FAQs

When visiting a care home be sure to spend some time looking around and talking to the manager, as well as other staff and residents, and even the families of residents. Think about your first impressions, e.g. were there any unpleasant smells or how were you greeted? Did the residents look happy? How are the bedrooms decorated? What activities happen in the home? How are the communal areas set up? Is the food cooked fresh each day? There are lots more questions to consider. The Alzheimer’s Society is a good source of reference for this.

You can pay for residential care privately (self-funding) or through your local council (depending on your personal circumstances). Before deciding how to pay for a care home, it’s worth asking your local authority for a needs assessment and Which! also has a handy guide for working out how much you will pay, whether you are entirely self-funding or receiving local authority support. You can also contact us for advice and guidance.

Our Roseleigh care home in Middlesbrough has a floor dedicated to people with dementia and alzheimer’s, as well as other complex care needs. This floor includes themed corridors designed to stimulate the senses.

We are now thankfully able to admit families to our three homes again, although we are following Government Covid-19 guidance which means, for example, that a rapid lateral flow test needs to be taken by visitor sand once admitted to the home, you can hold hands with your loves ones but can’t hug them, however we will advise further as and when this changes. Usually, visitors are welcome at anytime of the day.

Yes. It is important to have familiar surroundings so we encourage residents to hang photos, bring their most cherished possessions and make their room their own. We do require all electrical items to be tested using PAT and will conduct fire risk assessments on any furniture.

Unfortunately they are not, but because we know many residents will have had pets during their life, we do have regular visits from Pets as Therapy dogs.

All of our homes offer three meals a day as well as snacks and refreshments available throughout the day. Residents can choose from a variety of breakfast options, from cereal to a full English breakfast. Depending on the home, the main meal will be at lunch or in the evening, but will consist of a choice of starter, main course and dessert, all served in our restaurant style dining rooms. If residents wish to eat in their room, we will also take their meals to them.

Our Activity Coordinators provide a wide range of activities designed to encourage group involvement but also to meet individual needs, but the choice to participate rests solely with our residents.

Each day is different, but activities include bingo, dominoes, reminiscence, arts and crafts, exercise classes, race nights evenings, pamper nights, coffee mornings and outings to local markets and shops and also local places of interest. We also encourage visits from local entertainers, such as choirs, singers, and groups.

We are continually thinking outside the box when it comes to activities, so you are just as likely to residents playing a life size game of Hungry Hippos and throwing a large inflatable ball in the garden to each other.