life at southcare
A home that provides more than just care.
We give you the reassurance that comes with knowing your loved one’s personal preferences come first and are integrated into their individual care plan.
life at southcare
Warm welcomes and pleasant stays
Here’s some helpful information about what to expect when residents first move in and what life is like living in a Southcare Home.
what to expect on day one
On Day One of arriving into your new home, your Home Manager will welcome the new resident with their family members and introduce them to key members of staff and other residents. They will be given a tour of the home and see their room. The whole team will get to know the new resident as well as their preferences for everyday living, planning their care around their needs. We will always be there – happy, friendly and ready to help.
Activities & hobbies
Varied activities hosted daily and tailored to our residents’ lifestyles.
At Southcare Homes, we encourage involvement in activities wherever possible. Whether that’s a spot of gardening, or an afternoon dance! It’s important to us that our residents feel happy and valued and that’s why we do our utmost to make our activities are personal to our residents, providing social and leisure activities that are meaningful and reminiscent of times gone by. We even encourage our residents to suggest ideas for activities.
Our homes provide activities every day of the week. These include sing-a-longs, arts & crafts, baking, armchair exercises, Bingo, board games, musicians, magicians, singers, summer garden parties with barbecues and visits to the seaside. Of course, there’s no obligation to join in, it’s purely up to each resident.
outings & entertainment
Fun days out, memorable evenings in, making new memories every day.
Regular outings are organised, enhancing residents’ quality of life and social interaction. So that our residents benefit fully from light physical exercise, we’ve teamed up with Oomph! Wellness – an award-winning social enterprise dedicated to enhancing the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of older adults.
Our teams also engage with their local communities to organise events for residents such as craft days with toddlers, singing sessions with schools, musical workshops with solo- and group musicians, ballet and dance lessons and much more to make every day a new adventure for our residents.
food & nutrition
Fresh ingredients from the local butchers and greengrocers to make tasty, fresh home-cooked meals.
Meal times are a special part of everyday life in Southcare Homes. Menus are updated weekly and our residents are consulted on menu options with personal tastes taken into consideration. Our professional chefs plan a choice of nutritionally-balanced dishes for every day of the week. All of our homes use fresh ingredients sourced from the local butchers and greengrocers to prepare delicious meals, taking into account the dietary requirements and/or allergies of our residents.
other information
SMOKING
Each Southcare Home has a designated smoking policy and a designated smoking area. Your care home manager can advise you on the policy and designated area in your home. Smoking is strictly prohibited indoors.
moving into a care home
Who to tell and what to pack?
Moving into a care home is a significant step and we work hard to make this a hassle-free and enjoyable process. Here’s some help with who you need to tell when you’re moving, what to pack and how much to pack.
Who should I tell about the move?
Before you or your loved one moves into a care home, don’t forget to notify other family members, friends and healthcare professionals (GP, optician, dentist) of the move. If a loved one is moving out of accommodation, then utility providers (gas, electricity, water, telephone) and the Council should be contacted with respect to Council Tax and the Electoral Register.
How much should I pack?
It’s often good to bring changes of clothes and toiletries that will last up to two weeks for your family member. We want to make sure their room feels like home. All our rooms are fully furnished but we encourage residents to bring their own small items of furniture to make them feel at home. Speak to us about getting your loved one’s room decorated in a way they would like.
What should I pack?
It can be difficult to know what to take with you when moving into a care home. To ensure you have everything you need, here are a few helpful things to consider before you arrive.
CLOTHING
What should I bring?
Whatever is comfortable – day time clothing, a night gown and a few sets of night clothing, underwear, socks, tights, stockings, coat etc. And of course, your slippers.
What should I know?
Each Southcare Home has a laundry service so please clearly label clothes with the resident’s name before they arrive. Our minimum washing machine temperature is 40 degrees, so please check washing instructions. We provide all the bedding and towels that will be needed but we’re happy for residents to bring their own if they choose to do so.
Don’t forget to bring your spectacles (if needed), any current medication, and make sure you label all items of clothing before arrival.
FURNITURE
What should I bring?
Small items of furniture like a favourite armchair, can be brought in to make sure your new room feels like home as quickly as possible. Furnishings such as ornaments and pictures can be brought in too.
What should I know?
All furniture must be fire retardant. Check the dimensions of your furniture with your care home manager to ensure it fits in your new room.
Talk to us about your loved one’s room decor and ways we can change it to make your loved one feel even more at home.
Home is where the heart is.
We want to make sure our residents’ rooms are filled with the things they love. Whether it’s musical instruments, garden murals or personal paintings, you can speak to us about your loved one’s room decor and ways we can make them feel even more at home.
Resident’s room
Lime Tree House
Lime Tree House
MOBILITY AIDS
What should I bring?
Your are welcome to bring your own wheelchair and walking frames.
What should I know?
Some Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts supply wheelchairs to residents who need them.
Every Southcare Home has a lift for residents to access upper floors.
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
What should I bring?
Please feel free to bring your own TV for your room and other electrical appliances.
What should I know?
All new appliances need to be PAT tested by your new home.
Don’t forget your TV license if you’re bringing your own TV into the home.
settling into a care home
Helping your family member settle into care home life
We understand that the process of settling in can feel a little daunting for everyone, so we do everything we can to provide the individual with a familiar routine that feels comfortable. As with anything that involves change, there will be an adjustment period, but we work closely with relatives and friends to ensure your loved one feels settled and happy as quickly as possible.
How can I make a loved one feel comfortable in a new care home?
Preparation is needed to help a loved one settle in to care home life that much quicker. Here are some suggestions that we can help you with.
Personalise their space.
Personalising their room before they arrive is great and simple way to do this. Various personal possessions such as small ornaments, personal photos, paintings, books, and even small items of furniture can be taken into the home.
Visit the new home for the day before moving in.
An ideal way to familiarise residents with their new home is by letting them spend a day or half a day in the home. This helps them get to know other residents, their surroundings and feel more at ease in the new environment. If you’d like to arrange a day visit for your loved one, speak to the Manager of your Southcare Home, they’d be more than happy to help you.
How long should I wait to visit a loved one who's just moved into a care home?
Everyone is different so some individuals will settle in quicker than others. As a family member, you will best know how they’re feeling and what approach to take when it comes to visiting. You can also call us at anytime to find out how your loved one is doing and speak to them on the phone too.
Getting to know our residents
Building our care around each person.
Each of our residents’ lifestyles, care needs and personal choices are of the utmost importance to us when it comes to making them feel at home. Once your loved one feels at home, there’s plenty to keep them occupied. Firstly, we focus on getting to know them so we can personalise their experience of life at Southcare.
Creating a lifestory
We value our residents and understand that each person is unique. That’s why we get to know every resident individually and view this as a crucial step of starting life at Southcare Homes. We work with residents and their family members to create a life story for each resident. This way, we can tailor activities, mealtimes, outings and daily routines to suit them.
Listening to & acting on suggestions
Both before and after a decision is made to move into one of our homes, we encourage and welcome suggestions from residents and their loved ones on how we can improve a resident’s stay and assist them in any way while they’re with us. This is just one way we try and live our company values at Southcare.
