Care home receives the gold standard

A TOP award recognising the care it gives to its residents has been won by Whitgift House care home in South Croydon.

It has achieved the gold standard and a commendation in a national programme.

CLASS CARE: Staff, residents and chef Jean-Marc Lehdey with a cake made to celebrate the award
CLASS CARE: Staff, residents and chef Jean-Marc Lehdey with a cake made to celebrate the award CCRdf020610b03

The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is designed to improve end-of-life care and improve communications with care professionals .

The programme also aims to reduce hospital admissions towards the end of residents' lives, respecting their wishes to die in the place of their choice.

Whitgift House, in Brighton Road, is run by the Whitgift Foundation and its matron and deputy matron, Philomena Kavanagh and Michele Bailey, attended a series of workshops to prepare them for implementing the programme. Staff received extra training to plan better care for residents. They were supported by Caroline Berry from GSF and senior nurses from St Christopher's Hospice, Sydenham.

Ms Kavanagh said: "We strive for residents to live well and Whitgift House aims to provide a calm, caring but stimulating environment for all our residents."