Queen Alexandra Hospital Home Magazine 2013

complimentary copyplease take one

The Queen AlexandraHospital Home MagazineSupporting physically disabledex-Servicemen and women of thepast, present and future

QAHH

qahh.org.uk

Queen Alexandra Magazine Issue 1:Queen Alexandra template 1/5/13 13:39 Page 1

When you spring clean your home consider having

a ‘spring clean’ of your legal and financial papers

at the same time. This may be something you’ve

been putting off, but bear a thought for your family

who will be the ones left to sort everything out after

you have passed away. The exercise could prove to be invaluable for it will

definitely save time and in some cases money if your family will need to

employ professionals to assist with administering your estate. Here are my

top ten practical steps to dying tidily:-

1. Shred all out of date paperwork

2. Only keep tax records going back seven years

3. Store all passbooks, share certificates and deeds safely

4. Record usernames and passwords for your digital assets e.g. laptop/PC,

mobile phone, online store accounts and subscriptions securely

5. Ask someone to look after your pets

6. Buy a funeral plan and include details of your wishes in your Will

7. Tell your children where your Will is stored

8. De-clutter your house and loft and make gifts of unwanted items (i.e.

charity)

9. Keep your address book up to date

10. MAKE A WILL and keep it up to date

By doing the above not only will it be therapeutic it will also provide you

with the peace of mind that comes with knowing your affairs are in order.

For further information please contact Kai Lei on 01403 253282.

Spofforths can organise home or hospital visits.

The Essential Spring Clean

www.spofforths.co.uk


3The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. Multidisciplinary nursing care in action.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk

About QAHH ..........................................................5

Meet the Servicemen we support ..........................7

Can we help you? ..................................................8

How can you help our Servicemen ........................9

Community support ..............................................10

Your business can help QAHH..............................11

Supporting our future Servicemen ........................12

Scott’s Story ........................................................13

How your donation can make a difference ............14

Contents

ContributorsWe would like to thank everyone who has contributed to thismagazine. Thank you in particular to our residents, families andsupporters who have given us permission for their stories,comments and photographs to be reproduced in this magazine.

A big thank you to our advertisersQAHH and Manner Media Solutions would like to thank the manyadvertisers whose generous support has enabled us to publish thismagazine at no cost to the Hospital Home. When responding to anadvertisement, please do say that you read it here.

Publishers: Manner Media Solutions Ltd www.mannerms.co.ukGraphic Design & Print: www.pandacreativeltd.co.uk

Contacts & addressesThe Queen Alexandra Hospital HomeBoundary Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 4LJ

Switchboard: 01903 213458Fundraising: 01903 218444Fax: 01903 219151website: www.qahh.org.uke-mail: [email protected]

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1072334

“Without QAHH I’m certain Iwouldn’t be alive today”QAHH Resident


The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home

(QAHH) is a national Hospital Home for

disabled veterans, supporting our country’s

Servicemen since 1919.

QAHH is a remarkable institution with an

inspiring history. As casualties in the First

World War reached appalling numbers, the

Hospital Home was founded in London to

cope with the medical and surgical demand

from this devastating conflict. In 1933 QAHH

moved to a property in Boundary Road,

Worthing, West Sussex.

For over 90 years our charity has provided

first-class support for ex-Servicemen and

women, and with British troops returning

injured from current conflicts, QAHH will

undoubtedly be instrumental in the care and

rehabilitation of veterans for years to come.

Now being 1 of only 3 establishments of

our kind in the UK supporting personnel

from all three Services, we provide nursing,

care and rehabilitation to give the

Servicemen and women their dignity and

independence back, and allow them to

participate in hobbies and learn new skills in

a warm, supportive environment they can

think of as their home.

We receive no funding from the government

and work hard to raise the £1.3m it costs

each year to provide these essential services

to our remarkable veterans. Many of our

residents have lived through terrible conflict

and served our country with little thought of

their own lives – it is our mission to offer them

the quality of care they both need and

deserve.

Thank you for taking the time to read our

magazine and we hope you’ll visit us and see

for yourself just how special QAHH is.

4 The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. A remarkable charity, caring for remarkable people.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk

Welcome to the QAHH magazine!

“When the NHS rehabilitation came to an end, this was the onlyplace that provided the therapies I needed”QAHH Resident


Anyone who has served in HM Forces at

any time or in any capacity and also

immediate family members of someone who

have served for our country is eligible for

admission to QAHH.

We accept residents aged 18 upwards and

have 60 beds for both permanent stays and

short term respite care for two to four weeks

at a time.

Working in the gaps between healthcare and

social services, QAHH is a charity that

offers a range of accommodation, nursing

care and rehabilitation for physically disabled

ex-Servicemen and women from anywhere

in the UK.


About QAHH

“The Staff are cheerful, helpful andthey are always there”Dixie-Long stay resident

“It is the mission of the Queen AlexandraHospital Home to provide a multi-disciplinary approach for the care andrehabilitation of those with Neurologicaland medical disabilities, predominantly forthose who have served with HM Forces.”


QAHH is also recognised as leaders in our

field of caring for those with an Acquired Brain

Injury (ABI).

ABI has dramatically varied effects and

impinges on every part of human life:

physically, intellectually, behaviorally and

emotionally. This can result in a person

having difficulty controlling, coordinating and

communicating their thoughts and actions.

While the outcome of the injury depends

largely on the nature and severity of the injury

itself, appropriate treatment and rehabilitation

play a vital role in determining the level of

recovery and the person's quality of life.

Our Matron previously worked for the Royal

Hospital for Neuro Disability and has

developed a highly trained team of nurses to

work with ABI residents. We are therefore

welcoming increasing numbers of our

residents who have difficulties with

communication following a stroke,

neurological impairment or degenerative

condition, Parkinson's disease, Motor

Neurone Disease or Multiple Sclerosis.

What we offer

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. A remarkable charity, caring for remarkable people.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk 6

QAHH 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 provide short-term respite care,

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.

Through the assessment procedure we are

able to ascertain the different levels of nursing

care our 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.

In 2011 we were accredited with a Commend

Pass on the Gold Standard Framework (GSF)

and End of Life Care. QAHH has been delivering

care for the dying for many years but this award

recognizes and publicly acknowledges the high

standard of care at QAHH.

We have the capacity for 60 beds, of which

22 are single ensuite rooms and 38 rooms

which are single and twin rooms, all of which

were refurbished between 2009-2011. In

2012 we completed the refurbishment of two

large bathrooms and shower rooms which

now feature state of the art bath and

washroom facilities.

QAHH core facilities include: Occupational

Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and

Language Therapy all complimented by a

Social and Recreational department.


The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. Multidisciplinary nursing care in action.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk

Graham is a familiar face in Worthing,

working at his father’s greengrocers on

Brighton Road since leaving school. Following

2 years national service, fighting in the Canal

Zone with the RAF, he served people their fruit

and veg until a stroke hospitalised him at the

age of 78.

Graham was left unable to stand, his hands

shook constantly, his sight deteriorated and

his hearing was impaired. Doctors told him he

would never walk again. In April 2012 Graham

transferred to the Queen Alexandra Hospital

Home, having tried other nursing facilities and

as soon as he arrived he felt at home.

“I was astounded – there’s nothing like it.

Everyone is so kind and I can’t praise them

enough. I can’t fault the nursing. No one has

ever been cross or annoyed. It’s comfortable,

Meet the Servicemen we support

7

clean, the food is really good and there is

plenty of it. The day trips you don’t get in any

other home. I loved them. I went on river trips,

for lunch and even to Buckingham Palace for

their garden party. I think my favourite thing

about QAHH is the Social and Recreation

department – I really enjoyed that. We did

activities, games, sports, made collages and I

made a good friend in Gordon who sat next

to me”

The biggest achievement Graham made in his

3 months at QAHH however, was in the

physiotherapy department. Graham left able

to walk using a frame. “QAHH has done me a

world of good. It’s thanks to the physios for

putting me through it that I’ve done it. It’s not

been easy but it’s easier now – I never

thought I’d walk again but now I can even

walk up the stairs”.

Graham will be missed at QAHH but QAHH’s

primary aim is to help their residents lead a

more independent life and returning home is

the greatest achievement possible. Graham

left saying “It will be nice to get home to my

family but I will visit. You’ve all been so kind

and done all you can for me and I would like

to thank you. We proved them wrong!”


On any given day at QAHH, residents

are learning to walk again in our

physiotherapy department, stroke victims

are finding their voice in occupational

therapy and veterans who gave their life to

their country, are being cared for on our

wards.

The passion and dedication of our nursing

staff is poignantly expressed in the many

testimonies that we receive from residents

and their families each week.

After a visit to QAHH we hope that you will

be inspired to choose to be one of the

recipients of our care through residency at

QAHH.

Amongst our core services QAHH has a

variety of other facilities that make it an

exceptional place to reside in:

• Peaceful seaside setting

• Variety of care packages-respite,

intermediate care, long term care,

palliative care

• A Multi-Disciplinary approach towards the

care and rehabilitation

• 24 hour nursing care

• Speech and Language Therapy and

access to a Neurophysiologist

• Resident focused care plans

• Return to independent living

• Comradeship

• Residents forum

Quality accommodation

• Airy bright modern rooms

• Well-proportioned bedrooms

• Overhead tracking systems

• Pleasant external views

• 22 single, en-suite rooms

• 14 single and 12 shared rooms.

• Call alarm system

• Television point

• Telephone socket

Life Style

• Gardens

• Raised gardening beds

• Sun balcony terraces

• Luxury Coach for outings

• Housekeeping and laundry service

• Computer room and Skype

• Library

• Chapel

Meals

• Freshly cooked on site meal provision

• Dietary preferences

• 3 choices of dishes at each meal

• Residents meal suggestion scheme

Additional Residents services

• Newspapers and mail delivery and ordering

• Pay phone telephone

• Hairdressing & Chiropody service

• Coffee Shop with Wi-Fi

• On site doctor’s surgery

If you are interested or know someone

who would be interested in being a

resident at QAHH please telephone

01903 213458 or email [email protected]


Can we help you?

Are you ex-Service or a spouse, civil partner, widow or widowerof anyone who has served, and need some support with care,nursing or rehabilitation?If you are we could be able to help! Please contact us for aninformal chat, or perhaps visit QAHH and see how unique andspecial the facilities are here.



Our facilities truly are in a class of their

own and the small but dedicated

fundraising team at QAHH work tirelessly to

ensure these services are here now and for

future ex-Servicemen, women and their

families. We receive no government funding

and must raise over £1.3million a year to

provide the highest stand of care that our

country’s Servicemen and Women deserve.

Something for everyone…..come and

join us

We hold a range of events throughout the

year, including our annual Open Day,

Christmas Bazaar and Carol Concert. We

also work in partnership with various

organisations to hold events in aid of QAHH.

QAHH Open Day

Each year, the second Saturday of July sees

hundreds of visitors attend the QAHH family

Open Day. Amongst the attractions are a

military band, cake stall, our famous bottle

stall along with food, drink, musical

entertainment, dancing, crafts, grand prize

draw and many other activities.

If you would like to volunteer at the

event, sponsor the event, have a stall,

or perform please phone 01903

218444 or email

[email protected]

Challenge yourself for our veterans

If you are looking for a challenge then look no

further! Our challenge events include;

• Brighton Marathon

• Trek the Inca Trail

• Pedal to Paris

• Conquer Kilimanjaro

• Conquer the Great Wall of China

So what are you waiting for – call the

team on 01903 218444 or email

[email protected] for more

information today!

Please visit www.qahh.org.uk to see

our planned events.

How can you help our Servicemen?

39 Norway Street | Portslade-by-Sea | East Sussex | BN41 1GN

T: +44 (0) 1273 429 755 | E: [email protected]

www.mannerms.co.uk

Magazines | Newsletters

Catalogues | Brochures | Folders

Leaflets & Flyers | Manuals

Business Stationary & Corporate Identities

Start-up Websites

big enough to deliver...... small enough to care

PROUD TO SUPPORT QAHH


We encourage our local community to not

only join in our fundraising events but to

design and undertake their own fundraising

activities. We can provide a fundraising pack

for businesses, schools or community

groups who are interested in putting on an

event, holding a raffle, or taking on a

challenge in aid of QAHH. We can also

provide posters, collecting buckets and tins,

banners, balloons and fundraising leaflets to

help your event along!

Please contact fundraising on 01903

218444 or [email protected] for

further information.

You can help our Servicemen!

Volunteers give priceless support to our

residents through a variety of roles.

Whatever your background, you’ll find that

volunteering for QAHH is rewarding and

challenging, and knowing that you are

helping to make a difference is a great

feeling.

If you are interested in volunteering for

QAHH please contact us on

01903 218444 or email

[email protected]

Some example volunteer opportunities at

QAHH include:

• Social Media volunteer to help with Twitter

and Facebook

• Befriender volunteers

• Fundraising volunteers

• Research volunteers

• Event organisers

• Leaflet distributors

• Office volunteers

• Gardeners


Community support

“Since my retirement I have been a volunteer at QAHH twice weekly for wellover 20 years. In this time I have been able to appreciate the high standardof nursing and care provided for the residents, and the feeling that it isessentially a 'Home' as well as a Hospital”QAHH Volunteer

There are so many community groups that

support us by raising money,

volunteering, donating their expertise, offering

gifts in kind or simply visiting the residents.

We are so grateful for the kindness and

generosity that is shown to QAHH so a huge

thank you to everyone who has donated in

one way or another – you play such an

important part in the lives of our residents.


QAHH is proud of the corporate

relationships that have been built both

locally and nationally over the years with

organisations whose values often reflect our

own.

With your help we can make a real and

lasting difference to the lives of disabled

veterans.

We are seeking organisations and

corporations with a desire to support these

brave men and women who have served for

their country.

Please consider supporting QAHH by:

• Encouraging employees to spend a day

volunteering with us

• Spreading the word about our

services/events to your clients and

colleagues

• Sponsoring one of our fabulous events

• Holding a fundraising day

• Making a donation towards our work

If you think your company could help the

residents, we would love to hear from you.

We welcome all forms of support no matter

how big or small.

Please contact 01903 218444 or by

email to [email protected] to

discuss your ideas today!

Your business can help QAHH!

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. Multidisciplinary nursing care in action.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk 11


12

Making a Will is one of the most

important decisions you can make,

and making decisions about the division of

your assets after you have gone can be

stressful. Providing for your loved ones is the

most important consideration to be taken into

account but, having done so, would you

consider supporting The Queen Alexandra

Hospital Home in your Will?

Leaving QAHH a gift in your Will enables us to

make a life-changing differences to deserving

disabled ex-Servicemen and women. By

making a bequest to QAHH, whatever size,

you can ensure that the brave and

courageous Servicemen of today are given a

better quality of life.

There are several ways of leaving a

legacy and for more information

please call us on 01903 218444 or

email [email protected] for

more details

If you would like to add The Queen Alexandra

Hospital Home to an existing Will, you can

use a codicil. Adding a codicil to your Will

means there is no need to change the terms

of your current Will. It simply adds a new

instruction. Please contact QAHH if you would

like a Codicil form or talk to your local legacy

advisor to add a codicil to your Will.

Please call us or visit our website

www.qahh.org.uk for more information.

Supporting our future Servicemen

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. A remarkable charity, caring for remarkable people.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk

“QAHH is truly unique. The warmth, friendliness anddedication of the staff will always be remembered”Resident’s family member

Proud to support

Queen AlexandraHospital Home

[email protected]


Scott’s Story

“When I came here I couldn't walk or move my arms and I am walking now witha stick and I am starting to use my arms which is absolutely excellent for me”Scott - Respite resident

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. Multidisciplinary nursing care in action.Tel: 01903 218444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qahh.org.uk 13

Scott was born in Holytown in Lanarkshire,

Scotland. He joined the Parachute Regiment

in 1981 and served for 9yrs in the Mortar

Battalion and C. Company. Scott was

promoted to Sergeant after serving in

Northern Ireland, Somalia and the Falklands.

Whilst recovering at QAHH, he enjoyed living

alongside other ex-Servicemen. ‘The residents

are great. We have a lot in common and can

talk shop!’

After leaving the Parachute Regiment, Scott

enrolled at Brighton University and studied to

become a registered general nurse. He

worked at the Royal Sussex County Hospital

and became an ITU specialist. Scott said;

‘The health care assistants are fantastic. I

worked in the nursing profession for twenty

years so I’ve seen everything and I can’t

speak highly enough of the staff here – the

care is brilliant’.

Scott worked hard with the staff at QAHH and

as a result was able to return to independent

living in 2013. It was with mixed feeling that

we said our goodbyes to Scott, wishing him

all the best for his future.

Scott, 47 was brutally mugged in Brighton

in 2011. He was leaving a newsagents

when the attacker struck him with a blunt

weapon across the head leaving 14 pieces of

skull lodged in his brain. The mugger stole

£60, his watch and mobile phone but Scott

says, more than that, they stole his life. Scott

was left in a critical condition after suffering a

subdural haematoma. He woke unable to

walk, he needed a tracheotomy to breathe

and couldn’t speak. He had little movement in

the right side of his body and needed hoisting

in order to transfer from his chair to his bed or

the toilet.

Scott arrived at QAHH in March 2012 and in

the first months he made incredible progress.

Scott was able to breathe, eat and drink

independently. His speech dramatically

improved and with four physiotherapy

sessions a week, Scott learnt to walk 15

metres and climb 12 steps.

Scott was in pain every day but said ‘I will

beat it. They ruined my life but I will get it

back. The physiotherapists here are magic –

they taught me to walk and climb stairs. I can

wash myself now - gradually I’ll get back to

normal’.

Scott’s skull was caved in, something he was

very self-conscious of and a fall could’ve killed

him as he had nothing protecting his brain. In

August Scott had surgery needed to replace

his skull cap, which alleviated the pressure on

his brain, which was compressed in the left

side of his head.



£10Will provide arts and crafts material used in

our Social and Recreation department

enabling residents to participate in creative

hobbies, improving hand-eye co-ordination,

and increasing their sense of achievement and

fulfilment.

£25Will increase a resident’s independence by

providing a cookery lesson to help re-learn

lost skills and adapt to living with their

disability.

£33Will help a resident become more mobile by

providing a Physiotherapy session to increase

strength and balance.

£46Will increase residents wellbeing by

purchasing plastic folding trestle tables to

enable us to hold social events such as our

annual summer BBQ day outside.

£74Will pay for essential wheelchair maintenance

for all residents each month, 90% of whom

are wheelchair bound.

£130Will prevent social exclusion by funding our

Social and Recreational department to open

at a weekend. For residents without regular

visitors, this allows them to remain social

throughout the weekend and participate in

arts and crafts, quizzes, games and other

activities in a supervised and supportive

environment.

For more information please contact

01903 218444 or by email to

[email protected] to discuss

your ideas today!

How your donation can make a difference



Security No’s

President: HRH Princess Alexandra,The Hon. Lady Ogilvy KG, GCVO

Vice President: The Lady Sarah Clutton DL

Patrons: Major General TA Boam CB CBESir P Bottomley MPR Brett EsqMrs Judith Buckland MBE DLRear Admiral RO Irwin CBDavid Jacobs CBE DLDame Vera Lynn DBEThe Hon Nicholas Soames MPAD Tenant EsqF Wilson EsqN Witchell EsqR Thornley EsqThe Mayor of WorthingI Eady EsqBrigadier W Shackell CBThe Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex,Mrs Susan Pyper

Trustees: C Field Esq. JP – ChairmanMrs J Annis – Deputy ChairmanM Walker Esq. FCA JP – ChairmanFinance CommitteeDr P Hughes FRCP, R Jordan Esq Air Vice-Marshal P Millar CBCaptain C Pile RNA Price Esq. JPJ Williams Esq.Ruth Taylor

Chief Executive: JMA Paxman JPDirector of Nursing and Operations: V Walker RGN RMA JP

Contact QAHHGeneral Enquiries - 01903 213 458 Fundraising - 01903 218 444Fax - 01903 219 151General Enquiries: [email protected]: [email protected]

AddressThe Queen Alexandra Hospital HomeBoundary Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 4LJ

Website: www.qahh.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQueenAlexandraHospitalHome Twitter: www.twitter.com/QAHH You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/TheQueenAlexandraHH

Registered Charity Number: 1072334A company limited by guarantee.Registered in England No: 3646570

Would you like to join our community?We produce a bi-annual newsletter for all our supporters anddonors. It provides information on service development,fundraising activities and events at QAHH. If you would like toreceive our future newsletters please [email protected] and include your name andaddress.

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Queen Alexandra Hospital Home Magazine 2013