Half Acre House implement recommendations following Healthwatch visit

Half Acre House care home have made some positive changes to their home following a recent Enter and View visit by Healthwatch Rochdale, demonstrating the positive outcomes that can be produced when organisations work together.

Healthwatch Rochdale visited Half Acre House in January 2019 and made recommendations for improvement which included extending the car parking space for visitors, implementing electronic care planning, having a ‘you said, we did’ board to show how feedback can make a positive difference and for Half Acre House to share best practice with other homes in the borough. 

Since the visit, Half Acre House have implemented all recommendations and now have electronic care planning, a ‘You said, We did’ board and suggestions box in the main hallway, and in March 2019 created a car park for staff freeing up space at the front of the house.

 

 

 

The car park has been created without spoiling any of the natural beauty of the home and Half Acre has maintained its picturesque gardens.

Half Acre House has also been selected as one of eighteen homes to be a Greater Manchester Teaching Care Home, which shares best practice with other homes about what works well and what doesn’t.

Kate Jones, Healthwatch Rochdale Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very pleased with the changes that Half Acre have made following our visit which we feel demonstrates their openness to making changes if they feel they would be beneficial to the residents in their care.

“We had no concerns when we visited Half Acre House, but we are always looking at how things could be made better and the changes that Half Acre have made are a great example of how providers can work with us to make positive improvements.”

Enter and View visits are a statutory power of Healthwatch Rochdale that allows authorised representatives to enter care home premises and speak with residents, relatives, the manager and staff to ensure that the care in the home reflects resident’s needs and requirements.

Following the visit recommendations are made based on observations and information received on the day, with Healthwatch Rochdale always encouraging providers to go above and beyond their statutory requirements.