Frequently Asked Questions

We do not have restrictive visiting hours. We welcome friends and relatives at any time and we also host many social occasions and activities that family and friends are encouraged to attend. We find that visits over meal times can disrupt the residents’ routine, so we prefer that this time is avoided where possible.

All residents have their own room. We also have some rooms that are large enough for couples to share should they wish. All rooms come with TV and telephone points and internet connection is available.

Where appropriate residents are welcome to come and go should they wish to as long as they are safe to do so.

Yes, we are happy to accommodate families who wish to bring a pet to visit.

Yes, all children are welcome to visit.

If the resident’s GP is local to the home, then there is no problem with them keeping their GP or alternatively residents from out of the area will be registered with the home’s local GP practice.

We have a varied activities programme. The types of activities on offer depend on the interests and preferences of our residents. We try to include as many of the activities that they may have enjoyed prior to joining us as we can.

Exercise is a regular part of our activities programme. We encourage all residents to maintain as much fitness as they can and offer healthy, home cooked meals to complement this.

We are proud to serve fresh, seasonal and tasty meals created by our in-house chefs for all our residents to enjoy. Whilst ensuring that everyone in our home receives a balanced diet, we encourage residents to share their likes and dislikes with our chefs. Our kitchen staff are trained in providing nutritional meals as well as specific allergies and dietary requirements. In addition to three regular meals, we provide a wide range of snacks and refreshments should our residents feel peckish throughout the day or night.

Our chefs aim to meet with all new residents within the first week of their stay to learn about their personal food preferences and personally receive feedback on menus. We aim to ensure a varied selection of dishes and regularly alter the menu to reflect the changing seasons using fresh ingredients, selected to provide a balanced and nutritious diet. We are confident our chefs can deliver tasty food for even the most fastidious of appetites and are always open to feedback and ideas for improvements.

We cater for special diets. Our chef is very skilled at creating suitable menus which are tasty. Our aim is to ensure mealtimes are something to look forward to for all our residents.

We are happy for residents to help with small tasks around the home should they wish. Similarly, we understand that many residents just like to be looked after. Daily tasks, like laying the table or watering the plants, can help some residents feel more settled and fulfilled and we would actively encourage this if they are able.

A copy of the latest report is available on our website and a copy is also available in the folder on the hall table.

With the exception of emergency admissions, we visit all potential residents in their current situation in order to be confident that we would be a suitable home for them given their individual needs and preferences. During the assessment we also consider whether they are likely to settle easily into our home and if they would enjoy living alongside our other residents.

Before new residents move in, or upon arrival in the case of emergency admissions, we undertake a comprehensive assessment. We do this to be confident that we can offer a home for them in which they will feel comfortable and content. However, should for any reason a resident feel that we are not the right home for them we ask for a notice period of one month before vacating.

Care plans are reviewed monthly. They may be reviewed earlier if necessary. We evaluate inputs from both the resident and their close family, the care team, the Manager and healthcare professionals.

It is quite common that over time a resident’s condition will change. We therefore continually look to modify the care that we offer to continue meeting their evolving needs. Where a resident’s requirements have progressed beyond the in-house capabilities we offer, we are supported by a network of district nurses, specialist nurses and doctors. This enables over 95% of residents to remain comfortable in our home for life.

On some occasions we have needed to recommend a move as we no longer feel that we are the best home for the resident. This may occur if we no longer feel that we can meet their individual care needs, even after considering the support network available to us.

We may also consider this if we feel the resident is no longer compatible with our other residents. We fully expect that the needs of our residents are likely to advance over time, however, we are not equipped to manage anyone who becomes and remains aggressive, either physically or verbally. A recommendation like this would never be made lightly. We would only consider this action if attempts to resolve the issue with healthcare professionals and the family had proved unsuccessful.

In our experience we have found that over 95% of residents are able to remain with us for life. In about 5% of cases, when care needs have changed significantly, it may be deemed in the best interests of the resident to move to a residence with additional care options. At this time, we often find that the quality of life experienced at our home up until that point has been much higher than it would have been had the resident selected the additional care option much earlier. In these situations, and only when it is in the resident’s best interests to move, we work closely with the family to assist them in finding appropriate alternatives and allow enough time to evaluate the options.

The fees include everything the resident may need on a day-to-day basis such as care (regardless of needs), accommodation, food, housekeeping, laundry, toiletries and activities. The only additional things that our residents will generally be asked to contribute towards are additional services such as hairdressing, newspapers, chiropodists, domiciliary dentists and opticians.

We don’t require a deposit, but fees are paid monthly in advance.

We request that families ensure that sufficient funds are available to fund the expected duration of residence in the home. To help with financial planning we normally only increase fees once during the year. Where unforeseen circumstances mean this does become an issue, and with the understanding that the situation could not have been foreseen, we would undertake to work alongside the family to prevent a move wherever possible. If funds do run out we ask that the families contact the social services or the local authority in plenty of time so that the local authority can make suitable financial arrangements.