• Winter Snow Pictures 2010
  
• Texture Modified Food
  
• The Honeybourne Club
  
• Christmas Flower Arranging
  

Talking Point

I am Julia Saunders, I have a BSc (Hons) in Health and Social Care   

I am  a member of the Alzheimer Society and subscribe to the charity. 

I am a director of Queensbridge Care Limited, providing specialist dementia care in Cheltenham and started Queensbridge House in 1985.  

I believe in what I do and would like to contribute some thoughts to the common questions and themes of ‘putting a loved one into a care home’.                                                                   

Firstly just because you have recognized that you need support to care for your loved one with dementia, do not feel guilty.                    

You matter as a person and so do your family members.   Maintaining enjoyment of your life, will benefit them ultimately.       You will continue to play a vital role in the caring partnership along side the care team within the home, they will look to you to provide a full personal history and on-going support. 

Thoughts Prompts and Questions

Choose the location to enable easy visiting.

Research through CQC to find out about the home before you visit.

Talk to your GP, Social Worker, Community Psychiatric Nurse and friends who may have gone through this experience.

Ask yourself how often you can visit long term and start on this basis – do not visit too frequently at first, knowing that you may    find it impossible to maintain this initial level of input.

Respite care may sound like a great compromise but frequent change does not always suit a person with dementia.

Visit the home, ask yourself would you want to stay there?

Talk to the manager, are they prepared to give you the time to answer your questions.  If they give you time they will give your loved one time.

Use all your senses :-

Listen to how the care team speak and interact with the other   clients within the home.

Look at how the care team approach the other clients within the home.

Smell – is it clean or offensive?  Sometimes fresh urine smells are inevitable, accidents do happen, but stale smells should never be accepted.

Is the home secure?

Can the clients access outdoor space in safety?

Are the clients comfortable?

Are the clients engaged in social interaction or participating?

What activities are provided within the home for the clients?

What is the homes approach to drug therapy?

Ask about staff training.

Ask about staff turnover  –  your loved one will find it difficult to   settle into an ever-changing environment.  The care team will need   to get to know your loved one in order to care for them,  and they   will need to get to know the staff.

Does the home use agency staff?

Ask if the home undertakes Dementia Care Mapping, this is a valuable observational tool in the provision of excellent dementia care.

Ask how they manage aggression, challenging behavior, incontinence, wandering, repetitive behavior, sundowning and sleeplessness.

Ask how much support you can expect from the home – do they have workshops or relatives and friends meetings – you may feel this is something you could benefit from.  You may be able to meet and talk to other relatives before you make your decision.

What is the homes approach to end of life care?

Don't be afraid to ask questions, share your concerns and worries.  That’s why we are here.   We Care.

How Much Does It Cost? 


Queensbridge Care understand that we were all promised cradle to grave care when the Attlee government implemented Beveridge’s proposals for a welfare state.  Sadly, no-one at that time could have predicted the demand that exists today. 

The fact is that care costs.  For just over £100 per night you will get all care, household bills and meals.  Less than a four star hotel.  But thought does have to be given to finances as one usually only stays in   a four star hotel for weeks, not long term. 

We would advise you to seek professional advise from a qualified financial advisor, they will discuss your individual situation and assist you to make the best use of your finances.

The care fees are based and structured on your individual care needs, once you have met our care manager an assessment of your care needs will be arranged.  We will then inform you where you are in the assessment banding.  The greater your care needs, means the higher up the banding level you will be.  The assessment tool is structured on   a traffic light system as set out below.

Green £750.00 to £850.00 per week

Amber £850.00 to £950.00 per week

Red £950.00 to £1050.00 per week

All assessments at Queensbridge House are based on the traffic light system tool as used by Cheltenham General Hospital, and many other professional organisations.

Your care needs may increase as time goes on and therefore you will be assessed at intervals and may be moved up or down within this banding system

If you are considering respite or short term care you will automatically   be placed at the higher band as past experience has taught us that    you will require more one to one care over these shorter periods. 

We pride ourselves on supplying a service to you through a very experienced care team and look forward to the future planning of delivering the care you expect, require and deserve.