Balhousie Huntly care home

Established in 1991, Balhousie Care Group operates 26 care homes across Scotland with more than 900 residents and 1,500 staff. It provides a full range of residential and nursing care with expertise in supporting clients with dementia.

Balhousie Forth View in the Fife town of Methil and Balhousie Huntly in Aberdeenshire are among those to be providing communal specialist bathrooms and Gentona hi-lo baths. These variable height solutions with powered bather transfer seat represents

the forefront of assistive bathing technology with a host of cutting-edge features. From antimicrobial protection to ultra-efficient ergonomics, the Gentona delivers significant benefits to both residents and staff.

Head of Operations, Sheilah Harvey, comments: “We are proud of our flagship facilities and believe that, with the support of exceptional teams, we offer the best in personalised care.

Providing the latest in assisted bathing is a key factor in catering to our residents’ individual needs – hence selecting Gainsborough for our accessible baths. We have operated several older Gainsborough Kent baths for many years which have never let us down. Their reliability has been superb and the service support we’ve received faultless. Therefore choosing Gainsborough again to provide our accessible bathing solutions at Forth View and Huntly were never in doubt.”

Sheilah continues: “We take infection control and hygiene management seriously however the pleasure and enjoyment of bathing is equally as important. Being able to soak and relax in a bath, with safe transfers and easy engagement with carers is proven to enhance mood and positivity amongst our residents. Moving and handling best practice is also possible so our team can minimise the musculoskeletal risk associated with bending and lifting. Add to this the reassurance of antimicrobial protection, our new Gainsborough baths are a win-win for all.”

The UK manufactured Gentona bath is a leading choice for care homes, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities seeking CQC excellence within the bathroom. It delivers utmost safety, dignity and well-being for disabled bathers through a design that has been refined over 30 years. In terms of commercial benefits to Balhousie, the Gentona is ultra-cost effective and delivers a 25% reduction in water usage when compared to comparative solutions from other manufacturers. This utility saving is enhanced by lower heating costs and more efficient operation particularly with bathing cycles. Autofill technology, ergonomic design and TMV temperature controlled water provide an efficient and safe bathing solution. These are key features that benefit all bathers and care providers however the Gentona’s inbuilt antimicrobial technology is the major advantage.

All baths by the Gainsborough Healthcare Group are manufactured with integrated antimicrobial protection. A BioCote antimicrobial additive is built into bath components which consists of silver-ion technology. This ensures microbes cannot survive on bath surfaces and hence reduces the risk of transmission and cross-contamination. With the recent outbreak of Covid-19, the need for advanced hygiene is now even more imperative.

BioCote cannot be wiped or worn away and provides 99.9%, 24/7 protection against microbes such as influenza A H1N1, E.coli, Salmonella, and CPE, CRO, CRE, VRE, and MRSA. This technology has been proven worldwide in a variety of antimicrobial products however Gainsborough is the only bath manufacturer to provide this protection within its bathing solutions. The presence of BioCote also reduces mould and bacteria on surrounding equipment which results in improved environmental hygiene. Hence the new Gentona baths at Balhousie are providing added peace of mind to all service users and care staff.

Peter Eckhardt, Gainsborough Healthcare Group, CEO, concludes: “As a thought leader in assisted bathing for the long term care sector, we have a duty of care to provide solutions that safeguard residents and caregivers. Our world-class integrated antimicrobial protection is critical for healthcare providers, such as Balhousie, so confidence and safety are maintained within care facilities. Add to this the efficiency and reliability of our products and all care homes have a clear choice when seeking a trusted specialist bathing solution – Gainsborough.”