Welcome to ward C6

About Ward C6

C6 is one of five wards that specifically care for older adult patients in Addenbrooke’s Hospital. We have 26 beds, five single sex bays and four side rooms. In April to July 2014 the ward underwent an extensive refurbishment, funded by the Department of Health to create a dementia friendly environment. The refurbishment has aimed to improve the layout of the ward to make it more suitable for nursing frail elderly patients, while at the same time promoting an atmosphere of calm. Making the ward feel more homely and less clinical means that patients can feel safe and secure while they recover from their acute illness. The aim is to reduce the distress and confusion that can arise in a hectic hospital environment.

Each bay has picture around the door frame and each bed has a unique picture above it in order to promote orientation.

Ward philosophy

We care for people with a wide variety of medical conditions who require admission to an acute hospital. Our philosophy is to try and enable patients to return to their own homes as soon as it is safe to do so. The process of planning each patient’s discharge begins from the time of their admission to hospital, and each patient’s ‘predicted discharge date’ will be adjusted according to their progress whilst they are in hospital. When patients are medically fit, we will look to discharge them to an appropriate place, usually their own home, but sometimes to a rehabilitation environment. We will always consult with the patient, and where appropriate their family or next of kin, when it seems necessary to consider starting or changing any social care or a discharge to a new environment, for example care home.

Contact details

Telephone number: 01223 216685 or 01223 216988.

Directions and travel

1. Turn right when you come in the main entrance.
2. Turn left and go past the hairdressers to the lifts.
3. Go to level 6 and turn left.
4. Follow the corridor and you will come to C6.

Parking

Parking for visitors is available on the hospital site on a pay as you go basis; there are also long-term parking permits available for up to 14 days – please ask at the main hospital reception.

Visitors of patients who are likely to be hospitalised for two weeks or more can get a discounted parking ticket from the main reception. This allows exit from the car parks for 14 consecutive days from the day the ticket is validated.

Staff

Ward C6 has a team of nursing staff as follows:

• Matron (navy blue uniform with red piping)
• Senior sister (navy blue uniform with white piping)
• Junior sister/ charge nurse (royal blue uniform)
• Staff nurse (light blue uniform).
• Healthcare assistant (blue, grey and white stripe uniform or white tunic with yellow or burgundy epaulettes).
• Ward clerk

The medical team is headed by consultants who rotate on the ward.

The consultants have a team of three trainee doctors, including a specialty registrar, based on the ward.

On your arrival

On arrival to the ward, you will be greeted by a member of the nursing staff who will direct you to your allocated bed. They will receive a handover from the nurse accompanying you, so they understand the circumstances which have brought you in to hospital. The staff will answer any questions that you or your family might have and assist you to settle in to the ward. We will check with you to what extent you do wish us to keep your family informed about your illness and results of investigations).

During the first 24 to 48 hours of your admission staff will ask you a series of questions about your health and home situation which will help us to look after you and make sure arrangements are made for your discharge home. You should be given a patient admission pack when you arrive of leaflets that are relevant to your stay. If you have not been given this, please ask a member of staff.

Visiting hours

C6 ward visiting times are 11:00 to 20:00 seven days a week. If this is not convenient, visitors should ring the ward and we will try and accommodate a suitable alternative time. If you are very unwell, then visiting times will usually be relaxed. No more than two visitors per bedside please. If your family wish to assist in your care whilst you are in hospital, for example helping with feeding, they should discuss this with the ward staff.

Whilst nursing staff are administering medication rounds or assisting patients with feeding, relatives should defer any non-urgent enquiries until they have finished.

We ask that visitors not sit on the beds, as this is an infection control risk. If an extra chair is required they should ask any member of staff for one.

We encourage visitors not to bring babies and small children onto the ward, due to infection control risks to them. Flowers are permitted on the ward.

Infection control

To reduce the risk of infection, visitors should make use of the alcohol gel provided on entering and leaving the ward.

• Addenbrooke’s has a number of advice leaflets for patients and their visitors about infection control. They can be accessed from our website.

If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01223 216756.

Cleaning

Cleaning and housekeeping services generally operate between 08.00 and 19:00 daily. A rapid response team is available for additional cleaning requests 24 hours a day.

• Domestic staff wear a blue uniform. They clean the toilets, bathrooms, sinks and floors in ward bays and corridors.
• Housekeeping assistants wear a light grey uniform. They clean all aspects of the bed space, change curtains, replenish supplies and serve meals and drinks.
• Toilets and bathrooms will be cleaned at least twice daily and spot checked in between cleans.
• Bed tables will be cleaned before and after every meal. Lockers will be cleaned once a day.
• Floors will be mopped once a day using a microfibre mop, which has anti-bacterial properties, floors will be spot checked between cleans.
• Bed frames will be cleaned daily.
• If you have any concerns about any aspects of the cleaning or food service please speak to the ward sister/ charge nurse.

Menu information and meal times

Patients are served three meals a day. We try to protect meal times by avoiding therapy and investigations, however, if a meal is missed due to an urgent procedure, staff will arrange for you to get a meal when you are back on the ward. At each mealtime there are a variety of food choices. There is 24 hour availability of snacks.

We have diabetic specialist menus and other specialist menus such as high calorie or high protein diets that may be clinically indicated. Other special menus such as vegetarian or religious are also available.

If you have any food allergies please let us know about them.

If family members or carers wish to help at meal times they should discuss this with the ward staff.

Meal times

• Breakfast – 08:00 – a choice of cereals, fruit, fruit juice, hot beverage or freshly made toast.
• Lunch – 12:30 – a two course meal or cold option, with hot beverage.
• Supper – 17:15 – a two course meal or cold option, with hot beverage.
• Hot drinks are served between meals, as well as with meals.
• Drinking water is placed at every patient’s bedside (unless nil by mouth).

Ward facilities

• The ward has seven single sex shower rooms that staff will be happy to help you use during your stay on the ward. If you do not wish to shower, staff will also be happy to help you with a wash if you require help.
• Toilet facilities on the ward are also single sex and for patient use only. Visitor toilet facilities are located on level 6 next to the lifts in the C&D block.
• C6 benefits from a day room with TV facilities. This room is used during the day to provide some activities for patients. At other times you and your relatives are welcome to use these facilities.
• Post is received on the ward on a daily basis so your relatives are welcome to send post to you. Please ensure that these are addressed with your correct name and to 'Ward C6' at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ.
• You are able to watch television at the bedside through the Hospedia system. In order to do this you are required to purchase viewing cards from the Hospedia vending machines. Machines are available within the main concourse. There is a free ‘Addenbrooke’s TV channel’ which has useful information about the hospital as well as a bed and chair based exercise programme.
• If the Hospedia system is not working you are asked to contact the Hospedia operator via the telephone unit at the bedside. Staff would be happy to help with this if required.

Clothing and laundry

We encourage you to get dressed in your usual day wear whilst on the ward. We ask that your relatives take these items home for laundering, as we are unable to offer this facility.

Well fitting footwear is also useful for when our physiotherapists start to mobilise you and also to reduce the risk of falling.

When you are admitted to the ward, the staff will complete a property form. Please try not to bring valuables (financial or sentimental) or large amounts of money into the ward, as the staff cannot be responsible for these. The hospital does have a safe facility for possessions/ money to be placed into.

Telephone contact

Above each bed there is a telephone and TV set combined. These require activation by the patient or a visitor.

We will endeavour to get in touch with the 'nominated contact' documented in our records should there be any change in your condition or to relay other important information, such as regarding discharge arrangements. We would encourage that your family nominate one person to contact the ward and then pass the information onto other family members to ensure that nursing staff can maximise their time caring for the patients.

Drug rounds

Visitors should try not to interrupt the nursing staff while they are doing the drug round or checking medicines.

Doctors' ward rounds

Monday to Friday, all patients are reviewed daily by either the consultant or one of their team. If you need to see a doctor during out of hours, at a weekend or bank holiday, there is an on-call team that the nurses can contact (please note this is unlikely to be the team of doctors who look after you during normal working hours).

Our consultants do their main ward rounds on a Monday and Thursday morning. They will see every patient on the ward on those days. Unfortunately it is not possible for the consultant to guarantee being able to see relatives during the ward rounds due to the pressure of time. It is much better for them to arrange an appointment for another time (see Sharing Information below).

Multidisciplinary team

The following professionals are also part of the ward team:

• physiotherapists and physiotherapy assistants
• occupational therapists (OT) and OT assistants

We also have access to the following services within the hospital:

• dietitians
• speech and language therapists
• other specialist teams, such as diabetes, nutrition, pain and palliative care

Personal possessions and valuables

When you are admitted to the ward, the staff will complete a property form. Please try not to bring valuables (financial or sentimental) or large amounts of money into the ward, as the staff cannot be responsible for these.

The hospital does have a safe facility for possessions/ money to be placed into.

• Ensure teeth are in labelled denture pots.
• Hearing aids also need a safe box with a label.
• Toiletries are required, towels are not.
• Tissues are useful.

Well fitting footwear is also useful for when our physiotherapists start to mobilise you and also reduce the risk of falling.

Food for visitors

There are multiple options for food and drink on the main hospital concourse. Unfortunately we can not provide food or drink for visitors.

Sharing information and patient confidentiality

Patients – please ask any of the staff any questions you might have regarding diagnosis, treatment, medications, or discharge planning. We will do our best to keep you up to date with any information as it becomes available to us. Equally, any information about how you live your day to day life and manage at home will be very valuable to us in caring for you and planning for safe discharge.

Relatives and significant others – unless your loved one is unable to give consent, we need to seek their permission first before sharing their confidential information with you. As soon as consent is gained we will wish to work in partnership with you. Again any information about how your loved one lives their day to day life and manages at home will be very valuable to us.

If there is a query or problem that the named nurse for that shift is unable to answer, please ask to leave your contact details; the ward's senior sister, or one of the junior medical team to get back to you as soon as they can.

In order to protect patient privacy at handover times and during ward rounds we will ask visitors to temporarily leave the bay to maintain confidentiality for all our patients.

In the first instance we would hope our nursing team and junior medical team will be able to answer the majority of enquiries.

If this is not the case however, to arrange to speak with a consultant please book an appointment by speaking with one of the nursing staff. If you wish to speak to a member of the medical staff out of hours or at weekends, this can be arranged, but please understand that these doctors are unlikely to be those who normally look after your loved one and so may not be able to provide detailed information. They may also be busy with emergency duties and may not be readily available to meet with you.

Concerns

The staff on Ward C6 would like to address any concerns as they arise. Occasionally concerns can not be resolved immediately on the ward, in such circumstances; one of the following can be arranged:

• A meeting with the Ward's senior sister to discuss the problem, looking for a local resolution.
• A meeting with the matron.

Alternatively, you can speak to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01223 216756 (Monday to Friday 08:30 to 18:00, weekends 13:00 to 16:00) or write to them directly.

Privacy and dignity

We are committed to treating all patients with privacy and dignity in a safe, clean and comfortable environment. This means we will care for you in same sex bays in wards with separate sanitary facilities for men and women.

Discharge information

We will keep you updated with discharge plans as far as is possible. If you wish your family/ next of kin to be kept informed about your progress whilst in hospital and/or to be involved in your discharge planning then please help us by having one key 'nominated contact' who can pass information onto the rest of the family and friends.

On the day of discharge you may go to the hospital discharge lounge, to await collection by family or carers.

Hospital transport is not routinely available, except where there is a clear medical need.

Please ensure you have appropriate keys to access your property, and consider arranging for someone to put the heating on and obtain shopping before you go home.

If there are concerns about your discharge, it is vital to raise these with any member of staff, as early as possible during your admission.

Donations

Should you wish to make a financial donation to the ward, this can be done most easily by cheques, made payable to Ward C6.