Our purpose
 
Our   Supported   Living    units   are     designed    to    provide accommodation, support services and flexible personal care as required to suit individual needs for senior people in a “homely” setting. 
 
We actively encourage continued  independent living, enabling people to lead a full and active life according to their  personal preferences, by providing the means and assistance required to make informed choices.
 

Why is supported living right for me?
Our clients needs and desires have shaped the development of Supported Living  over the  past  decade as an alternative to residential care, and came about as a result of  carefully listening  to  what  people like you wanted in terms of preferences, comfort, security, support and care in their latter years.   It’s been designed by people like you who want to live their lives to the full in friendly, family sized houses.
 
We found that people wished to continue a level of independence whilst also having the security of knowing that a trained member of staff was there 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.  Another important factor was enabling individuals to retain access to their benefit entitlements (where applicable), and give  them  the  option  to  decide  who  provides their personal care up to and including end of life care to ensure they remained in control. 
 
We currently have many Supported Living units in Okehampton and the surrounding area which offer a unique opportunity for people requiring care and support with accommodation.
 
What is Supported Living?
Supported Living is centred around you, enabling you to live your life the way that you want to.  Your wishes, needs and desires are all catered for in terms of your environment, care and support by offering you flexibility and choices.
 
Supported Living is essentially ‘group living’ and therefore offers a  combination  of   privacy and companionship, providing  a welcome and refreshing alternative  which   enables you to maintain a feeling of independence whilst being in the  company of     others. 

  
We  offer  a  “homely”  environment,  with  the  accommodation comprising private  bedroom areas plus shared areas including lounge, dining room, gardens etc.  Typically, the  properties are normal everyday bungalows or houses, and range in size from 3  to 6 bedroom. Some have a ‘quiet’ area and conservatories, along with self contained annexes for those who wish to have a higher degree  of privacy and each  can be personalised to fit your requirements. 
 
It will be “ your home”, and you  are   encouraged to play an acti ve part in the  decision  making  process,  and  can  furnish and decorate your room to your own taste and even bring a pet with you (subject to the agreement of your fellow tenants).

We offer a range of weekly activities and trips, and encourage participation, but it is down to the choice of the individual how involved or active you choose to be.  
Wherever possible, we encourage involvement with your family members, friends/advocates and strive to maintain your social links with past activities and interests as well as spiritual needs.
 

Fresh food is sourced locally - fruit and vegetables are from local growers and from our own kitchen gardens and meat is reared on our farm in Hatherleigh. 
Everything is then home cooked daily to suit your tastes and requirements with a menu agreed with you.
 
Our mission
At Lyndridge we strive to undertake:
• Giving you the freedom to plan your daily life
• Encouraging your independence and enabling you to lead a fulfilling life
• Preserving your dignity and helping you maintain self-esteem
• Helping you to maintain continuity in your interests and desires
• Nurturing your spirit and promoting your physical and emotional well-being
• Working with you and accepting you know best
• Helping you have your say, and giving you the opportunity to say what  you want
• Valuing life and living, and respecting your dying wishes
 
Services
We offer personalised services, tailored to suit your individual needs which will be
discussed fully in our assessment to find out about  your preferences, but essentially there are three core elements of support, care and rent as follows:
 
The Support element ensures staff are on-site 24/7 to facilitate enabling, financial and emotional support, well-being, all food, cooking, utility bills, travel, cleaning, laundry, shopping, activities etc.  Assistance could range from being on hand to help using the telephone or simply “overseeing” the laundry. 
 
The Care element can be provided by Lyndridge Care or a person/agency of your choice, and if you already have a re-existing provider, they can continue this for you.  Staying at a Supported Living unit is not dependent on receiving care, and the care contract can be terminated without jeopardising your tenancy.    If you choose to appoint Lyndridge Care, we will provide a qualified and trained Carer’s to undertake all your personal care tasks, as required according to your assessed needs.  Supported Living is unique in so much as this element is totally flexible and transparent, and caters for your changing needs over time.  We continually assess your needs via an in-depth and inclusive monitoring process and work closely with other health care professionals.   Should your requirements change, we are able to provide additional support and care up to and including active end of life planning, working with yourself, family and GP.
 
The Rent covers the costs for the sole use of your individual room, plus shared
communal space within your home on an assured short hold tenancy of 6 or 12 months as preferred.
 
We offer free benefits checks, and can help with completing paperwork to access your entitlements (where applicable).  We have many years experience of this, and are happy to help with this whilst still living at home.
 
Staff
All staff are subject to strict employment criteria, policies, procedures and training requirements and subject to assessment, supervision and on-going training and have undergone an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau and POVA checks.

Lyndridge Care is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Regulatory body, and as such have to conform to all their statutory regulatory requirements. 
 
Benefits of Supported Living
We understand that major life decisions take time, and you need to carefully consider  your  options.  Supported Living offers many benefits for both  clients and relatives including::
Clients
• Choice & independence
• Stability & longevity of care & support
• Flexible care packages which can change to suit your needs
• End of life care and support planning 
• You are able to appoint care agency of choice  -  you have control over who delivers your care
• Access to expert information and help with benefit claims & entitlements (where applicable)
Relatives
• Working together to achieve stability & longevity of care
• Less financial burden, as the client remains financially independent, and retains their own benefit stream to fund their fees
 
Fees
Weekly fees are determined by the combination of the three elements mentioned
earlier i.e.  Support, Care and rent.  
 
These costs will vary to some degree for each person, as it is dependent upon their individual needs and requirements and the room chosen  but currently costs are as follows:
 
Support £200-250 per week
Rent £100 (single room)
Care is variable, dependent on needs and provider.  Currently Lyndridge Care hourly rates are £15.40 and a “typical” care package consists of 10.5 hours a week (1.5 hours personal care per day).
 
“Extra”Costs not included
Only the following costs need to be met by the individual tenant:-
Attendances by hairdresser, chiropodist, aroma therapist or other alternative medicine practitioner. newspapers and magazines, and taxi costs (i.e. for individuals evening entertainments where it would be impracticable for a staff driver to assist)
 
A full and in-depth explanation of what is covered  under each of the 3 cost
elements can be provided separately  -  just call Carol or Amanda on  01837 54782 for details
 
Funding
Possible benefits available for those over 65 (subject to assessment & need) to cover these costs could include:
• Attendance allowance (this is not means tested)
• Pension credit
• Severe disability premium
• Housing benefit
 
For those under 65, there are a range of other similar benefits.  Free assistance and independent advice is available to anyone considering a placement. 
 
We  can  also  help  you  navigate  through  the  benefits  maze,  and  assist  with paperwork to claim entitlements (where applicable) or call  Care Direct on 0800 444 000 or Care Aware on 08705 134925.
 
Other Services
At our Supported Living units, we are also able to offer the following services:
Day Care
For those wishing to use our wide range of facilities including assisted bathing/ showering, we can provide this at selected units.   Day Care is available at The Beeches, Trevenn and Baldwins (8am to 6pm), 7 days a week.  A special ‘working week’ (Mon to Fri) rate is available for permanent bookings (over 4 weeks).  Check with the main
office for charges.
Respite Care
For those recovering from an illness, or after a stay in hospital that require support
on a short term basis, we can offer respite care (subject to availability).  We are able
to provide competent, trained staff, on duty 24/7 charged at our normal weekly rate.  However, please note that we do not provide nursing care.
 
Quality Standards
We have a number of quality standards that we follow to ensure your privacy and wishes are respected at all times and strive to maintain your dignity.  Both clients and families are at the centre of all decision making where options are provided and you drive the decisions.
 
Your rights are upheld, and we promote freedom of choice where your individual
expression is encouraged.  We offer equal opportunities to all our clients and do
not discriminate on any grounds. 
 
Quality Control
A number of processes are in place to ensure involvement in shaping day to day
 activities as well as ensuring high standards of service delivery.  These include
regular tenants meetings, landlord meetings, relatives meetings, care and support plan reviews, quality assurance surveys and spot inspections.  We also operate a
compliments and complaints system to ensure any problems are attended to
promptly and effectively in the strictest confidence.
 
Next stage
We understand that this is an important and life changing decision, and are able to offer a variety of options to ease the transition, depending on your requirements.  
 
Why not come along and see how we value life and living and respect peoples wishes.  Pop in for a coffee and see what we have to offer.  You can simply come for a chat or spend the day to meet other tenants to get a feel for the environment.   We highly recommend a visit is  arranged so that you  can  view  the  units,  as  each one  has an individual “personality”.   We can also organise a “short stay”, whereby you can stay for a week to give you a taste of what your life could be like.
 
Please phone Carol Barkwell or Amanda Bowen at the main office on 01837 54782 for further details and up to date information on room availability.
 
Our Supported Living Units are located in and around the Okehampton area plus Chagford and Crediton.
 
They are all completely individual, thereby offering a wide choice in terms of location, ambiance and “feel”, varying in size from three to twelve rooms.
 
Please phone the main office on 01837 54782 for further details and up to date information on room availability or visit our website.