Fairdene Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs. At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment it remains outstanding. This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care. There were systems in place to ensure people were getting the best quality of care to meet their needs and extensive resources were used to support people to maintain a good quality of life.

This service scored 93 (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 was exceptional at making sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. A great deal of time and attention had been given to ensuring people's interests were catered for, developed and explored. The home had an exceptional understanding of people’s health needs and worked hard to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to participate in a way they were able to. For example, some residents engaged in doll therapy, and others enjoyed spending time with the pet dog at the home. As some people’s health conditions progressed the home would continue to use their extensive knowledge to enable them to adapt and tailor all the support, they provided to maximise engagement and positive outcomes were continually achieved. People spoke highly of the care and support they received, and relatives told us how they were treated as individuals and like part of a family. Relatives told us they were very happy and content with the care their loved ones received. One relative told us their loved one enjoyed going out for regular walks and this was facilitated by the home, which helped greatly for their mental health needs. One person said, “I’m very happy thank you, I have plenty to do, they get me my history books. I can’t complain, they are very good to me.” Staff knew people well and how to personalise the support they received, for example, activities were tailored to people’s ability and preferences and staff knew how to get people engaged in daily activities. A community professional gave an example of how the home worked with people to identify needs such as pain management for a person who is nonverbal, they worked with the individual to understand their levels of pain and how to best reduce and manage this. The community professional said: “It was very personalised.”

The provider had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. The home strived to ensure that everyone had excellent continuity of care, and that all necessary appointments went smoothly to ensure people had the best possible outcomes. The home had weekly ward rounds with the nurse practioner from the local GP surgery and were working hard to reduce, monitor and review medication with the aim to stop unnecessary medication for people. Antipsychotic medicines were reviewed regularly, and staff monitored any change in people’s engagement and behaviours. Staff told us about the struggles with hospital discharges and medication not returning with people or their medical paperwork not coming back and the potential negative impact this could have on people. Staff were observed trying to contact the hospital to sort out these issues. The registered manager told us how she was proactive in working with the manager forums to get hospital professionals in to speak with them about these ongoing issues, with the aim to improve hospital discharges and for smoother transitions for people. One staff member told us: “We have regular staff who have been here a long while. The continuity of care is good, which is what the residents need.” Community professionals told us: “The registered manager and staff members know their residents well around general well-being.” Another community professional told us: “When they make a plan, they follow through with it. The registered manager is respectable around town, when she talks at forums people listen.” A community professional told us that the management team and staff worked well with them. Relatives told us that their loved ones received great care that was above and beyond and, coming from a different care home, they did not know what good care was until they came here.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People’s care plans reflected any communication needs that they had and gave clear details of how best to support them to communicate effectively. Relatives told us they were impressed by the number of updates they received of what their loved ones had been doing. They spoke highly of the social media updates every 2 days, and enjoyed seeing the photos, this reassured them that their loved ones were happy and content. Relatives felt the staff and management team were always approachable and the communication was excellent. One relative told us, “Any questions I have, I email them, not had any issues.” Staff told us how they updated families of any changes and made referrals to relevant healthcare professionals when needed. Staff told us how they supported people with communication needs to be able to expresses their preferences, such as ensuring people had hearing aids in or asking simplified questions. A staff member told us, “Some people struggle with communication, but after a while we know what they want and what they mean.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. The home held regular resident and relative meetings and always took time to listen and talk to people, feedback was important. Staff knew people well by listening to them and getting to know them, staff had excellent repour with people and this was observed when we visited the home. One staff member told us, “We get to know people’s families well too. That’s often the best way to learn about the people living here.” Another staff member told us: “I’d help someone complain if they wanted to, it’s their right to complain.” People and relatives told us how impressed they were with the communication, updates and feedback. They always felt heard, involved and included in daily decisions.

The provider was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. The management team told us how they use pool activity level (PAL) which is an assessment tool based on Jackie Pool. It is an assessment that determines the most appropriate activities based on the individual’s abilities and cognitive level. Furthermore, they conduct thorough “Life Story” work with people, their relatives, and friends, ensuring that the activities they provide are person-centred and reflect the people’s history, interests, and preferences. They follow activity plans to ensure every person had appropriate access to activities which were right for them and stimulate and engage them. Staff always involved people in decisions about their care planning and told us how activity planning was based around individual needs and abilities of each resident, they were monitored on sensory and engagement to ensure the person was getting a positive outcome. Staff had specific training to be able to maximise the experience for each person and this was viewed through records and positive outcomes that were achieved. One person had formed a new friendship through their love of dancing, relatives spoke highly of the positive impact this had on them knowing they were enjoying themselves. Relatives told us that their loved ones always got what they needed, from support to attend community appointments and access to community services. One relative told us how their loved one had pamper sessions in bed due to health reasons but staff still ensured that they were able to access daily activities. One relative told us that their loved one was having difficulty swallowing and the home arranged for their medicine in a liquid form. Another relative told us, “I was taken back how much other things they do and what is shown on social media.” Relatives commented on social media that it was great to see their loved one dancing and enjoying activities.

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and the management team understood the potential barriers people faced and worked hard to ensure equal opportunities for everyone. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptional, tailored care, support and treatment in response to this. The home had employed a dementia specialist consultant who did extensive work with people and their families to maximise understanding of people’s needs and preferences. They ensured that everyone’s voice was heard, and they were supported to be individuals to overcome any potential barriers to live a fulfilling life. For example, one person through extensive life history work had an interest in butterflies. Staff used to personalise their care experience by orientating them to their room with a butterfly on their door. Staff were able to maximise engagement using these preferences. The home had an exceptional understanding around the potential barriers people faced and potential discrimination people face and advocated for people well. For example, one person presented behaviour that challenged others. Staff always supported this person to live in a way that was important to them, despite this being behaviour creating concerns amongst others. In relation to this situation, the provider told us how there had been concerns raised about noise from members of the public. The provider had invited local residents to look around the home to meet people. This gave people the opportunity to increase their understanding of how a care home worked and what it was like to live with dementia. Staff told us that everyone had equal opportunities. One relative told us: “An activity was playing football in the front room, they were playing catch. He got the residents up and they were interacting and very interactive staff with the residents and I was very impressed.”

People were given exceptional support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. The management team advised that they provide exceptional end of life care planning at Fairdene, that the staff were well trained and knowledgeable, and they delivered personalised end of life care. They ensured they had effective communication between relatives and involved community professionals when required. The home offered support to families going through this process with support groups, regular meetings and updates. The home ensured that the person’s quality of life was maximised, by still having access to activities. Cultural needs could still be met and could be delivered in people’s rooms , for example people could have visits from their chosen spiritual representative. People had regular reviews of their health and care needs to ensure their needs were still being met and maintained. The provider advised they had implemented a practice that truly honoured their residents and supported their families. Specifically, when a resident passed away, they presented their family with a memory box that captured the person's time at the home. This box included any artwork, paintings, needle crafts, and other creations made during their stay, along with a personalised, professionally made photo album that showcased special moments shared within their home. Relatives told us how they were involved in planning for the future and how their loved ones were a part of this decision making. Relatives told us how they were able to attend support meetings and meet with other relatives to discuss difficult life changes and end of life planning for their loved one. One relative told us that the staff were very caring at the end of their relative’s life and gave them excellent care, they had the opportunity to attend all events there and were able to visit regularly.