Margaret Maisey
In December 2023 we were delighted to welcome Margaret Maisey as a resident of Robertson Nursing Home. Having spent some time trying to find the right home for her, Margaret came to Robertson and settled in very quickly. Margaret’s daughter is a nurse and still works within the care industry, so knew what she was looking for in a suitable home for her mother, where her needs would be met and she would be happy. Mari, Margaret’s daughter, explains her journey to find the right home and their experience with Robertson so far.
“I had been looking after Mum at home with the support of carers for several years, before we decided it was the right time to explore nursing home options. We looked around at some of the homes in the area including Robertson Nursing Home and I really liked it. Unfortunately, we were going through the funding process and did not have a huge amount of choice in Mum’s placement, it mostly came down to availability.”
“Despite having to opt for a different home at the time, Robertson had left a very good impression and had also been highly recommended to me by a colleague at the hospital where I worked. The home Mum moved to unfortunately didn’t end up suiting her needs.”
“Mum needed to be moved and I wanted her to go to Robertson. The team were able to give me the reassurance I was looking for from a clinical governance perspective and the home had a good CQC rating, both of which are important to me. I could see that proper risk assessments and care plans were in place, as well as good infection control procedures. Having worked as a nurse I understand how much of an impact these things have on the care being provided. I also appreciated the holistic approach to dementia care that they use at Robertson and felt confident they would be able to support Mum with the additional needs associated with her dementia.”
“It was also the atmosphere at Robertson that I appreciated, the staff were all very welcoming, the residents all seemed happy and were socialising together. There is a really friendly atmosphere at the home, you got that feeling as soon as you walked in the door.”
“Since Mum moved to Robertson I have a lot more peace of mind that she is safe and being well cared for. I feel free from worry when I leave, something that I didn’t experience before. The dementia care is excellent and I am also impressed with their pressure care management. I feel reassured that the nurses have plans in place for how to deal with any issues that might come up, they seem to have a clear procedure for escalation and when to bring in external medical support. This gives me a lot of peace of mind that they are able to handle my Mum’s medical needs, whatever should happen.”
“The staff at Robertson are brilliant and very professional, they seem to really care about the residents and get to know all of them individually. All the staff really seem to enjoy their job and that’s what makes a big difference. Every staff member, from the kitchen staff, to domestics, care staff and nurses, everyone is brilliant – they seem like a family”
“Mum has thrived since coming to Robertson, she joins in with group activities which she didn’t do as often before. They do a lot of different activities, Mum loves colouring and making cards in their craft sessions, they do armchair exercises which are a lot of fun. The staff even create a newsletter for the residents full of things from the past that might evoke memories for them, it’s very sweet and Mum loves looking through it. It’s lovely to see her joining in with things and socialising, not just sitting on her own in her room.”
“She likes sitting outside in the garden which is wonderful to see, she hadn’t really wanted to go out much or enjoy the outdoors. For the first time in many years she is enjoying being outside in the garden which has had had a big impact on her wellbeing.”
“The biggest thing for me is seeing her join the other residents for meals. Before coming to Robertson, she didn’t seem keen to sit out for meals with the others and now she does. It made me emotional to see her enjoying her meals in the dining room with everyone else. Mum is able to sit in the same spot in the dining room for every meal, with her dementia this is really helpful as it is familiar and comforting for her. It’s things like this that they think about and cater to at Robertson.”
“All the staff have been very accommodating to Mum’s needs. They created a specific meal plan for her to ensure she is getting the right kinds of nutritionally balanced meals. In the evenings Mum likes to have her tea in her room, they provide one-on-one care in helping her with her meal and just spend time talking to her. The dedicated care they offer is exceptional. Everyone at the home is very adaptable, they adjust their procedures and care plans to better suit the residents’ needs.”
“The care here is exceptional, I couldn’t have found a better home for Mum. I always recommend the home to others and only have good things to say about the Robertson staff.”