RNIB Wavertree HouseResidential care for older people with sight problems.Hove, East Sussex

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WelcomeLocated in the heart of Hove, East Sussex, our care home is only a 10 minute drive from Brighton beach, and a short walk to cafes and restaurants.

Our aim is to make your move in to our home as smooth as possible. All of our residents benefit from a personalised support plan, so you can be sure you will get the right level of care for your needs. Whether you choose to stay with us for respite, short-term care, or for longer, we will fully assess your needs and agree a care plan with you.

For your leisure time, our social programmes aim to enable you to continue to do the things you enjoy. See page 6 for more information. When it comes to meals, our catering team can adapt our delicious menus to fit in with any personal preferences you may have.

We understand that making the decision to move into a care home can be a difficult time. We hope that the information in this booklet can answer any questions you may have about our home, but should you have any specific queries, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to answer them.

With best wishes,

Carole PorterRegistered Manager at RNIB Wavertree House

Thank you for considering Wavertree House, our residential care home for people with sight loss, run by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

With 150 years of experience working with blind and partially sighted people, we offer you specialist support and 24 hour care in a relaxed, homely environment.

We aim to:• respect your individual needs

and wishes,

• help you maintain your independence

• make life easier for you.

As a home committed to excellence we are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and are a founder member of The National Skills Academy for Social Care.

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Your RoomOur care home has been designed to offer you the comfort and familiarity that you are used to in your own home.

We offer a choice of furnished rooms, including one-bedroom flats with a separate sitting room, and studio flats, so you can pick the best option for you. All of our rooms feature a kitchen area and an en-suite bathroom with a toilet, washbasin and a choice of a bath or shower. You’ll also find a 24-hour call system for emergencies in every room. We also have flats available for couples to share.

Your room is yours to make your own. All rooms are available fully furnished, but we encourage residents to bring their own furniture and personal items such as favourite possessions and mementos so you can feel at home straight away.

Housekeeping services are provided, with your room being cleaned frequently and your linen changed as often as you wish. We’ll also collect your laundry every day; returning it freshly cleaned and pressed.

“ RNIB state that their homes have been designed to make life easy, in a warm, homely environment. This was embedded in the practice of staff and within the atmosphere of the home.” CQC, August 2016.

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Social areasYou can relax in our comfortable, well-furnished social areas, which include two sitting rooms, a craft room, and various quiet rooms where residents can read and play puzzles.

The layout of every room and the decoration, including lighting, have all been handpicked to maximise visibility and ensure you can find your way around easily. Handrails in all corridors also help to ensure easy navigation around the home.

We have a beautiful garden, packed with scented flowers and plants, where you can sit and enjoy the sea air. Our handrails continue out in to the garden, so that you can move safely and independently around the whole area.

You can also make use of our summer house in the gardens, where you can sit out, enjoy the sun and admire the grounds.

“ If I had to pick the most important thing that Wavertree has done for me, it would be friendship with other people and being shown activities that I can do even though I can’t see very well.” Ronald, resident at RNIB Wavertree House.

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Dining and entertainingWe offer a fully catered service to all our residents, serving breakfast, lunch and supper, as well as providing snacks throughout the day and night.

Our catering team create meals to be tasty and nutritious. They can also be adapted to cater for all religious, medical and lifestyle diets.

All meals are served over a two-hour period, so you can decide when you want to eat during this time. Meals are served in the dining room, or in your room should you wish.

If you have friends or family visiting, they can eat with you in the dining area. Teas, coffees and snacks are also available, so you can continue to entertain your guests in your new home.

“ There was a friendly, caring, warm relaxed atmosphere within the home and people were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends.” CQC, August 2016.

Typical menu

Breakfast Choice of fruit juice, cereals, porridge and a full English breakfast

Lunch

Main Roast gammon or vegetarian sausages and mash

Sides Choice of creamed or new potatoes and a selection of fresh vegetables

Pudding Cherry pie and custard, yogurts or fresh fruit

Tea Choice of homemade soup, salad and sandwiches

We’ve been awarded the top rating for food hygiene: 5 stars (very good).

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Hobbies and activitiesWe believe that moving in to our home shouldn’t mean that you have to stop doing things you enjoy.

Whether you would like to continue current hobbies, learn new pastimes, get out and about or prefer something a little more laid-back, you’ll find something to suit your needs. Our dedicated activity team ensure there’s always something fun to do and develops our social programme with our residents, not for them.

Recent activities and days out include:

• Pet therapy

• Crafts

• Coffee mornings

• Shopping trips

• Cider making

• Museum trips

• Bowls

• Seated exercises, plus much more!

St Ann’s Garden’s, a community park with café, is just a short stroll up the road. With a bus stop nearby, residents have the freedom to come and go as they  please.

We are able to arrange transport for you to travel to private appointments, social visits, places of worship and local hobby groups. We use our own minibus to take you to outdoor activities to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

If it is easier for services to come to you, we have weekly visits from a hairdresser and chiropodist. If you would like a different type of therapist or professional to visit, or would like to continue to see one that you already use, we are happy to help arrange your appointments.

Volunteers visit us frequently, offering residents the chance to have a cup of tea and a chat, go on additional trips, or receive one-to-one support.

We also regularly welcome choirs, school groups and speakers from the local community, as well as hosting family events throughout the year to coincide with seasonal events such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas.

“ When you have sight loss, life is not finished by any means. There are still many things you can do in spite of your loss of sight.” Cecille, resident at RNIB Wavertree House.

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Highlights from RNIB services:

We’re here to help you or your loved ones face the future with confidence, and offer:

• Our friendly and helpful eye health team to help you understand your eye condition and how to minimise its impact in your daily life.

• Specialist lifestyle supports to make everyday tasks easier; including magnifiers, audio described DVDs, Big Print newspapers and TV guides, talking clocks and fuss free phones.

• Personalised care plans, adapted if your needs change.

• Emotional support from our counsellors, offering confidential telephone support, information and counselling.

• Free RNIB Talking Books, with more than 25,000 titles to enjoy to your heart’s content, plus access to thousands of giant print and braille books from the RNIB Library.

• RNIB Connect, a growing, supportive community of over 27,000 people affected by sight loss; including friends, families and campaigners.

To find out more, call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

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Care and supportWe create a personalised care plan with all our residents, to ensure you get the specific care and support you need.

Before you join us we will assess your needs to ensure we can provide the care you need from the moment you arrive. If you need to move in quickly, we can complete this assessment within two days of your request. Should your care needs change during your stay with us, we will always try to accommodate them.

Once you have settled in, our advice team will visit you for an in-depth chat to understand any concerns you may have about your sight problems. They will also tell you about all the specialist support that is available to you from RNIB.

Our advice team will revisit you every three months, to check back with you and update you with any new services that are available. Should your care needs change during your stay with us, we will always try to accommodate them.

We offer round-the-clock care at the home, with a 24-hour emergency call system available in all rooms, meaning a member of staff can be with you within minutes.

At RNIB we also offer other care and support services which you may be interested in (see previous page).

“ People were cared for by staff that were kind, caring and compassionate. Positive relationships had been developed between people as well as people and staff.” CQC, August 2016.

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RNIB Wavertree House checklistWhen choosing a care home we understand there is a lot of information to digest. This checklist provides a summary about what we offer at a glance.

Checklist

Staff training All our staff are specially trained to support people with sight problems and/or hearing loss. Staff are on call 24 hours a day. We support our staff to achieve an NVQ in health and social care.

Accessibility Our home has been specially designed to ensure residents with sight loss can move around safely and independently, with suitable lighting, hand rails and talking lifts available. We also have magnifying equipment, access to audio described messages and films ad Braille embossers for creating your own Braille documents.

Sight loss support

Your care needs are assessed before and during your stay, to ensure that you receive the best care possible. You will have access to our advice team and specialist counsellors, should you want to discuss your eye condition or any concerns you may have in more detail.

Your room We offer a selection of rooms, enabling you to select the best option for you (subject to availability).

Short stays and respite

Our rooms are available to short stay residents, as well as those looking to stay longer term. Whether you are looking at additional recovery time after a spell in hospital, or a permanent home, we are often able to accommodate new residents within a short time frame.

Additional services

Weekly visits from a hairdresser and a chiropodist. Other services can be arranged upon request. Wider RNIB services are also available (see page 8).

Housekeeping Rooms are cleaned on a weekly basis, and bed linen is changed as frequently as needed. Laundry is collected when required and returned cleaned and pressed. Assistance is available for those wishing to do their own laundry.

Hobbies and activities

Daily programme of activities designed with residents. We offer a number of social areas for you to catch up with other residents or friends and family.

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Violet’s storyViolet is in her nineties and has age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Laser treatment helped stabilise her condition and she is able to lead an active life.

Last year, a few months after Violet’s husband died, she felt that she needed help with cooking, shopping and cleaning. Her nephew helped her look for potential care homes and they found RNIB Wavertree House. They visited for a look round and Violet arranged to stay for two weeks respite. She has lived here ever since.

“One person I knew said to me, ‘Oh, you’re going into a home. They’ll tell you when to go to bed and when to get up’, but it’s not a bit like that. It is very free and easy. I’ve got the service and support I need. Plus I don’t need to cook for myself anymore.”

“When I first came, I didn’t want to go out,” she says. “There was a trip I didn’t want to go on, because

I thought ‘who’s going to look after me?’ But everyone is very friendly. All the carers are very nice. They help you all they can, no matter how busy they are. They always listen to you.”

Violet keeps herself fit with regular walks, “whizzing round corners at 90mph” according to one of her fellow residents.

Violet enjoys living at Wavertree House because, “You can choose how to spend your day, whether you feel like staying in your room or want to get involved with activities, like quizzes, crosswords and making cakes. They have a hairdresser here. They also do your nails for you.”

“We go on trips out to places like the Bluebell Railway, the Wey and Arun Canal and the apple farm where they make and sell cider. I especially enjoyed the time we made juice from apples grown in our garden at Wavertree House.”

We welcome visits to RNIB Wavertree House from prospective residents and their families, as well as from professionals. If you would like to find out more about our home or to arrange a visit, please get in touch:

Registered Care Home Manager: Carole PorterRNIB Wavertree HouseSomerhill RoadHoveEast SussexBN3 1RN

Telephone: 01273 26 22 00

Email: wavertreehouse@rnib.org.uk

Website: rnib.org.uk/wavertreehouse

We look forward to hearing from you.

VolunteeringVolunteering for RNIB is a rewarding experience, and can make an enormous difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people. To find out more about volunteering opportunities, please call our Volunteering Team on 01733 37 54 50 or visit our website rnib.org.uk/volunteering

For an informal chat about the volunteer roles available at Wavertree House call us on 01273 26 22 00.

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