Frequently Asked Questions

When can I come to look round the home?

We operate 24/7 and have nothing to hide so you are welcome at any time with or without an appointment. However, we would request that you try to come between the hours of 10am and 5pm when there are more staff in the building who can facilitate your visit. If you can only come outside these hours then we would ask that you make an appointment so that we can ensure there is someone available to help you. If you wish to discuss fees and funding then staff will arrange for the manager to contact you.

What time can we visit a resident?

Anytime. We operate 24/7 but we do ask that if you want to visit after 8pm, you call ahead so that we know to expect you. This is for the security of our residents and staff.

How do you know if you are able to look after me properly?

Once you have contacted Linden House and think that you would like to stay with us, we need to assess your care needs to ensure that we can meet your needs, Either the manager or a senior nurse will need to undertake an assessment of care needs. All our assessors are very experienced in undertaking pre-admission assessments. An assessment involves meeting you, talking to you or your representative about your needs and providing answers to any questions you may have. We can do this at your home, in hospital, in another care home or even at Linden House if you choose to visit us for the assessment. If you are in hospital, we also look at your medical and nursing notes and speak to then staff. We always ask for a copy of your notes from the GP too. Once we have all the information that we need, we make a decision whether or not we can meet your needs and whether Linden House would be an appropriate placement for you

Can you meet my dietary preferences / needs?

We have always managed to meet all dietary needs / requests in the past. Our chef has a Diploma in Human Nutrition and always puts her theoretical knowledge into practise! We have been awarded 5 stars by Taunton Deane Environmental Health for our quality of food and food hygiene for the past 10 years. This is their highest star rating. We often have theme days when the staff dress up, we have displays and events and food is available which follows the theme. Great fun!

How long can I stay?

We welcome people for day care, respite or permanent stays. Some people like to try us before they make a decision and so come in for respite before going home again to make the necessary arrangements before coming to live with us on a permanent basis. We limit the number of people who come for day care to ensure everyone requiring care receives it to a high standard.

Do you insist on a trial period?

Our terms and conditions explain that your first 28 days acts as a trial period. If you wish to leave during the trial period 1 week’s notice. Similarly, if we do not think that the placement is right for you we can give you 1 week’s notice. If neither party has provided notice at the end of the first 28 days, the placement becomes permanent and 28 days’ notice is required to leave. Full fees will be charged for those 28 days unless we are able to re-allocate your room. In this instance, we will charge until the day before the room is re-allocated

Can I cancel the contract if I change my mind?

You have 14 days to cancel the Contract of Care at no cost to you if you have signed the contract in your own home or hospital during or immediately after we visited you and have not yet been admitted to Linden House. However, if you ask to be admitted before the 14 days have ended, we will ask that you sign a statement in the contract which identifies that you have asked us to do so. You can still cancel the contract within the 14 days but you will be charged for the care that you have received.

What notice do I have to give if I want to leave?

If neither you nor we have provided notice during the initial trial period (ie the first 28 days), the placement becomes permanent and 28 days’ notice is required to leave. Full fees will be charged for those 28 days unless we are able to re-allocate your room. In this instance, we will charge until the day before the room is re-allocated

What do you charge if I am not physically in the home for a while ie I go home overnight or am admitted into hospital?

There is no reduction in the fees if you go home for an overnight stay. If you are admitted to hospital we charge full fees for the first 4 weeks of absence. This is because we are unable to re-allocate your room while you are in hospital. The charging reduces after 4 weeks and the details are to be found in our Contract of Care.

What is a Contract of Care?

We believe in being fair in our dealings with our residents but to protect both you and us, and to save any misunderstandings, we insist that a Contract of Care is signed by all parties involved in the decision for someone to come and stay with us. Our contract has been drawn up by lawyers who specialise in the care industry and they understand both the legislation and guidance in place and the worries and concerns of people coming into care. It is updated whenever additional guidance or legislation is published. We aim to send you a contract before admission but on many occasions, this is not possible due to the short period of time between pre-admission assessment and admission or because the person being admitted is not in a position to read and sign the contract and therefore it needs to be posted or emailed to someone else. The pressures on hospitals to discharge patients means that we are expected to assess someone and admit them very quickly. Should these FAQ not answer all your questions about what the contract might contain, please contact us and we can discuss it with you.

How is my care funded?

The funding of social care is very confusing, can be complicated and depends on various factors eg whether you have to self fund your stay (ie pay all the fees yourself) because you are deemed to have assets over a certain amount, whether the NHS decides to fund you if your health needs fulfill certain criteria, whether the local authority pays a proportion of your fees if you have assets of less than a nationally stated threshold. (Click here to see our explanation of the financial maze of care home fees)

Why do you ask to see evidence that I can fund my own stay for at least two years?

This is a requirement of the local authorities. They expect us to check that you can afford to self-fund your stay for at least two years before becoming funded by them. We may ask for a Guarantor to guarantee payment of fees.

How do I pay if I self fund my stay or if I owe the home for any extra charges?

We accept payment by cheque or BACS (internet) transfers. We do not accept payment by cash unless in exceptional circumstances

Can I still claim Attendance Allowance when I move into the home?

If you self fund your stay ie you pay all your fees, you can apply to claim / continue to claim Attendance Allowance. We can help you complete the application form if you do not receive it when you first move into the home. If the local authority or the local Clinical Commissioning Group pay some or all of your fees, you become ineligible for Attendance Allowance

Do I receive any financial help if I am self funding my stay?

You may well be eligible for Attendance Allowance.

What happens if I fund my own stay for a while and then run out of money?

If you reach the financial threshold of assets whereby the local authority starts to contribute towards your fees you will be expected to continue to pay our full fees. Unfortunately, the local authority fees do not cover our running costs and so you may need to ask a third party eg family members or a charity, to pay the difference. Sometimes there is an opportunity to move to a smaller room without an en-suite. Fees may be at the discretion of the manager in discussion with the owner. Alternatively, if an agreed way forward is not found you may be asked to vacate your room. (Click here to read our guide on the financial maze of care home fees)

Do you accept people who are funded solely by the local authority?

We have entered into contracts with both Devon and Somerset County Councils to accept residents funded by either local authority. There are occasions when we are able to accept people who are funded solely in this way. Unfortunately, the fees that a local authority can afford to pay are insufficient to cover our costs and so we have to limit the number of people that we accept on this basis. It is always worth asking us if we are able to accommodate someone funded by the local authority especially if a third party is able to pay the difference between what the local authority pays and our fees.

Do you accept people who are funded by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) ie if Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Funding has been agreed?

We have entered into contracts with both Somerset and Devon CCGs. We allocate one room for people who are funded in this way. It is one of our smaller rooms because the fees that the CCGs are prepared to pay are insufficient to cover our costs and so we have to limit the number of people that we accept on this basis. It is always worth asking us if we are able to accommodate someone funded by a CCG. If you choose any room other than our allocated room or our allocated room is not available then there will be an amenity fee to pay to ensure that our full fees are met

Are the additional costs over and above the fees?

There may be extra costs if you chose to take advantage of our visiting hairdresser, aromatherapist, chiropodist, masseuse etc. You will receive a list of such optional extras with your contract. Some trips out in our minibus will incur a charge, others are complimentary. You will be informed if there is to be a charge for a trip or activity before it happens. If a friend or relative cannot take a resident to a medical appointment we may be able to do so. There will be a charge to cover the cost to us of providing a member of staff and transport

Do you charge upfront fees?

No, we do not. We issue invoices every 4 weeks and do not charge you anything before you are admitted to the home. However, we charge fees in advance from the next invoicing date. This means that if you arrive the day after we have issued invoices you will see a charge of 7 weeks and 6 days on your first invoice. We do not ask for a deposit.

What is Funded Nursing Care (FNC)?

Funded Nursing Care is paid by the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) if you have been assessed as needing nursing care. FNC is paid nationally at an agreed rate. It usually increases annually on or around 1 April but has been known to decrease. All residents admitted to a nursing home are assessed by the CCG to establish their eligibility for FNC. Our fees include some elements of the cost of providing nursing care but should you be deemed eligible the home will retain the FNC to cover the addittional nursing costs recognized by the CCG.

How often do you increase the fees?

Fees will be reviewed on an annual basis every April. Any increase necessary will be calculated in line with the average of (i) the percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index including housing costs (CPIH) over the previous year and (ii) the percentage increase in the National Living Wage rate over the previous year. In exceptional circumstances, for example where there is a major change in legislation, government policy or inflationary pressures which significantly increases our costs of providing the service we may increase our fees at other points in time.

What fees are charged after someone no longer needs the room ie following death?

We charge full fees for a minimum period of 3 days from the date of death. We do not rush relatives to clear the room at such a difficult time but they must be mindful of the fact that if belongings remain in the room after the 3 days, full fees will be charged for a further 7 days or until belongings have been removed. If clearing the room is not possible in that timescale we may accept a request in writing to extend the period. However, full fees will be charged as we cannot re-allocate the room. We do not usually offer to clear a room but we may offer to do so in exceptional circumstances. A small charge will be made to cover our costs, including time

Do you accept donations of clothing belonging to a resident who has passed away?

Whilst we appreciate the thought we do not accept donations of clothing and ask that all belongings are removed by the family. Historically, local charities have always welcomed such donations.

Do you accept people who are living with Dementia?

Yes, we do, so long as they have nursing needs too. We are members and keen supporters of the local Dementia Alliance and regularly attend their organised events. All our staff receive training on how to care for people living with dementia as part of their ongoing training schedule. We are constantly seeking new ways to improve the experience of people living with dementia, from installing new signage to introducing therapy dolls, from providing rummage boxes to buying appropriate coloured / adapted crockery. Unfortunately, we cannot accept people who have behaviour that might challenge our other residents

Do you accept people with all sorts of health issues?

We are a nursing home and so can meet the needs of people with many different health needs. However, there are some people who have very specialist care needs where we would need to consider the skills of our nursing staff before we decided whether it was safe for the person to accept them into the home

What type of bed should I expect in my room?

There will be a profiling bed in your room. A profiling bed is one which can be raised and lowered and which bends in several places to ensure you are always comfortable! It has the option of bed rails should you need them but these are only used with your permission (where you are able to make a decision) or if a best interest assessment has been undertaken

Can I bring in my own furniture and electrical items?

Yes, you are very welcome to do so. We provide a bed, chair (or 2), table, chest of drawers, wardrobe, nurse call system and television as a minimum. You can use all of our furniture, some of it or none of it although we may insist on using a profiling bed if your needs are such that it would put you or our staff at risk to use a bed of your own. If you choose to bring in any electrical items from home, our maintenance team will need to PAT test them before use. If the item is brand new, PAT testing is not necessary.

How many residents can you have staying with you?

Linden House is registered by the Care Quality Commission to provide nursing care to up to 34 people. We usually have 30/31 residents at any one time because we have some rooms designated as companion rooms where two people can share. Whilst popular with people who are used to living with each other (eg a married couple), sharing is not something that everyone wants to do so often these designated rooms become premium rooms as they are very large.

Can I have a television and a telephone in my room?

Yes! All our rooms have televisions already (which can be removed if you do not want one). The majority of our rooms have telephone points but the contract for a phone must be arranged by you, rather than us. You would be responsible for all charges.

Am I able to bring in my pet?

We have provided a home for many pets over the years but we have to look at each request individually. One of our rooms has a fenced area outside its French windows which has been used as a dog run in the past

What can I do during the day?

Linden House sits in 7 acres of parkland and we are fortunate to have many visitors in the form of rabbits, squirrels, birds, even deer. We encourage wildlife using bird tables and insect homes. We have two beehives on site and have an abundance of flowers, trees and bushes. Many residents like to sit in our Orangery where they can see the wildlife up close. Others prefer to sit in the Drawing Room and listen to music, watch television, join in an activity, church service or just people watch! We offer trips out to the local shops and coffee shops, to places such as the Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary, a local llama farm, canal boat rides, garden centers. We have children from a local primary school come to visit and who get involved with the residents. Residents can get involved with the gardener who enjoys working alongside like-minded people. She is happy to working inside with resident with plants to pot up or seedlings to plant, bird feeders to top up etc. We have Pop-up events eg cinema, pub and afternoon tea parties as well as regular church services. We adapt what is available to do to the likes and skills of our residents. So we may run “knit and natter” events when we have residents who like to do both and we may run “engineering” events when we have residents who enjoy fiddling with bits of machinery! We run theme days/weeks when the kitchen and the activity staff get together to plan events and food around a theme. For those who prefer more solitary pastimes, we can provide radios, books, CDs, DVD players and visits by the numerous dogs who either come to work at Linden House or who visit on a regular basis. Our enthusiasm to ensure residents can access and do what they want to do, knows no boundaries. If you suggest something, we will endeavor to make it happen. We love a challenge! We have a minibus and a car which are used to take residents out and about and which are both accessible for wheelchairs. There is always something to do at Linden House – even if it is helping to prepare vegetables or wipe the dining room table mats!

How do I call for help if I need it?

Every bedroom and communal area has a nurse call system unit. This enables you to call for assistance by either pressing the hardwired call bell or an infra red pendant. If you have a tendency to fall, we can, with your permission or following a best interest decision, provide a pressure mat which alerts staff to the fact that you have stepped on the mat and may need assistance.

Will I have access to WI-fi?

Yes! We have WI-fi coverage to the whole home. There is a resident’s computer on the ground floor, in our quiet room, which is for use by the residents. However, many residents now have their own iPads or tablets

Do you have Sky?

No, we don’t but you can arrange directly with Sky to have a dish installed

Do you expect all belongings, including clothes, to be named on admission?

Yes, we do. As you can imagine our laundry staff cannot be expected to know which item of clothing belongs to whom and so all clothes must be clearly marked, either with a name-tape or with a laundry marker. Laundry markers are not really permanent and so we expect an effort to be made to sew / press on name tapes to all clothes after admission. Any items of financial or sentimental value should also be named and, where possible, a photograph of the item provided to the manager

May I bring in my valuables?

Yes, of course but we cannot be responsible for their safekeeping. If you wish, you can have a small safe in your room. Our insurance policy covers up to £500.00 of a resident’s clothing and personal effects. Your property will be logged on admission and photographs taken of any valuable items for future reference.

How do you staff the home?

We are fortunate that we have a low staff turnover in our team. Our longest serving employee has worked at Linden House for over 30 years and many others have been here for 5 or more years. We always have at least one registered nurse on duty. They are supported by care assistants, support workers and care support workers as well as the activity, housekeeping, kitchen and administration teams. We also have a maintenance/grounds team and management team. The manager is Beata Witkowska who took up his post in July 2021. Beata is a registered nurse with many years of experience working in the care sector. The home is owned by Sandra Joyce, who is a registered nurse and has owned Linden House since August 2002. She is involved in the running of the home on a daily basis.

Do you launder clothes in-house?

Yes, we have a fully functioning in laundry and dedicated laundry staff. Each resident is allocated a box which is kept on a trolley in the laundry and filled with laundered clothes belonging to that particular resident. When clean washing is ready to be returned to residents’ rooms, the relevant box is delivered to each resident’s room using the trolley. The laundry assistant will then hang up clothes or return them to drawers. We ask that every item of clothing is clearly marked. We know how frustrating it can be if an item of clothing goes “missing” and it helps us to locate it if it is named. Despite staff taking as much care as possible, due to the volume of washing which flows through the Laundry we cannot be held responsible for any damage to delicate fabrics or wool items.

Who owns Linden House Nursing Home?

Linden House has been owned by Sandra Joyce since August 2002. She is a registered nurse who has also worked in the financial sector. She is very involved in the day to day running of the home. She also owns a residential home for people living with dementia in Devon. She trades under the name of Mrs S Joyce T/A Linden House Nursing Home

How do I complain if I am unhappy about any aspect of my stay at Linden House?

We hope most sincerely that you will not have cause to complain during your stay at Linden House but we are aware that we may not get everything right for you and are very keen to investigate your concerns and make amends. You are welcome to speak to any member of staff about your concern/complaint but you are encouraged to speak to Beata Witkowska (Registered Manager) or Sandra Joyce (owner) as they will identify who can best help you. (Click Here for our Complaints Policy)

Who regulates Linden House Nursing Home?

We are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This is the national independent body which regulates health and social care in England. CQC inspectors have the right to enter the home at any time and they undertake unannounced inspections every 1 – 3 years of each regulated premises. We are obliged to display the rating that we achieve at each inspection. We are currently rated GOOD overall.