Waltzing into the dining room gives care home Outstanding results

A string of spontaneous moments has aided one care home’s climb to the top one per cent of UK care homes rated Outstanding, as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has discovered that if residents want a little fun before sitting down for lunch, they can waltz or even jive into the dining room.

West Hall care home in West Byfleet, run by Anchor, has been rated Outstanding by CQC inspectors who reported: 'One person was very animated just before lunch and staff knew they liked to dance. A staff member went to them, they had a hug and started dancing together.

'The member of staff danced the person over to the dining table before saying, "Will you dance with me again after lunch?" The person sat down very happy and ate their lunch.'

Dog’s care plan

The inspectors' CQC report, published on 15 October, also noted how one resident was helped to keep their pet dog by staff who had written a care plan for the dog with arrangements made for feeding, cleaning and exercising it.

Inspectors stated: 'This made the dog owner very happy. Staff said the care plan for the dog was reviewed and evaluated with the person at the time their own care plan was reviewed.'

‘It’s far from dull’

Eighty-two year-old Jon Ryan is an agronomist who has put his grass expertise to good use working as a groundsman at Wimbledon.

Having lived as a resident at the Surrey care home for two years, he said: “It’s far from dull. I love it here. “Some of the best lectures I’ve heard in my life, I’ve heard here”.

As well as hearing visiting speakers’ talks, Mr Ryan now indulges in skittles singles and doubles matches every Saturday morning.

He said: “I help out on the activities side and make up quizzes. The staff will even pass on to you if there is a person looking for someone to play chess with them."

Fernando and karoake

Lucy Palmer-Brown, well-being manager sums up the secret to the care home’s outstanding care with the words: “I think it’s about valuing and listening to staff just as much as the residents.

“We want staff to bring their interests to work and share them and we want to find out about their lives and their families."

Ms Palmer-Brown added: "A care assistant who has horses was asked if she’d like to bring her bridles in and tell residents and staff about her life with the animals."

This ‘community feeling’ sees staff more involved and engaged, so activities are not necessarily planned but spontaneous.

She added: “If a staff member likes crafts and finds another resident likes knitting they may do it together. Another staff member Fernando likes karaoke, and so got involved in our 'Stars in their Eyes' show, which he presented as Matthew Kelly."

CQC inspectors said they were impressed that 'staff were able to describe people's individual characteristics and idiosyncrasies and about the detail included in their life stories.'

The world outside was recently brought to the home with a virtual round the world cruise. A new continent was visited each month, with residents identifying places they had been. But the world tour did not just involve using Google Maps. A Chinese kitchen assistant got away from the pots and pans to call out numbers in Chinese so residents could play bingo 'in China'. And when residents ‘reached’ Hungary, a Hungarian member of staff sang a Hungarian song and brought in Hungarian bread she’d baked.

One staff member told CQC inspectors: "Do you know the feeling you get when you go home from work? Well, that is the feeling I get when I come to work in the morning."

With most residents having dementia, group activities like a quiz coincides with other activities in smaller groups, or may simply involve giving an anxious resident a pile of washing to let her fold clothes if that is what makes her feel calm.

The daughter of a woman with dementia visited the home to talk to residents about her mother’s life and love of sailing to bring people closer to her.

Family and friends of loved ones are emailed every week and told about the general timetable for the next week. A relative of a resident told inspectors: "The consistency of carers has helped as Mum can be challenging and they understand how she acts and they can calm and settle her. They know that a ballet DVD will always calm her as she was a dancer."

Deborah Ivanova, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector of adult social care, said: “We are well aware of the challenges of living and working in a home with people who have dementia, but West Hall demonstrates that care can always be provided in a way that values and respects each person. We were struck by the way staff see each person as a unique individual and respond accordingly and this is why we have given this service the highest rating we can give.”

To read West Hall care home’s Outstanding CQC report visit: www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/INS2-2473869314.pdf

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