Welcome to Skylark Rehabilitation Unit
You have transferred to Skylark Rehabilitation Unit for further rehabilitation and re-ablement to help you safely return home, or to an alternative setting such as a care home. Our therapy and nursing team will work with you each day to make sure your recovery is as quick as possible, and that you feel able to do as much as you can on the ward for yourself. We will work together with you and your family and carers to make sure we provide you with the care needed to make you as independent as possible before going home to continue your rehabilitation.
We look forward to working with you on Skylark to achieve your goals.
Who’s who on the Unit
- Ward Manager
- GPs with Special Interest in Elderly Care (GPSI)
- Social Worker/Social Care Practitioner
- Senior Nurse
- Trained Nurse
- Discharge Coordinator
- Health Care Assistant
- Rehabilitation Support Worker
- Ward Administrator
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Physiotherapist
- Domestic Assistant
- Volunteers
Our commitment to you during your stay on Skylark
• We will keep you safe
• We will ask you what you want to be called and will always use that name
• We will always give you our name when we are involved in your care
• No care or treatment will be given without you agreeing to it
• We will be polite and friendly at all times
• You will be treated as an individual and you and your family/carers will be fully involved in decisions about your care and treatment
• We will look after the people who look after you and will only tell them things about your care and treatment if you say we can
• We will only share your health information with those who need to know
• We will respect and support your religious and/or cultural beliefs in the best way we can
• We will work as a team to make sure your care and treatment is of a high standard and meets your needs
• We will say sorry if we have made a mistake
• We will answer your call bell quickly and make sure that there are enough staff on duty to do this
• We will give you every opportunity to ask us questions and give us your feedback so we can continue to improve.
What to expect whilst you’re with us
(this will vary between individuals and will be discussed in person with you)
During your first few days on the Unit a number of assessments will be completed to identify your rehabilitation goals and nursing needs. Following this, we will work closely with you and your family/carers to create an individualised treatment and care plan.
From our first assessment we will discuss your goals and expectations and plan your discharge from hospital. The ward staff meet daily to ensure all members of the team are up to date with your goals and are working towards these. There is a regular round with our Doctors and this is an ideal opportunity for you to raise any questions you may have around your medical care.
Whilst on the Unit we will encourage you to:
• Wash and dress as independently as possible, and we will help and support you to do this.
• Go to the Dining Room to have lunch, watch TV and chat to family/friends.
• Take part in activities and groups such as our seated exercise group, breakfast club and other activities.
• Ask questions about your care, your goals and your stay.
Things you will need whilst you are staying with us
- Comfortable day clothes (two changes)
- Underwear (four changes)
- Nightclothes (two changes)
- Shoes/sandals/fully supported slippers
- Toiletries: Soap, toothpaste, etc
- Activities: Books, crossword or other activities that you usually do
You will see a member of the therapy team regularly which may include 1:1 sessions, group exercise sessions, or joining activities in the dining room. The therapists work closely with the nursing and support staff to ensure you continue your rehabilitation throughout the day. We will be making sure you are doing everything you can for yourself whilst you are on the Unit, with help, support and guidance given for those tasks that you may be finding difficult.
General Advice About Medicines
Some medicines may have unwanted side effects; many are minor, harmless or short lived but do tell us if you are troubled in any way. We will make sure you know about any possible side effects and will discuss any medication changes with you.
Visitors
Your visitors are always welcome on the Unit and will play an important part in your recovery process. Visitors are welcome at any time between 11am – 8pm. Please ask them to ring the bell at the front entrance marked Skylark and they will be buzzed in.
We request that they are supportive of any therapy or interventions that take place during the time they are on the Unit. We encourage family/carers to liaise with staff for regular updates about your care and goals.
Religion: The Unit has links with all religious faiths. If you would like to speak to a member of the Chaplaincy team please ask a member of staff.
Mobile Phones, Radios and other useful information
You can use your mobile phone on the Unit, but please remember that the person in the next room may be resting, so have the volume lower than you might normally do at home.
Wi fi is free of charge and staff will show you how to register for this.
When listening to the radio or watching something on your tablet/laptop please use headphones. We are happy to do a safety test on any devices that are not battery operated – this includes mains operated devices or chargers. If this is required please speak to a member of staff.
Food & Drink
We have a nutritious, tasty menu and you can choose from a wide range of healthy meals and drinks. Dietitians are also on hand to talk to you about special diets. If you have any specific dietary needs then please let a member of staff know.
Alcohol is not allowed on the Unit; if this is going to cause difficulties for you then please talk to us and we can refer you to colleagues if needed.
We are happy for family or friends to bring in snacks for you on the Unit. Please consider the limited storage space and do not share with other patients.
Washing Clothing: We do not have the facilities to wash personal items so please make arrangements with family/carers for laundry. We can provide a bag for washing to be taken away in.
Valuables
You don’t need to bring any items of value or large amounts of money with you.
If you do have items of value please tell a member of staff who can arrange to keep them in a safe place.
This will be documented and you will be asked to sign a disclaimer form aswe cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage to personal belongings.
Planning to go home
We will work with you and your family so you can return home as soon as you are safe to do so. All our planning will be centred around you and your family/carers. We will discuss this with all involved prior to your discharge date, and will include all appropriate community services to make sure you are well supported once you leave us.
You will be given information about this during your stay and we encourage you to ask questions if you need any more information to help you to make the best choices around your discharge.
As you are aware, rehabilitation and other hospital beds are a precious resource and in order for us to be able to provide safe care to new patients it is important that once you are able to you return home, you do so in a timely manner.
This may be before you have returned to how you were before you were admitted to hospital but we will support your continued rehabilitation at home.
When you leave us on the date that has been agreed, we will ask your family/carers to come and collect you from the Unit (if this isn’t possible, we can arrange hospital transport in some circumstances).
You may be given medication to take with you and this will be explained to you by one of our team. A letter will be sent to your GP so they know why you’ve had a stay with us and your progress.
Any follow up services that you need once home e.g. District Nurses or Community Rehabilitation will have been booked for you in advance so your discharge home should be safe and smooth.
Your Feedback
At any time during your stay you can ask questions or raise any concerns, please talk to us and we will try and resolve it straight away. There is always more senior staff on duty if you would prefer to speak to them.
If you are not satisfied with their feedback, please ask to speak to the Unit manager and they will be happy to assist you. You can also speak with our Customer Care team, who will be able to support you and advise you regarding more formal complaints processes, if you need to use them.
When you leave you will be asked to complete a ‘Friends and Family’ feedback card and also a survey – we hope you will be happy to complete this and provide us with any feedback, both positive and negative, so we can improve our service.
Contact Details
Our Address:
FAO Sirona care & health
Skylark Rehabilitation Unit
The Meadows
Cranleigh Court Road
Yate
BS37 5DW
Telephone (Switchboard):0300 124 5300
Telephone (Direct):0300 124 5490
Email:sirch.skylark@nhs.net
Customer Care
Second Floor
Kingswood Civic Centre
High StreetKingswood
BS15 9TR
Telephone (Direct):0300 124 5400
Email:sirona.customercare@nhs.net
