Our Services

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home (QAHH) has a long heritage associated with the in-house provision of high – quality care and support for disabled ex-Servicemen and their dependents. We are not a statutory provider and we are able to lead the field associated with physical and other forms of care for disabled people because we are free from many of the constraints that beset the public sector today. Working in the gaps between health and social services, this charity offers a range of appropriate solutions for the most needy of our disabled people, many of whom have served this country at the most difficult time and with little thought for personal loss or gain.

The services we provide include the following components of a comprehensive and tailored rehabilitation programme:

  • Nursing and rehabilitation
  • Physiotherapy
  • Occupational therapy End of Life care
  • Specialist nursing for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
  • Speech Therapy

We encourage our residents to be as active as possible and provide a wide range of services and facilities including:

  • IT facilities
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Rehabilitation kitchen
  • Social and recreational activities
  • Counselling
  • Gardens
  • Concerts
  • Sensory room
  • Chapel
  • Day room and Bar

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Occupational Therapy

The occupational therapy provided at QAHH has the primary focus of helping residents to achieve and maintain their capacity to function in daily living activities allowing as much independence as possible. Residents can learn new skills (or re-learn basic, everyday skills) and take up hobbies, for example learning to use the Internet and email, which can help them stay in touch with their families.

We take care to include as many practical activities as possible because they help residents to enjoy some of the tasks and hobbies they associate with everyday life. Residents are able to cook safely using a fully adapted training kitchen and with our one to one support, making small cakes and other items to be enjoyed at planned meals or for more special events like birthdays or visits from family members. Painting, crafts, model making are also popular and these activities help to build and to maintain hand – eye co-ordination. Back to top

Physiotherapy

The Physiotherapy department has benefited greatly from the building of the new annexe and now operates in modern air conditioned facilities. Our experienced, in-house physiotherapists help residents improve their flexibility and lead more active lives. Many of our residents suffer from multiple disabilities effecting mobility. Physiotherapy is an important part of the rehabilitation package since it supports quality of life and the day-to-day enjoyment of activities so necessary to well-being.

Treatment begins with a thorough assessment of a residents' capabilities and mobility problems. From the initial assessment a set of achievable targets are set within a weekly session schedule. Rest assured that our residents are involved in this process and are able to voice concerns and opinions regarding their level and style of rehabilitation. To achieve our multidisciplinary aims it is also necessary to involve all professional care departments to ensure that we keep the holistic welfare of our residents paramount. We also keep our residents' families up to date with any developments and rely on their willingness to work with us and their loved ones in order to maximise recovery potential. Progress throughout the session schedules is recorded and after a year another assessment will take place to resolve and re-address the residents' needs.Back to top

Professional Care

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home is very proud of the level of professional care we administer to our residents. We have at our core the values of Privacy, Dignity, Rights, Independence, Choice and Fulfillment. We also value our stance as providing a home-from-home environment to help avoid institutionalisation and to keep residents focused on the future.

There are many different types of nursing care undertaken throughout the hospital that are reflective of the disabilities suffered by our residents. We have residents with motor neurone diseases, central nervous system diseases, those with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) and those with spinal injuries. Not only is each type of illness different but each individual is different too.

Where possible we try to emphasis rehabilitation and getting residents to a point where they are able to cope living in the wider community and on their own. When he first came here one of our residents was not able to walk or do very much at all for himself. With careful supervision he gradually began to gain some mobility again and progressed through walking with a frame to walking with two sticks then one and now completely unaided.Back to top

About Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is the term used to relate to a non-degenerative brain injury incurred after birth. The damage may be caused by traumatic injury to the head, for example open or closed head injuries associated with vehicle accidents or the impact of a fall. The damage can also be caused through non-traumatic means, for example a tumor, aneurysm or infection, stroke or metabolic imbalance associated with liver or kidney disease.

People who suffer from an ABI often have varying levels of physical disabilities and the greatest challenge they face is coming to terms with these abrupt changes and learning to live with them. In a very real sense living with ABI is like acquiring a new body and successful rehabilitation often means the re-learning of basic acts of daily living such as cooking and personal grooming. The abrupt changes are difficult for sufferers and their families to deal with and the level of emotional and psychological stress can be overwhelming. The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home operates a specialist capacity to provide the correct type of care and attention individuals with ABI’s require, care which is often not available on the NHS. We understand the vast changes that occur to people’s lives when suffering an ABI and the importance of structuring a rehabilitative programme that focuses on individuals regaining as much of their independence as possible, ensuring that psychological well-being and emotional balance are maintained. Back to top

Nursing

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home has a long history of providing pioneering and cutting edge nursing care. While most of the residents are long-term we also welcome ex-Servicemen and women for convalescence after hospital treatment or to provide two to four week short-term respite, with nursing and medical treatment.

The nursing care is organised on the basis of a multi-disciplinary approach that aims to keep the focus firmly on the resident. We have found that this approach delivers the best results and by keeping the resident central to the process they are empowered and that much more motivated than if their decisions were taken away from them.

Through the assessment procedure we are able to ascertain the different levels of nursing care that residents require. There are three different levels of nursing care; low, medium and high dependency. One of our prime aims is to always maintain a home-like environment supported by high quality nursing, professional therapy and rehabilitation programmes. Back to top