Continuing Care/Short-term Respite
The Lodge / Hospital (Continuing Care)
The continuing care unit of the Trust is located within the Sevenoaks complex. Known as
The Lodge it is classified as a Level 5 Continuing Care facility. It also provides Level 3 dementia care.
It is the crowning jewel of the Trust’s activity. With the recent completion of
all Wings being refurbished, there is capacity for 59 residents including a 12 bed secure dementia wing. The quality of accommodation and care in The Lodge is second to none.
All bedrooms are equipped with standard fittings such as wall mounted flat screen televisions,water
filters and purpose-built storage units.
Within The Lodge there are three different types of accommodation ranging from the larger, rooms for those residents who require specialist equipment such as hoists through to rooms in the Kowhai Wing which include doors opening into the gardens, suitable for residents who are still semi-ambulant.
One of the points of difference The Lodge has over a number of other continuing care facilities is the staffing levels it operates at. It is normal within the sector for such units to have a staffing ratio of around 1:7-10; that is, one staff member 7 – 10 residents. The Lodge operates on a 1:4/5 ratio; that is one staff member to four or five residents. Clearly, this means that the amount of individual care able to be given to a resident is inevitably higher.
Dementia Care
If there can be a good place to suffer from dementia then our Kauri Wing in the Lodge is this place. It incorporates the latest thinking and study into understanding dementia and staff are constantly researching and identifying ways to improve the quality of life for the residents. Use of colour, specific-purpose spaces, light, gardens, music and animals; all under the watchful but unobtrusive eye of caring staff make this a very special place.
Built around a large, airy centre space which contains specific areas for meals, recreational activities and quiet periods are the residents’ bedrooms. These are airy, light and restful havens with familiar memories of past occasions being prominent. Two sides of the wing open into secure gardens which include a gazebo, an aviary and the hen house. The resident cats are favoured by all and happily respond to a multitude of different names!
Residents of the Kauri wing move outside the wing on a daily basis accompanied by nursing staff and members of the Lifestyle and Leisure Team. In as much as possible, they participate in a variety of activities with a raft of craft and music therapy being incorporated into their weekly programme.
Short term Respite/Palliative and Convalescence Care
The latest development by the Trust has been the opening in July 2010 of the Matai Wing, This is The Lodge’s specialist short-term stay wing. This wing offers 10 individually furnished hotel/motel style rooms for those who have respite care allocations and for private pay clients.
All rooms have flat screen televisions, computer/phone connections/customized storage areas, water filters, access to garden areas and most have individual fridges. A family suite is available for palliative care. A feature of this wing is that rooms can be booked up to six months in advance. This enables the primary carer to plan a break, knowing the room will be available when needed and in an appropriate setting.
The Wing has been allocated all 3 respite funded beds, available by Capital & Coast DHB for the Wellington Region. A registered nurse is on duty in the wing 24/7.
In addition, those exiting from hospital to return home can access short-term convalescence care. The daily charge for private paying clients is $235