The White House Nursing Home

My wife began to suffer from Parkinson’s Disease in 2005. In time, her condition became too severe for me to care for her at home. The White House Nursing Home was recommended to me. In 2013 she moved in and was cared for there until her death in 2016. The fact that she lived for another three and a half years with a very severe form of Parkinson’s Disease is a testament to the high quality of the care she received. The staff and management provided a homely, caring environment with a professional skill and that was a great comfort to my wife, myself and all the family. I have continued to volunteer and play music sessions at The White House Nursing Home and continue to appreciate the good work which I see, when I am there.

When my Dad had a life-changing stroke five years ago, it became clear he would need twenty-four-hour nursing care. As everyone reading this will know, searching for a nursing home is daunting and stressful because of the absolute trust it requires to leave a loved one even in the most professional of hands. Over the years, the team at The White House Nursing Home have shown over and over again that they understand their residents individually, take joy in their company and quietly support their families and friends in coping with the challenges of making a new life at the home. My mum now lives there too, staff have shown huge sensitivity and care in enabling them to have their individual needs met while also enjoying time together. During Covid-19 staff made sure that the atmosphere remained cheerful and positive, even while managing their own challenging workloads. Management care deeply for staff in all roles and foster a lovely team atmosphere.

Both of my parents have been living at the White House for a long time - over 5 years in my father's case and over 3 in my mother's. Both have complex medical as well as general caring needs. I cannot recommend the White House highly enough. It's because of our family's complete trust in the place that my mother followed my father there when she too needed to be looked after in a home. The White House manager and staff are outstanding. Some staff have been there ever since my parents arrived: that continuity of care, not found in every home, makes a big difference. They treat the residents as individuals, with respect, dignity, warmth, and communicate closely with families. They put much effort in getting to know residents, their quirks, character, and needs, and they adjust the resident's routines and experiences to suit their personality. They are reliable, thorough, and proactive with residents' medical needs, not hesitating to refer to a GP or hospital whenever there is a concern.

Absolutely amazing, the care is outstanding, the activities and interaction with residents are simply the best. The communication with loved ones has always been honest, to the staff, it’s not just a job, they actually love them as much as we do. They are treated like family. We have regular updates, telephone calls where the staff listen and try to make us feel at ease, especially when no visits were allowed. They even give them hugs and say they are from us. We send in letters that are read to our loved ones, they tell them we love them when we can’t be there.

I would recommend The White House Nursing Home to anybody who needs residential care with nursing for a relative, friend or themselves. They offer care, nursing, good food in a loving environment with great entertainment. My mother-in-law has had 3 enjoyable years there. They also have the Relatives Gateway which is an online portal, so you can log in to see your relatives' care plan in daily action.

My dear brother was placed there for end-of-life care with terminal care. His care was exceptional. Staff from the home manager down showed great empathy; the care/support was excellent. They also took into account that he was only 58 - sharing appropriate banter. Their support to me, was greatly accepted at this terrible time, especially with the added burden of covid-19.

My father first went to The White House for respite care. He was there for two weeks only but we were impressed with the way the staff quickly got to understand his personality and needs. When we had to make the difficult decision for him to move into care permanently, we did not hesitate but to approach The White House. Every member of staff played their part in making sure he was well cared for. He was taken out to the local parks, sat with, played games with and encouraged to join in with as much as he could manage. His room was always clean and he was always well presented. When he needed palliative care, the staff embraced us all and made his last days as comfortable and calm as they possibly could be. I had visited numerous care homes before my father became a resident and I never once regretted the choice. The White House is a special place.

The White House Nursing Home provided exceptional care for my father who was suffering from senile dementia along with a number of serious ailments, including 3 forms of cancer. The staff were caring and considerate and very supportive to the family, especially to my mother. The home was always exceptionally clean and well presented. The staff were always friendly and keen to help.

My father was a resident for the last 15 months of his life from January 2018 to April 2019. I knew immediately on visiting the home prior to his admission that his needs would be met. The staff were kind and respectful and responsive to his needs, which were extensive. The White House had a very 'homely' feel in relation to the day lounge and activity area, and above all, there were no unpleasant odours - a sign of good care! Our family were very relieved for Dad to be in a well managed and caring facility.

In conclusion, I would be happy to highly recommend the staff and management of the White House to future patients and family who might be facing the same demanding and upsetting illness to befall a loved one that we have had to deal with.