GREEN GABLES NURSING HOME

CATEGORY DE (Dementia Care)

Church Lane, Grayshott, Surrey GU26 6LY

Telephone and Fax: 01428 604220

Email: admin@greengablesadmin.wanadoo.co.uk

www.creen.demon.co.uk/greengables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Residents' Handbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Green Gables Nursing Home is owned by two Directors who own other Residential Homes and are based in London.

 

Green Gables is a purpose-built Nursing Home set in the heart of the village of Grayshott, which is situated close to the A3.

 

The Matron/Manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Nursing Home and the delivery of care to the service users.

 

Green Gables Nursing Home is registered with the National Care Standards Commission to provide nursing care for 38 elderly residents with dementia under the category DE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


OUR PHILOSOPHY OF CARE

 

All residents of Green Gables have the right to live to their fullest potential in a homely environment supported by knowledge-based care practices. Our philosophy recognises the core principles of care of the elderly and encourages:

 

á               Privacy

á               Dignity

á               Choice

á               Rights

á               Self esteem

á               Fulfilment/opportunity

á               Independence

á               Spirituality

 

The above core principles are reflected in every aspect: physical environment; staff selection; staff training and development of management; record-keeping; catering; activities; community links; policies and procedures.

 

P              Residents will be encouraged to live to their full potential in a comfortable environment of self-care supported by a flexible team approach by staff and volunteers.

 

P              The Home will adopt a comprehensive approach which not only meets the individualŐs physical needs but also their social, mental, emotional and spiritual requirements.

 

P              The Home will encourage a healthy well-being programme, giving residents an informed choice.

 

P              We endeavour to offer our residents a homely environment, providing security and motivation so residents can continue their hobbies and learn new ones.

 

P              We are committed to seeking for a more complete understanding of the ageing process, particularly recognising the contribution our residents make to this.

 

P              We will endeavour to look after the very frail, both physically and mentally wherever possible, until the end of their lives.

 

P              We will involve Social Services, Health Authorities, and all other Agencies to ensure that our residents are supported fully.

 

P              We will respond to the changing expectations of older people, seeking new ideas for caring and constantly seeking to improve the standards of practical care. We will pass our ideas on to others.


ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

 

q               The Nursing Home accepts anyone in need of medical nursing care with dementia subject to an assessment by Matron or her Deputy. There is no upper age limit on admissions but prospective residents must be at least 65 years of age.

 

q               The Nursing Home is unable to accept applicants who have AlzheimerŐs disease or any other mental health problems.

 

q               The Home accepts funding from self-funding fee payers and from Social Services.

 

FEES/FINANCE

 

q               Fees for the Nursing Home are calculated based on the dependency of any prospective resident. Once set, the fee does not deviate for the duration of the stay, except in the case of any annual review by the Directors in April of each year or if there is an increase in dependency levels.

 

q               Fees include full board, personal laundry and all care services. They are calculated on a daily rate and payable one month in advance by bankersŐ order.

 

q               The fees do not include the following:

 

-                Hairdressing

-                Physiotherapy

-                Chiropody, aromatherapy, reflexology

-                Private medical expenses

-                Toiletries

-                Dry cleaning

-                Newspapers

-                Any other personal items

 

q               All residents and/or their representatives are asked to sign a contract prior to admission which should be kept in a safe place. All residents are accepted on a six-week trial basis. The Directors reserve the right to give notice to service users if this proves necessary.

 

q               Residents are encouraged to handle their own finances or to appoint an advocate or relative to act on their behalf.


FURNISHING THE ROOM

 

¤                Rooms are already furnished but residents may bring with them some small items of their own furniture. These must be checked by the Management in order to ensure that they meets fire safety regulations. Personal items such as pictures and photographs are welcome to make rooms feel more homely.

 

¤                Residents must provide their own portable TV and radio. Portable televisions with remote control and fitted headphones are most appropriate to avoid causing disturbance to other residents. The communal lounges have a television and video.

 

¤                Cleanliness in the rooms is the responsibility of the Matron/Manager but residents are expected to take proper care of the fixture and fittings.

 

VISITORS

 

¤                Visitors are always welcome and encouraged to visit at any time, either in the residentŐs room or in one of the communal lounges. Friends and family may have tea and coffee with the resident when visiting or may join the resident for a meal for a small charge. Meals can be arranged with the Management but please give at least 24 hours notice.

 

SMOKING

 

¤                The Home operates a non-smoking policy.

 

THE CARE TEAM

 

á               The Nursing Home is run by an experienced team of registered nurses and care staff who work on a shift pattern to provide continual care. There is a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day. Care is planned by the registered nurses and delivered by our carefully selected care team under the direct supervision of the Nursing Home Management. The Matron/Manager encourages the care team to engage in NVQ and other qualifications so that they are able to deliver the very best care based on knowledge and best practice. All staff in the Home wear badges giving their name and title e.g. Staff Nurse, Care Assistant etc.

 

á               Our housekeepers work very hard to keep the Home clean and fresh. Catering staff provide an essential service preparing nutritious home-cooked meals.

 

á               Our Home operates a key worker group system whereby each resident has a named group of care assistants to look after their social needs. This allows the resident and relatives to build up a good rapport with the key workers, enhancing quality of life.

 

MEDICAL SERVICES

 

á               Residents are given a choice of General Practitioner when they are admitted to our Home. Residents may keep their own G.P. if they prefer provided he/she agrees to visit them as required.

 

 

 

EMERGENCIES

 

á               Residents are requested to give the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two next-of-kin on admission so that they can be contacted in an emergency. It is important that any changes in these details, including unavailability of a nominated person for a period of time, e.g. holidays, are notified in writing immediately to the Nursing Home Manager. In the case of a medical emergency, where hospital intervention is required, residents are sent usually to the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

 

OTHER SERVICES

 

P              The Nursing Team can arrange for the services of a dentist, optician etc as required. Residents will be charged for these services unless they are provided under the NHS system. A chiropodist attends the Home every six weeks or on request if required.

 

P              A hairdresser attends the Nursing Home every week.

 

MEALS

 

q               Residents choose their menu each day with the help of the care staff if necessary. They may have a glass of sherry before the meal or wine with the meal. All meals are freshly prepared and cooked in the Nursing Home.

 

q               We believe that meals should be a social event and encourage residents to eat in the Dining Room. If they prefer, however, they can choose to have their meals in their room provided it is safe to do so, or in the small lounge area. The staff are on hand to assist service users in the Dining Room.

 

q               The Home is able to cater for all special diets. Residents' nutritional needs are assessed on admission, when our catering manager will visit them.

 

Meal Times are as follows:

 

Type of Meal

Served From (Time)

Breakfast

8.30 a.m.

Morning Coffee

10.30 a.m.

Lunch

12.15 p.m.

Afternoon Tea

3.00 p.m.

Supper

5.30 p.m.

Late Night Drinks

9.00 p.m.

 

q               Special occasions and birthdays are celebrated with a home-baked cake and shared with other residents and staff.

 

 

TROLLEY SHOP

 

q               On Tuesday afternoons a selection of items is brought around the Home including chocolate, sweets, tissues and drinks. If a particular item is required, every effort will be made to obtain it.

 

 

ALCOHOL

 

¤                Residents may have alcohol at any time provided it does not interfere with their medication.

 

NEWSPAPERS

 

¤                Newspapers and magazines can be delivered daily and we will be pleased to order any newspapers/periodicals that may be required. Payment for these is not included in the fees.

 

VALUABLES

 

¤                The Home cannot be responsible for valuables kept in residentsŐ rooms. We recommend that valuables and important documents are deposited in our safe in the main Office, in which case a receipt will be given.

 

FUNERAL PLANS

 

¤                The Home recognises the importance of funeral plans. If a service user has one, we suggest that it is held in safe keeping but please make the staff aware of its existence.

 

INSURANCE

 

¤                All contents of residentsŐ rooms are insured. If more cover is required, service users are asked to make their own arrangements.

 

CLOTHING

 

¤                Service users are asked to bring all personal clothing and replace it as required. It is essential that all items are clearly marked with the service userŐs name, as it can be very distressing when a favourite article goes missing. Our onsite laundry provides an excellent service for all our residentsŐ personal clothing. Sew-in labels are preferred as marker pens tend to fade with frequent washing.

 

¤                The Nursing Home provides towels, sheets and bedding.

 


ACTIVITIES

 

v             To enhance our service usersŐ quality of life there is a comprehensive activities calendar arranged and coordinated by our Activities Organiser. This assists our service users to pursue their hobbies and interests. Details of all the activities can be seen on the Notice Board in the Nursing Home.

 

v             As well as a vast choice of in-house activities, our residents frequently go on trips to places of interest such as the seaside, country parks, garden centres etc, usually during the warmer spring and summer months.

 

v             Visits and Services are provided by our local Church. A Service takes place monthly for any service user who wishes to attend.

 

v             There is a weekly 'Extend' exercise class for all service users fit to attend.

 

v             Many of the activities are provided at no extra charge. However, on trips away, service users will be asked to contribute towards the cost of transport and refreshments. We do try to keep these charges to a minimum.

 

VOLUNTEERS

 

Ż             If anyone has any spare time we would be delighted if you could help out with our vast array of tasks:

 

á               Reading to residents

á               Talking to residents

á               Helping with activities

á               Helping on days out

á               Assisting at meal times

 

Ż             Whether it is just twenty minutes a month or three hours a day it could make a real difference to our Home.

 

Ż             Please do speak to the Matron for more details about the various volunteer roles available within the Nursing Home.

 

 


INSPECTIONS

 

¤                The Nursing Home is inspected twice a year by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The reports of their inspection are available at any time and are now published on the internet at http://www.csci.org.uk

 

¤                In addition our Directors pay a monthly visit and carry out their own inspection.

 

YOUR SATISFACTION

 

Ÿ              Our Nursing Home has an excellent reputation for its service and care offered to all our service users and we take great pride in this. Each resident is treated with dignity and respect; choices, rights and privacy are most important to how our residents feel.

 

Ÿ              We acknowledge, however, there may be occasions when we do not reach expectations. If anyone has any comments about the service we provide we would be very pleased to hear them.

 

Ÿ              Complaints can be made at any time to the Matron. The Nursing Home has a comprehensive complaints procedure in operation and all complaints by service users and/or their relatives are taken seriously. Full details are at the back of this handbook and also displayed clearly in the entrance to the Nursing Home.

 

We hope that you will enjoy your stay with us

and feel part of our Ňcaring communityÓ.

 


GREEN GABLES NURSING HOME

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

 

STEP 1

 

If you have a complaint it should be made verbally in the first instance to the Matron as soon as possible.

 

STEP 2

 

If you are not happy with the outcome you should then write to the Directors at the Nursing Home, who will respond to you within seven working days.

 

STEP 3

 

If you consider the outcome to remain unsatisfactory you can write to:

Commission for Social Care Inspection

33 Greycoat Street

London
SW1P 2QF

0845 015 0120

http://www.csci.org.uk/

 

STEP 4

 

If you are still dissatisfied with the way your complaint has been dealt with by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, you should contact:

 

Complaints Review Service

Finlaison House

15-17 Furnival Street

London

EC4A 1AB

020 7979 8048