This is the part of care nobody wants to read about until they have to. If you are reading it now, we are sorry, and we will try to be useful rather than vague.
Planning while there is time to plan
The most important thing we do is have the conversation early, while a resident can still take part in it properly. We ask what they want and what they do not want, where they would like to be, and whether there are religious or faith wishes that need to be respected. We write it down and we build the care around it.
That means when the time comes, nobody is guessing, and nobody is making decisions for someone under pressure at two in the morning. It also means a resident can usually stay here, in a room that is theirs, surrounded by their own things, rather than being moved somewhere unfamiliar at the worst possible moment.
Who else is involved
We work closely with district nurses and GPs so that pain relief and medical support are in place and reviewed. Our manager completed a nine month course specialising in end of life care, and our staff train in it every year. Chatsworth is accredited under Six Steps to Success, the end of life care programme, and we also hold the Dementia Quality Mark, which matters because the two often overlap.
Families
Visiting stays open, at any hour, for as long as you want to stay. We will find you a chair, make you tea and leave you alone when you want to be left alone. Afterwards, people are welcome to come back, and many do.
If you want to start this conversation, call 01752 660048 and ask for the manager.
