Nationwide survey highlights residents’ views of homes

Company news

Feb 14, 2014

Almost a quarter of Care UK homes give their residents the very highest level of care in the country, according to the Your Care Rating survey, which polled more than 20,000 residents in 1,055 care homes across the country.

The survey, led by leading research company Ipsos MORI, asked residents to rate their home under four headings - staff and care, quality of life, home comforts, and choice and having a say – scoring them out of 1,000. The aggregated score then forms an overall performance rating (OPR)

In the survey 25 Care UK homes (24 per cent of Care UK’s homes in all) averaged a high scoring OPR above 900 using the rating system.

Bowes House in Hailsham, East Sussex, was given an OPR of 972, being given excellent ratings all round, and Ventress Hall in Darlington, County Durham, which scored an OPR of 966, was also rated extremely highly for home comforts, with residents awarding it 999 out of 1,000.

Manager Judy Wray said: “I am delighted that our residents gave us such a high score in the survey – we are always interested in feedback and we take it all on board so that we can offer the highest possible standard of care.

“Our residents play a very active role in the life of the home and in the life of the community – raising funds for local charities, holding events and going out to meet friends and family.

“They have led interesting lives and they do not see life here as an end to that. They continue their lives and enjoy hobbies and we do everything we can to make sure they remain fit and independent and able to decide how they wish to live.”

Belinda Moore, Care UK’s Marketing and Communications Director said: “This survey illustrates how important it is to focus on residents’ individual needs.  We can then create truly person-centred care, enabling them to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives.

“I was delighted to see the wonderful scores achieved by so many of our homes and I think it is a great testament to how hard our teams work to deliver excellent care.”

The nationwide survey is designed to give residents a voice and the results offer families another view of homes, complementing the Care Quality Commission’s inspection regime. It is not designed to be a nationwide ranking of care homes, because so many factors are involved in choosing a home, making a direct comparison inappropriate.