We spoke with eight of people who use the service, including four in some depth. All the people were pleased with the decision that they live at Long Meadow. They all agreed that their privacy was respected, with one person stating, 'staff don't intrude in the shower.' They confirmed that staff encouraged them to be as independent as possible. One person said, 'Staff encourage me to use my zimmer.' Another person told us about their involvement in writing the last two Long Meadow News Sheets.People described good levels of contact with the local community. These comprised visits to them from friends and relatives and to the service from local entertainers, and regular visits into the community in the service's mini bus.
Three of the people we spoke with had no recall of being formally involved in drawing up their care plans or risk assessments, though one of these three people said that staff do talk to them about their needs.
The people we spoke with said that staff respected their personal preferences. Also, they felt that all their needs were met at Long Meadow. They felt that a range of suitable activities were offered and described examples of those activities they found stimulating. These ranged from, 'music and singing' to, 'Bingo, dominoes and baking.' One person added, '[The activities coordinator] is good at organising'I enjoy the entertainers.'
The people we spoke with told us that they felt safe living at Long Meadow. Three people were able to tell us what they would do if they were worried about anything ' one said, 'I'd ask staff, they're all approachable.' All the people we spoke with confirmed that staff showed them respect and ensured their dignity was maintained.
People told us that they felt there were sufficient staff to meet their needs and were readily available. They all felt that they were cared for properly, by staff, during the day and night. They said that staff were competent at their job, with one adding, 'I can't find any fault at all.'
The people we spoke with all said the quality of the service they received was very good. Only one person was aware of there being any residents' meetings and that person gave us an example of improvements seen after one particular meeting. Two people confirmed they had been asked to complete a satisfaction survey. A third person told us, 'I've never had any concerns to raise.'