Our Home

Welcome to Halsdown House

Halsdown House Residential Home is dual registered to allow 3 residential service users to be accommodated and integrate with those requiring nursing care to a maximum of 17 beds occupancy. There are fourteen rooms varying in size, shape and aspect. Some facing the estuary and the Haldon Hills beyond. Three of the rooms are registered for two persons to accommodate husband and wife, sisters / brothers or those wishing to share. All rooms comply with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with a minimum 10 square metres for single rooms and 16 square metres for double rooms and we do not exceed the 20% ceiling for the ratio of shared rooms.

We cater for elderly male and females with a varying range medical needs.

After an initial telephone enquiry to Halsdown House we advise the prospective service user, next of kin or advocate to see the room and facilities available. Once the room has been accepted and reserved a representative of Halsdown House will visit the prospective service user at their home or hospital ward to introduce themselves and to obtain as much information as possible to facilitate a trouble free transfer to Halsdown House.

Although at Halsdown House we aim to be very informal and flexible in our routines, some structure is inevitable and these will be explained to all prospective service users and any questions they may have encouraged.

If prospective service users are privately funded a written agreement will be signed.

Although the above method is preferable and is generally the norm, we can receive service users on an ‘emergency’ basis direct from G.P’s, hospital’s or next of kin subject to:

• A suitable vacant room.

• Sufficient detailed information of the service users condition given to the management to ascertain suitability for admission to Halsdown House.

• If the individual needs a place of safety.

Provision for the service users own furniture will be made if the room size and suitability is appropriate.

More able-bodied service users can engage in daily activities undertaken at Halsdown House and overseen by the care assistants. These include games of cards, quizzes, exercise classes, darts, cooking, handicrafts and piano playing. Visits to places of local interest e.g. local beach, garden centres and Woodbury Common are arranged periodically as are shopping trips, cream-tea’s and pub-lunches.

Anybody needing a greater input of care to achieve participation will be assisted whenever possible and one to one engagement is also provided. There is wheelchair access to all areas of Halsdown House, gardens and transport so those service users wishing to participate in any of the above need not feel left out or be held back due to lack of access.

Quality Assurance

All service users, relatives and visitors are in constant contact with members of staff who verbally obtain their comments on any positive or negative aspects of care and environment. These are acted on and documented in the care plans and incident books as appropriate.

In our continuing effort to provide, as near complete service user satisfaction, we have compiled questionnaires to monitor all aspects of Halsdown House care. These range from an Initial Questionnaire to be returned within one week of admittance, to other questionnaire’s that are produced twice per year. We have a Quality Assurance Audit which works alongside the CQC outcomes, questionnaires are distributed to service users and relatives. Feedback contributes to us identifying the areas where there is potential to improve. Coffee mornings are also in place to give relatives and service users an opportunity to comment on the operation of the home.

Fire Precautions

Halsdown House Residential Home is equipped with smoke or heat detectors in all rooms, landings, corridors, lift shaft and roof space. There are fire retardant ceilings and doors tested to at least a minimum burn through time of thirty minutes and a smoke inhibiting strip in the door’s. Fire alarm call points are strategically placed throughout the building and together with the smoke detectors will activate the audible alarm bells. In addition to the alarm system there are various fire extinguishers and blankets placed on walls and floors throughout the building clearly labelled for the appropriate use. In the event of a fire there are clearly labelled EU ‘running man’ fire exit signs indicating the nearest exit along with the automatic emergency lighting that would illuminate the way.

The most important aspect in the unfortunate situation of facing a real fire situation would be staff training. All staff at Halsdown House receive mandatory bi-annual formal fire lectures and demonstrations on fire safety and precautions.

The alarm is tested weekly and staff participate in frequent fire drills. All service users and relatives are told before activation of the alarm to avoid panic.

Religious Services

Upon admission to Halsdown House the religion of each service user is documented along with their wishes involved with their faith. The staff will enable their wishes to be fulfilled whenever possible either by contacting clergy for visits or arranging transport to church.

Those wishing to receive communion at Halsdown are visited on a monthly basis or as required. Many service users in the past have expressed a wish to attend church services on a regular basis or to attend special services and this has been arranged.