Above is the Case study for Miss Frances (Mary) Bailey written by Miss Judy Moore (Cousin) we also have Flo the dog present June 2020

I have great pleasure in writing this story for Windsor Court Care Home where my cousin lives, she moved in November 2019 and appears happy and to have settled in very well.

Mary never married and from starting work to retiring she was a teacher in an all-girls boarding school. She was a very intelligent lady with a phenomenal memory.  Her roots were in Bournemouth returning there when she retired.  She became actively involved in the Church, and also really enjoyed choral singing and classical music.  Other loves and interests were going on walking holidays in Europe and gardening.   Mary was happy living on her own and was a very independent person and was very settled back in her family home.  Sadly by the time she moved into Windsor Court she was unable to make a decision, and as her named Next of Kin it was down to me to find a safe place for her to live.

I live in Guernsey but would visit as often as I could, but I could see month on month Mary becoming more and more fragile and her memory more affected.  She would not hear of moving into a home, however, continuing to want to live a solitary life in a large family home.  We talked about her options but she remained adamant she wanted to stay put.

I knew it would come sooner or later that she would need extra care and support so I did look on various websites and Carehome.co.uk where homes are rated and you can read reviews about the home and the care it provides.   I had seen Windsor Court whilst looking on Carehome.co.uk website and had liked what I had read about it.

Mary started to have falls and I was becoming very concerned about her safety living alone.  After the last fall which rendered her in hospital I had no choice but to look at alternative accommodation.  It was hard and I knew it would be a big wrench for her but we had very little choice.  With just one day to find a care home time was against me, but with the help of the hospital discharge team we worked together to find the right home for her.

I visited several homes and some were very nice, appeared well set up for people who have Dementia and the managers seemed caring, but something was missing – I couldn’t see Mary fitting into them.,

Eventually I arrived at Windsor Court and my first impression was very good.  I walked into the reception and I thought ‘this is the sort of home where Mary will be happy’.  It had a great ambiance and felt like the sort of building that she had lived and holidayed in.  I was welcomed and introduced to the person who was going to show me around, and I felt he had all the time I needed and was able to answer all my questions.   I was shown 2 rooms which had been recently renovated, they were nice and clean, and well equipped with everything you needed but also room to personalise it with some of Mary’s personal possessions to make her feel at home.  There was also enough room for her to move around safely, and if necessary for the carers to use additional equipment to help her as her mobility got more limited.

I had an opportunity to observe the staff interactions with the residents and I was very impressed, they were interested in and caring towards the residents.  My decision was made and Mary moved in to Windsor Court.  I feel relieved that she is safe and being well cared for.

I haven’t seen her in person for a while as I cannot travel to the UK but I have seen her face to face on Skype, she looks well.  I can see her expression and how she looks, she always looks tidy and happy.  This is valuable to me because it allows me to have a sense of her wellbeing and I appreciate the efforts the staff make setting it up.

The staff are always really helpful and since Covid-19 are making sure we remain in regular contact with one another.   I am really impressed with how the management have handled the virus, they were proactive in closing the home to visitors early on minimising the risks, and to date to have kept the illness out of the home.  I know this situation has put extra strain on the staff but they are always cheerful and willing to help when I phone them.

The managers have been in regular contact with me, we have had some difficult discussions regarding should my cousin become unwell and seeking consent to take swabs for the virus but they have handled this with great sensitivity and care.  The level of communication has been excellent.

To sum up the care at Windsor Court, it is excellent, I am confident she is being well cared for.