Back in December 2022, I was advised to move my husband from Dementia Care into Nursing and Dementia Care. From the outset, I fell in love with Woodstock, and the building itself has such character. There is plenty of parking, and it is within walking distance of my home in Abbeymead. I was taken on a tour of the inside, and although at the time it was a bit dated, the garden was spacious and lovely in summer. There was plenty of space downstairs, making it a happy place to visit my husband. The rooms, too, are neat and spacious with en-suite bathrooms. I have found the manager and staff extremely professional and welcoming. The residents, too, are happy once they settle in.
The home has an excellent team of Nursing Staff who have attended to my husband with such exemplary care and patience. Any concerns or issues have always been taken care of. They also have a head Chef, an Assistant Chef and other kitchen staff, cleaners etc. The food is fresh, well-cooked, and presented. Birthdays are special for each resident, and often they celebrate with a buffet or summer barbecue at different times of the year.
Towards the end of last year, the downstairs areas were refurbished with new flooring, furniture, curtains and light fittings et. Also, after a long break, they have employed an Activities person who is making a big difference in the home, keeping the residents entertained.
My concern has only ever been my husband and the safety aspect between active residents and wheelchair/wheelchair bound residents, as the staff are unable to watch constantly, so one carer should be allocated to watch the active residents from destroying the garden, furniture etc. Instead of keeping disabled residents in their rooms. On the upstairs floors, a carer should be visibly on duty to avoid distress, illness etc. The chairs in the lounges should be wiped and disinfected as soon as a person gets up incontinent /wet - this is not done. In my opinion, it appears to be a definite shortage of staff, as often shaving, toileting, nail cutting, and hand washing are not done nearly enough.