Risby Park Nursing Home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, providing accommodation, nursing and personal care to people was rated outstanding for being effective, caring, responsive and well-led following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), 29 January 2020.
It achieved the score of Good for the safe category.
Since the last inspection there had been pets stations installed in each residential area to encourage relatives to bring their pets, with water bowls, pet food and snacks.
The provider had also installed a play park for child visitors, a small petting zoo with pygmy goats and chickens, plus a family BBQ area and pizza oven to facilitate and encourage visitors. This gave families things to do when they came to visit, enhancing the experience and increasing the duration.
CQC inspectors spoke to two relatives who had travelled for two hours to visit. One of them said, "It's so welcoming here, the place is buzzing with lots going on for people. You hear joking and laughing."
Management at Risby Park valued the input of people's relatives and friends and saw them as valuable partners in providing people's care, who also needed support. They had facilitated a carers network, with a regular meeting followed by pub lunch events for support and exchange of ideas. Also included were relatives of people who have passed away, to keep friendships going and help them through the grieving process. These events were well attended and appreciated. One relative said, "Relatives go out to lunch together. We pick different places to go, and we talk about other things, not just this place.' I have made a true friend through that and I would not have known them otherwise."
Residents said that the service was extremely responsive to their needs and staff went out of their way to assist them with any problems or changes to care and support they might require.
One person who had recently moved in said that the rooms environment was changed to meet their needs very quickly after staff came to carry out an assessment. They said, "'They have all been so kind. When they came to do the assessment, they listened and were attentive. We only had to says things that once and they know what we need. I could not adjust my position in bed at night, so the maintenance man put those rails up. We give them ten out of ten. Now normally I do not give anything that much, so they must be amazing."
