Residential Care homes- Advice please

[corrie321]

Does anyone have any advice (good or bad) on Residential Care Homes in or around Southwark?

It is looking like our 90 year old father will have to go into residential care very soon. We were hoping for any recommendations for individual care homes or ones to avoid.

Any advice on private homes verses council homes would also be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

[jumpinjackflash]

Keep him away from Cherry Croft..know two (1 former) care staff from there who don't have very good things to say about the place

[Keef]

If you get a council place, take it. Private homes may look a bit nicer, but council service and care will be better in my experience (working for social services in other London boroughs).

[Townleygreen]

Most places seem to have quite a long waiting list, but you may be lucky, I hope so.

[daizie]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but they vary in the levels of crap . In my experience when old people enter residential care or hospital they will rapidly go downhill. Keep him at home and buy in outside support funded by Social Services would be my suggestion, if you cant do this, make sure someone who cares about him goes in to check on him frequently, check that he is actually eating and not losing weight, being cleaned adequately, wearing his own clothes not someone elses etc etc, dont settle for a crap service, ever .

The Mail ran an article on this a few days ago, sorry i cant remember how to post a link . If anyone does have any positive care home experiences anywhere i would be very interested to hear this too .

[Keef]

I certainly agree that keeping him at home, with the appropriate support in place, is the best option, although sometimes a person's care needs go beyond that.

[Jah Lush]

What Daizie said. Also, it's entirely possible that you would have to sell your father's home to pay for his care in a residential home.

[daizie]

OLD PEOPLE refrain from smelling of piiss and talking about how a farthing could last you a year during the war and perhaps relatives would make more of an effort to visit

(sorry i just couldnt help myself)

[Marmora Man]

While I agree with the "care at home" concept there comes a time when it is impractical. We did this for nearly four years, with support of care workers and other support services but eventually my father in law needed 24/7 care and no amount of local effort could create a seamless service necessary.

My father in law spent the last 14 months of his life in a BUPA nursing home in Blackheath - Westcombe Park Nursing Home. The staff were very caring and supportive. It wasn't cheap, but seemed good value for money, We funded it through a combination of social service payment, father-in-law's pension and family contributions - it ran out at about ?2,400 a calendar month. He had an ensuite room, full nursing care, good - if somewhat institutional - food, regular entertainments, parties and outings - to which the family were always invited. As an always solitary man he often preferred to take his meals in his room and not join in the events - but this was OK, no forced jollity I'm glad to say.

Vacancies occur approximately once a month as residents pass away - literally dead mens shoes.

[louisiana]

I'm in the same process myself. 97-yr-old grandmother, suffering for some years from vascular dementia, multiple strokes etc., and she has already been through the mill of part-time day-care, at-home care with nursing help etc., and now the family is just about unable to cope any more.

Unfortunately the placement will not be in the UK (but in her country, without much of a public social service). But I'd really welcome any advice on homes, what to be looking out for.

[acumenman]

There is one in Barry Rd just above underhill rd, it seems to be coming to the end of a big refurbishment I haven't been in it, but none of these places are cheap.

[Keef]

I worked for Greenwich Social Services for several years, and can confirm the good things that Marmora Man says about the Westcombe Park, it is one of the better ones.

[ontheedge]

Have heard great reviews of tower bridge nursing home recently from ambulance staff, a while ago they were regularily called there by staff who knew nothing about the residents, now they say they are called infrequently and when they are the staff know all about the resident and can give a good history apparently had has improved immensly.

[Peckham native]

This website is good for searching all available care homes.

Care homes

From various elderly relatives & friends' elderly relatives:

The Hill House, Sydenham Hill. In the home for over a year & seems to be receiving very good care.

Peartree Nursing Home Sydenham Road I've only visited it once from what I could see the care was good, very clean and lots of activities.

Castlebar Sydenham Hill - did have a bad reputation but I have heard it has improved

The Elms Barry Road. This is a church (Baptist) home so they take residents from a christian background only. Very good care.

[steveo]

My mother is in Castlebar. All round good performance except she recently had to be taken to Kings with dehydration and a kidney infection. Coincidentally the Mail has a story about care homes and old people dying of thirst earlier this week.

Castlebar could be accused of being negligent but keeping old people hydrated is a nightmare so I don't blame them

We looked at The Elms in Barry Road. It's not as flash (or expensive) as Castlebar but it seemed quite cheery. It's co run with the Baptist church

Earlier she had been in Oatlands in Anerley and Homelands in Penge, both run by the same family. Me no likey. PM me if you want more details

[HennyPenny]

No experince of London care homes but my father until he died in December had been in 2 care homes depending on his needs for 5 years, so we know what to look for!. We looked at every home there was possible in N Devon, and the first bit of advice is go unannounced. That way you really see exactly what is going on. Also, as you go in, have a good smell. In the majority of homes we saw, all we could smell was wee, not pleasant for anyone. Look at the residents clothes - have they got the remnants of their weetabix down their fronts? If your relative does go into a home, make sure all their clothes are very clearly labelled, and can be boiled - we lost count of the clothes that were boiled to death, or actually went 'missing', especially good quality clothes. Small items of personal belongings went 'missing' as well, including his watch, that he'd had for 50 years, all very upsetting. And this was in the best home we could find that was accessible. For health care, dependant on his needs, there is the 'Nursing care allowance' that comes from the NHS not DSS, and is means tested - as Daddy had dementia, had had 4 strokes and 5 heart attacks he was eligable, but you do have to fight for it! None of this is easy, and is very upsetting for all the family, as you know its the best thing, but you will feel dreadfully guilty, especially when all they ask is to be allowed to go home. HP

[daizie]

steveo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Castlebar could be accused of being negligent but

> keeping old people hydrated is a nightmare so I

> don't blame them

Blimey steveo that is very gracious of you , id have had their guts for garters .

Really the staff should have a hydration program in place, including helping residents with drinking,( assisting and encouraging drinking warmed drinks even through a straw) offering a variety of beverages and providing drinks not only at mealtimes but in between meals.Also make sure that they monitor residents weight and assess them if their physical condition or mental state changes. Absolutely everything should be monitored and recorded.

[steveo]

Yes, I suppose I should make a fuss. I just didn't want them spitting in her tea

[Marmora Man]

Daizie - Steveo was just being realistic. We had major problems with my father-in-law over hydration. My wife is a nurse and fully understood the need but unless we force fed him liquid he would just not drink. Even when it was patently obvious that he needed to - dry chapped lips, urinary infections, dark urine, difficulty in swallowing and so on. He would acknowledge the need but short term memory loss and mild dementia simply meant he forgot. Even the best 24/7 care will experience problems with this particular aspect. That said - it is a problem that shouldn't escalate to the point where hospital care is required.

[daizie]

Understand - that just about sums it up steveo, how dreadful for you . I wonder where the money goes .

[Pugwash]

All care homes have their good and bad points.it also depends on the resident and also their families, expectations.

Most staff in care homes, including nurses, are poorly paid,some are happy in their work despite this, the owners of the homes need to make a profit otherwise they cannot survive themselves. Never make an appointment to visit a care home, just turn up. Ideally after 9.30/10 am is a good time, all residents having been washed, dressed and breakfasted by this time. Avoid going after 7 pm when many residents starting going to bed. If you visit a home on Tuesday afternoon and like it, go back at the weekend as frequently different staff. Whilst the building appearance is important - it is the staff that make the home- how long have they been there, their manner with residents, do they treat each resident with respect and individually. Is the TV in the lounge on continiously , what activities take place and how frequently, will staff take residents to local shops or churches. How do staff treat visitors. As a professional person, I have visited several hundred home over the past 15 years throughout the country, and judge how staff treat me as a visitor as an indication of their care.

One home I visited in Essex - I had travelled from ED via train to the place and found that no buses ran so had to get a taxi for about 8 miles. Dying to go to the loo when arrived ( the train did not have a loo nor did the station) I introduced myself to staff, showed my ID and who I was visiting, and asked for the visitor's loo. I very begrudgingly shown the loo, saw my gentleman and I had some concerns that his wheelchair was a liitle wide for the doorway (massive indents in doorframe, dents in wheelchair. Staff showed me how they got him and and out room by 'bumping the chair' up and down (scratching it even more)poor old boy petrified at being bumped. met with staff who were concerned more about him dying and how long the local authority would pay for his room after death. Was there at the home for a good 3 hours, not offered a cup of tea or glass of water, I asked them to call a taxi to collect me, they refused. eventually they gave me a phone book and told me to do it myself. In the days before mobiles, they eventually allowed me to use a phone. Having left ED at 8 am and getting back to office around 3.30 pm without having a drink all day (no shops or cafes near either station) I was not a happy bunny.

I called the old boy's daughter and asked her what she felt about the home and discovered that they way they treated me, was similiar to how they treated some resident's families. I advised her to remove her father and find an alternative home. Wrote a pretty damming report which I sent to the managers and Essex Social Services.

This was the only time I have had a very bad experience at a care home, and often relate this tale to new staff - how they as professionals are treated, can often be a reflection on how relatives and residents are treated. Obviously if they go the other extreme and fawn over the professional,one also queries how residents/relatives are treated.

My aunt spent 2- 3 happy years in The Elms before she died, very good management and staff, very caring.

I am now in the position of having to decide whether to have my frail 87 year old mother live with us and have a care package or let her go to a nursing home. My mother does not want to do either, but needs someone to be with her the majority of the day as she cannot transfer independently or care for herself.