Referrals can come direct from individuals, their relatives, or representatives direct to the home of choice or via our head office. We also accept referrals from Social Services or local Primary Care Trusts, and advocates. Anyone can make an initial enquiry or referral and our highly trained supportive management team will assist you with the process.

Unannounced visits to our homes are welcomed, no appointments are necessary and you will be shown around by our professional, approachable, knowledgeable staff who will answer any queries you may have and assist you with the referral , admission process. We appreciate choosing a care home can be a complex emotional time and you will be offered full support and given up to date information to assist you with your search.

We can assist you fully if you wish to transfer from an existing care home into a Gainford Home the process is simple and we will take care of all of the necessary arrangements including liaising with other professionals, the care home itself and transport arrangements.

Before admission can be arranged our home manager will need to complete a pre admission assessment to ensure we can meet the care needs required and to ensure we can have all the necessary equipment and care planned prior to admission. This is a simple process; the manager will meet the prospective resident at their current home and complete the necessary assessment by consulting with the prospective resident, relatives and any other professionals involved. We recommend a series of visits to the home to share a meal with us etc and experience the facilities first hand before admission to enable you to make an informed decision, you will not be disappointed. Then the admission date will be arranged and all of the arrangements carried out by us to alleviate any pressure on the person involved or their relatives.

We also accept emergency admissions if a crisis occurs and will give assistance with this process quickly and efficiently.

In most cases your local authority will pay all or most of your fees and your social worker will assist you with making these arrangements.

If you have to make a contribution towards the cost of care this can be done in a number of ways. The preferred method of payment is via Direct Debit and this can be set up through our head office. Normally fee reviews take place each April after agreement is reached with the relevant Host Authority. We will endeavour to advise you of any fee increase at the earliest opportunity.

If you have any queries regarding fees or payments do not hesitate to contact our finance team located in our head office and we will be happy to assist.

The fees in homes vary by type of care, area and grade of home, for a list of fees charged at a specific homes, please feel free to contact the home of your choice for a list of current charges.

In our homes we have Chef's who pride themselves on catering for a variety of specialised diets.

Our Manager and chefs work to provide a well balanced nutritional diet for all our residents. As well as running the kitchen, our chefs find time to introduce themselves to the residents to obtain information regarding their likes, dislikes and any special diets they may require. They also liaise with the care staff and adapt menus to suit all individual needs.

We also encourage family and friends to partake in mealtimes with their loved ones to feel at home here.

Gainford Care Homes, recognise the huge benefit that activities bring to the service users in our care.

We recognise that group activities help our service users make friendships, promote general well being and improve their quality of life.

Physical activities are essential for maintaining everyday skills, which most people take for granted, such as hand and eye co-ordination and mobility, which are essential in promoting independence.

Therapeutic activities on a one-to-one basis are excellent for lifting a services user's self esteem, making them feel important and that they matter, everybody needs a little human contact.

Validation Therapy is empowering our service users as we walk with them whatever year they are in, thus boosting their confidence, as they are ones doing the talking and we are the ones doing the listening.

Outings to local places of interest, local coffee shops and clubs, are very important as it keeps the service users in touch with the outside world, making them feel part of the community.

In-house activities where we invite entertainers to come and sing are excellent for lifting mood and building bonds and friendships.

Religious services are provided to help with all spiritual needs.

Gainford Care Homes strive to provide a high quality of activities throughout all our care homes.

Listed below are some of the regular activities we provide:

• Outings to local places of interest
• Coffee mornings
• Pat dog visits
• eated exercise class
• In-house entertainers

These are some of the daily activities we provide:

• Floor Target
• Skittles
• Bingo
• Hand Massage
• Sing-a-longs
• Film club
• Magnetic Darts

Gainford care homes operate an open visiting policy, visiting is usually between 8am and 10pm but again depends on individual needs. We want your visit to be pleasant and enjoyable, we have private visiting areas around the home if you require privacy or you are welcome to stay in our comfortable lounges. You will always be offered refreshments during your visit.

Should your loved one be terminally ill arrangements can be made for you to stay overnight if you should wish to to allow you to support your relative, these arrangements can be made by informing the home manager.