Horsell Lodge Team Leads A Whole Home Approach To Palliative Care

Horsell Lodge, near Woking, is a beautiful, modern care home offering dementia, residential and nursing care, with extra focus from its own specially formed Palliative Team.

The Palliative Team – a Small Focused Group

When any resident is ready to receive palliative care, it is given with thoughtfulness, kindness and empathy, respecting the dignity of both the resident their family members. The Horsell Lodge team strive to excel at palliative care and as a result, they have adopted their own approach led by a small, focused group – the Palliative Team.

Head Housekeeper, Denise, Wellbeing lead, Rachel and Deborah, an experienced carer, have joined forces to take palliative care to the next level by committing to reviewing and sharing what and how support is offered to both residents and their families, with a view to making it the best it possibly can be.

Inspired by Feedback from Family

The Palliative Team evolved following feedback from a family member whose relative was close to passing. On what was clearly a difficult day, the Horsell Lodge team offered them a vacant room so they could stay over and be immediately on hand. The family later sent a thank you letter saying that the offer of a bedroom, snacks, a toothbrush etc. had been very much appreciated.

This was the catalyst – so rather than reacting to each case individually, it was decided to implement a core standard for family members in these situations, starting with the offer of food 24 hours a day and shower facilities, toiletries and a room for an overnight stay where possible. Most importantly, and what gives the most reassurance, a team member will always be on hand to sit with the resident if the family member needs to leave their loved one for a short time, meaning they are not left alone.

Entire Staff Involved and Supported

It is this core standard that the Palliative Team uses as its benchmark, gathering feedback from the staff involved and, where possible, family members, when a resident has passed. Their feedback is then shared at the monthly management meeting where the team looks at what can be learned, and whether standards can be added or improved, before communicating to the entire care home staff at their monthly meeting.

There is also a huge emphasis at Horsell Lodge on how a resident’s passing can affect team members. This isn’t about ‘favourites’, but there will always be a resident or two that staff naturally form a bond with. The Palliative Team will know who is likely to find a particular resident’s passing difficult, and make sure they are supported by their colleagues.

A Genuine Culture that Supports the Whole Family Network

Home Manager, Julie Bignell, said, “Palliative End of Life Care is one of the most important aspects of the support and care we offer our residents and their families. It is the last thing we can do for them; we need to get it right the first time as there is no option to go back and try again. This final experience is what the family will remember forever, so we should always aim for it to be as positive as we can, despite the sadness it brings”.

The small Palliative Team has helped to create a genuine culture that supports the whole family network and it’s an ethos that is shared with all at Horsell Lodge through the ‘whole home’ approach. One family member’s feedback reflects everything the team is aiming to achieve:

“The team at Horsell Lodge made what can be a distressing time, peaceful and thoughtful, everything I needed and the things I did not know I needed suddenly and discreetly with kindness would appear. The care was not just for my mum but for every one of us who visited during her last few weeks. We are forever grateful”.

Horsell Lodge Care Home in Surrey

Horsell Lodge Care Home, a modern and comfortable care home based in Woking is beautifully furnished and offers residential, nursing and dementia care. Our location makes us convenient for family and friends who are visiting the home, and we’re perfectly placed for a host of different outings across Surrey.