Wisteria House (Woolwell) Dementia Care Ltd

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

This is the first inspection for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 83 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. People’s needs were assessed prior to admission and on a regular basis thereafter. Staff requested additional information prior to admission including spending time with people to understand their individual needs.

The provider always planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation. They worked to develop evidence-based good practice and standards.

The provider implemented a model of relationship care, which focused on improving people’s quality of life. They had completed qualifications and research into models of dementia care, implementing established theories into practice which focused on reducing people’s stress and anxiety. This influenced the governance, staffing levels and design of the service. Staff were trained to monitor people’s outcomes using observations and dementia care mapping. Staff followed good practice when supporting people, for example, using ‘mirroring’ techniques whilst supporting people to eat. One person’s relative told us their family members food intake had improved as a direct result of a staff member sharing mealtimes with them. Nationally recognised tools were appropriately used to assess and monitor people’s needs. For example, people were ‘matched’ with staff with similar interests, to encourage relationship building and person-centred care. One person was supported to build relationships with a small group of staff they felt most comfortable with. This person progressed from living in isolation with a high level of anxiety, to gradually socialising with other people in the service for very short periods of time, progressing to integrating daily, over a period of six months. Staff understood what made this person feel safe, and worked consistently to support them to progress.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Staff ensured full care plans were sent with people when they moved between services. Staff gave open and honest information during assessments to ensure smooth transitions of care. One staff member said, “We work well with the GPs and district nurses. We know the residents well here, so we are able to tell any healthcare staff what they need to know.”

The provider always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

People were supported to remain active and were able to join group exercise classes and stay as mobile as possible moving freely around the secure grounds. People had access to food and drink through the day and night and were encouraged to maintain skills preparing food and drink in the communal kitchen areas. Snack bars were available including healthy options, and a regular sweet shop which people enjoyed. We saw people sharing bags of sweets together around a communal table. This encouraged conversation and people were relaxed and happy. People were supported to remain active and take part in daily household tasks, such as folding laundry. This supported people to feel they were contributing to the household and supported good self-esteem. One person routinely helped staff with menu planning, shopping for food and putting it away. This supported them to keep active and maintain their skills. A staff member told us, “One evening, I was chatting with a group of ladies about food and what they liked. We started talking about ham salad sandwiches, so I went to the kitchen and made up a big platter of sandwiches cut in triangles, and we all sat together sharing them and chatting. It really lifted their moods, and they really enjoyed them.”

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Staff monitored people’s physical and emotional wellbeing through a number of tools including mood mapping and functional behaviour profiles. Outcomes of monitoring assessments were discussed with people and their families and provision of care and emotional support matched to people’s level of need.

The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff had completed mental capacity training and understood how to apply the principles of consent in practice. For example, staff sought consent prior to providing personal care and gave people choices such as where to spend their time.