If you turn up at Chatsworth at half past seven on a Tuesday evening, nobody will ask you to come back tomorrow.
We run an open house policy. Family and friends are welcome at any time of day, and you do not need to arrange it first. That applies to people already visiting a relative, and it applies to families who are still deciding whether this is the right place.
The uncomfortable reason
An open door means you see the home as it really is, not as we would arrange it for a scheduled tour. That is the point. If something is not right, we would far rather a family noticed it and told us while we can still fix it than that everyone stayed polite and said nothing.
It also keeps us honest with ourselves. A home that only gets visitors between two and four in the afternoon can drift without anyone outside noticing. Ours cannot.
More than visiting
The same thinking runs through the rest of it. Children from the local school and nursery come in. Bell ringers, carol singers and a pantomime come at Christmas. There is a service from the local church every month, and clergy visit whenever a resident wants them to. Pets are welcome.
We also lend wheelchairs to families who want to take a relative out for an hour, a day, or even away on holiday. And there is wi fi throughout the home, with computer equipment chosen for people with dementia, so residents can email and video call family who live too far away to come in person.
If you want to see the place, just come. If you would rather someone showed you round properly, ring 01752 660048 first and we will make sure a member of the management team is free.
