When Searching Suddenly Becomes Personal
All you need to do is type “luxury care homes near me” into Google. Easy, right? If you are typing it in for somebody you love, you will be experiencing something very different: it might be your mum who has become a little more confused at home or your partner who has begun to slow down, and therefore can no longer be kept at home. In these circumstances, words like “luxury” and “facility” do not matter so much. You need a place that is safe but not clinical, homely but not ostentatious and most importantly of all - one that will not not treat your loved one as a different person.
Look Past The Fancy Reception Area
I have walked into care homes that look beautiful at the entrance and felt uncomfortable before I have even made it past the door. The furniture was spotless, the lighting soft, everything smelt like it had been recently been cleaned, yet I couldn’t put my finger on it, but residents weren’t in the picture. I have heard the voices before I even reached the lounge, a laugh can’t be heard without also hearing a kettle boil or a carer stop to ask someone how they are having enjoyed their morning. That is different. At Kanesbury Care we know that showing off a home for ten minutes shouldn’t be the purpose of it, the point of a carefully presented home should be for people to be able to live within it. Having spent 25 years in Bournemouth and Poole I am glad that finally matters.
What Does “Luxury” Actually Mean To A Family?
Here‘s where most families only get it after several house visits: it‘s not really the marble bathroom or the big dining room where everything meets. Of course that can be nice, but it‘s not the person sitting with your mother when she feels panicky at 7 p.m. It‘s not the person who remembers that your Dad doesn‘t like peas. It‘s not the person who normally chatters away getting silent. True luxury is having people on your care team who knows the person, not just the care plan. Kanesbury‘s person centred approach is based around this, designing each day to the person rather than making everyone conform to a generic idea.
The Six Homes Aren’t All The Same — And That’s Good
What I like about Kanesbury is that it doesn‘t seem like it‘s one big operation with six identical buildings dotted around Dorset. Each home is individual. Eagles Mount has got views across Poole Harbour and boasts Colin‘s Nest Coffee Shop in the grounds, Seabourne House is situated near Southbourne‘s award-winning beach, Branksome Park Care Centre has a location in the green and leafy Branksome Park, and Aranlaw House is in Westbourne, Regency Manor in Upper Parkstone, and Kingsman House in the centre of Meyrick Park, Bournemouth. Different locations, different vibe, but the same value of the individual is underneath it all.
The Person Should Still Be Seen
This is the one I would look out for when I went. See how they respond when a resident asks for something. See if staff are looking people in the eye. Listen how the conversation is directed when people are sitting there. There is a world of difference between ‘she needs her medication‘and‘Mum usually likes to have her medication after breakfast’. One refers to a task. The other refers to a person. Kanesbury‘s model of residential, dementia and nursing care depends on those everyday details because dignity isn‘t something you stick on to a care package at the end. It‘s there in the small stuff or it‘s not.
A Home For Life Takes Away A Big Fear
The family is continually concerns that they will not select the appropriate level of care. What if Dad‘s needs suddenly increase, does that mean he has to move again? Does the room that the dementia sufferer has only just begun to settle in, suddenly have to be vacated because their care needs are different? Those answers can make what is already a harrowing decision a seemingly unbearable one. The Kanesbury‘s promise for Home for Life has been specifically designed to remove a little of that unpredictability by having the resident surrounded in familiar territory for as long as their needs warrant. That is a great responsibility. That is a life-changing decision for a family.
Settling In Is More Than Moving Furniture
The move into care can be a frightening experience, even more so if it happens following a lengthy period with families. which feels like losing control. Kanesbury‘s Journey to Care programme is meant to make that transition easier, guiding families through from the initial discussion about moving in, to our door on the day. The new resident is then given a complimentary decoration kit with their chosen colour in it. It seems like no big deal. It is not. Walking into a room that is already decorated makes a big difference from being handed over the key and told: go on then.
Dementia Care Needs Familiar Faces And Patience
While a lovely setting is no substitute for quality care. As much as it can be evidenced through the environment with dementia, care relies largely on staff knowing the person, recognising familiar hand movements or actions and understanding how to comfort. Why else, would families need to enquire about the care staff, rather than just be in awe of the building. Again Kanesbury also visits resident‘s families through quarterly Dr. Gemma Jones Method workshops, and offers time to meet and discuss dementia, complex care issues. Within English care homes, that involvement with the wider family is something I have taken seriously. You are still involved in some way.
You Shouldn’t Have To Become A Care Expert Overnight
Banking care, nursing care, dementia care, neurological care, respite and palliative care to the exhausted reader, this is perhaps overwhelming. The vast majority of families will not be entirely sure what support their relative will require in six month‘s time (and quite right too). The key discussion is about the person: what are they able to do, where do they find difficulty, what is changing and what concerns you most? With the care provided by Kanesbury across its Bmth and Poole homes this discussion is likely to be tailored to the individual situation rather than be a technical choice forced upon families before they understand their options.
And Families Need Looking After Too
Hear that? Family gets forgotten about that‘s the message. The family is exhausted seriously exhausted. Adult children are expected to arrange appointments, go shopping, sort out medication and visits, often for months, while at the same time working and pretending that they are coping TELL me about coping! then, when the decision is made that a care home is necessary, the guilt is there by the bucketload. Kanesbury has a dedicated family liaison and a current family support service-because it is important to be there. A telephone call back when reassurance is really needed can be more support than a shiny brochure so much more support. The group has also been able to bring its experience forward from its former LuxuryCare identity to Kanesbury Care, with twenty-five years of the experience of the homes behind it.
What Would Make Somewhere Feel Like Home?
That‘s the question Id pose first of all. Not “How luxurious is it.” Not “How large is the bedroom.” but “Would Mum be happy to sit here on a Sunday afternoon? with her feet up feeling fine? would Dad have a bad day and not be shunned, laughed at, treated like a problem? Would staff pick up that something was a little odd? would our family be made to feel welcome if we came to visit? (and you‘ll understand if you‘ve been round a visiting rooms that feels more like a waiting room why this matters.) a home isn‘t a home because somebody slaps a word on a door.
Sometimes You Know The Moment You Visit
There’s a time when you stop looking at the websites and start noticing the people. You observe a member of staff sit with a distressed resident rather than shun past. Listen to someone asking about a family holiday. Take in residents being addressed by name. That’s the stuff that stays with you. The six homes that make up Kanesbury Care in Bournemouth and Poole have different locations and characteristics, yet are united by the person-centered approach above the premises. If you are looking for a Bournemouth care home, investigate dementia care in Poole or need to access nursing care in Dorset, go into potential homes and speak to them. Take your time. Explore. Ask questions. Believe what you see.
Questions Families Ask Before Choosing A Home
What should I look for when searching for luxury care homes near me?
Look past the furnishings. Find out how residents are treated on a day to day basis. Observe how staff treat residents, ask about the care provided in response to changing needs, discover how families are supported, and see if the home feels like a home.
Does Kanesbury provide dementia care in Bournemouth and Poole?
Yes. Kanesburry has dementia care, as well as residential, nursing, neurological, respite, day and palliative care in its row of homes in Bournemouth and Poole.
Can my loved one stay if their care needs increase?
Kanesbury‘s Home for Life promise helps residents stay at home as their needs change and gives families peace of mind by seeking to prevent having to move again.
How can I arrange a visit?
Kanesbury Care has lots of information about the six homes, so have a look to see if one catches your eye. You could start an enquiry or book to go and look round. Visiting makes it all slightly clearer.