Well, it has happened - OH is in respite for two weeks. As many of you will know, because OH is relatively young and does not have a diagnosis (and is unlikely to get one) it has taken me a long time to find a care home that will accept him for respite. Thank you to everyone who has offered advice and suggestions. We went and viewed it last week and the manager did a covert assessment. The nurse who showed us around "sold" it really well and when the manager asked OH if he would be happy come for a week or two he agreed immediately. I was a bit worried that he would change his mind, but didnt keep reminding him about it and I packed while the carer was getting him washed and dressed this morning. Then I got him into the car and off we went.
On paper this home looked a good match as they accepted people 50 yrs and above and specialised in Parkinsons, MS, Motor Neurone Disease, Huntingdons and blind/deaf. I had initially rejected this home because it was rated as "requires improvement" by the CQC, but Im writing this to encourage other people who are looking at care/nursing homes for respite or permanent care. You have to look further than just the CQC - check the history, see whether it had been "good" and is in decline or whether it is improving, and how long the manager has been in place. I discovered that it had been in special measures and then someone had come along and changed things, It had been a dementia home, but now the upper floor is a secure dementia nursing home and the ground floor is for people with neurological disorders. They will accept people with dementia for the ground floor, but not people in advanced stages, or challenging behaviour - they are moved to the upper floor. Crucially, they appointed a new manager to oversee this change. She arrived a couple of months before the last CQC and improved it to "requires improvement". So it is on the way up. The manager was a very petite lady and was lovely with OH, but boy - I could see the steel in the velvet glove! I would not want to cross her and you could tell that she would not tolerate slip-shod work. The staff all seemed to work well together and all the ones I saw were permanent staff, not agency. The home had a lovely happy atmosphere, not luxurious, but very clean and welcoming. I am happy with it and I think OH will be too.
On paper this home looked a good match as they accepted people 50 yrs and above and specialised in Parkinsons, MS, Motor Neurone Disease, Huntingdons and blind/deaf. I had initially rejected this home because it was rated as "requires improvement" by the CQC, but Im writing this to encourage other people who are looking at care/nursing homes for respite or permanent care. You have to look further than just the CQC - check the history, see whether it had been "good" and is in decline or whether it is improving, and how long the manager has been in place. I discovered that it had been in special measures and then someone had come along and changed things, It had been a dementia home, but now the upper floor is a secure dementia nursing home and the ground floor is for people with neurological disorders. They will accept people with dementia for the ground floor, but not people in advanced stages, or challenging behaviour - they are moved to the upper floor. Crucially, they appointed a new manager to oversee this change. She arrived a couple of months before the last CQC and improved it to "requires improvement". So it is on the way up. The manager was a very petite lady and was lovely with OH, but boy - I could see the steel in the velvet glove! I would not want to cross her and you could tell that she would not tolerate slip-shod work. The staff all seemed to work well together and all the ones I saw were permanent staff, not agency. The home had a lovely happy atmosphere, not luxurious, but very clean and welcoming. I am happy with it and I think OH will be too.
