"They have made a very difficult situation so much easier for us"

My mum had a fall and had been in hospital for a few months. She is registered as severely sight impaired and has mobility issues as well as other health concerns relating to age.  She is in her nineties.

Whilst mum was still in hospital we discussed as a family, with medical staff, social work and most importantly with mum how she could continue to live at home safely and decided that this was unrealistic and that a nursing home would be the only option.

I had supported mum for a number of years to live independently at home without the support of any other help on a day to day basis.  My siblings live far away so it was very stressful to work fulltime and care for mum as well.

We went to visit Hillcrest and were impressed with the warm welcome we received. We were shown round to see what they could offer and were able to discuss any questions we had.  They gave us lots of information and confidence that this would be a good place for mum to live.

Mum was discharged from hospital and moved into Hillcrest where she has resided for the past 8 months.

The main thing I found during this process was the guilt and it caused me  a lot of emotional turmoil as I had always hoped that mum would be able to remain within her own home.

I felt I had let mum down by not being able to maintain this for her as I knew it would always and still continues to be what she would have wanted.  However she has accepted that Hillcrest is the safest and most helpful place for her to be.

Mum continues to have some medical problems but overall her general health has improved greatly since moving in and receiving the 24 hour care they provide.

The staff are always there to support mum 24/7 with anything but also encourage and allow her to maintain her independence where possible.  This is important for mum as she likes to try do things for herself but still needs assistance too.

Not having to worry is mum eating properly, is she drinking enough, how will she manage when no one is there, what if she falls again, how can she see to do things is such a relief.  I know when we leave mum now she is safe and well cared for.  The comfort this brings is immense.

The kindness shown to mum by all the staff is heart warming.  They are polite, respectful, patient, diligent, friendly, encouraging, reassuring, caring, cheerful, considerate and professional not only to mum and the other residents but to family and friends too when visiting.  We are made to feel welcome at any time.

All staff from cleaning, kitchen, care assistants, office staff, maintenance and management couldn't have been chosen better. They are all excellent at their job.

Trust is a huge thing when you rely on someone else to care for a relative and it can be very hard to find that.  I am lucky as I trust Hillcrest to care for my mum as they provide a safe haven for her.  

It is very hard when you have relatives that are elderly knowing what to do for the best and where to go for advice.  I feel at times in the past we could have done with more support and guidance which isn't easy to access.  You can feel very overwhelmed and at a complete loss as to what to do.

However since having the support of all the staff at Hillcrest that burden is gone.  There is always someone 24/7 to share that with now.

Staff are diligent in monitoring residents medical needs and quickly act as necessary when required to accessing help from a doctor or other support agencies whilst keeping the family informed.

As mums capabilities change these are supported and monitored regularly and appropriate help is updated and provided where necessary.

Mum is made to feel valued by staff and her opinion is considered.  She is made to feel she isn't being a nuisance and they are only too willing to help her in anyway.

Hillcrest could do with being a little bigger.  Mums room is rather small and although she has her own sink unfortunately it is a shared bathroom. A bigger room with ensuite and perhaps a small sitting area would provide residents with the feeling of their own individual living space in addition to the residents lounge.

The overall atmosphere of Hillcrest is homely.  

Staff regularly ask both mum and family if there are any concerns and we are given the opportunity to discuss this with them if needed.  They regularly ask if there is anything else they can do to offer support.

Hillcrest have made a very difficult situation so much easier for us.  The help they provide is invaluable.  The whole process of moving into a care home has been well managed and supported with compassion.

Sometimes it's hard to meet perfection and what you would wish for but this comes pretty close for me. I never thought I could comfortably cope with my mum going into a care home and I'm not sure if we would have had the same experience elsewhere. One thing I am certain of is we have come as close to prefect as I could have wished for.

I appreciate greatly the support Hillcrest has offered mum and my family.