Frequently
Asked
Questions

No. You can bring treasured possessions such as photos, paintings, ornaments and furniture with you. Our teams want you to have your personal belongings around you because they understand how precious these are to you. Our maintenance department will assist in hanging pictures and paintings, or moving furniture.

For regular visits to the hospital our administrator can arrange a taxi for you, this would be as per Taxi drivers rate. Alternatively it may be best to get a family member or friend to bring you to appointments.

For emergencies we will have transport via ambulance to the nearest hospital.

Each room will have a bed, armchair, wardrobe, chest of drawers,TV with saorview channels, a nurse call bell, and a phone. We invite residents to personalise their own rooms.

You will always be encouraged to go on holiday or visit family overnight. Staff will assist you in any way you need such as transportation or medication.

Sonas Nursing Home promote residents independence. We provide care that is supportive and not restrictive. We encourage residents to be as independent as possible and offer expert support to enable this such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.

Pets are welcome to visit our Nursing Homes provided they have been vaccinated & are supervised. Pets must be kept on a lead at all times.

Your GP will visit you at your Sonas Nursing Home, if your own GP is unavailable we can suggest a GP local to the area. If something was acute your GP visit will be arranged asap.

No

There are no set visiting times at the Home and visitors are welcome to drop in at any time throughout the day. For privacy reasons we would ask visitors to refrain from visiting between 10pm at night and 10am in the morning, and at meal times (unless wishing to assist). However if someone is ill there is no restriction on visiting unless there is a specific request from the resident. The wishes of each resident regarding receiving visitors will be respected and will be monitored by the nurse in charge.

At Sonas Nursing Homes our kitchens are managed by qualified Chefs who endeavour to use seasonal and local produce. All our food is freshly prepared including our brown bread, scones and cakes. Our Chefs are passionate about nutrition and the presentation of their food and are qualified to provide for
all and any dietary requirements. There is a varied choice for all residents. Our kitchen teams work together with the care teams ensuring that the personal likes/dislikes of residents are communicated resulting in their needs being met and enabling residents to enjoy all mealtimes to the fullest.

Sonas Nursing Homes are a happy, lively place to be. Residents choice and preferences are always respected but residents are encouraged to try new things. Our activities include computer classes, gardening, cooking, baking, arts and crafts, reading, music, knitting, group exercise, meditation, bingo, cards, doll therapy. We will ensure that you continue to enjoy the pastimes you loved at home. We are also pro-active in engaging with our local community to invite them into our home and enjoy social events with the people who live here. A full schedule of activities is available to every resident, with residents who prefer smaller groups or one to one interactions catered for also.

At Sonas Nursing Homes we realise families input is hugely important as we get to know residents. We like to involve families in helping us with their life story and their likes and dislikes By working together we can help provide optimum care for residents. Support from family members and friends is very important, especially for residents with dementia. Relatives and friends are encouraged to join our residents committee. This committee plays an active and important role in the running of the Home. Issues discussed by this committee are taken on board when planning improvements in care.

Yes. When you first meet the nursing home teams, they will prepare your care plan. This will include things such as what foods you like or dislike, what time you usually get up or go to bed, what activities or hobbies you prefer. Your preference will be documented so that all the staff will know your likes and dislikes. Care teams will review your care plan with you every 4 months or more often if you want or if your needs change, it is important to know that in our Nursing Home you have the right to choose what you like or dislike.

Yes. All our homes have a residents and relatives commitee. We strongly encourage residents and their relatives or representative to join the committee within our Home. This committee plays an active and important role in the running of the Home and issues discussed by this committee are those, which
relate to the greater good for all residents. Specific issues relating to individual residents should be discussed on a day-to-day basis with the Nurse in Charge or Person in Charge. Those interested in the role or membership of the committee should discuss this with the Person in
Charge.

• Any staff member who receives a complaint should report it to the nurse in charge. The nurse in charge and/or the staff member should try to resolve the complaint. The nurse in charge will log the complaint and the actions taken to address the complaint on care monitor. They will also log whether or not the complainant is satisfied. The PIC will review and sign off the complaint on care monitor.
• If the complaint cannot be resolved at the first stage the PIC (complaints officer) will commence their investigation of the complaint (provided that they are not involved in the subject matter of the complaint or the direct care of the complainant). The PIC will liaise with the complainant and any other relevant parties or authorities. The PIC will ensure that any necessary practical assistance is made available to the complainant. The PIC will ensure that both verbal and written records are provided to the complainant as requested. The PIC will endeavour to resolve the complaint at this stage and will implement and document any improvement measures required as a result of the findings from their investigation. They will also document whether or not the complainant was satisfied with the outcome.
• At the request of the complainant the complaint can be further reviewed by the Director of Quality & Governance (review officer). This review will be concluded no later than 20 working days after the receipt of the request for the review. The Director of Quality & Governance will ensure that both verbal and written records are provided to the complainant as requested. If the Director of Quality & Governance is already involved in the subject matter of the complaint or the direct care of the complainant then a regional Quality Manager or a PIC from another Sonas nursing home will be appointed as the review officer.
• We will always aim to ensure that complaints are investigated and concluded, as soon as possible and in any case no later than 30 working days after the receipt of the complaint.
• The complainant may wish to make their complaint to an independent person. SAGE provide an independent advocacy service for all of our residents. The contact details for your advocate are on and for the Ombudsman are located on the home noticeboard.