ANNUAL QUALITY AUDIT 2007 (Next-of-kin)

It is our aim at Shandford to continually improve our service. To achieve this we carry out annual Residents,Next-of-kin and visiting professionals surveys.

The surveys are carried out confidentially and the results published in the Home and on our website.

NEXT-OF-KIN FEEDBACK (SEPTEMBER 2007)

The results of the Next-of-kin survey carried out in September 2007 are detailed below:

1. About the Home in General

Do you feel welcome when you visit the Home?

Yes 17/17 No 0/17

Any other comments:

· Excellent treatment; starts the visit very positively & warmly
· The staff are always cheerful & very welcoming

Do you feel you receive sufficient information about changes in Shandford?

Yes 15/16 No 1/16

Any other comments:
· I think relatives or friends need a copy of monthly newsletter, also of works being carried out etc

Here is a list of words, which may describe the care your relative/friend receives:


High Quality
- Agree strongly 12/17
- Agree 4/17
- Agree slightly 1/17
Meeting their needs
- Agree strongly 10/16
- Agree 6/16
Supportive
- Agree strongly 11/16
- Agree 5/16

Any further comments:
· Very good standard of care
· The cleaners do a superb job also. I am always impressed to see the antiseptic hand gel dispenser on the wall & always use it. It has never needed filling on my visits.
· Richard & other entertainers & helpers provide a wonderful & caring back up.




If you have made specific comments or expressed particular concerns in the past about the Home, were they addressed?

Positively 8/10 Acceptably 2/10 Inadequately 0/10

· Made comments in last survey about how my mother was not always dressed with care – now I am so pleased at the care with which my mother is dressed. Always was meticulous with hair & dress, she is pleased to hear how nicely she is turned out in carefully matched colours.

Do you feel you are involved enough in decisions regarding your relative’s/friend’s care?

As much as I want 14/16
Some but not as much as I want 2/16
Not enough 0/16


Any further comments:
· Updated on medication & reviewed regularly
· It is so hard to get the right balance – I think it is as ‘right’ as it can be.



2. Facilities
How would you describe the:

Access to Shandford
- Very good 7/17
- Good 9/17
- Fair 0/17
- Poor 1/17
Access in Shandford
- Very good 8/16
- Good 7/16
- Poor 1/16
Toileting facilities
- Very good 12/17
- Good 5/17
Standard of your bedroom
- Very good 12/17
- Good 4/17
- Fair 1/17
Bathing facilities
- Very good 11/16
- Good 5/16
General decoration within Shandford
- Very good 9/17
- Good 7/17
- Fair 1/17
Dining room
- Very good 12/17
- Good 5/17
Communal lounge
- Very good 9/17
- Good 8/17

Any comments on the above:
· Hallway & corridor ordinary – dim & dreary especially in winter.
· Exit to road is ‘blind’ both left & right of the pavement outside Shandford. Maybe this is not possible to alter.
· Two outer doors extremely difficult to negotiate with residents on frames or in wheelchairs (one is self closing)
· Rug at inner door is a nuisance.


3. About the Staff

Here is a list of words that may describe the staff you come into contact with.
(Please tick all the boxes which best describe them)

Friendly 17/17 Unfriendly 0/17
Caring & kind 17/17 Uncaring 0/17
Polite 17/17 Rude 0/17
Consistent 16/17 Inconsistent 0/17
Professional 16/17 Unprofessional 0/17
Understanding 17/17 Other (please state)
Cheerful
Any further comments:
· When I visit, staff inform me if they are concerned about my father’s health
· I have always found the staff very helpful, approachable, ‘going the extra mile’ in many cases and always try to be accommodating and amenable wherever possible. Their sense of humour, smiles & fun are always uplifting to residents and to us. Dad always says “This is a happy home”. This is so good to hear.


How would you describe the following aspects of staff performance?

Attitude
- Very good 10/17
- Good 7/17
Awareness
- Very good 8/17
- Good 9/17
Competence
- Very good 10/17
- Good 7/17
Flexibility
- Very good 10/17
- Good 7/17

Any other comments you wish to make:
· Some are excellent, some need to be a bit more caring & informative.

If you wished to make a complaint, would you know how to?

Yes 16/17 No 1/17

Any further comments:
• No further comments


4. Management of the Home

Are you satisfied with:

The availability of the Home’s Managers to discuss any problems when you need to?
Yes 17/17 No 0/17
Whether they get things done when asked?
Yes 17/17 No 0/17
The approachability of the Manager
Yes 16/17 No 1/17
How they involve residents in the affairs of the Home? (i.e. Residents Meetings)
Yes 16/16 No 0/16
Management’s efforts to create a good atmosphere?Yes 17/17 No 0/17

Are there any other comments you wish to make?
· Feedback via some residents who have attended (meetings) – when questioning some points for discussion, Management had already made a decision!
· I am very, very pleased. My own impression from my first visit were of jolly staff and a lovely homely atmosphere with some life in this place! There was no smell of urine! Excellent, then & now!


5. Catering Facilities
Are you satisfied with the variety of meals available within Shandford?

Yes 17/17 No 0/17

Are there any areas that could be improved upon?
· Weekend meals could be improved
· Whilst I understand the need for a tight budget, it would be nice to supplement some of the food stuffs with better quality eg. soup, frozen foods, sandwich fillings & ice cream


Are your relative’s/friend’s special dietary needs met, if applicable?
eg. Diabetes or vegetarian (Please tick one box only)

Yes 5/5 No 0/5


6. Daily Living
Do you think there is a sufficient range of activities to meet your relative’s/friend’s needs?

Yes 13/15 No 2/15

Any further comments:
· I don’t think she is stimulated enough, I think she needs pushing (I know this isn’t easy)
· He is still settling in and as yet has not integrated fully into the activities on offer. He also has external activities which he is continuing after his move to Shandford.
· Music therapy could be increased – everyone enjoys this activity combined with some light exercise movements. Beauty therapy, the odd facial, make up & manicure!
· If only ‘they’ would join in sometimes!


How would you describe the atmosphere at Shandford?

Friendly & supportive 15/17
Acceptable 1/17
Cold & impersonal 0/17
Other 1/17


7. Conclusion
In your view, what aspects, if any, of our Home need improvements?
· Possibly supper later – 6pm +
· The meals at the weekends are disappointing – definitely room for improvement here. It is appreciated that obtaining staff at weekends is very difficult.
· More things to do during the day to occupy the minds of able people.
· More group therapy when possible – keep fit, cards, physio, games, video, knitting, croquet.
· New beds
· Generally pleased with care provided. I cannot suggest any improvements.


Any further comments?

· Thank you for your hard work in running Shandford.
· I was impressed by the concern shown by staff when he was in hospital and that the Management telephoned the hospital frequently to monitor the progress and well-being of my father.
· I am very happy with the care my mother is receiving.
· I would like to thank Sue for being supportive this year.
· She seems very happy and content with you and we are very satisfied with the care she is getting & feel very lucky to have her somewhere that meets her needs at this time.
· Telephone reception not always good when talking to her.
· I have the greatest respect for Susan & her care team and the work that goes on in Shandford, which is the best residential home I have seen (we’ve seen several). Any concerns, big or small, have always been dealt with promptly, professionally, taken seriously, and resolved satisfactorily. A great effort is made to keep residents happy, amused, stimulated & mobile, for as long as possible, bearing in mind deterioration, physically & mentally.


Manager’s response:

It is that time of the year again! Thank you for taking the time to complete our Annual Quality Assurance Survey. As you can see from the above results, we have mostly received positive feedback from you. We value your input and opinions and we will be working with our staff to improve the service we offer. We have had another busy year and our staff have continued to work hard to provide a good level of care to your relatives.

Our residents have also completed surveys together with professionals who visit the Home. Their valued comments will be acted upon and the results available to view on our website and displayed in the Home.

I have summarised of some of your concerns below:

About the Home in General
· We endeavour to provide a homely, friendly and cheerful environment for our residents and their visitors.

Facilities
· We are aware that the corridors and hallways at times can seem dim; the problem is they are internal corridors with no natural light but we have put in stronger lighting and replaced the shades.
· Main entrance/exit onto the main road – enquiries were made several years ago to change the access to Shandford, unfortunately this is not possible. We do appreciate that care needs to be taken when leaving the Home.
· I also appreciate it is sometimes difficult to negotiate the two front doors. Whilst I am not able to change the layout of the doors, please ask for assistance from staff if required.

About the Staff
· Once again we have had positive comments with regard to the staff which will be passed onto them.

Management of the Home
· The Management team at Shandford continue to work at improving the facilities and the services we offer our residents and we would like to thank you for your positive feedback and support.

Catering Facilities
· Generally the feedback that we get from you is that your relatives are receiving satisfactory meals. I am sure you appreciate that it is difficult to please 25 residents all of the time. We listen to the residents and will offer an alternative. Residents are encouraged through their Residents Meetings to offer suggestions and the supper menus have been improved this year as a result of their input.
· Supper could be served later on a tray in their room if residents do not wish to come to the dining room at 5.30pm. However it would be difficult to provide a cooked option on all occasions at a later time.

Daily Living
· Some of you have raised issues regarding residents joining in activities; we endeavour to encourage our residents to participate in any activity, however if they do not wish to join in, that is their choice and we have to respect this.
· This year we have suggested to our residents that they might like a therapist to come in to offer beauty therapy and treatments, but they were not interested at the time. We will continue to regularly ask our residents at their meetings, and if there is any interest, we will seek to get a therapist to come to the Home.
· Residents’ opinions and suggestions are sought regarding the running of the Home at bi-monthly Residents Meetings.
· The residents continue to enjoy the activity sessions.
· Residents have asked us to re-introduce a weekly exercise session and we will endeavour to employ an appropriate person in 2008.

The Committee continue to work to raise funds to improve the Home and to provide financial support so that the residents can go on day trips and outings throughout the year. The residents always look forward to and enjoy these events and we have been able to increase the number of events offered this year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting our fundraising activities this year. We display photos of events and you can also view a copy of our latest Inspection Report (October 2006) on our website ‘www.shandford.com’. If you would like a copy of the monthly Newsletter to be e-mailed to you, please send your details to ‘becky@shandford.wanadoo.co.uk.’

This year we have replaced the roof at Shandford and have updated bedroom furniture in some rooms. We have purchased a 40” digital widescreen television in the Main lounge and next year we plan to replace the chairs in the Main lounge. There are still some areas in the Home that we would like to improve, funding permitted.

Surveys will be conducted annually so the quality of the service we offer can be measured and improved. However, if you have any concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you.

Susan Bissett
Manager
11/12/2007