By Kevin Burke, Director of Care Homes and Dementia Services at Guild Care

Choosing a care home that is right for your loved one is never an easy decision. For many families,
it’s hard to know what to expect from a care home, and the experience can feel daunting. One of the
key things you want to know is that the person you love will receive the best possible physical and
emotional support.

To give you an idea of what life is like in a Guild Care home, we asked Shirley Ward, a registered
nurse at Caer Gwent, to give us a glimpse into her day.

Caer Gwent is an elegant care home based in a quiet, residential area of Worthing. It combines
superb residential living with 24-hour expert nursing care, supporting individuals with complex
health conditions.

A person-centred approach
Shirley has been part of the Guild Care team for 19 years, and the work she does helps to give our
residents a strong sense of safety, stability and continuity. Like Shirley, many of our nurses have
been with us for years, forming lasting connections with our residents and their families.

“I start my day with a handover from the night staff”, says Shirley. “This means we’re always there to
support our residents if anybody has any health issues, or even if they just need someone to talk to –
I think it’s our commitment to person-centred care that makes our team really special!”

Shirley goes on to say: “Our team is there to support our residents’ physical health – this includes
administering medication, taking blood tests, and changing dressings. But an added benefit of having
a team of qualified nurses in our homes is that we can liaise directly with a GP if we feel that any of
our residents need additional medical attention. This means that our residents’ families can feel
confident that their loved ones are safe and cared for.”

Nursing care that goes the extra mile
By offering round-the-clock expert nursing care, our residents can access any medical support or
specialised attention they might need. But our team of nurses also understand that care is about
empathy and providing comfort during times of unease.

As Shirley says: “One of the things that I love most about working at Caer Gwent is the family spirit in
the home. Aside from the day-to-day physical care that we provide, it’s the relationships that we
build with residents and their families that really make my day.”

“At the end of every day, it’s really nice to look back and think about how our care has made a
difference. Even if it’s something as small as seeing a resident smile or laugh, knowing that I’ve made
someone’s day better is a special feeling.”

Each of our three Worthing care homes, Caer Gwent, Linfield House and our dedicated dementia
home, Haviland House, feature 24-hour nursing care as standard. Our market leading staffing levels
mean that every resident can benefit from our specialist nursing, including the expertise of our fulltime
clinical lead, all at no additional cost. The level of care that our residents receive can also scale
as needs change. This helps us to create a forever home for our residents, where they can live well,
enjoy life and love every day.

For more information about Guild Care or the services we provide across our three care homes please
contact our friendly customer relationship team on 01903 327327 or [email protected]