Leah Marsh, Managing Director of Aurem Care, recently took the unique step of staying overnight at one of her own care homes to gain first-hand experience of the facilities and care provided. She spent two nights at the newly refurbished Hailsham House care home in Hailsham.
Leah’s decision to stay at the care home was sparked by her frequent stays in various hotels during her travels. “It is probably seven or eight years since I have spent a night in a care home, and even then it would have been working a night shift or carrying out a night check,” she reflected. “With spending so many nights away from home staying in hotels of varying quality and having recently refurbished a unit at Hailsham House, I had the epiphany to experience what it would be like to actually sleep in a care home for a few nights.”
Despite her arthritic hip, Leah has no nursing or mobility issues, so she anticipated minimal impact on the night team’s workload. “Other than the likely anxiety that ‘the boss’ being around overnight may have had on the night team, I was confident I wouldn’t be adding to the team’s workload,” she added.
Her experience began with an early night following a communal lounge visit and an evening meal. She was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the room, comparing it to high-end hotels. “The room I was fortunate enough to stay in was huge and beautifully presented. Crisp white bed linens, ensuite wet room, and certainly on par with any high-end hotel.” Leah said.
Adapting to a single profiling bed was a new experience for Leah, but one she found enjoyable. “I may well be a convert to the profiling aspect. Absolutely ideal for adjusting my position to comfortably prop myself up and flick through a few channels on the TV, before nodding off to a very restful and peaceful night’s sleep.”
Her early rising habits led to an unexpected encounter with the night team at 5 am, as she searched for coffee in her pyjamas. “I think surprised would be the night team’s reaction to me wandering the corridors in my rather fetching PJs in hunt of coffee, but I was easily able to self-serve my caffeine needs in the home’s café,” she shared.
The day began with a fabulous shower and a hearty breakfast offered by the day team. Her second evening was spent with residents watching the World Cup semi-finals. “It was a much more animated experience than I had expected, but an absolute delight for me to spend some time in their company.”
Reflecting on her stay, Marsh shared her insights: “By the nature of my job, I am always observing, listening, and taking in what is going on around me and have been absolutely reassured by the level of care and compassion provided to the residents in our care around the clock. Not only would I be happy for one of my loved ones to live in an Aurem Care home, I would be happy to be cared for in one of our homes.
“Throughout my stay, I had a feeling of reassurance that I had not anticipated. Whilst I do not have care needs, just knowing that there were nurses and carers around me provided an unexpected sense of comfort.”
As Leah returns to her own bed, she reflects on her experience with appreciation. “There is no place like home, but I can also add from my own personal experience, ‘there is also no place like an Aurem Care Home’.”
