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.

Without the support and generosity of individuals, companies and trusts, we simply would not be able to continue providing high quality nursing care and rehabilitation for disabled ex-Servicemen and women. We need to raise more than £1 million a year to provide those who have served Britain with the quality of care, comfort and independence that they deserve.

This type of provision is not normally available within the public sector and yet it is a fundamental part of our approach to care for disabled people and their carers. However long a person is with us an individual needs assessment is undertaken and regularly reviewed, always ensuring that appropriate levels and types of care and support are applied.

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.

At The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home physiotherapy is not just setting goals. We believe that residents should be empowered to make their own decisions and excellent physiotherapy comes from building excellent rapport, trust and shared understanding. The willingness residents show towards physiotherapy is a direct consequence of building solid foundations and professional-to-client relationships. Back to top

Frequently Asked Questions

What age are the residents?

Our younger residents are here through accidents or illness and can require long-term nursing or rehabilitation or short term respite care. Our youngest permanent resident is 47 years old and the youngest resident for respite/short term care is 24. Our eldest resident is 98.

How many residents are at QAHH? And what is the ratio of carers to residents?

QAHH has places for sixty residents at one time. The ratio a staff to carers is 1 resident to 1.5+ care staff. This does increase depending on the need of the current residents as some of our residents receive one to one care on a full time basis.

Costs

As a charity we subsidise our nursing care fees in order to make our high quality services accessible to as many ex-Service personnel as possible. Care fees start at £720 per week (low-dependency nursing) to stay at QAHH. A typical fee structure will see contributions from the resident (based on a system of low, medium and high dependency), funded nursing care (through the NHS and Primary Care Trust or PCT) and top up fees paid by The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. Each enquiry is treated independently to allow the maximum degree of flexibility. The top up contributions from The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home are generated through our fundraising and events activities.

For more information please contact Katie Holmes - Admissions Secretary - on 01903 213458 or click here to email Katie Holmes

Why is the cost of this care not met by Social Services, NHS or other Government body?

These services may contribute to the cost of providing our residents with both long term and respite care. However, the true cost of providing the full range of support that our residents need is more than we can claim.

What is Acquired Brain Injury?

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain that has happened after birth, following a period of normal development. It could be the result of an accident, illness such as an infection, Cerebral episode, tumor or poisoning. ABI can affect a person physically, but can also change the personality and behaviour of an individual. Back to top