GHP Q2 2018

12 GHP / Q2 2018 , Putting the Care of its Patients First Abberton Manor Nursing Home provides nursing and residential care for 26 residents and is a magnificent Queen Anne Manor House set in 14 acres of gardens and grounds, just three miles south of Colchester. We invited Home Manager, Libby Pearson to tell us more about the facility and what techniques staff use to provide the best care possible. Abberton Manor has an enviable reputation for providing professional nursing care in a happy and friendly environment. Abberton Manor is one of the Heritage Manor groups care homes. The company ethos is to provide excellent care in a warm and friendly environment. Abberton is rated as good with the Care Quality Commission and in 2017 was awarded the Gold Standard Framework for end of life care. The home achieved a commendation for this Award, which is the care equivalent of a Michelin star and reflects the dedication and commitment of its team. Furthermore, the home was also awarded the best community engagement award for Essex which recognises its strong links within the local community. At the home, the team offer long- term, convalescent or short stay residential and nursing care to residents, and work with a patient- centered belief of listening and understanding the needs of each individual resident, and providing care individually. Ensuring that every resident at the venue receives the best possible care, the team tailors its care methods and activities to suit the individual person, subsequently enhancing their health and happiness. Throughout the manor, residents are typically elderly and often frail, SO180026 whilst some have disabilities and others become residents after a stay in hospital, or have become anxious and lacking in confidence after a fall. The home provides facilities and décor to the highest quality which suits the needs of each of its residents. Despite having three floors, all levels are accessible thanks to a lift and stairs, with the upstairs rooms possessing stunning views over the Roman River valley, and this is just one aspect which makes the facility attractive to residents and clients. At Abberton Manor, the team’s previous experiences have helped them to learn and combine their experience to deliver the best personal care within the area. Libby kickstarts the discussion by explaining what her team’s particular focus is, and comments on how the team go to the extra mile to make sure that residents live a thoroughly enjoyable lifestyle. “Amongst the team, our focus is always on the highest quality of care and the health and happiness of each of our residents. Whilst based on the tenets of My Home Life, our objective is to provide a positive experience for all who live, work and visit Abberton. “Moreover, we want people to recognise that living in a care home is a positive, lifestyle choice. Here at Abberton, we go beyond the basic needs of keeping our residents fed, warm and safe. We give emotional, social and psychological support for both residents and their families. The compassion, warmth, love and friendship here is akin to family. We have a welcoming, open door policy, to ensure that all concerns of families are met and residents’ needs are central to our support and care.” Outlining her team’s overall mission, Libby explains the importance of understanding each individual’s personal requirements and needs, and it is a real target of the team to provide the highest quality of care to everyone in a warm and friendly environment. “Important to us, understanding our residents’ needs is key, both their physical care needs and requirements and their individual higher needs. We always request a life story for each resident when they come to our home, and encourage them to personalise their rooms and tell us their likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, favourite music, favourite foods, etc. We regularly review this to ensure we are accurately tailoring our activities and care. Also, we listen to our residents and really get to know them, recognising the importance of self-worth and being valued. “Something which is vital to our success is that we believe that the older generation have a lot of history, knowledge and wisdom to impart and by mixing with other generations, they have an opportunity to share this and give something back. We ensure that through our local connections,