Enter and view: Seymour House

Healthwatch Hartlepool undertook an Enter and View visit to Seymour House, a Mental Health Nursing Home, on 23 July 2019.  The reason for the visit was that care homes are a Local Healthwatch priority. The visiting team were able to interview the manager, the psychiatric nurse on duty as well as several staff and residents.

At the time of the visit the home appeared to be quietly and efficiently run.

All the residents at that time had capacity and staff support those residents to make personal decisions. Residents can access the wider community with permission; there is access through the garden at the side of the property.

There was a good variety of food, but it was not always to the residents’ liking.

At present the home has 18 residents out of a possible 20. Some of these have shared rooms. Many of the residents have lived there for many years. There is a complexity of diagnoses, but all are given general care with the physical and mental health monitored in each resident and changes responded to appropriately.

The home has a pleasant atmosphere, it appears light and airy thought there is a darker corridor from the front door, but this is part of the building structure. The decoration was light with pictures on the walls. The corridor area is used to house a notice board which displays menus and a variety of daily events and activities. The rooms were comfortably furnished and dining- lounge area led into a large conservatory which opened onto a small but well-kept garden with a smoking area.

Staff were professional, informative and friendly. They are very aware of the needs of each resident. Staff receive all mandatory training with a moving and handling instructor being a member of staff. The manager is keen to expand the training programme.

Medication is dispensed by qualified staff It is a credit to the home that there have only been 4 changes of staff in 2 years. All residents are supported to make appointments with their own G.P., Dentist and Optician.

There were 4 recommendations including the variety of food on offer and raining for staff.

The report contains a response from the provider.