“A male resident was admitted to our Home – very well dressed in his attire of shirt, tie and suit.  His independence with personal care was encouraged and he managed well with this.  Over the first few weeks of admission staff and his family noticed that he was becoming more confused, unable to button his shirt and do up his tie.  In order to assist with his confusion, family purchased polo shirts, enabling him to continue to dress himself but without the frustration of not being able to button up his shirt.

This initially worked well until he was found to be putting on more clothing on over the top of what he already had on. He continued with this practice until staff discussed ways of discouraging him from adding layers of clothing.

Identifying the resident prior to admission, his previous lifestyle and choice of clothing were all considered and it was decided to revert back to his shirt and tie, but with staff taking the lead in assisting him with his personal care in the mornings.

On a particular morning, the gentleman was assisted with dressing and with buttoning up his shirt and putting on his tie. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and said “That’s Me”, the first time in weeks that his confusion was less evident and he recognised the man in the mirror.”

“Staff in our Home were devastated by the loss of a colleague who died suddenly after 14 years working as a care assistant. Her death had been sudden and came as a great shock to the staff and Residents.

During this time staff supported each other and also the family of our colleague. We had a collection for her family and the Directors doubled the amount we collected which was a great help to her family at that difficult time.

Recently staff have purchased a bench for the Resident’s garden with our colleague’s name on it in her memory. This is something the Residents appreciated as it made them feel involved and part of the Homes “ family”.

This highlights that staff respect each other and are more than just work colleagues but also good friends within and outside the Home. It has also highlighted that the Directors acknowledged the loss of a committed and loyal employee as part of the Conway Group Family.”