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."

2

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."

3

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

4

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?

5

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:

6

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."

7

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.

8

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

9

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."

10

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."

11

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

12

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

13

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

14

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: sam@ablecare-homes.co.uk

W: www.ablecare-homes.co.uk