Roger Higglesden

28 Jul 2023
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Roger Higglesden was the first resident with a learning disability to join us at Windsor Court. At the time Roger was living in Bath, he had spent a prolonged time in hospital and due to his dementia causing a cognitive decline and difficulties with mobility, he was unable to return to his supported living accommodation.

Windsor Court was asked if we would be able to offer a placement for Roger due to his increased needs. Roger’s brother lives in Bournemouth and was travelling between here and Bath weekly to check on Roger, it made sense for Roger to move to Bournemouth and be closer to his family.

At the time we had not been providing care for individuals with learning disabilities at Windsor Court, therefore preparations had to made to ensure we could accommodate Roger as quickly as possible. In less than a fortnight, our team completed their Oliver McGowan training to ensure they had a good understanding of the needs of individuals with learning disabilities or autism. The entire team at Windsor Court wanted to ensure we could support Roger and his family, expanding the care services we offer in order to support someone in need, to be closer to their loved ones.

As soon as Roger arrived at the home he settled in really well, he quickly became part of the Windsor Court family and was adored by everyone at the home. Roger was an absolute pleasure to care for, he loved to interact and engage with the staff and other residents at the home, his smiles and laughter really brightened a room. Roger’s brother was relieved to have him closer by, he visited frequently and was happy to see how well Roger had settled into life at Windsor Court.

“My brother Roger’s health had deteriorated which meant we needed to find a new care home for him.  We considered a number of care homes in the area which we visited. Windsor Court clearly stood out as our preferred choice.

They had a strong desire to expand the type of person they support to include people with learning difficulties. This included speedy communication with the Care Quality Commission to obtain the necessary approvals so that Roger could be discharged from hospital and go to Windsor Court.

We gained a huge amount of confidence from Anna Knight who has a brother with learning difficulties and clearly understood what was needed in order to provide high quality care for Roger.

Once he arrived at Windsor Court we were very impressed with the care culture throughout the home and the approach from all of the staff. Roger was well cared for and incredibly happy there.”

Unfortunately, Roger’s health declined after his prolonged period in hospital. He developed a chest infection which meant he had to return to hospital and despite the best efforts of everyone involved, he sadly passed away. We were all very sad to have to say goodbye to Roger, and that we didn’t get the time with him at Windsor Court that we would so love to have had.

Of course, we stayed in close contact with Roger’s family throughout this time and his brother was so appreciative of the support we were able to provide Roger, seeing how happy he was during his time at Windsor Court. Roger’s brother asked if we would be able to provide a place at Windsor Court for their mother, who was also in need of a care provider. We agreed in a heartbeat, and Roger’s mother is now residing in what had been Roger’s room. We are so pleased to be able to continue to support such a wonderful family.

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