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Tag: care home

Employees of the Month – January

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We are delighted to reveal our Employees of the Month for January for our care homes. Each month, care home managers hand pick team members who demonstrate a passion for their role and go above and beyond to provide an excellent standard of care and support to residents.

Our Employees of the Month for January are:

Sherborne House

Wei Ji Gao

Congratulations to Wei Ji Gao at Sherborne House Care Home who is January’s Employee of the Month. Wei is the chef and cooks a marvellous full English breakfast and is a firm favourite with all the residents and staff.

Steepleton Manor

Tahila Castro Osorio

Congratulations to Tahila Castro Osorio at Steepleton Manor who is January’s Employee of the Month. Tahila is a nursing assistant and is a very thoughtful person who enjoys helping others. She always has a smile and demonstrates great flexibility and commitment whilst working hard at all times.

Weymouth Care Home

Poppy Macnair

Congratulations to Poppy Macnair at Weymouth Care Home who is January’s Employee of the Month.  Poppy demonstrates great commitment to the residents and families alike, so much that a family member wanted her to be considered for Employee of the Month. She goes over and above what is expected of her and has a kind nature meaning nothing is too much trouble.

Congratulations to all employees of the month!

Altogether Care and Wiltshire Farm Foods spread Christmas cheer

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Last Christmas Altogether Care teamed up with Wiltshire Farm Foods to spread some Christmas cheer. Over 100 Christmas dinners generously donated by Wiltshire Farm Foods were hand-delivered by our Care at Home carers on Christmas Day to elderly and vulnerable people across Dorset and South Somerset.

Our carers also spent a little time with each person to enjoy a mince pie and pull a cracker.

67-year-old Kathleen, who lives in Weymouth said: “It is a nice thing because I can’t do it myself anymore and I used to get my food from Wiltshire Farm Foods as well.”

Becky Lloyd-Jones, from Wiltshire Farm Foods, added: “I think it’s a fantastic idea for the people who are alone this time of year.”

Dawn McGill, from Care at Home, said: “Christmas can be a lonely time for many older people and not everyone can spend Christmas with family. We visit our clients all year round to support them with a variety of daily tasks and wanted to extend that visit to include Christmas Day.”

We would like to extend our thanks to Wiltshire Farm Foods for their generous donations. You have helped to make a real difference to those in our local communities.

It Isn’t All Doom and Gloom in the Care Home Sector

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Anyone who reads a newspaper or looks at a news website will know that the care sector faces problems. People are living longer and developing more complex care needs, while the funding for care services fails to keep pace with demand for services.

Most local authorities want to spend more on care but simply don’t have the cash to fund much beyond the most acute needs.

Care Homes Closing

According to the Health Foundation, funding for adult social care fell by 21% between 2009/10 and 2015/16 – at the same time as demand for services was increasing. A consequence of these pressures is that care homes are closing across the country because they simply can’t make the numbers add up. Altogether Care is just one of four remaining nursing care home providers in Weymouth, for example.

Demand Increasing

While over £7bn has been cut from social care budgets since 2010, we know that more people are needing elderly care services. The strain placed on informal networks of carers and family members is considerable.

The net effect is less choice. The business failures are affecting both smaller, independent care homes, rooted in their communities and the larger corporate organisations (sometimes owned by institutional investors), making it harder for people to know which homes are likely to be around into the future.

Bucking the Trend

But, like we said, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Altogether Care is finding a way to thrive in this environment. We put this down to our foundations as a local family-run organisation and the reputation we have worked hard to earn for delivering high-quality care for over 30 years.

We are not only surviving but investing and developing. We have planning permission recently granted for extending the number of rooms available at our Weymouth home and have recently refurbished the top floor at our luxury Grade II listed assisted living care home Steepleton Manor. This floor now offers a range of premium rooms and suites, some with kitchenette and en-suite facilities.

We have also recently opened a new Care at Home office in Southampton, and our new office in Salisbury is due to open February 2019 to extend our area of operation and support for local people.

The future for the care sector will remain challenging until there is a sustainable solution to the funding questions. In the meantime, there are still caring community-focused organisations that are able to build on their strengths and meet the needs of older people. Why not come and see for yourself what life with Altogether Care is really like? To arrange a visit, contact us today on 01305 206 140.

Supported Living: Why Care at Home isn’t just About Care

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A lot of people still have an inaccurate picture of what care at home and supported living mean for many elderly people. While some elderly care does involve nursing support for complex health needs, in many cases help is needed for everyday tasks that people find difficult.

Some people choose care at home simply to have more time to do what they want rather than chores such as cleaning and shopping. They find that care at home leaves more time for doing what they want to do and takes away the worry of doing chores they find laborious or difficult.

Care at Home or supported living can also help people get out of the home more regularly, with assisted shopping trips or help to travel to and from social activities.

Companionship and Elderly Care

Another major benefit of supported living care is companionship. One reason many choose care at home, apart from keeping the familiarity of their own surroundings, is the flexibility. It can be easier for relatives and friends to fit visits around their lives without having fixed times or routines. At times, such as family holidays, when family visits aren’t possible there’s the reassurance that there will be a friendly and familiar face each day.

Family visits can also be richer when the basic chores have been taken care of and there’s more time to sit and talk. And for people without family living nearby, regular visits from their home care team can be a particularly welcome way to break up the day.

In many cases it may be more accurate to talk about elderly support rather than elderly care. The need isn’t for medical care but for a little help with some basic household tasks to make life easier and more enjoyable.

If you or an elderly relative are starting to find basic household tasks a bit challenging, a care at home service might be just what’s needed to brighten life up. Contact us today on 01305 300161 to find out more or click here.

All I want for Christmas is…

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Santa has been busy asking residents and staff what they most would like for Christmas.  It may be no surprise that high up on the list is the wish to see more of family members.

Here is a selection of Christmas wishes from both Steepleton Manor and Sherborne House.

A chocolate cake, a drum, a dog, a new football. A trip to the pub, a trip to see the Christmas decorations at Poundbury Garden Centre, a trip to see a classical musician, a box of Thornton’s chocolates and one resident would simply love a surprise.

Staff also have a wish list which includes a new car, a new iPad, a million pounds and quality time with family at Christmas with everyone having a good time.

Here’s hoping there is a big chimney!

Christmas Crafts at Steepleton Manor

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Residents at Steepleton Manor have been feeling extra festive this month whilst making a variety of seasonal crafts.  Making decorations has been a favourite Christmas tradition for many years at Steepleton Manor.

Wreaths, paper chains, Santa hats and beards are just a few of the handmade goodies which will no doubt bring extra joy and cheer this Christmas.

Christmas Traditions at Sherborne House

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Carols by candlelight on Christmas Eve is a favourite Christmas tradition at Sherborne House. On Christmas Day, residents tuck into a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and open gifts. They then watch the Queen’s speech.

Staff put on their Christmas outfits and hats each year to create some additional festive fun.

Assisted Living with Style and Luxury

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At Steepleton Manor, we have recently completed the refurbishment of luxury living accommodation. The resulting suites are almost unrecognisable from the staff quarters that took up the top floor of the house when it was originally built in Victorian times.

The top floor has been completely remodelled. It now contains self-contained suites, some with their own separate lounge area, kitchenette and en-suite bathroom. What would still be recognisable are the original beams, eaves windows and high ceilings that have been retained in this historic building. These maintain the character of the original rooms and add charm and style to the luxury accommodation.

The suites overlook the garden and arguably offer the best views in the house. The impressive landscaped grounds stretch out before you and there’s always something to see, whether that’s the beautiful trees, shrubs and flower borders, the countryside beyond, or the wealth of birds and wildlife.

Natural Light and Wellbeing

The attention to detail has been extended to every element, including the lighting. Many studies show the importance of good light quality in maintaining wellbeing, good health and natural sleep patterns for people of all ages. The specialist lighting in the refurbished suites was carefully chosen to replicate natural daylight to provide a comfortable, restful environment.

The remodelled suites reflect the choices that many older people make about how they want to live their lives. They are ideal for those who want to live independently and in style, while having the comfort that help is on hand if required and that their care needs are fully looked after.

The aim behind the refurbishment was to make Steepleton Manor the perfect ‘home from home’ with all daily tasks taken care of. It’s not how many people would imagine life in a care home to be, but we know the accommodation reflects how many people would like it to be.

Why not come and see for yourself? Contact us today on 01305 300 161.

Ferret Fun at Steepleton Manor

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Residents at Steepleton Manor Care Home enjoyed some fun and games when two friendly ferrets visited.  Blossom and Bear live at the Animal Park at Kingston Maurward College.

Their favourite games are playing in ball pits and little swimming pools.

Ferrets are a domesticated species related to the wild polecat.  They are very playful and love to chase toys. Whilst they can be friendly, it is important to remember they are carnivorous predators which would normally hunt rabbits in the wild so they have a nasty bite!

Part of the Mustelid family alongside badgers, they have special glands under their tails which give off a musty smell.

Ferrets are happiest living in pairs or small groups.  They do not make ideal pets as they are best living outside and require specialist care including vaccinations and neutering.

The ferret was originally domesticated to be used for hunting, and are still often used, sometimes alongside hawks to chase rabbits out of their warrens.

Blossom and Bear are used solely for education and had a great time meeting residents and staff at Steepleton Manor Care Home, near Dorchester.

Laslzo Bartus, Manager at Steepleton Manor said, “Our residents love to meet animals and the two ferrets were adorable and seemed to enjoy being handled and playing.  They bought lots of smiles to many faces”.

Christmas Traditions at Steepleton Manor

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Each family and individual has special Christmas traditions – the same applies to care homes. Steepleton Manor has their very own tradition which allows every resident to add a bauble of their choice to the Christmas tree.  This year, the families of residents will be joining in with the tradition.  The tree was put up, as always, on the 1st December.

Whilst this may seem like a small thing to do, it’s important for residents to keep the traditions alive. Carol singers from the local primary school will be singing songs of joy to the residents and staff on the 23rd December.

On Christmas Eve, there is mince pies, sherry and more carol singing. Christmas Day will see families joining their loved ones to enjoy their Christmas meal and Santa visits in the afternoon with special gifts for the residents.

What Does a CQC Inspection Rating Really Mean?

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Relax – this isn’t going to be a detailed explanation of how the Care Quality Commission conducts inspections or formulates a rating for a particular care provider. This is intended to be an overview that will help you put ratings into context. The best advice if you want to know about a particular care provider is often to go and look for yourself.

Inspections seek to answer five key questions:

  • Is the service safe?
  • Is it effective?
  • Is it caring?
  • Is it responsive to service user needs?
  • Is it well-led?

Each of these questions is rated according to a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate. There is no category for ‘satisfactory.’

The ratings for each of these questions are then aggregated to form an overall rating. Each question has an equal weighting. So, for example, a provider rated Good in four categories and Requires Improvement in one will normally have an overall rating of Good.

However, there are a few complications. For example, no provider can be rated better than Requires Improvement if there has been a breach of the regulations. It may also be worth bearing in mind that inspection findings are based to a large extent on the presentation of evidence, rather than direct observation of the care service users receive.

What Does ‘Good’ Mean?

The overall rating will normally be Good if there are no key question ratings of Inadequate and no more than one key question rating of Requires Improvement. There are actually many combinations that could result in an overall rating of Good, so it might help to look at the rating and judgement for each question individually. If the ratings for safe, effective and caring are all good this may cover your main concerns.

An overall rating of Requires Improvement may also need interpretation. There may well be three aspects of the service that are rated good and two that require improvement. The service could be safe, effective and caring but was unable to show inspectors sufficient evidence that it should be rated Good for being well led or responsive.

Likewise, if two or more of the key questions are rated as inadequate, then the overall rating will normally be Inadequate, even if some aspects of the service are good.

At the other end of the scale, an overall rating of Outstanding doesn’t mean that a provider is outstanding in all areas. It can be outstanding in two areas and good in three. So, a provider rated outstanding for being caring may have a lower overall rating than one that is rated as good for the same question (we did say it wasn’t straightforward). Choosing a care home or home care provider is a big decision. There are many factors to consider and the CQC rating is useful guidance. But it often helps to dig a bit deeper to see the real story behind the rating.

You can find more about our Care Homes and Care at Home service ratings here.

Employee of the Month – October & November

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We are delighted to reveal our Employees of the Month for October and November for Steepleton Manor and Sherborne House. Each month, care home managers hand pick team members who demonstrate a passion for their role and go above and beyond to provide an excellent standard of care and support to residents.

Our Employees of the Month for October are:

Sherborne House

Amy Trowbridge-Smith

Amy was invaluable in the coordination of eight new residents arriving at Sherborne House. Amy chose to come in on her days off and worked closely with alongside the Operations Manager.  The transfer of the new residents went smoothly and meant that everyone settled into their new environment with ease after what was already a distressing experience for them due to their home closing.

Steepleton Manor

Salka Moylaye Mohammed

Salka is reliable, selfless and always willing to help the rest of the team. She is flexible and works both day and nights shifts. Her positive attitude and outgoing personality always brighten up the day for both residents and staff.

Our Employees of the Month for November are:

Sherborne House

Chantelle Gale

Chantelle is always willing to help everyone by agreeing to different shifts, covering other staff shifts in various departments and has won great admiration and respect from her colleagues.

Steepleton Manor

Angela Gait

Angela joined the team in June this year and shows great passion for her work. She always treats her colleagues, clients and supervisors with respect.  She organises many activities and consults with residents about what they’d like to do. In addition to booking external suppliers to provide entertainment, Angela organises day trips.

Congratulations to all employees of the month!

Remembrance Sunday

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Earlier this month, Sherborne House received a visit from The Yeovilton Naval Servicemen on Remembrance Day. RNAS Yeovilton is one of the Navy’s two principal air bases, and one of the busiest military airfields in the UK.

It is home to more than 100 aircraft operated on both front-line squadrons and training units, including the Fleet Air Arm Wildcat Force and the Commando Helicopter Force, plus vintage aircraft of the RN Historic Flight.

Residents had taken the time to make poppies for the homes remembrance wall. Personnel took the time to spend a few hours meeting residents and joined in with staff to sing Happy Birthday to Olive who is celebrating her 100th Birthday this month.

Everyone observed the 2-minute silence as Big Ben struck 11 am followed by a prayer by one of our staff Paul, who is also a pastor. And of course, no celebration would be complete without a slice of chocolate cake!

 

Altogether Care and Wiltshire Farm Foods Spread Some Seasonal Cheer

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As a family-run care business for over 30 years, you really get to know the communities you serve. Which means, when it comes to Christmas, we are only too aware that many older people could be faced with a very lonely prospect. For many, Christmas is a time when they see no one and feel very much alone.

According to Age UK, over 870,000 people over 65 won’t see or hear from anybody for days over the festive period. Many will feel lonelier than at any other time of the year. Not exactly the Christmas spirit.

Determined to make sure that old people in our community who live on their own see at least one smiling face on Christmas Day, Altogether Care has, once again, partnered with Wiltshire Farm Foods. Working together, we will provide free Christmas dinners to elderly people across Dorset and South Somerset.

This year our team will be distributing meals on Christmas Day, kindly donated by Wiltshire Farm Foods. Just as important as the meals, our care staff will spend time with each person to enjoy a mince pie, pull a cracker and spread a little Christmas cheer.

Some of the people who will benefit are our Care at Home clients who have no friends or family to visit on the day. We are also teaming up with Age UK to identify other people in the Dorset and South Somerset area who would appreciate a bit of company and a tasty festive meal.

We are, as ever, incredibly grateful to Wiltshire Farm Foods for their generosity. And to our dedicated team who give up their time because they know that, at Christmas, older people on their own probably need us more than ever.

Care is much more than a business for us. We see our role as supporting vulnerable people in a community that we are part of, at Christmas and all year round. For more information, please call 01305 766 099 and ask for Dawn or Rachel.

Coffee Morning is Success

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Residents and staff at Steepleton Manor raised £65.55 by hosting a Macmillan coffee morning back in September.

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is a yearly fundraising event hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support and provides vital donations for Macmillan to provide ongoing support for those with cancer and their families.

Local residents from the village attended and enjoyed chatting to the residents whilst enjoying a slice of cake – or two!

Ninesprings Country Park

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With the amazing Ninesprings Country park on our doorstep, residents and staff at Sherborne House took advantage of the glorious autumn weather recently and went for an afternoon out at the former Country estate and gardens. Its 9 Springs surface and trickle down to form a lake and enter a brook, then the River Yeo.

A former railway line runs along the bottom of the hill and it is now used for walks and rides right along beside the river to Pen Mill/Sherborne Road.

We had to complete the afternoon with a belly-warming drink at the Ninesprings Café ….a day well spent and enjoyed by all.

 

Lack of Dementia Friendly Housing is a Major Issue in the UK

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One feature of the UK’s housing crisis that rarely gets attention is the severe lack of dementia friendly housing. Compared with countries like Australia, France and the Netherlands we have a major lack of options for people with dementia once their condition makes their existing home unsuitable.

There are modifications that can be made to most homes that would make them more suitable for a person with dementia. Age UK has published a range of helpful ideas on their website.  Modifications will be easier and cheaper to carry out in some properties than others.

Sometimes, modifying a home sufficiently may not be feasible. And sometimes the particular impairments experienced by a person with dementia may make living in their home (even with modifications) unsuitable.

And here’s where life can get difficult. Even many retirement properties have not been designed, decorated or equipped with dementia in mind. Residential care may become the best, or in some cases, the only viable option. But even here there can be problems if the home is not set up to cater for dementia residents.

The Dementia Friendly Care Home

The environment within the care home is critical. Without careful thought and adaptation, a care home could become a bewildering and unsettling place to live, particularly for a new resident who has to get used to new surroundings, people and routines.

The interior decor makes a huge difference in making the living space calming and manageable. Avoiding busy patterns will make the environment easier to deal with and colour contrasts can be used to help residents easily find their way to the toilet or their bedroom. Additionally, memory triggers and familiar images from a relevant era help residents feel more at home and relaxed and can help with navigation.

Sherborne House specialises in care for people with dementia. We’ve specifically designed and decorated the interior to ensure that our residents with dementia feel at ease and supported, and able to live as independently as possible. To find out more, contact us today on 01305 206 140.

A Retirement Home is Your Home

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Retirement living is often presented as a choice between continuing to live in your own home or in some form of residential care home. That’s not quite the way we see it. Our philosophy is that the accommodation should be very much your home – which is why our luxury care home Steepleton Manor provides assisted living, rather than just residential care. The accommodation and support should be set up to help you live life the way you want to.

The picture you have of care home accommodation might not include an apartment with French windows opening onto a patio area which leads to quiet landscaped gardens. Some bedrooms on the ground floor are centered around a glass-roofed Mediterranean Style courtyard and indoor garden. Planted with subtropical shrubs and trees, the courtyard is a relaxing and is a great place to enjoy a morning coffee or afternoon tea and to socialise with friends.

We have recently carried out a major refurbishment of the assisted living accommodation at Steepleton Manor. The original staff quarters on the top floor has been completely remodelled to create self-contained suites, some complete with its own separate lounge area, kitchenette and en-suite bathroom overlooking the gardens. These suites are ideal for those who want to live independently with the comfort that help is available if required. With its original beams, eave windows and high ceilings, you will truly feel a sense of airiness and space, which is further enhanced with specialist lighting that replicates daylight to provide a comfortable, calming environment.

Familiar Surroundings

Fitting in with the theme of ‘it’s your home’, residents are encouraged to personalise their accommodation and decorate with items from home according to their taste. We want everyone to feel they are at home and in familiar surroundings.

All rooms and apartments are designed to offer a luxurious sense of manor living, but in your own style and reflecting the way you want to live. They are equipped, furnished and decorated to a high standard and include television, telephone, and Wi-Fi.

The best way to discover whether this is a style of retirement living that would suit you is to come and see for yourself. We’d be happy to show you around. Contact us today on 01305 206 140.

SO, You Need to Find a Care Home? – What Are Your Options?

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The need to choose a care home normally follows a care needs assessment carried out by your local social services department or a discharge from hospital. In either case, you will have an assessment of your needs that will be used to create a care plan.

The Age UK website has plenty of useful information about how care assessments work and the support you are entitled to.

Following the assessment, there will be a means test to determine how much you will have to contribute to the cost of your care. If you are planning to move permanently into assisted living the means test will include the value of your property, but not if you will be receiving care at home.

If it is decided that residential care is the most appropriate option, the local authority will give you a list of local care homes. This may not be a complete list, particularly if the local authority is funding all or most of your care. It is usually a good idea to carry out some additional research yourself.

The internet is a good source of information and a simple search on Google will give you an extensive list of local care homes. You will also find online reviews to help you narrow your choice. Other things to consider are whether a home is convenient for friends and family to visit and how easily you will be able to access leisure facilities, a place of worship or whatever else is important in your life.

Paying for Care

If you have assets (normally savings and property) of more than £23,250 you will be expected to pay the full cost of residential care. The value of your property may not be included if you live with a partner, child, or a relative who is disabled or over the age of 60. This process can get quite complicated so getting help from a friend, family member or carer can be helpful.

When choosing a care home or care at home provider it can be helpful to look beyond your immediate care needs. If it’s likely that care needs will become more extensive over time, will you be able to get the extra help you need without having to find a new provider?

If you are in hospital, any care needs should be assessed before you are discharged and a suitable care plan should be put in place. Sometimes this may be a question of temporary or reablement support while you fully recover from your treatment. Again, this can be either care at home or assisted living. This care will normally be free of charge for up to six weeks.

We have published a number of easy to follow guides covering many aspects of arranging and funding your care. Subjects include funding your care, direct payments, knowing your rights and more about your care options. We would also be delighted to show you around any of our care homes, so you can see for yourself what supported living in a caring environment looks like. Contact us today on 01305 300 161 to arrange a visit.

What Will More Technology in Care Mean for Service Users?

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Like most walks of life, the care sector is experiencing technological change. The pace of change is likely to increase rather than decrease.

For some, more technology and automation conjures up an image of a world where social care becomes dehumanised, where conversations are with computer applications and chatbots rather than people. Or where a friendly robot takes care of domestic duties. We believe the reality will be very different, and much more human.

If we look at the technology we are currently using it actually creates more human interaction rather than less. It enhances personal care rather than replacing it.

Care staff use handheld PDA’s to make sure they have instant access to information about service users, their care plans and personal preferences, wherever they are working. Record keeping and observations such as food and drink intake are made in a few clicks.

Real Time Information and Enhanced Care

Care staff have better information to work with and have to spend less time updating or sharing it. Which leaves more time to talk and to develop relationships. Using real-time information enables the delivery of better-quality care that is more focused on the needs of each individual.

Relatives are able to access information for greater peace of mind and have an involvement in care where relevant.

On a grander scale, technology opens the way to even more advancements in care. Artificial intelligence and machine learning ought to do a better job of predicting and planning care needs within an area. Virtual Reality is already helping to improve wellbeing for dementia patients by allowing them to experience environments they knew from years ago.

Good social care has always been, and will always be, something that has human interaction and relationships at its core. Technology will not change this; it will enhance rather than replace those interactions. It will also bring the entire ‘team around the person’ closer together, which includes care staff, health professionals, family and carers.

For anyone interested in better quality, more personalised care, technology is something to be embraced rather than resisted.

To arrange a visit to one of our care homes to see how we are delivering better quality care focused on individual needs, contact us today on 01305 300 161.

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