RELATIVES SATISFACTION WITH CARE PROVIDED

4 Summary of Results

• 60% of respondents went to a Home to visit a parent.
• 83% visited their relative at least once a week, with 14% visiting daily.
• Majority of individuals (77%) had been resident in a Home for more than 1 year.
• 90% of respondents were consulted about their relative's needs when they first came to the Home.
• A higher proportion of residents in nursing homes required assistance with daily activities. Majority of relatives felt the necessary assistance was provided.
• 13% of respondents were not happy with the laundering of clothes by the Home (items not washed well; items washed incorrectly and damaged; items lost).
• 28% of respondents stated their relative, on at least one occasion, had been dressed in other resident's clothes. This was twice as likely to happen in nursing homes than residential homes.
• 98% were satisfied with the Home visiting arrangements. The residents' lounge was the most common place for relative and resident to meet.
• Nearly half of respondents (44%) did not know whether or not the Home employed an activity therapist.
• One-third of respondents thought the activity programme provided by the Home was poor. Reasons included no programme provided; lack of variety; and residents not encouraged to participate.
• The majority of respondents stated that staff respected the wishes of residents who did not wish to participate in particular activities.
• A higher proportion of respondents felt enough staff were on duty during the day to care for residents than during the night (63% compared to 47%). Satisfaction with staffing levels differed between nursing and residential homes.
• Concerns were expressed about the use of agency nurses.
• 79% of respondents with a relative in a residential home and 64% of respondents with a relative in a nursing home stated their relative had a key worker.
• Satisfaction with care provided in Homes was high. Almost all respondents felt their relatives were treated with respect, dignity and as individuals.
• Majority of respondents felt staff valued the information they gave about their relative.
• Respondents with a relative in a residential home were more satisfied with the various aspects of the food service. Reasons for dissatisfaction included; lack of variety, poor quality food and hot meals served cold.
• The majority of individuals requiring assistance to eat (special aids, encouragement etc) received it.
• While the majority of respondents were satisfied with the environment of the Homes, the environments of residential homes were rated more highly than those of nursing homes. Satisfaction with freshness was lower than for other aspects.
• 58% of respondents stated the Homes provided opportunities to make suggestions and comments.
• While suggestion books/boxes were more widely used in nursing homes (34% compared to 19% in residential homes), residents groups were more widely found in residential homes (11% compared to 2% in nursing homes).
• Over one-third of respondents would talk to the matron (in nursing homes) or senior staff (in residential homes) if they had a problem about care provided.
• 12% of residents had expressed dissatisfaction with the care they had received in a Home, and 12% of relatives admitted they had, at some time, been concerned about the care their relative was receiving.
• Of those who had brought their concerns to a member of staff, 68% were satisfied with how they had been dealt with.
• Only 40% of respondents stated they had been given a copy of the Home's complaints procedure.