MHA is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of residents in our retirement communities. Wellbeing is a key component of the service provided by MHA in all our retirement communities.

There is a fixed fee for Wellbeing to provide a core service across the scheme. The Wellbeing charge includes 24-hour staffing on-site, 365 days a year, help in an emergency and the co-ordination of an activities and events programme.

Residents’ personal wellbeing can change at different times and some residents may use the service more frequently than others. The Wellbeing service assesses and monitors the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of all residents, to enable people to remain as independent as possible and to reduce the risk of social isolation and loneliness.

Every resident will receive an annual wellbeing/support assessment which will include taking details of any information MHA may need to support you. For example next of kin, GP details, and any other support agencies we may be asked to contact on your behalf, and any worries or concerns about your current or future wellbeing you wish to share with MHA.

What does this mean for me?

• Staff on site 24 hours a day, who will carry out a morning check call/visit if requested. They will have a copy of the weekly activities sheet and daily menu and be able to prompt residents about the daily events and meals.

• Staff will respond to the alarm call in an emergency, remaining with the resident until family or other services attend where possible if this is required.

• Morning check call, if required.

• New residents visited daily for first week to check that they have settled in, provide a welcome pack if this has not already been provided, check that they are registered with GP, doctor, dentist etc, that they have details of weekly activities in scheme and local community and know how to use all facilities both in their property and within the scheme.

• Extra assistance on return from a stay in hospital, up to five days additional daytime assistance may be provided to residents (where there was no care package in place prior to the stay in hospital). We anticipate this will be a maximum of up to one hour per day; however each request for assistance will be assessed and agreed by the Scheme Manager.

• Staff will respond to the unexpected or unplanned need for emotional and practical support and guidance during or following a short term illness, change of circumstance or other significant event. If a level of support is required for a period longer than five days or becomes a regular occurrence, then it will be considered as planned support or care and alternative arrangements will need to be made, either with MHA staff, an outside agency, family or volunteer. MHA wellbeing staff will support the resident to make these alternative arrangements if required.

• Staff will monitor the security, health and safety of the scheme.

• Supporting the community through any emergency events such as power cuts, major works to the building, extreme weather events, etc.

• Staff will complete a “wellbeing assessment” with the resident to identify any additional support that may be needed and will work with the resident to identify how best this support can be provided.

• Wellbeing staff will use the assessments to support residents to identify activities that they may enjoy either individually or jointly with other residents and working with residents or volunteers to ensure that there is a range of meaningful activities available at the scheme. The wellbeing worker is not expected to run these activities, but will be required to support and encourage residents or volunteers to manage these, providing advice on funding, health and safety issues etc. They will support activities by research and printing posters etc.

How is the wellbeing charge calculated?

The wellbeing cost is calculated to cover the staffing costs of having staff available 24 hours a day. This is not simply the rate of pay staff receive but all the costs of employing staff eg training costs, cover for holidays and sickness, national insurance and pensions.

There is also a proportion of the cost of the Scheme Manager, Assistant Manager, Admin and office costs collected through the wellbeing charge.

Your Scheme Manager will be able to advise you of the wellbeing charge for your scheme at any point in time.

Learn more about your nearest MHA retirement living scheme >