Enter and view: Arboretum House
Download (PDF 323.58 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Derby undertook an enter and view at Arboretum House on 10 February 2016.
Arboretum House is a 26-bed care home located near the city centre, with most residents being older adults, including some living with dementia who stay temporarily between hospital and home. The home provides a range of services such as meals, personal care, activities, and access to healthcare professionals, while encouraging residents to maintain independence, for example by keeping their own GP where possible.
Overall, the visit found that the home was clean, well maintained, and welcoming, with good natural light, clear signage, and accessible facilities such as wide corridors, handrails, and a wheelchair-friendly garden. Residents appeared comfortable, and there were positive interactions between staff, residents and visitors, with activities such as music quizzes taking place.
Bedrooms were personalised and designed to support residents’ needs, including dementia-friendly features such as memory aids and adapted environments. Communal areas such as lounges, the dining room and bathrooms were clean, appropriately equipped, and designed with dignity and comfort in mind.
The home demonstrated several examples of good practice, including its Bronze Dignity Award, secure medication systems using photo identification, thoughtful dementia adaptations (such as covered mirrors), and safety features like clearly marked vacant rooms and accessible emergency equipment.
No major concerns were identified during the visit, and no feedback was received from surveys because none were returned. However, Healthwatch made a small number of recommendations for improvement, including making greater use of activity rooms to avoid disturbing residents, ensuring the smoking room is regularly maintained, and encouraging better use and ventilation of the library space.
In conclusion, the report presents Arboretum House as a generally well-run and supportive care environment, with a few minor suggestions to further enhance residents’ experience.