Dear Lakeside,

Thank you, once again, for taking such good care of my mother-in-law, Ruth.

It has been such a relief to know that she is so well looked after now and we can return to normal family visiting and enjoying the time that we have left with her.

When Ruth came to you, she had spent three months in hospital where she had lost her ability to walk, but worse still, had lost her desire to engage with people and life. On our very first visit to her in her new ‘home’ at Lakeside, it was evident that, in just a few days, your loving care had transformed her and put a smile back on her face!

I had visited other friends in care homes in Cardiff and worked as a carer during the pandemic, so I was diligent in vetting and selecting Lakeside and was wary of delegating responsibility for Ruth’s care to anybody. However, from the outset, you have reassured us and we have never had any inkling of cause for concern; all our questions have been answered with professional wisdom and honesty that demonstrates you have her best interests at heart; within days of her arrival it was clear that even the senior management team knew her well and appreciated her; at every visit it is obvious that Ruth recognizes and accepts the staff as close friends; indeed, her care appears to be exemplary.

Lakeside is well equipped for high quality nursing care and we have not had to provide anything other than personal items. I am impressed by the quality of the furnishings which feel similar to those in a modern hotel. We are particularly blessed that Ruth has a large ensuite room which gets the morning sun, just like her previous bedroom, as her anxiety at being moved means that she has been unable to access the activity programme in the day room.

Alzheimers means that Ruth is reluctant to eat and drink, but the food is restaurant quality and the excellent record keeping means that we know that she is patiently given the opportunity for ‘a nice cup of tea’ at least seven times a day and her nutrition is closely monitored. She has not required the IV fluids that she had previously needed in the hospital.

We are so grateful to all the staff in Lakeside, from those who patiently answer the phone, welcome Ruth’s visitors, attend to her personal needs with great respect, take the time to sit with her and while away a few moments, oversee her meds, prepare and serve her meals and keep the place spotlessly clean.

Thank you so much for making what will probably be Ruth’s last home such an amazingly lovely place.

Best wishes,
Fiona

My mum stayed for 7 months at Lakeside, her health was declining the whole time with an aggressive dementia.

The home eased my fears and anxieties, as the staff were very professional and although nothing is perfect I had no worries with mum staying there.

The last month of mum’s life was very challenging and the staff treated her the best they could in conjunction with the medical professionals.

It was also very appreciated how empathetic the staff were with our family as we were staying around the clock with mum.

The staff ensured we were as comfortable as we could have been and did their best to help us through such an emotional time.

My Nan and Mum have stayed at Lakeside and I would have no hesitation with using or recommending the place again.

Wayne Chant

I can’t thank Lakeside House enough for the care they gave my father who was suffering from the late stages of dementia.

From our first visit I felt that the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. It was very clean and nicely decorated.

My father often struggled to communicate or understand instructions. This made his care a challenge.

The staff always treated him with patience, respect and humour – three qualities that mattered very much to our family.

When dealing with my Dad the staff always made him smile but we noted that he saved his biggest smiles for the female members of staff!

When times got tough they gave us reassurance and emotional support.

Leaving my beloved Dad at Lakeside House I knew that he was in the best place.

My mother, who suffers from dementia, has now been at Lakeside House for 2 years and my wife, Mary, and I are very happy with our choice of nursing home. Often family members write a review of a home after their relative has sadly passed away. However, I thought it would be nice to say something about Lakeside while Mum is still enjoying the wonderfully high standard of care there.

The home is professionally run by owner Phil Cliffe and his first class team of staff. The nursing staff are superbly led by Matron , Helen , who I believe has been working at Lakeside for almost 20 years. Unlike some nursing homes that we visited which seemed to have a cold and austere atmosphere, inside Lakeside House all is warm and welcoming. Indeed the welcome that visitors receive from Amanda at reception is most up-lifting. Without making this unduly lengthy I apologise to those wonderful staff that I have got to know and are not mentioned by name but thank you all for your kindnesses when we visit.

Staff are all very approachable and helpful. For example, a member of staff called Pop as well as other members of staff have helped me set up video calls to Mum which is great in between visits as I live in London. Ceris, who does Mum’s hair every week knows exactly how she likes her hair done and has left a note for staff in her room to make sure that the style is not lost through over washing between appointments.

The monthly newsletter is great and shows some of the activities that Beverley, Jayne and others have organised throughout the previous weeks , including weekends, – so when Mum says , because of her memory loss, that she has ‘done nothing recently’ – Mary and I can hold photos from the newsletter in front of her and say ‘oh yes you have’ – ‘there you are at Roath Park and there you are enjoying a visit from outside performers playing and singing music from your younger days’.

The attention to individual detail is quite amazing. For example staff position Mum on a dining table where they know she enjoys the company and the conversation. Staff help her choose what clothes she wants to wear in the morning. The rotation of staff means that all members get to know the preferences of all residents and are doing individual kindnesses ‘over and above the call of duty’ for residents throughout the day. One lady who particularly likes to be in the garden when the sun is shining, sure is in the garden when the sun is shining ! I get the impression that by industry standards staff turnover is low and that there are many long serving members of staff which says a lot for the family atmosphere that Phil Cliffe has created.

Nursing staff diligently monitor Mum’s health and immediately inform us if she is suffering a temporary setback in any way, soon nursing her back to full health.

Mary and I can get quite emotional when talking about the home. We know we couldn’t find anywhere better than Lakeside House.

Yours thankfully,

Clive Jewkes

My husband was cared for in Lakeside for some 2 years and I know he could not have been cared for any better.

In fact, he had previously spent a week’s respite in 2 other homes in Cardiff ( because Lakeside was full at the time) and there is no comparison. The others should learn from Lakeside how it should be done!

The atmosphere is so warm and friendly and I was treated as one of the family, so to speak.

The nurses and caters really did care for Bryan in such a kind and considerate manner that it often brought tears to my eyes. Nothing was too much trouble and they showed such patience with his deteriorating dementia.

The activity girls treated him like a friend and I have fond memories of the trips I went on with them and Bryan for pub lunches or to the Bay for the afternoon.

At the end, everyone was so kind and understanding, and I’d like to make special mention of one cater, Annas, who really helped me cope at such a difficult time.

Of course, I would recommend Lakeside to anyone who wants the confidence of knowing that their loved one is well cared for and treated properly.

Dear Jayne,

I would be grateful if you would pass on thanks from all the family to the staff for the care, support and attention given to Mary. It would not have been her choice to spend the last 3 years of her life in a nursing home but she lived a much fuller and worthwhile life in the care of all of you. She was able to engage in many more activities, experience more visits and share social time with staff and residents. For all of that we are very grateful.

As we sort out the bungalow we have a supply of clothes, both men and women which might be useful for Lakeside. I understand that there is the opportunity to raise funds for the residents fund and if you felt it was appropriate I can drop these clothes at Lakeside. I also believe there is a small residue in Mary’s petty cash account. This could be transferred to the residents fund to assist with residents activities.

The family have discussed a gift for Lakeside which would be of benefit to staff and residents. Mary was a very keen gardener so ideally it would be something in this area in the new development, perhaps a seat or garden furniture but you and the staff would be best placed to decide. We are thinking in the region of £1,000 and would be grateful if you would give some consideration to this and let me know in due course what you would like to purchase. Once procedures are undertaken I will arrange for £1,000 to be transferred to Lakeside.

We all realise the difficult job you all do but we are amazed at how all the staff carry out their work with smiles on their face, such kindness being shown to residents and such enormous help being given to families. Thank you all so much.

Kind regards Sandra.