Ashdown Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 80 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People and relatives consistently described staff as kind, compassionate and respectful, and that they respected people’s privacy and dignity.

In all our observations around the home, conversations with people and their relatives, as well as talking with staff. People and their relatives consistently described staff as kind, compassionate and respectful. Every relative we spoke with had positive comments to make about their loved one’s care and support. For example, “What you see is what you get. They are so approachable and caring, they even care about me. I can visit any time and I am always made to feel welcome. I am always made to feel important, heard and listened to. I can share my thoughts and ideas and know they will be taken seriously and considered. I am made to feel very much part of my mum’s care and influence it.” Another relative said, “People here can be quite challenging and it would be very easy for staff to leave people in bed or in their room, but they don’t. They make sure everyone [who can] gets up and dressed and to the communal lounge for at least 3 – 4 hours a day. I see them encouraging people to walk, eat and drink. [Person] is always clean shaven, clean clothes and presented well. If he spills food or a drink, they change his clothing quickly and never leave food residue around his face.”

People’s preferences were at the forefront of how their care and support were organised. For example, 1 person enjoyed crochet and had their work on display in their room. This demonstrated that their craft and talent were valued and respected and provided a focal point for conversations with staff.

Staff described providing additional support to enhance people’s wellbeing and reduce social isolation, especially people who had no family or friends who kept in touch. One staff member said, “Some people don’t have visitors and I look after them as if they were my own family and buy bits for them. I buy presents at Christmas. This job has given me a second life. I’m always occupied caring for people and I am happy to do so.”

The provider planned care and support around people’s individual needs, preferences and protected characteristics.

A relative explained their loved one was cared for in bed. They told us, “They do this very well. She has never had any pressure areas, and they make sure she has audio stimulation and hand massages, etc. She always looks so nice when we visit, even if they don’t know we are coming. Her hair is always clean and brushed and her clothing and bedding are clean. I can see care has been taken with her appearance and that is a great comfort to me. It’s what Mum would have wanted.”

Care plans included information about people’s religious and spiritual beliefs. For example, 1 person was a Jehovah’s witness so information was provided for staff about what this meant for the person.

The provider supported people to maintain their independence and exercise choice and control over their care and daily lives.

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible. A relative said, “They encourage her independence. For example – eating, she likes to feed herself but can only do this with her fingers, so they provide finger food for her to manage. Staff supplement this with assisting her with ordinary meals and it works well. Staff genuinely care about my mum and the other residents.” Another relative said their loved one enjoyed visiting the local pub and added, “He has a pint of beer in he evenings in his own pint glass which he enjoys.”

A range of activities was available for people to participate in. In recent months, activities included celebrating the Chinese New Year with decorations and food, an Elvis impersonator, and there were regular visits to a community café which people had enjoyed. On the day of our visit, a singer was entertaining people in the communal lounge and some people were singing along. We saw artwork around the home, including some craftwork made by people on display. For example, there were painted pinecones placed alongside plants and foliage in plant pots.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s needs, views and wishes and responded to these in their day-to-day care. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

People living at the home had a wide range of care and support needs, including dementia.. Some people could become extremely upset and anxious very quickly. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s preferences and how they wished to be supported. One person enjoyed listening to a particular pop band and this helped to calm them when they became upset. The person had a playlist of this band on a smart speaker, so could listen to them at any time. Their care plan stated music was to be used as a first-line de-escalation strategy and staff should ensure the device playlist was readily available.

Families and friends were made welcome to visit the home at any time. One relative said, “It’s like a big, warm hug when you walk in.” Another relative told us, “They take time to make sure I am ok and also to update me on [person].” A third relative explained how the person’s grandchildren came to visit and said, “They love to decorate their nan’s bedroom at Christmas. It’s a family thing we do. We go so over the top and fill the ceiling with things she can look at.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

We asked staff whether they felt the provider supported their wellbeing and what was in place to help them do their job effectively. One staff member said, “There is a good team spirit. It’s a happy place to work. Staff help each other and the manager is very supportive and approachable.”The provider had an open-door policy, and staff told us they could seek support for any personal issues, which were listened to. There were staff outings to the theatre and parties were organised for staff to enhance their wellbeing.