A Definitive Guide towards Positive Care Home Management

1. Kingsley, making a difference
Help and advice when choosing a care home…
“The Kingsley Way”

2. The Kingsley Way
Foreword
Looking for a care home for your relative is a very
emotional time.
You may feel sad that the time has come for your
family member to need specialist care, and guilt as to
whether you are doing the right thing. That’s a
perfectly natural reaction, yet we can reassure you that
here at Kingsley Healthcare we provide exceptional care
and a true ‘home from home’ for those in need of
nursing or dementia care.
We believe this booklet will help you to identify some
of the things that you should consider when you're
trying to choose what is best for your family member
or friend, and also some of the areas that you should
be considering when evaluating a care home.
Within this booklet we have tried to highlight some of
the key areas that we are often asked about. If after
reading this you have any queries we will be delighted
to help in any way we can. You can contact us on
info@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk or 01502 573054 and
our team will be happy to hear from you.
With best wishes,
Kingsley Healthcare

3. 02/03

4. The Kingsley Way
A Kingsley care home
Everyone has a perception of what a care home is
and how it feels to be in one. We believe that the
myth of the care home is not reflective of the
Kingsley way, we believe the importance of a
person’s emotional well-being is just as important
as a safe and secure living environment.
If you visit a Kingsley care home you won’t find our
staff wearing uniforms and badges, instead they
pride themselves on being a part of the family
within the home. You might be surprised to see a
relaxed atmosphere with everyone talking freely
and sharing stories.
Many people are at first confused when they see
people who live with us getting involved in the daily
tasks (such as dusting, polishing, laundry etc.) but
we believe that everyone should have the
opportunity to be busy and engaged in something
worthwhile – to belong. People seem busy with a
meaningful and valued occupation. It is clear that
everyone is part of the home and enjoys being
involved with the support workers – clearly
strengthening the bond between them.
When you walk round a home it should feel like a
home, it may even be untidy at times. You will
notice interesting items, or as we call them, ‘stuff’ –
boxes full of items known as rummage chests.
Objects on shelves and hangers are also a source of
interest. Sensory activities are also very beneficial;
these allow people to touch, taste, smell, hear and
see. It may be easier for people with dementia to
relate to these in comparison to thinking abilities.
The walls are likely to be brightly coloured and the
people’s doors are likely to have vibrant name
plaques on them.

5. 04/05
There is minimum structure to the day and the A sign of true person centred care is when the
staff go with the flow wherever possible people living in a home are happy, relaxed and
responding to peoples wishes as and engaged with others and the environment, not
when they arrive. This means stopping for tea bored or asleep sitting in chairs in a circle. A
breaks when people want one, not when person centred care home will be calm and
they are told they want one. staff will respond positively and effectively to
the needs of the people who live there;
We truly hope all our homes will allow you to comforting, helping and supporting.
be a key part of your relatives care and feel part
of the home. We know that together we can
really make people feel at home and help boost
their mental and physical health. For us it is
about far more than caring for people in a safe That’s why the
and secure environment. It is about allowing
individuals to feel fulfilled, relaxed and positive Kingsley Way is all about
ina place they are happy to call home.
person centred care.

6. The Kingsley Way
What is person centred care?
This term or phrase seems to mean different things
to different people. Here at Kingsley Healthcare we
believe whole heartedly that person centred care is
the best way of providing care to the people who
live with us.
The explanation we would use is that person centred
care is a holistic approach to care that is focused on
each persons own unique qualities. Key points to
this include:
• Looking to the individual first and then their
specific care requirements – we never judge
someone purely by their medical needs in the
same way in which we would never judge a book
by its cover.
• Taking time to understand the individuals own
personality and the story of their personal history.
To us this means looking at the world from the
person’s point of view and appreciating how they
might be feeling.
• We aim to encourage social involvement and
activity that brings out the best feelings an
individual can have.
“People living and
It’s best summed up by saying – ‘People living and
working together are good friends – that’s the working together
Kingsley difference’.
are good friends –
that’s the Kingsley
difference”.

7. 06/07
Examples of person centred care in practice include:
• Helping people to do as many things for
themselves as possible
• Treating the individual as you would wish to
be treated yourself
• Fostering an atmosphere built on freedom not control
• Allowing people to feel part of the community and
carry on with life long hobbies and interests
• Being a friend and where possible work together rather
than seeing tasks being carried out
• Allowing choice and flexibility wherever you can –
some routine is necessary but this need not be rigid
• Creating a home that allows people to feel safe and
secure both physically and emotionally.
Each day unfolds naturally, what a wonderful way to
be at work!

8. The Kingsley Way
Learning & developing together
Kingsley Healthcare believe in continuous training training programme which focuses on
for all our staff, not just training for training sake. communication and understanding skills
which we believe are vital in any care role.
We are proud to have achieved Investor In People
status which shows we are an organisation that takes Supporting our own provision to
the welfare and wellbeing of its staff team seriously. It improving levels of care for people living
goes without saying that our staff are all trained to a with a dementia within Kingsley
high level to make them more than capable at their Healthcare homes, we regularly
job, but whilst qualifications and certificates are very commission and work with some of the
important, we believe in the all round development of country’s leading experts on dementia and
our team. With this in mind we have an established care for vulnerable people. We have
achieved some outstanding results and
our staff will be happy to tell you all
about these.

9. 08/09
This work is part of Kingsley’s on-going investment
in our Dementia Care Strategy. The Strategy enhances
the culture of care; delivers a true and meaningful
person-centred approach; nurtures staff; and
encourages the adaptation of the internal and
external environments of the care homes.
Kingsley Healthcare’s management and staff at each “Working here is my first job
home aim to work closely with partners to improve
the quality of life for everyone who lives with us. in care. I never thought I
would enjoy it as much as I
do. I enjoy making a
difference to peoples lives by
making them laugh and
having fun. I look back to
this time last year when I
had no job and no future –
now I have started training
to be involved in the
Butterfly project and want to
work hard to have a career
working with people with
dementia. I can’t think of
anything else I would want
to do, I love it!”

10. The Kingsley Way
Food & meal times
Sample Menu – Tuesday
Breakfast
Choice of fruit juices, cereals, porridge, eggs, full English
breakfast, toast and marmalade with tea or coffee
Lunch
Toad in the hole with cabbage, mashed swede
and croquette potatoes
or
Shepherds pie with seasonal vegetables and gravy
Lemon meringue pie or chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce
Teatime
Chicken and mushroom soup and freshly made sandwiches
with a variety of fillings or pasta with tomato and basil
Raspberry mousse or mandarin cheesecake
Snacks and drinks are available
throughout the day and night

11. 10/11
The saying that ‘Food is the way to your All our homes have a kitchen that is staffed by
heart’ certainly rings true in any of the Kingsley Healthcare staff who have a passion
Kingsley Healthcare homes. What you eat is for food. We take training and cleanliness very
very important to both your physical and seriously and all the staff have achieved their
mental well-being so whilst we believe in food standard qualifications.
wholesome homemade food we always have
a soft spot for a good jam roly poly or We serve three main meals a day interspersed
spotted dick. with snacks as and when people wish. Everyone
always has a choice when it comes to meal
times and the menu itself changes on a regular
basis. When it does change it is done so with
input from everyone. We also cater for
individual food requirements.
Meal times always create a buzz around the
homes and the dining rooms are always a hive
of activity and we always encourage people to
be a part of this. But should you wish to have
your meal in the comfort of your own room
then this is no trouble.

12. The Kingsley Way
Days out together
Activities and days out are an important part “Thank you for your kindness
of living in a Kingsley Healthcare home. These
are varied and everyone is encouraged to take and loving care given to our
part in day to day activities, whether that is
helping sort the laundry or laying a table mum. Life has been hard for
ready for lunch.
her but during her stay with
Alongside the more routine activities within the
home, staff will endeavour to find peoples you, no longer is she lonely.
passions and will put together activities to reflect
this. For everyone, this is very different and You all work so hard and
examples include people who like to grow their
own vegetables, visits to the local shops and make her life a joy.”
cafes, kneedlework and film clubs are all
examples of activities which people enjoy taking
part in as a group. All activities are of course
optional and it is down to the individual to
choose whether they want to be involved.
Where relevant and appropriate, and on special
occasions, we also have visiting entertainers. This
has varied enormously from a local school choir
singing Christmas carols to magicians and even
an Elvis impersonator.

13. 12/13
We also arrange outings to local museums or places of
interest. Wherever it is possible we try to keep people
engaged with the local community and what is going
on in the local area of any particular home.
We will also help people continue any religious or
spiritual needs they may have and we will work closely
with the local amenities to make sure everyone has
access to all that is available.

14. The Kingsley Way
Dementia
The word dementia is used to describe a Alzheimer’s disease is regarded as the most
group of symptoms, commonly associated common cause of dementia, but other types
with memory loss, but far more complex include frontotemporal dementia, vascular
and different forms of dementia can vary dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
significantly. Sometimes individuals can suffer from more
than one of these at once and this is referred to
Dementia symptoms can include: as ‘mixed dementia’.
• Memory loss
• Personality changes
• Confusion
• Loss of ability to carry out routine tasks
• Mood swings
Alzheimer’s disease affects
an estimated 35 million
people across the world
and approximately
820,000 within the UK.

15. 14/15
Typical symptoms of early Alzheimer’s include: Alzheimer's is not the only cause of memory loss.
• Regularly forgetting recent events, names Many people have trouble with memory — this
and faces does NOT mean they have Alzheimer’s. There
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to are many different causes of memory loss. If
retrace steps you or a relative is experiencing symptoms of
• Confusion with time or place dementia, it is best to visit a doctor so the cause
• Trouble understanding visual images and can be determined.
spatial relationships
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home,
at work or at leisure
• Disorientation, especially away from your
normal surroundings
• Problems finding the right words
• Mood or behaviour changes

16. The Kingsley Way
Further advice
For more information on any of the matters in
this booklet:
Kingsley Healthcare Group
3 Kirkley Park Road
Lowestoft
Suffolk, NR33 0LQ
Telephone: 01502 573054
Email: info@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk
Web: www.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk
Dementia Care Matters
29 Bloomsbury Place
Brighton
East Sussex, BN2 1DB
Telephone: 01273 242335
Email: info@dementiacarematters.com
Web: www.dementiacarematters.com

17. 16/17

18. The Kingsley Way
“I love the fact
Testimonials this is run as a
‘home’ calm and
peaceful. I cannot
praise the staff
enough for their
excellent care,
kindness and
attention.”
“The best place I have ever worked, it’s great to be able
to truly care and make a difference.”
“Person centred care has given
me faith in caring again, I think
this is what caring should have
always been about.”

19. 18/19
“Thank you everyone at Brooke House
for making dad’s move to Brooke
House an easy one for him and for me,
he seems very happy here and enjoys
his food. Today he has told me all about
his roast beef dinner.”
“The staff go that extra mile to make
you feel different from the rest.”

20. Kingsley, making a difference
Kingsley Healthcare
3 Kirkley Park Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0LQ
Tel: 01502 573054 | Fax: 01502 508817
info@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk
www.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk