Enter and view: Heathside Retirement Home

Heathside Retirement Home provides care for up to 30 older people, over 50% of the residents are living with varying degrees of dementia.

At the time of the visit there were 26 people living at the home. The home is a large detached house with accommodation provided over three floors. All bedrooms are single rooms; 21 bedrooms are ensuite. There is a large accessible garden area to the rear of the property. The home offers long-term residential care and short-term respite care a day care service.

At the time of the visit the Manager had been employed at the home for nine years. The home does not use agency staff and are able to cover any shifts required from within the staff team. This means there is continuity of staff supporting people. The Manager kindly agreed to mail out 26 questionnaires to relatives of residents living at the home, 7 completed questionnaires were returned to us. All questionnaires informed us that they felt their relatives living at Heathside Retirement Home were treated with kindness and compassion.

On approaching the home, we observed notice boards in the porch showing the large variety of activities that take place and the trips planned for the forthcoming month. At the time of the visit ‘pamper sessions’ were taking place, we observed several residents having their hair and nails done. Television sets were on in the communal lounge areas but did not dominate the rooms enabling people to hold a conversation.

Staff we spoke to told us that they were very happy working at the home and felt supported by the Manager and the home’s owners.

The report includes one recommendation; Consider incorporating into the Heathside newsletters or correspondence with residents’ relatives the “you said, we did”, to demonstrate the action taken by the home regarding issues and suggestions raised.