My father-in-law has settled well. He was understandably unsettled at first and scared, he wasn’t walking when he arrived after a stay in hospital. As a family, we have visited regularly. We have given staff advice on his history and his likes/dislikes. Staff have always been polite and listened.
My father-in-law has progressed and is now back feeding himself more often and walking around independently. The staff have promoted this. On my visits, he will often go to the toilet with guidance, and now he is doing this regularly with staff, this wasn’t the case when he first arrived at the home. It’s great to see him more settled. I was fully aware that it would take time for him to settle in a new environment, and for both him and the staff to get to know each other.
There were times that I have felt some of his personal care was missed, such as not wearing socks, not having deodorant on and not having his teeth in. These needs are now being met and staff have been responsive to our requests. We fully accept as a family that at times dementia clients can be more challenging and some needs cannot be met.
I am pleased to see more activities for the residents. I think this is needed for this resident group. I can certainly see how the residents are benefitting from the improvements that are being made by the new management team.
I would also like to know all the staff better, perhaps name badges? It would be helpful to visitors and would give a more personal approach.
As a family, we have been able to visit whenever we like which we are most grateful for.
