Care UK nursing home pursues the highest end-of-life care standards

Darlington Court nursing home, in Rustington, has embraced the opportunity to pursue the highest end-of-life care accreditation available in the country, in the shape of the Gold Standard Framework Care Home Accreditation (GSFCH).

Focusing on the dignity of the patient, together with support for loved ones, the programme of training and evaluation will take two years to achieve and comes approved from the NHS and the Department of Health, as well as charities Age UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Announcing the home’s commitment to the very best in end-of-life care, home manager Linda Clements said: “It is an incredibly sensitive time for people and we want to ensure that our residents have genuine choices and are in a relaxed and comfortable environment. We also want to secure that the support we give to relatives, both before and after a death, is the best possible.”

In pursuing the accreditation, the care home team will work with local GPs and palliative care nurses from St Barnabas Hospice. The three key areas in which carers will develop their skills are pain management, palliative nursing and counselling.

Care services achieving the GSFCH are also expected to demonstrate their compliance with its standards over the long-term, with ongoing monitoring and evaluation in place top ensure that guidelines are being respected.

Darlington Court is part of the Care UK portfolio of care services, which consists of more than 100 facilities around the country and, as well as nursing and residential care, includes provision for mental health care and adults with learning disabilities. The home itself is registered for 60 service users and has its own specialist unit for people diagnosed with dementia.

Image: Darlington Court, Rustington