. And that says it all, really.’
Cared for and valued
Before we finish, Dale tells one final story. She was at the building society sorting out paperwork when a man overheard her discussing care homes. ‘He said, “Do you mind me asking which one?” and I told him it was The Malthouse.
‘A few months later I bumped into him again here – his mum had moved in.’
You can hear the relief in her voice – the sense of having made the right decision.
‘It makes our life easier too,’ she says. ‘You want to know you’ve done the right thing by them. And we do know. If anything was wrong, they’d message us, day or night. We don’t mind what time it is. We just want to know she’s in good hands.’
For Dale, it all comes back to the feeling she gets when she walks in. ‘It just feels like home. Not her old home – that chapter’s passed. But a home where she’s safe, and cared for, and valued. And that’s all you want, really.’
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