Southbourne Beach Care Home Where Life Still Feels Like Home

When the location really does matter

Looking for a Southbourne Beach care home might actually start quite simply. You might just want your mum or dad to stay somewhere that they already know a place that’s just a bit more controlled than the life they’re used to. And Southbourne provides just that: the sea air, the small cafés, the promenade, dog-walkers along the coast these small details might be what families miss the most. Seabourne House, one of 6 surgeries of Kanesbury Care in Bournemouth and Poole, is within walking distance of the award-winning Southbourne beaches. And that’s not a line from a brochure when the resident has spent years quite happily walking on the coast.

The difficult bit nobody prepares you for

Usually, no family begins their search for care homes happily. Something is wrong. A fall. An alarming night. The dementia has got bad enough that living alone doesn‘t seem safe anymore. Or you‘ve finally hit that point of exhaustion where you do absolutely everything for a parent and wonder how much longer you can go on doing it. And then the guilt sets in and makes rational choices seem selfish. You weigh up room sizes and fees a week, when actually all you‘re really asking is whether anyone will care about your mum when you‘re not there? That‘s what you‘re really asking.

You notice the people before the furniture

If you walk into a decent care home you‘ll probably stop noticing the décor after five minutes. Instead your eyes will be drawn to the staff. Does a carer stop beside a visibly distressed resident? Do they address the person directly instead of chatting to a visiting family member? Is there laughter on the other side of the building, tinking of cups, just the hustle and bustle of people living their lives? Though they‘re small, these things are so important. A care home can have plush carpeting and fantastic facilities, but if its atmosphere is cold you‘ll know instantly – just like you‘ve been in a waiting room somewhere.

What does “feeling at home” actually mean?

At Kanesbury Care, person-centred care should not just be a mere words, expecting to be consigned to a leaflet. It involves discovering the individual behind that care plan. Perhaps your father prefers to wake up early, or your mother enjoys her tea at three thirty, or maybe someone has an aneurysm if the daily routine suddenly changes.Those things would seem insignificant from far away. They aren’t. It is such familiarity, patience and consistency that it matters most when it comes to dementia care, and that is why choosing the right staff is far more important than choosing how new a building is. Wouldn’t you want the people caring for your parent to know what makes them smile before they know their room number?

Seabourne House feels tied to its community

There’s a reassuring aspect to Seabourne House feeling part of Southbourne rather than just a care home with a postcode. Being by the beach maintains the link with the local community that keeps normal things familiar and Benfield is right in the town centre so my dad was getting used to all that. Kanesbury’s 6 homes are all in different settings for the same reason. Eagles Mount enjoys a breathtaking view of Poole Harbour and has a lovely coffee shop. Colins Nest Coffee Shop in Branksome Park is just near Branksome Park Care Centre in leafy Branksome Park. Those with more complex neurological needs are supported well in that environment. Aranlaw House, Regency Manor and Kingsman House are also in their own space. Homemakers can choose somewhere that feels right not just hold out for a vacancy.

Twenty-five years gives families something solid

Kanesbury has been looking after people for 25 years, creating LuxuryCare before transforming into Kanesbury Care. That history makes a difference because trust isn’t generated in a boardroom or by a user-friendly website. It’s earned gradually, over families returning to visit, staff remembering names, challenging conversations not being avoided and relatives being assured they will receive a call. The group offers residential, dementia, nursing, neurological, respite and day care and palliative care in its eight homes. For families studying English care homes from a distance, that variety is important but what matters most is what the day-to-day life inside one feels like.

Sometimes respite is exactly what a family needs

Sometimes a permanent move isn‘t needed immediately. The respite care Bournemouth families select can be used to give an elderly person a comfortable home for a few days while a relative goes away, recuperates or just relaxes after a period of months of looking after someone else. And giving people a bit more room to breathe should not be under emphasized. It is not necessary to have hit rock bottom before you‘re invited to ask for help. A brief period of time away from one‘s home also allows relatives to learn how their loved one copes in a different environment, which can help reduce anxieties over future actions. Sometimes a little local air can do everyone good.

The room should belong to them

One aspect I am especially fond of at Kanesbury is the fact that the new resident can have a room Decoration done for free before they go by their chosen colour. It seems a little too simple to me; one can imagine what it‘s like leaving the family home you‘ve lived in for so many years. Seeing familiar photographs, other possessions and your choice of colour can be the difference between living in a room that is your new ‘home’ and being allocated a room. That difference is important, good care shouldn‘t steal away a person‘s identity; it should allow them to continue to show who they are, even despite their changed circumstances.

Care needs can change, and that fear is real

Here’s something that family frequently forget to ask until they move someone into a placement. What if it all gets more complicated? Today, it may be residential care, in the future, nursing care. Perhaps dementia will develop. Physical health may alter. No-one wants to have to move a parent again after getting them used to a new home, knowing the staff by name and being comfortable in the room they have chosen. Kanesbury’s Home for Life concept is based around that concern, supporting residents to remain in a setting close to the one they know as their needs change, where its care can be maintained at a suitable level. That takes a huge weight off many worrying minds.

Families need care too

The move just doesn’t seem to put an end to the worry. In some respects it’s burden just moves somewhere else. You might still be thinking afterward whether Mum has managed to get to sleep, whether Dad has eaten enough or whether Mum and Dad are coping when you’re rushing back in to work after a visit.Kanesbury has a dedicated family liaison and continual family support; for relatives this provides someone to talk to not just drawing a blank. Quarterly Dr. Gemma Jones Method workshops also have a supporting function for families encountering dementia and complex care. That sustained contact can be surprisingly supportive. Sometimes you don’t want another leaflet you want someone who understands why your asking the same question again.

The first steps shouldn’t feel like a cliff edge

Kanesbury’s Journey to Care gives you a way through the process, guiding you all the way from that first conversation to move-in day. And that’s important because all too often, care language can be confusing when you’re hearing it for the first time. Residential care, nursing care, dementia care, respite care having an idea of what you need is very different from knowing exactly what your parent needs. There’s no shame in asking, and you should have a good conversation that makes sense and an understanding that improves on the visit even if you’re not ready to make a decision.

Start with a visit, not a spreadsheet

When all the scouring, scouring and more scouring, this often comes down to something beautifully simple: how does it feel when you walk through the door? When you have Seabourne House’s Southbourne location, the comfort of what is familiar, a staff member sat comforting someone who appears distressed, that says more than square footage ever will. Kanesbury has six individual homes, 25 years experience and a person centred approach that puts dignity ahead of appearances. If you are searching for care homes near Bournemouth and Poole, start the ball rolling by visiting kanesburycare.co.uk and making an appointment. Come and see the home. Question the difficult issues. Take your parent with you if possible. You may not walk away with answers to all your questions but you may instead walk away knowing that you aren’t making this decision on your own.

Questions families around Southbourne often ask

Is Seabourne House a good option for someone who loves the beach?

The fact that the Southbourne location is near the award winning beach could make it especially attractive for someone who, like this person, has an affinity with the coast, and would like to stay close to the community he/she is comfortable with.

Does Kanesbury provide dementia care?

Yes. Kanesbury offers dementia care in a residential and nursing setting providing neurological, respite, day and palliative care, while respecting each individual resident‘s needs, wishes and dignity.

Can I arrange respite care in Bournemouth?

Yes. Kannesbury offers respite and day care. This may be a short-term solution for a family when a relative needs support, or when a family carer might need a break for a while.

How do I arrange a visit to Seabourne House?

Visit Kanesbury Care and make an enquiry or book a visit. Nothing compares to seeing the home for yourself it‘s the best way to discover whether it‘s just right for your family.