Overarching Care home report, East Sussex
Download (PDF 279.12 KB)Summary of report content
Information from 43 care homes visited, focusing on choice and independence and providing nursing care as well as a survey completed by 24 providers. 4 case studies included.
Findings:
Key themes identified included: activities, pets and animals, staffing, bedrooms, funding and communal areas
Key outcomes from this programme of visits were:
• Identification of good practice and a commitment to sharing these with other providers
• Observations that, in most care homes, residents appreciated the extent and variety of activities provided.
3 recommendations involving East Sussex County Council:
• Contract specification in relation to what activities are provided.
• East Sussex County Council to consider their funding of placements in care homes considering a potential shortage of such placements highlighted.
• East Sussex County Council to investigate the delays in putting care packages in place and ascertain the extent of this problem across the county.
Conclusions:
• Emphasis on activities and stimulation for residents.
• Survey results indicate a shortage of vacancies in care homes with nursing for publicly funded places.
• Residents very positive about the standard of support provided by staff.
Recommendations:
• Healthwatch East Sussex to verify with East Sussex County Council activities offered as part of the contract.
• East Sussex County Council to consider their funding of placements in care homes in the light of a potential shortage of such placements highlighted.
• East Sussex County Council to investigate delays in putting care packages in place and ascertain the extent of this problem across the county.
• Care homes to consider how they advertise activities, using a wide range of processes (weekly newsletters or pictures).
• Care homes to consider how they respond to individual requests for activities i.e. whether they could support a relative to do some cooking with their resident.
• Care homes to consider how they provide and develop feedback to residents such as the ‘You said, we did’ approach.
• Care homes to consider ways of improving the presentation of food to improve its attractiveness to residents.
• Care homes to share good practice and learn from the examples outlined in this report.