Below is the Case study for one of our residents at by her Daughter but they wish to remain Anonymous (May 2019)

Mum has been at Chestnut Court a year now having spent a period of time in hospital and another care home. Mum was always a happy bubbly sociable person but sadly when my father died 7 years ago I could see a gradual decline in her health and her personality. I think some of it was loneliness, mum and dad had moved into sheltered housing but once dad passed mum was on her own. Some people who live in sheltered housing now are still going out to work fulltime.

More and more I could see mum going downhill, but being the independent person she was she was resistant to care at home but we did eventually get mum to agree to a cleaner who eventually started to support mum with her personal care needs. Mum started to lose weight so we arranged “meals on wheels” but mum wouldn’t eat them, they were good meals and the people who delivered them were very nice but they couldn’t stop to chat and make sure she ate the meals. We then moved to “care at home”, again we noticed whilst the carers were very kind they were timed limited and didn’t have the time to make sure mum was eating and drinking properly and chat which is what she needed. It wasn’t working and mum kept falling, I can’t remember the number of admissions to hospital we had. I remember visiting mum at home one time when she had been assisted by home carers into bed to just get inside my door and receive a call to say she had fallen again, it was tiring and exhausting.

Mum was adamant she didn’t want to go into a home but did agree to go into respite until she was stronger to go home. The home was recommended by some friends of ours but they didn’t have a ground floor room which is what we needed. This home was not right for mum; she didn’t like it there and showed her frustration of restrictions placed on her through her behaviour which was so out of character for her. I was taken aback by this because I had never seen my mum behave in such a way. I knew I had to do something and find an alternative home and Chestnut Court could not have been so different but right for mum.

I asked around, looked on line and had a useful discussion with my hairdresser, who I know goes into care homes. I also read reviews, how homes are rated and scored and found those looked much of a muchness. Most importantly mum needed an en-suite ground floor room. The hairdresser recommended I visit Chestnut Court, I called and it was just pure luck they had a ground floor room. I visited with my husband and immediately felt the difference; the atmosphere was lovely and still is. We brought mum in to have lunch with the other residents, she seemed to like it. We were told we could personalise mums room and we did with her belongings, arranging her room like her room at home. This helped with the transition from the other home.

The care staff and Becky are really good; the food is good and the chef even comes out to speak to the residents to get feedback on the meal he has just cooked.   The activities are really good. Mum recently enjoyed the visit from the farm and the events put on at Christmas, Easter and Chinese New Year.

Mum has been unwell a few times since being at Chestnut Court but I can’t fault how they have supported and responded to mums needs. On one occasion mum needed to go into hospital Becky buttered-up the ambulance crew to take mum to Lymington Hospital, sending a member of staff with her, when I got there mum was already tucked up in bed on a ward. It couldn’t have been so different from previous occasions when mum was in the other home and had been sent off to hospital on her own and left waiting for me to turn up.   Mum looks younger than she did a couple of years ago, she is well cared for and I think she is content.

Becky is very helpful and supportive, mum likes to go out and wanted to go out for bread and milk at 7pm in the evening the other day, Becky took her. They didn’t get bread and milk but they came back with chocolate eclairs and toffees for everyone.

I am happy and relieved we have found Chestnut Court; I know I can go on holiday knowing she will be well cared for.