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INTRODUCTIONWelcome to Thorp House Nursing Home. On behalf of the proprietors and staff we would like to offer you a very warm welcome. We hope that your stay with us is as comfortable as possible. We will endeavour to give you any assistance needed to enable you to lead as fulfilling a life as possible, for as long as possible. We would like you to think of Thorp House as your home where we are the guests. The main building dates back to Victorian times and Peacock and Mallard wings from more modern times. Because of this it is very difficult to ensure uniformity throughout the building which you would find in a purpose built nursing home. We have, however, tried to maintain some aspects of character and a family feel to the whole building. OUR AIMOur aim is to provide high quality care which supports the individual needs of our client group. This care will be based upon the individual client's likes and dislikes and built around a sound assessment of needs. We will strive to make our care person centred. To achieve this we feel that all our staff should be well trained to enable them to assist the client in all aspects of their daily living; therefore we have introduced a training plan which will allow them to achieve this. All our clients will have a holistic and thorough assessment of their needs taking into account their social, psychological and physical needs. STATEMENT OF PURPOSEThe management here at Thorp House has nearly 20 years experience in working with clients in a care home environment. We pride ourselves on the high and professional standards of care that we offer to our residents. The management team is backed up by a team of dedicated professional staff, including, qualified nurses, care assistants, cleaners and kitchen staff who will all endeavour to provide excellent care. We will ensure that your rights to privacy, dignity, independence, choice and fulfilment are respected. When problems do arise the staff and management will seek to solve these by focusing on your specific needs. We at Thorp House aim to provide you with the best environment that is conducive to enabling maximum independence, while still offering full support when required. We are always open to new ideas that can enhance our resident's lives and improve our service to them. PHILOSOPHY OF CAREOur aim is to provide the highest standard of care possible to all our residents, whatever their level of need. We will provide the same standard of care regardless of age, race, religion, colour, sexual orientation or cognitive ability. We will formulate an individual plan of care for each of our residents based on a thorough assessment of their needs. To do this we will use a proven assessment tool. We will include our residents and their relatives (where appropriate) in all aspects of the planning of their needs. We will care for our residents in an holistic way ensuring that privacy, dignity, choice individuality, respect and fulfilment are considered in our care. We will care for our residents in a homely atmosphere that is warm, comfortable and enabling. We will encourage our residents to make their own decisions regarding their care and will endeavour to maintain the maximum level of independence for as long as is possible. We will encourage all our staff to embrace training as a way of enhancing the resident's lives, but also as a way of increasing their own self worth. We truly believe that our staff are our most valuable resource. Through investment in their training we can improve the quality and standards of our residents care by providing professional, qualified and competent members of staff who have pride in how they work. We will operate a named nurse and key worker system where members of staff will be responsible for individual residents care and social needs, which will help to build strong and lasting relationships between staff and residents. We will provide activities which will be meaningful and enjoyable. These activities will allow residents to have more active and fulfilled lives. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE HOME• To deliver a high standard of care and maintain the residents privacy, dignity, • To assess the home environment and upgrade, maintain as needed. • To provide an environment that is conducive to learning for staff and residents. • To provide a detailed and comprehensive programme of activities within and • To provide regular religious services within the home for any residents who • Provide a Service Users Guide and a Statement of Purpose, giving information • Allocate named nurses and key workers to each resident. • To continually assess and reassess resident's needs and provide individualised • To improve the standards of care provided through a comprehensive training • To have policies and procedures in place which safeguard residents and staff in • To have regular resident meetings to ensure that their wishes and views are • To have regular staff meetings, used as a forum for discussion to improve • To assess the quality of the service provided on a 12 monthly basis by ways of a RESIDENTS RIGHTSAs a resident of Thorp House nursing Home, you have the right to: • Complain about any aspect of the service you receive and be assured • To have access to an advocate if you are unable to express yourself. • To have your privacy and dignity respected at all times. • Bring any possessions into the home within space and safety limits. • Choose how you wish to spend your day and who with. • Have access to your room whenever you wish. • Get up and retire at times of your preference. • Manage your own finances or ask someone of your choice to do so. • Have access to written information concerning you which is held in • Be assured that all information we hold about you will be kept in the • Be involved in planning your care if you so wish. • To have your cultural or religious dietary needs catered for as much • Eat your meals whenever and wherever you wish, within our normal • Be able to choose from our menu or request something else if there is • Buy and choose the clothes which you wear. • Have access to other services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or other supporting services. • Attend resident meetings and have your opinion heard and have a say • Practise your religion without prejudice and have help in meeting • To celebrate festivals related to your culture or religion e.g. • Store and administer your own medication if you wish to and it is • Attend appointments, meetings or social events outside the home and • Entertain visitors in your room or in any of the communal areas of • Have access to a social worker. • To register and vote in elections. PRE ADMISSION ASSESSMENT AND TRIAL VISITSBefore admission prospective residents will be encouraged to visit the home. They may visit as often as needed and are welcome to spend a trial period with us depending on availability. Any decision to take a permanent place at Thorp House will not rest solely with the prospective resident, however, as the manager has to be certain that their specific needs can be met by the home. We will carry out a thorough assessment of your needs and if necessary discuss them with the appropriate support networks before we will offer a place. We will include you in this assessment as much as possible and all aspects of your circumstances will or may be considered in making the final decision. After admission (within 72 hours), we will carry out an initial assessment of your needs and begin to formulate a care plan that will allow us to care for you in the most appropriate way. All the information that we gather about you will be held in the strictest confidence and all staff are aware of the seriousness of breaching this confidence. BEREAVEMENT AND FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTSAs we wish to provide the highest standard of care throughout your stay with us, we will need to have sensitive information regarding death and dying. Although we appreciate that this can be a very hard subject to discuss, it does enable us to meet your needs even at the end stages of life. We need to know what your wishes are if you become seriously ill, and also whether you have any special religious or cultural needs relating to dying or death. We will try to broach this subject on or close to admission, as we feel it is far less traumatic then than when one of our residents does become ill. If you suffer the loss of a loved one whilst you are living/staying at Thorp House we will support you and treat you with dignity and respect. We will also be happy to assist in any way regarding attending funerals etc. MEDICATIONIf you want to continue to store and administer your own medication after admission to Thorp House we will carry out a thorough and detailed risk assessment. Most residents prefer us to store their medication and administer it for them. If this is the case then it will be stored and administered by a competent person, in accordance with National and Local policies and also as prescribed by your GP. We ask that you do not take any other medications unless you consult with us first. This is not to take away your choice or independence, but to ensure your safety as it may be dangerous to take some 'homely' remedies along with prescribed medicines, and we can check this with your GP first. CARE PLANAs we have said previously, we have in place assessment procedures which enable us to devise a plan of care which encompasses all your needs while you stay with us. It records your likes and dislikes regarding food and drink. It records what assistance you may need with washing and dressing and what health issues you may have which we need to treat or monitor, to name a few. We will record your weight and temperature, pulse and blood pressure on a monthly basis. We will record visits from any other professionals and also activities you have done or family visits you may have had. These care plans are reviewed by your named nurse and monitored by the manager of the home. This ensures that they are up to date and remain an accurate portrayal of your needs. You will be invited to take part in the reviews to ensure that your wishes are included. Alternatively you are more that welcome to nominate a representative or relative on your behalf to join the discussion. VISITING PROFESSIONALSThorp House is a dual registered nursing/residential home. This means that some of our residents require nursing care on a regular basis, and others on a less frequent basis. Therefore you may find that you will have a district nurse visiting if, for example, you have a dressing that needs renewing, even though we have qualified nurses on duty 24 hours a day. This is to do with the way your placement is funded; it has nothing to do with the nursing staff. Other visiting professionals: GP Chiropodist Dentist Optician Although all these people visit the home there are no restrictions if you would prefer to continue to go out of the home for these services. Unfortunately any extra costs incurred would have to be met by the resident, for example Taxi fares. ACTIVITIESWe have 2 members of staff who are responsible for organising and providing activities within Thorp House. Residents are invited to join in all activities but are not obliged to join in, it is their choice. FOOD AND DRINKAll meals are provided by the home and we will accommodate resident’s likes and dislikes as much as is practicable. We can, and do, provide for special diets, including diabetics, soft diets and low fat diets. We will also endeavour to provide any special requirements with regard to cultural or religious needs relating to diet (and within reason). We will monitor what you are eating and also your weight, so that any issues can be dealt with promptly, and any input needed from GPs or dieticians can be determined. Meal times are usually set but if you require a later or earlier meal time then we will try our best to accommodate this. Drinks are always available night or day, and staff will be happy to provide you with a drink, hot or cold, whenever you request it. We also have a morning tea (10am), afternoon coffee (3pm) and evening drink (7pm) trolley to ensure that all our residents are well hydrated. Snacks are available 24 hours a day. Your visitors will be offered refreshments on arrival in the home and can request them at any other time. Residents are encouraged to have guests for meals (there may be a nominal charge for this), the only condition is that you give us some notice so that we can cater for numbers. We actively celebrate birthdays, and cakes and birthday tea are provided by the home RELIGIOUS NEEDSThorp House is not directly attached to any particular religion, but we do provide a Christian service once a month. The local vicar Father Bob kindly performs the service and also has special services at Easter and Christmas etc. We will respect your right to follow any religion at Thorp House and will support and assist you in finding local support for you needs. Our staff are obliged under their contract of employment to respect your religious beliefs and not to try and influence you. We would ask that you afford them and other residents the same courtesy. We celebrate Christian festivals at Thorp House such as Christmas and Easter, but we are open to learning about new and different religions and their festivals (e.g. Hanukkah). Any resident will be encouraged and supported to continue practicing their religion on admission. SHARING OF INFORMATIONThorp House has a newsletter which will be published on a 3 monthly basis. This will inform people of activities and other events such as birthdays. Residents are actively encouraged to take part in the newsletter by providing information, recipes, poems etc which they feel they may like to be included. Residents do not have to be involved, it is their choice. The manager will hold regular meetings where residents and their relatives or representatives will be able to discuss ideas regarding improvements for the home and ways to improve or enhance the resident's lives. One to one meetings can be arranged for any other issues or personal sharing of information such as care reviews. Quality surveys will be done annually and the results published for your information. VISITORSThorp House has an open policy for visiting. This is your home and you can have people visit as you wish. We would ask though, that if a relative is going to visit later at night, that we are informed for safety reasons. We will provide a private place for your visitors if your room is not suitable, or if you are having a lot of visitors. ACCOMMODATIONThorp House has 39 rooms which will accommodate up to 40 people. 31 of the rooms have en suite facilities and 8 have a hand basin. We have 1 double room with en suite facilities. The room you occupy whilst at Thorp House is for your sole purpose (apart from the double room) and you will usually remain in that room for the duration of your stay. You may move rooms if there is a problem, but that will depend upon availability. We have 3 communal lounges and 2 communal dining rooms for your convenience, but at no time will you be forced to use them if you prefer to remain in your room. The courtyard in the centre of the home lends itself well to social occasions such as our annual fireworks and summer strawberry fair, and can be used by residents at any time. We have 2 conservatories which face into the courtyard so that the sunshine may be enjoyed year round. LAUNDRYAll personal laundry can be done in the home. It is however your responsibility to ensure that your clothing is named to prevent misplacing items. Any clothing that is damaged by the homes system will be replaced unless for example labels are cut of clothing. Please ensure that you have enough, and suitable clothing, in the home as we do not carry a stock of spare clothing as we find this undignified. Dry cleaning is not included in our laundry service so, if you require this service please inform the manager and be prepared to accept the cost incurred. PROPRIETORSMr D. G and E Mavroudis EDG (UK) Ltd The proprietors of Thorp House have many years experience of running businesses relating to catering and property development. Mr Demetris Mavroudis the eldest of 3 brothers is the point of contact at Thorp House, although his 2 brothers are always on hand if needed. Thorp House is a family run home and is a one off; they own no other nursing homes. Demetris is a young man, married with 2 children of his own and work is his hobby, enjoying helping his dad out in the restaurants whenever he has spare time. He is thoroughly dedicated to providing a home of excellence and that is his vision for Thorp House. THE STAFFMANAGER Mrs Kerry Smith. Kerry is an RGN with nearly 20 years experience of caring for elderly clients. She has worked all over the world including Australia, and feels that it is because her varied background that she has the knowledge needed to move Thorp House forwards and upwards. She is married to a Royal Air Force Officer and has 2 boys. Her vision for Thorp House is the same as Demetris, and she has the professional expertise needed to do this. Staff training and development along with high standards of practice are her 'thing', and resident satisfaction and comfort is her priority. RGN's There are 5 full time RGN's with well over 100 years experience between them. This doesn't mean to say that they remain in the past though, they are all forward thinking and keen to develop and enhance their skills. We also have a part time RMN. CARERS We have a dedicated team of carers who are there to support the residents in their daily lives. They are all keen to learn and improve their knowledge, and gradually more are becoming qualified to level 2 or 3 at NVQ. ANCILLARY STAFF To complement our team of carers is a very experienced and competent staff including; administration, kitchen staff, cleaners, maintenance and activity staff, without whom the home could not function efficiently. They too are dedicated to improving the standards at Thorp House and are undertaking NVQ training. STAFFING LEVELS We must maintain staffing levels that are adequate to care for not only the number of residents that we house, but also considering the complexity of their needs. Staffing levels are directed and monitored by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. If at any time you feel that there are insufficient levels of staff on duty, you should speak to the home manager who will be able to advise you of the levels and how they have been reached. STAFF RECRUITMENT All appointments are subject to the legislation which is encompassed in the Care Standards Act 2000, which is there to protect the vulnerable adults who are in our care. STAFF TRAINING The Care Standards set out targets to ensure that care staff working in homes are suitably qualified. 80% of our staff should be qualified to level 2 NVQ or above. We are constantly striving to achieve this. All our staff are encouraged to broaden their knowledge and we are open to any ideas for learning which you feel will enhance the residents lives. All our staff have to undertake mandatory training which is certificated to ensure that the residents safety is paramount at all times. Staff are encouraged to use the skills which they gain, but if you feel that these skills are being used inappropriately, or that the staff member doesn't have the required skills to perform a task, then please feel free to speak to the manager. CONTRACTOn admission a contract will be drawn up between you and the home, and this is a legally binding document. It will advise you of the care you are to be offered. You will receive a copy of the contract, brief details of which are below. It will include details of how your care will be met and monitored whilst in the home. It will identify fees and any additional charges. It will tell you your allocated room number and the period of notice required if you wish to leave the home. There will also be details of the homes obligations to you as a resident. Changes will only be made with both parties consent, but can be done if for example your needs change. FINANCIAL RIGHTSThe home cannot accept responsibility for the safe keeping of any monies on resident's behalf. Also, any items of significant value must be insured by the resident, it is not the responsibility of Thorp House to do so. It is the home policy that extras such as hairdressing are paid for by the home, and then invoiced to the appropriate resident/relative. This protects the home against any charges of theft and the residents against any such incidences occurring. We appreciate that this may not be satisfactory for some residents and a solution may be found, but if extra costs are incurred this will be at the residents expense (e.g. a safe in their room). No money should be offered or any gifts given to any member of staff without strict permission from the manager. COMPLAINTSAt Thorp House we are striving to achieve an excellent service for our residents. We know however that there are always areas on which we can improve; therefore we are always open to suggestions on how to improve. Unfortunately we don't always get it right. If you do have a problem then please share it with us as soon as possible, as we want to put it right. Speak to the manager or the most senior person on duty. Never be afraid to complain. By letting us know we are doing something you don't like; we can put it right and resolve the issue quickly and effectively. We will never discriminate against you for making a complaint, we will just use it as a way to learn and improve our service to you. Complaints can be informal, formal, verbal or written, and can be made using our forms or by post and addressed to the home manager. If you are unhappy with the way we deal with your complaint then you should contact the local Social Services department or the Commission for Social Care as detailed in our complaints procedure. For any further information regarding our Service Users Guide or our home please contact: Kerry Smith (manager) or Demetris Mavroudis (proprietor) Thorp House Nursing Home Telephone 01953 881786 Mobile 07792072433
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