guide to choosing a care home€¦ · guide to choosing a care home "we wanted mum to be cared...
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Guide to choosing a care home
"We wanted Mum to be cared for by you because of something the Manager said at the first visit - 'I prefer to say that our residents are AT home not IN a home', how true those words proved to be."
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You may feel sad that the time has come for your family
member to need specialist care, and guilt as to whether
you are doing the right thing. That's a perfectly natural
reaction, yet we can reassure you that here at AbleCare
Homes we provide exceptional care and a true 'home
from home' for those in need of residential, personal or
dementia care.
We hope this booklet will help you to identify some of
the things that you should consider when you're trying
to choose what is best and some of the areas that you
should be considering when evaluating a care home.
Within this booklet we have tried to identify some of
the key areas that we are often asked about. If after
reading this you have any queries we will be delighted
to help in any way we can. You can find the contact
details of each of our homes later on, or you can get in
touch with our head office instead. We will always be
happy to hear from you.
With best wishes
The Team at AbleCare Homes
INTRODUCTION
Looking for a care home for yourself or your relative is a very emotional time.
"We think the success of the Home is due to the dedication of the Staff, all of whom seem committed to the
care they provide."
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Everyone has a perception of what a care home
is and how it feels to be in one. We believe that
the myth of the care home is not reflective of
the AbleCare Homes way of life. We believe the
importance of a person's emotional well-being is
just as important as a safe and secure living
environment.
If you visit one of our homes you might be surprised to
see a relaxed atmosphere with staff and residents talk-
ing freely and sharing stories as part of a family group.
A sign of true person centred care is when the people
living in a home are happy, relaxed and engaged with
others and the environment. A person centred care
home will be calm and staff will respond positively and
effectively to the needs of the people living there:
comforting, helping and supporting.
Many people are at first confused when they see
people who live with us getting involved in the daily
tasks such as dusting, folding laundry and drying up, but
we believe everyone should have the opportunity to be
busy and engaged in something worthwhile. Everyone
is part of the home and enjoys being involved.
When you walk round a home it should feel like a
home, it may even be untidy at times. You will notice
interesting items, or boxes containing items for
activities such as brightly coloured balls or pots of paint.
There is a minimum structure to the day and the staff
go with the flow wherever possible responding to peo-
ples wishes as and when they arrive. This means stop-
ping for tea breaks when people want one not when
they are told they want one.
"We are very happy that Mum is where she is and pleased that we were lucky enough to find it."
AbleCare Homes
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You might have heard about 'person centred
care' . This term or phrase seems to mean
different things to different people. Here at
AbleCare Homes we believe whole heartedly that
person centred care is the best was of providing
care to people who live with us.
The explanation we would use is that person centred
care is a holistic approach to care that is focused on each
persons own unique qualities. Key points to include:
Looking into the individual first and then their
specific care requirements - we never judge some-
one purely by their healthcare needs in the same
way we would never judge a book by it's cover.
We aim to encourage social involvement and activity
that brings out the feelings an individual can have.
Taking time to understand the individuals own
personality and the story of their personal history.
To us this means looking at the world from the
person's point of view and appreciating how they
might be feeling.
It can be summed up by saying - 'People living and
working together are good friends - that's our way.'
"The home feels like a 'home', not
just a care place."
‘At AbleCare Homes it's all about 'Person Centred Care'
What is person centred care?
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Helping people to do as many things for them-
selves as possible.
Treating the individual as you would wish to be
treated yourself.
Fostering an atmosphere built on freedom not
control.
Allowing people to feel part of the community
and carry on with life long hobbies and
interests.
Being a friend and where possible working
together rather than seeing tasks being carried
out.
Allowing choice and flexibility wherever you
can - some routine is necessary but this need
not be rigid.
Creating a home that allows people to feel safe
and secure both physically and emotionally.
Examples of person centred care in practice include:
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AbleCare Homes believe in continuous training for
all our staff in all job roles.
We have a comprehensive training programme to make
sure that all our staff are trained to a high level to make
them more than capable at their job. Whilst qualifications
and certificates are very important, we believe in the all
round development of our team. All staff receive training
in dementia care regardless of their role in the care home
to help them to understand the needs of the people they
interact with on a daily basis.
We also offer a number of apprenticeships as we believe it
is vital to invest in the future workforce, residents at
AbleCare Homes enjoy the interaction with people of all
ages this offers.
Staff Development and Learning
Management and staff at each home aim to work closely to-gether to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives
with us. "The Manager or Deputy are
always ready to listen to com-ments or suggestions. I am al-
ways taken seriously."
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Activities and days out are an important part of
living at AbleCare Homes. These are varied and
everyone is encouraged to take part in day to day
activities, whether that is helping sort the laundry
or laying a table ready for lunch.
Alongside the more routine activities within the home,
staff will endeavor to find peoples passions and will put
together activities to reflect this. For everyone, this is
very different and examples include people who like to
complete crosswords, visit the local shops or take part in
crafts.
We have a wide variety of visiting entertainers who
come in regularly, music-for-health exercise sessions
take place, we have slide shows of the local area and a
florist comes in and demonstrates flower arranging.
All activities are of course optional and it is down to the
individual to choose whether they want to be involved.
We arrange outings to local places of interest. We
have a registered charity, the AbleCare Homes Trust
(Registered Charity Number 286826) which raises funds
to run a minibus for residents to go out.
Wherever it is possible we try to keep people engaged
with the local community and what is going on in the
local area.
We will also help people continue any religious or
spiritual needs they may have and we will work closely
with the local amenities to make sure everyone has
access to all that is available.
We celebrate 'special days' in the home to help keep
those who are unable or do not wish to go out engaged,
for example for St George's Day, Easter or Chinese
New Year we would have special themed menus, crafts
and quizzes going on.
"I would like to thank the staff for the lovely celebration and food they put on for the Royal Wedding."
Taking Part
You can see what has recently been happening in our homes by looking at our Facebook page. Please take a look via our website.
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The saying that 'food is the way to your heart'
certainly rings true in any of our homes.
AbleCare Homes believe that what you eat is very
important to both your physical and mental well-
being so whilst we believe in wholesome home-
made food we also have a soft spot for a good
steak & kidney pudding or apple crumble.
All our homes have a kitchen that is staffed by AbleCare
Homes staff who have a passion for food. We take
training and cleanliness very seriously and staff complete
food standards training.
We serve three main meals a
day interspersed with snacks
as and when people wish.
Snacks and drinks are
available throughout the day
and night.
Everyone always has a choice when it comes to meals
and the menu itself changes on a regular basis. We
always seek input from residents when planning the
menus and cater for individual food requirements.
Meal times are an important part of the day and the
dining rooms are always a hive of activity and we
always encourage people to be a part of this. But
should you wish to have your meal in the comfort of
your own room then this is no trouble.
We encourage residents to get involved and celebrate
peoples birthdays with a cake.
All of our food is purchased freshly from high quality
local suppliers.
"I've enjoyed all the meals, including late night suppers."
Food & Meal Times
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Breakfast
Cereals, porridge, toast & marmalade, prunes, fruit
Choice of eggs, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, baked beans
Served with tea, coffee and fruit juice
Lunch
Soup
Chicken chasseur, mashed potatoes, cabbage & carrots
Pear pie & custard or sherry trifle
Tea Time
Beef curry & rice or freshly made sandwiches with choice of
fillings or scrambled egg on toast
Selection of cakes or fruit & cream or ice cream
Sample Menu
"My Father is very happy with the meals, describes
them as 'excellent'."
"Can't beat home cooking. The food is excellent."
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The word dementia is used to describe a group of
symptoms, commonly associated with memory
loss, but far more complex and different forms of
dementia can vary significantly.
Dementia symptoms can include:
Memory loss
Personality changes
Confusion
Loss of ability to carry out routine tasks
Mood swings
Alzheimer's disease is regarded as the most common
cause of dementia, but other types include
frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia and de-
mentia with Lewy bodies. Sometimes individuals can
suffer from more than one of these at once and this is
referred to as 'mixed dementia'.
Dementia "All the staff handle the residents with extreme respect and care, pre-
serving their dignity but at the same time maintaining a calm, pos-itive, relaxed atmosphere, even in
the face of difficult situations."
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AbleCare Homes are able to provide care for
older people with a range of needs and can also
support those with dementia.
Typical symptoms of early Alzheimer's include:
Regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace
steps
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial
relationships
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work
or at leisure
Disorientation, especially when away from your
normal surroundings
Problems finding the right words
Mood or behavior changes
Alzheimer's is not the only cause of memory loss.
Many people have trouble with memory - this does not
mean that they have Alzheimer's. There are many
different causes of memory loss. If you or a relative is
experiencing symptoms of dementia, it is best to visit a
doctor so the cause can be determined.
Our staff are trained to look after people who
experience a whole range of symptoms associated with
a dementia. The AbleCare Homes way is to provide
care in a sympathetic understanding way, encouraging
people to maintain as much independence and choice
as possible for as long as is possible whilst providing the
necessary support to meet their daily living needs.
"Thank you for all the individual attention you give and therefore everyone can be themselves and enjoy each day."
Living with Alzheimer's Disease
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AbleCare Homes Trust is a charitable organization
administered for the benefit of the residents
living in residential homes provided by AbleCare
Homes.
The funds are to provide entertainment for residents,
money raised is used to run a minibus in order to
transport the residents of the homes for outings and
excursions.
Please support any fund raising the homes take part in
such as raffles, and if you feel you are able to make a
donation however large or small, it would benefit all the
residents who live with us.
AbleCare Homes Trust Registered Charity Number 286826
Account details for donations: Nat West Bank AbleCare Homes Trust Account Number: 04925084 Sort Code: 52-10-48 Or contact Head Office
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Belvedere Lodge
1 Belvedere Road Westbury Park Bristol BS6 7JG
55 Westbury Road Westbury-on-Trym
Bristol BS9 3AS
Tel: 0117 962 2331
Rosewood House
Tel: 0117 973 1163
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Patron House
212 Stoke Lane Westbury-on-Trym Bristol BS9 3RU
109 High Street Winterbourne
South Gloucestershire BS36 1RF
Tel: 01454 777363
Crossley House
Tel: 0117 968 2583
15
Hengrove Lodge
29 Petherton Road Hengrove Bristol BS14 9BX
Beckspool Road Frenchay
South Gloucestershire BS16 1NE
Tel: 0117 956 7611
Frenchay House
Tel: 01275 833006
16
The Garden House Beckspool Road
Frenchay South Gloucestershire
BS16 1NE
Tel: 0117 956 8117
Head Office
T: 0117 956 8117 F: 0117 957 0663 E: [email protected]
W: www.ablecare-homes.co.uk