Activities Programme
Our Activities Coordinators work on delivering a range of activities to meet emotional, social, physical & intellectual needs of residents. Providing opportunities for individuals to use their skills and enhance their quality of life, whilst maintaining their independence and privacy.
Sonas provide a full activity programme delivered by our Activities Coordinator teams. Each of our homes has at least 1 activities coordinator who’s job it is to create meaningful activities that residents in our homes will benefit from, both socially and physically.
Residents can choose to participate in any of these activities if they wish. Our Activities calendar is posted weekly and residents can enjoy many activities from bingo, cards, music evenings, men’s clubs, knitting, gardening and many more. Residents will have the option to join any of these group event and will also be encouraged to have one on one activities with our coordinators and care teams, which can be something as simple as reading the newspaper and having a cup of tea to joining in some arts and crafts. Residents are also invited and encouraged to participate in computer classes on our Wi-Fi network. Our experienced activities coordinators create programmes for residents that best suit their needs and can include day trips and outings to local amenities or church.
Many of our activities coordinators are fully trained in ImaginationGym®. Imagination Gym is based around a series of audio adventures that are designed to stimulate the listener’s imagination. These imagination exercises are audio based and designed to stimulate the listener in multiple ways through smell and touch. The activities are designed to encourage participants in the practice of bringing ideas generated in the imaginative state into the real world in practical activities such as art, drama, music and writing. When participants are coming from a relaxed imaginative state the creative output can be enhanced and responses can improve. For more information about ImaginationGym® see www.imaginationgym.com.
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Convalescent Care
Respite / Post Operative Rehabilitative Care at Sonas assist individuals with recuperation and recovery after surgery, or serious illness. Because each individual is different the length of stay can vary between one week to twelve weeks. All our homes are registered with VHI.
Convalescent / Respite / Post Operative Rehabilitative Care is the gradual return to health while recovering from a major illness or post-surgery. This would usually be Following treatment in a hospital or medical center where it is often necessary to spend additional time recovering. This time will vary for each resident and a details care plan will be done with the Care Team at Sonas.
The goal is to regain strength and mobility so the individual can perform the daily tasks and activities needed when they return home.
The multidisciplinary team consists of our Healthcare Professionals, the individual and the family Doctor, physiotherapist, nurses, chef and other facility staff. This team provide nursing care, physical therapy, health promotion, and prevention of illness, or injury advice, catering and nutritional care, medical services in collaboration with the family doctor, social activities, laundry and housekeeping services.
All our homes are registered with VHI Healthcare who under certain insurance plans contribute towards a certain level of convalescence stay.
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Long Term Residential
We provide secure and comfortable living for residents in a professionally managed, safe and homely setting. Residents become part of the Sonas community and we achieve their highest possible standards of living by creating and maintaining a detailed and personalised care plan for each resident.
Sonas Nursing Homes is an award-winning leading provider of long-term residential care to older persons.
We provide a homely environment and ensure that each home is part of its surrounding community, giving residents the chance to take part in local events. Our care teams are highly trained and work closely with residents and their families to create a personal care plan and activities, designed to meet residents wishes, requests, as well as their needs, depending on the ability and requirement of the individual residents.
Interesting and varied menus – quality food is such an important aspect of daily life. We focus on providing meals which comprise of fresh, seasonal ingredients so that every meal is not only nutritious but also looks great and tastes delicious. All of the chicken and meat on our menus comes from Bord Bia Quality Assured sources.
Involvement with the local community is encouraged and promoted in all of our homes including visits from and to the local community as much as possible.
Sonas do not have restricted visiting hours for relatives – people can drop in when ever it suits. A warm welcome and a cup of tea always awaits. For privacy and security 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).
Other Services
At all of our Sonas homes, we maintain a directory of trusted external professionals. An appointment for any of these services can be organised for residents through private arrangements. An extra fee may be incurred. These may include Chiropodist, Optician, Dentist, Occupational Therapy or Dietician
Chiropodist
If residents wish to have chiropody it can be arranged for a private chiropodist to visit through a private arrangement and cost incurred per session. Medical Card holders over the age of 65 years or people with diabetes who hold a medical card are entitled to apply for a chiropody treatment card and are entitled to a rebate on 2 treatments per year. Application forms are available in your local Health Centre. If you would like to apply or need help in making an application, or if you just want to know what is available to you let us know.
Optician/Dentist
Please inform the nurse of any optical or dental requirements you might have and arrangements will be made to accommodate you. We organise eye screening for residents in house at least every two years and this is covered by your medical card.
Dietician
If a resident requires the services of a dietician this will be organised for you by the nurse in charge. This is included in your weekly rate.
Occupational Therapy
If a resident requires the services of an Occupational Therapist this will be organised for you by the nurse in charge. Additional costs may apply and these will be discussed with you.
If additional services are required or desired, we can organise to have that service brought to Sonas or to have residents brought to a location where the service is provided. We encourage residents and their families to inform staff about the services they would like made available.
Care Plan
A care plan is drawn up when you arrive at Sonas Nursing Home and reviewed on an ongoing basis. The plan focuses on ensuring all your living and care needs. Important life considerations such as the foods you like or don’t like, dietary requirements, what time you get up or go to bed, your likes and dislikes, your clinical and therapeutic care needs, are all detailed in each resident’s care plan.
Our care team is highly skilled and works closely with the residents and their families to create an individualised, personal care plan, designed to meet your loved one’s wishes, wants, as well as their needs.
The agreed detailed care plan is devised to suit the residents’ individual needs and detailed records are maintained. This ensures continuity and allows us to continually assess the plan for improvements or changes based on outcomes and your feedback.
Religion & Spirituality
Along with physical care, religious & spiritual care is import to people who live at Sonas Nursing Homes. It provides connection, peace, and purpose which in turn leads to satisfaction. Clergy of all denominations are welcome at any time.
Mass is celebrated at Sonas Nursing Homes, where a priest cannot say mass in the home it will be live streamed from the local parish and a Eucharist Minister will attend to distribute Holy Communion. Confessions and sacrament of the sick are also available. We have an Oratory for quiet prayer and reflection time. Residents are welcome to attend religious services in their local church following a risk assessment, taxis can be arranged but this will incur an additional fee.
Should you wish for us to contact your priest or minister, please do not hesitate to ask.
Residents Feedback
We strongly encourage residents and/or the families to participate in the resident meetings which are every 3 months. These meetings play an active and important role in the running of the Home. Issues discussed 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 nursing staff or Person in Charge. There are also comments boxes available in the home and an annual satisfaction survey is distributed in December. We have an open-door policy and welcome feedback at any time
GP on Call
We at Sonas will ensure that our residents receive appropriate medical care from a General Practitioner of their choice. Sonas Nursing Homes have arrangements in place with local GP’s to provide primary General Practitioner Services to our residents. The residents GP will visit the centre at routine intervals for general medical reviews and will attend at other times based on the medical need of the resident at any given time.
The Out of Hours Doctor services provides GP cover outside of normal GP working hours.
Residents access the GP service through the General Medical Scheme (GMS/Medical Card) where appropriate, or by registering as a private patient of the General Practitioners Surgery. Sonas Nursing Homes accommodate other GP’s to attend the centre, at the request of residents.
Our GP’s work closely with our care teams to maximise the resident’s wellbeing and quality of life. Any treatment required in the nursing home will be provided as soon as possible and prescriptions will be sourced from the pharmacy. Referrals to other primary care teams or the acute hospital setting will be arranged in consultation with the resident and their family
Dementia Care
At Sonas Nursing Homes, our dedicated and highly skilled teams provide specialist Dementia Care throughout each of our Sonas Nursing Homes. Our Sonas Nursing Home Care Teams have undergone many in-house training and external training in Dementia.
Living with a diagnosis of Dementia creates many challenges and is an emotional time for you & your family. The decision to explore residential care for yourself or a loved one can be an overwhelming time. We at Sonas want to help you to navigate your way through this journey. We hope to guide you through your concerns, & identify your needs. We want to welcome you to our home, meet our teams & other residents, explore the activity provision and gather all the information you need to enable you to make your decision.
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Physiotherapy
Our full-time physiotherapist have extensive older persons experiences, which allow them to design exercise and rehabilitation programmes to suit all residents individual needs. Our dedicated physiotherapists are a chartered physiotherapist with more than 10 year’s experience each in Physiotherapy care. They are all current members of the ISCP (Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists) and have extensive experience in the Nursing Home environments. The primary role of our physiotherapists is to response to residents individual needs and to improve mobility and physical ability.
Our physiotherapist’s design exercise and rehabilitation programmes customised to the specific needs of residents at Sonas Homes. Our physiotherapist’s have extensive specialist experience working with older adults with conditions such as arthritis, stroke recovery and mobility issues. Some residents are admitted with conditions already requiring physiotherapy, others may require more occasional or sporadic treatment, our physio works around their needs. Individual mobility assessment are carried out on each resident prior to implementing any physiotherapy programme. Our Physiotherapist also work with groups within the home which provide meaningful exercise programmes for all to participate in.
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Hairdressing
Regular Hairdressing and Barber appointments are important to residents at Sonas. It maintains a sense of well-being and has a powerful effect on an individual’s sense of dignity and self-respect.
Our in-house salons are a very natural setting for reminiscing and also a place where people share insights about themselves. Some opt for a regular appointment while others book a visit as and when they need one. Appointments can be made with our administration for barbers or hairdressers for hot shaves, hair cuts, colours, perms or blow drys.
With our care teams placing so much attention on the inside, our Beauty teams believe everyone deserves a chance to focus on the outside appearance, too. Not only do residents emerge primped and proper but they also develop further self-confidence.
Nutrition
Balanced nutritional intake is a key element of maintaining a healthy body and mind. Good nutrition and hydration improves the quality of life of our residents and promotes physical & emotional well-being. At Sonas Nursing Homes our highly skilled & qualified chefs ensure all of our menus are carefully balanced and offer a wide variety of choice.
Many of our residents will have specific dietary requirements such as allergies or intolerance’s, low fat or low sugar needs, high calorie or supplemented/modified meals. Our catering teams are trained to produce nutritional meals that meet all of our resident’s needs. Our menu is displayed daily and there is an alternative option ensuring variety & choice.
Our chefs are passionate about nutrition and the presentation and quality of their food. Our catering teams also cater for our nursing home teams.