There are 17 single rooms located on the ground floor and 7 single and 1 double room on the second floor.   In addition to the en-suite facilities, there are also four bath/shower rooms and 6 toilets interspersed throughout the Home.Your room will be regarded as your own for the duration of your stay.   Although your room will be furnished, you are welcome to provide your own furnishings and furniture as you wish; however, some upholstery items must be checked for fire retardance.  

Exceptionally, we may ask you to change rooms if it is necessary to carry out repairs or renovations.   Similarly, there may be pressing clinical reasons, such as the need for greater observation, which may necessitate a change of room.

Communal areas of the Home and gardens are available for the benefit of all residents and guests.

CARE PHILOSOPHY

Our philosophy is to care for our service users using, wherever possible, best practice within a home-from-home environment.

We regard and treat each service user as an individual.   We recognise each person’s right to air their views, voice their opinions and make choices.

The full philosophy of care we provide is displayed in the front hall area for all service users, relatives and visitors to examine, alongside the service users’ Charter of Rights.

The Home adopts the Roper, Logan & Tierney model of nursing while caring for its service users.

SERVICES

Medical Services – Orchard Lodge has a close working relationship with the local Health Centres.   Doctors visit as required.   Service users may request a consultation with a GP at anytime and will be seen at the next visit.   A service user can request the assistance of a nurse at any time.

Medication – The Home uses a 28-day blister pack system for its drug distribution.   The Nurse in Charge will administer your drugs to you.   If you wish, however, and it is considered safe for you to do so, we would be happy for you to keep your own medicines.  

Newspapers & Magazines – Delivered daily and the cost is added to you monthly account.   Please place your order with one of the Managers.

Hairdresser – A local Ladies & Gents stylist visits weekly, and her charges can be either added to your monthly account or you can settle with her direct.   Alternatively, we can arrange for you to visit your regular salon, should you prefer.

Chiropodist/Dentist/Optician – You can visit your previous Chiropodist, Dentist or Optician, or make an appointment to see them here; the choice is yours.   The Home has arrangements with visiting health personnel, should service users wish to use them.

Pension – We would like you (or your relatives, solicitor or other representatives if you prefer) to continue to hold your own pension book.  

Activities – A range of social activities are being developed; we would welcome suggestions for other activities from our service users or their relatives.  

Personal Telephone & Internet  - Service users wishing to have their own telephone and Internet facility should make arrangements with the Managers.

Library – Service Users can take advantage of the visiting Library Service, where a wide selection of books, including those with large print, is available.

Postal Services – The post arrives each morning at about 11am, Monday to Saturday.   Post is passed directly to the service user.   Should a service user wish to post any letters, please pass them to any member of staff.

Holy Communion – The Reverend Janet Spicer, Vicar of Tilsworth, conducts a service at 3.30pm on the last Tuesday of each month, in our lounge.   All service users and their relatives are free to attend.   In keeping with the Home’s community policy, other members of the local congregation are also free to attend.

A service user is free to have any appropriate Minister of Religion visit them in the Home.   Arrangements can be made through the Managers.

Fire Alarms – You will always be informed about the regular fire alarm test.   Should the fire alarm sound at any other time, do not panic.   In the unlikely event of a fire, be prepared to be guided or taken by staff who are routinely trained to deal with an emergency.   There are smoke detectors throughout the building, and the fire doors close automatically should the alarm sound.

Smoking – For reasons of comfort and safety, there is no smoking inside the Home.

Lounges & Sitting Areas – These are available for service users and their guests to use at any time.   Both lounges have television and video facilities in addition to audio and CD players.   Service users may also wish to relax in the garden areas.

Visitors – Visitors are welcome at any time. But it is asked that there is only one visitor during mealtimes, due to limitations of space in the dining area.  If you would like your relative to join you for a meal, this can be arranged with a little advance notice.   There is a small charge of £1 for this facility.   Visitors are required to inform a member of staff when they are in the building.   In order to comply with Fire Regulations, all visitors to the Home are required to register their presence in the visitors’ book in the main entrance, both on entry and on leaving the Home.

Advocacy Scheme – We will be pleased to assist you to get in touch with an outside agency such as Age Concern, a solicitor or an Independent Financial Advisor, if you require an advocate.   If a service user wishes to seek advice about making a will, they should speak to one of the Managers who can arrange to contact a solicitor.

Community Contact – The Home will do its best to provide opportunities for its service users to maintain and develop such outside contacts if desired.   Please refer to our Community Contact Policy at the end of this booklet.

Pets – We accept the importance that pets can play in peoples’ lives, and therefore we are happy to consider accommodating small pets such as budgerigars or parrots.   Larger pets can visit the Home by arrangement, but must be kept on a lead at all times.   Responsibility for feeding and upkeep of the pet must be entirely the owners.   Any service user wishing to bring a pet into the Home should discuss the matter with one of the Managers.

Quality Policy - We aim for a progressive improvement in the standards of training at all levels of our staff and management.  

All our policies and documentation are reviewed and audited regularly using our own devised Quality Assurance System, which has been acknowledged by the regulatory authorities as an example of best practice.