My colleagues and I know that moving out of what may have been a family home for many years can be a traumatic experience. That's true for all of us, but it's even harder if you're also having to face up to losing some of your independence too. That's why we encourage residents to bring pictures and other memories of the past to have with them in their room. It all helps to create the feeling that they are more than just a resident here. That this is their home – with dedicated and fully trained staff on-call to meet their needs 24-hours a day.
I’m also keenly aware that I am working with individuals who all have their own likes and dislikes. With residents new and old I make time to stop and chat because that’s an informal way of finding out more about them.
As far as is practically possible residents have freedom of choice to come and go as they want. We have open visiting hours and the home has a wide variety of places to sit. All the homes in the group have attractive lounges and most of the homes have a conservatory. Residents are also quite free to sit in their own room if they wish.
More than just care homes...