Enter and view: Loxwood House Residential Home

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove conducted an announced Enter and View visit to Loxwood House Residential Home on 9th February 2015. This was part of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove decision to conduct six Enter and View visits between October 2014 and March 2015 to social care services including day centres and care homes.

Healthwatch representatives felt the premises were ‘homely’ in feel, and that the manager was very involved with the care of residents. Representatives were also told by the owner that he personally takes residents to all of their GP and hospital appointments. Overall, the representatives felt that residents were comfortable and relaxed with staff members.

Residents have a range of activities at the home. Representatives saw board games available in communal areas, and observed one resident playing with Lego, supported by a staff member. Representatives were told about a weekly karaoke evening with a raffle which residents enjoy. Some people are taken shopping in Hove to buy the prizes and said that they enjoy these trips out. Representatives were told that visits from relatives were rare for the majority of residents.

Recommendations made by Healthwatch Brighton and Hove:

To display an activity plan in communal areas, using large print easy read formatting with pictures, to reinforce staff messages about activities that are scheduled.

To put up photos of residents on their holidays and doing activities in the home, to increase the homely feel of the premises and ownership of the space by residents.

Consider putting photographs of residents on their bedroom doors so that other residents, including people with dementia, can easily recognise everybody’s rooms.

Give residents who do not attend day centres some regular options for activities to do in the home when others are out.

Ask residents about the types of activity they would enjoy and look at how to include these in the activities plan.

Providers response:

We will work toward displaying an activity plan as you suggest and have already printed photographs of holidays taken by people in residence and photographs showing the Christmas celebrations. All residents have a photograph now on their bedroom door as requested.

We do already ask residents what activities they like to do and have promoted this with the meaningful activities we have formulated in consultation.