Living at Shire House Residential Care Home, Lyme Regis, Dorset

We strive to enable our residents to live their lives as fully as possible and encourage our residents to continue with their social activities and contact with family and friends. We also help our residents to carry on with existing hobbies, pursuits, relationships and to explore new avenues and experiences. It is by getting to know our residents' social, cultural and leisure interests, that they can continue to enjoy a wide range of individual and group activities both inside and outside the home.

We recognise that risk-taking is a vital and often enjoyable part of life and of social activity, so when a resident wishes to take part in any activity which could involve risk, we will carry out a thorough risk assessment with that individual and, if they so desire, a relative, friend or representative. Such risk assessments will be regularly reviewed, with the participation of all parties, in the light of experience.

Shire House is a residential care home catering for ladies and gentlemen over the age of 65. However, occasionally we offer respite to people under the retirement age, subject to assessment. We are not a nursing home but work closely with the District Nurses to try and meet all care needs.

Part of the Community

Our residents are invited to join in our communal activities with regular coffee mornings, parties and outside entertainment. It is by developing a community feel that friendships among residents develop and our residents enjoy being part of our community.

We have an Activities Co-ordinator who arranges, on a regular basis, games, creative sessions etc. including weekly organised trips such as shopping, enjoying lunch out and visits to local places of interest.

Visitors

Visitors are welcome at any reasonable time of day. Residents are able to stay in contact with relatives, friends and representatives by having them visit the home or by phone. If a resident does not wish to have a land-line put in, then they are welcome to make and receive reasonable amounts of calls on Shire House's phone, however we recommend that if a resident will be making or receiving a number of calls per day, they have their own individual phone in their room.

Social Activities

Our residents are encouraged to continue their usual social activities aided by transport and staff provided by the home (weekdays only).

We try to ensure that the home is a real part of the local community, so in principle we encourage visitors to the home such as local councillors, representatives of voluntary organisations, students, school children and others. Naturally we respect the views of residents about whom they want to see or not to see.

We aim to give residents opportunities to participate in all aspects of life in the home. In particular, residents are regularly consulted both individually and corporately about the way the home is run. We ensure this by consulting them during their liaison sessions on a weekly basis. Our objective is always to make the process of managing and running the home as transparent as possible and to ensure that the home has an open, positive and inclusive atmosphere.

Meals

We recognise that food and drink play an important part in the social life of the home. We try to provide a welcoming environment in the dining room and ensure that meals are a pleasant unhurried occasion, providing opportunities for social interaction as well as nourishment. As far as possible we encourage residents to choose where they sit in the dining room and meals can be served in residents' own rooms if desired, especially when someone is unwell or wishes to entertain guests.

Three full meals are provided each day and, with a regularly changing menu for lunch and evening meal, residents are always offered a choice of meals. Likes and dislikes are confirmed on admission and incorporated into the menu. Shire House caters for special and therapeutic diets as advised by specialist staff and as agreed in each resident's care plan. Snacks together with hot and cold drinks are available at all times. We aim to make all the food and drink we provide attractive, appealing and appetising, with special occasions and festivals also catered for.

Visitors are welcome to have free of charge refreshments during your visit. We ask that if you wish to have a visitor stay to lunch or supper you inform the staff (if possible) a day before. If visitors kindly wish to bring in “LOW RISK FOODS” for a resident, please ask for a copy of the home's policy. This is in place to prevent food poisoning etc. All special dietary needs are catered for and where practically possible produce is sourced locally.