Guild Care’s night team: Caring while you sleep
Guild Care provides round-the-clock nursing care for residents across all of its homes. Whether you are at Caer Gwent, Linfield House or Haviland House, a dedicated team offers person-centred care with 24/7 nursing at no extra cost. Here, Tammy Strudwick, deputy manager at Haviland House, outlines the special role the night team plays and the difference this makes to residents.
A person-centred approach: While most people in Worthing are sleeping, our night care team is busy caring for residents with a variety of needs. Everyone has their own unique circumstances and our person-centred care plans are built around these. Some residents sleep soundly, reassured to know someone is close by, while other residents are true night owls and prefer companionship and a quiet chat over a cup of tea as the day draws to a close. During the evening, some residents enjoy being read to while others have ingrained routines established during their working lives which their body clocks still remember. Throughout the night we are on hand to help settle people back to sleep, as well as providing personal care and medication. There is always a qualified nurse on duty around the clock, providing reassurance to our residents and their loved ones.
Dedicated dementia care: Haviland House is an award-winning dementia care home and we have residents at different stages of their journey. For some, the night can bring confusion or anxiety, particularly when someone might wake thinking about loved ones or searching for familiar faces from the past. The reassurance and presence we offer at any time of day and night can make all the
difference to our residents. These moments offer a glimpse into the importance of person-centred dementia care and we always strive to be open-minded, compassionate and flexible. We take time to understand each person’s experiences, interests and preferences, so that care can be shaped around them. I remember one resident who used to be a night nurse, so she would regularly get up in the middle of the night and tell me that she was getting ready for work. Rather than correcting her, we’d have a lovely conversation about the patients she was planning on seeing that night. There are so many special moments that happen during night care.
Good mornings: As morning approaches, the night team turns their attention to preparing residents for the day ahead. I started my career at Guild Care almost nine years ago, as a night care assistant, and this has always been one of my favourite parts of the job. I love to make breakfast for residents in exactly the way they like it, from knowing how they like their tea to what food they prefer. It’s a joy to chat to our residents about what the day ahead has in store. We always have lots of opportunities to explore different interests or enjoy entertainment. Working on the night team is such a rewarding role and I’d encourage anyone interested in exploring a new career to find out more about our opportunities.
To find out more about life at Haviland House or any of Guild Care’s homes, call the customer relationship team on 01903 327327, email [email protected] or visit guildcare.org