If you have information about a local nursing home you would like to share -- good or bad -- please feel free to send us the information. Thank you!
Completed questionnaires should be sent to
1 Name of Establishment
2 What is your connection with the establishment ie resident, staff, friend
or relative of patient, or other (please describe.)
3. How would you describe the level of care in the following areas:
a. Diet/ nutrition (do residents exercise choice in the foods they eat. If
they have difficulty feeding themselves, do they receve adequate assistance
to get enough to eat?)
b. personal hygene (eg, ie do residents receive regular bathing + clean
clothes)
c. general hygiene (eg standards of cleanliness in the kitchen and rooms)
d. privacy (do residents have a choice about sharing rooms. Do they have
privacy when using the bath / WC / dressing / discussing personal matters.
Are their affairs discussed between staff / visitors without their consent?)
e. health (are resident's health need addressed - do they receive regular
health reviews and appropriate treatment for illnesses / injuries)
f. Lifting (Do residents receive appropriate assistance to ensure they are
transferred safely to bed, bath, chair, WC? This means feeling safe as well
as being safe. Does each resident have care notes specifying how each such
transfer is to be undertaken?)
g. social (do residents have social opportunities and stimulation on a daily
basis. Do they go on outings? Have visitors / volunteer visitors? Are their
social needs reviewed regularly?)
h. cultural (Are residents given opportunities to remain up-to-date with
cultural developments? e.g Do they receive computer training? Does anyone
discuss the local / national news or the affairs of the day with them?)
i. self-determination (do residents have control over their own spending
money? Over their wardrobe? Can they choose which channel is on the TV? If
they are able, can they leave the building? Do they contribute to regular
reviews of their care? Are they allowed an advocate?)
j. continuity (Do residents have a particular key-worker on each shift who
knows their history, preferences and any current issues relevant to their
care? Does the resident know who that is? Is this their preferred person?)
4. Visitors (How welcome are they made to feel? Are they offered a hot
drink? Is there a pleasant place where they can be with the resident
privately?
5. Relatives or friends (Are you notified in circumstances when the
resident might benefit from your concern. Do staff take your knowledge of
the resident into consideration?)
6. Security (Is the home a home for life - or could the resident be
transferred out if they run into financial problems or chronic health
issues?)
7. Staff
a. is the home adequately staffed?
b. Are staff allowed to spend quality time with residents or is that
interpreted as 'idleness' by management?
c. Are there sufficient staff to lift residents safely when necessary? Are
staff trained to lift.
d. What is staff morale like?
e. Are the staff warm toward the residents? Are there obvious warm and
relaxed relations between staff and residents or not?
f. Do staff use a different kind / tone of voice when speaking to residents
than when speaking to 'normal' people?
g. Is there always a member of staff on duty qualified and able to respond
appropriately to medical emergencies / accidents?
h. Are staff kept up-to-date with changes in the care needs of each
resident?
8 Your contact details - You do not have to give these. They may be useful
however if we are seeking more detailed information on a particular home or
issue. Each reply will be numbered. Contact details if provided will be
removed and kept in a seperate confidential numbered register by the Virtual
Lancaster Editor alone. They will not be divulged to anyone else without
your explicit permission.
Completed questionnaires should be sent to
