Wallace House

Wallace House Care Home is situated in Dunston, Gateshead. It’s located just a short walk from the local shops, served well by public transport services and is close to the Metro Centre.  

Most of our residents and staff at Wallace House are local, and this explains in many ways why we are friendly, family-orientated home.  Visitors often comment on the warm and welcoming atmosphere when they arrive.

Our staff have a very people-centred approach with the residents.  They very quickly get to know them: what their family and work history is, what they like and don’t like, and so on.  They build up relationships that are warm and caring but also respectful, allowing residents to retain their dignity.

We encourage residents to stay active, mentally and physically, and we have an Activities Co-ordinator who arranges a wide choice of activities.  When residents first arrive, we find out what they like to do, what gives them enjoyment and what they’ve done in the past, so that we can tailor the activities accordingly.  We have all the usual things, such as board games, bingo, knit ‘n’ natter, trips out, and so on, but there’s much more.  We have fashion shows. We have a wheelchair-accessible garden, so residents can potter about there and grow fruit and vegetables.  We have a good relationship with a local community centre, which organises activities, and our residents go there for coffee mornings.  We also work closely with the nearby Methodist centre, and local schools come in at Christmas to sing carols. There’s a Working Man’s Club over the road, so people can go for a pint.   

One of our residents is a big film buff, so he goes to the cinema once a fortnight.  A recent project is our Virtual Reality experience.  We have links with a local company which has a VR kit, so residents have been on a trip to the beach and even to Buckingham Palace from the comfort of an armchair!