Settling in to our care homes

Before we welcome any new residents to our home, our Manager, or a senior member of the care staff, will carry out an assessment. This helps us to understand the specific care needs of that individual, and to demonstrate how we can meet those needs.

We encourage all concerned – the prospective resident, their carer, health professionals, family and/or friends – to be involved in this process. It’s a valuable opportunity for you to raise any questions or concerns, which we will be happy to address.

We also encourage all families of the prospective resident/their representatives to visit the home, see the facilities, speak with staff, meet the manager and discuss any questions or concerns. This helps with making the important decision on your choice of care home before moving in.

You may wish to stay with your own GP or to select a local GP to register with. Alternatively, we can register with our own retained GP who makes regular weekly visits to the home. Our GP is available to discuss relative’s progress and welfare.

Residents are welcome to bring their own personal furniture to furnish their room.

However, any furniture you’d like to bring must be agreed in advance with the Manager – we have a duty of care to keep our residents safe. This is particularly pertinent for any electrical equipment. These will only be allowed with an electrical safety certificate. You must also agree to meet the cost of future annual electrical safety tests.

In most instances, we are happy to allow fixings on walls for hanging pictures and similar purposes. The home’s maintenance manager will take care of this work for you.

It is the individual resident’s responsibility to provide items such as soap, talk, shampoo, toothpaste. Where possible, please can visiting families and friends enquire in advance and bring along on their next visit.

Whilst the home’s insurance provides some cover in respect of residents’ belongings, it is advisable that residents maintain their insurance for items of significant value.

In the interest of safety, we strongly advise that valuables are not left where they may be seen by people passing or entering the bedroom of the resident. We advise that valuables are kept in the bedside locked cabinet and the key also stored safely. Alternatively, the manager will store valuables in the safe on the resident’s behalf. A receipt of safe-keeping will be given.

It is the policy of the home that staff are not permitted to accept gifts of any kind from residents. If residents or their families wish to make a small gift to the home as an appreciation of service, please discuss this with the manager.

When residents need to attend hospital appointments their families are requested to accompany them. Where this is not possible, the home will assist with arrangements for a member of staff to do so. This will incur a fee based on our schedule of rates.

The home does not provide a hospital transport service.

There are no specific visiting times. We actively encourage visitors to pop by to spend time with their loved ones. You are welcome to join us for meals and at special events.

In the interest of privacy and safety, the use of mobile phones is not permitted inside the home.

Smoking is not permitted inside the home. Residents and their visitors may smoke outside in designated areas.

The home recognises that residents’ relatives and friends may have skills which could benefit our residents. They may be able to play the piano, talk about a hobby, demonstrate a craft or hold a reminiscence group. The home’s manager would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to volunteer their services.

We ask that prior to admission, every item of clothing is labeled with the resident’s first name and surname. It is also important that all clothing brought in subsequently are similarly labelled.

We will do all the day to day routine laundry at no extra cost to you. However, we do not undertake any specialist laundry services e.g. dry cleaning.

The fees do not include personal items such as newspapers, chiropody treatment, physiotherapy and hairdressing.

However, we will be happy to arrange these services and facilitate their payment.

The resident’s doctor will prescribe any medicine and they will be managed and administered by suitably trained staff.

Please raise any questions or concerns about medication with the nurse on duty or the manager. It is important for resident’s well-being that any medications taken are prescribed by the doctor and administered by the home.

We aim to maintain a high level of satisfaction with the home and the services we offer. We therefore wish to here of any issues that are causing concern in order to resolve them to resident’s satisfaction.

If residents do have a complaint please communicate it to our manager. Please rest assured that it will be dealt with promptly and in confidence.

If a resident remains dissatisfied after speaking to the manager, the resident is encouraged to put the complaint in writing and it will be dealt with in accordance with the home’s formal procedure.

We recognise that from time to time relatives may require further information regarding care and wellbeing a resident.

With the resident’s permission we will be pleased to discuss this with them if they contact either the nurse on duty or the manager.

It will assist the home in planning the resident’s care if it has some background information on the prospective resident. As such, the families/anyone else who knows the resident well is asked to please complete the personal history form and return it to the home either on admission of the resident, or soon after.