Model of Care

At the Royal Hospital Chelsea, we believe in positive active ageing.

We want to support our Pensioners to continue to enjoy life and take part in rewarding activities. In order to do that, our team provides a range of care support services, including social care, rehabilitation, medical and nursing services delivered by professionals. Alongside this, our Captains of Companies play an important role overseeing the welfare of Pensioners.

A registered care home

As a registered care home with nursing, domiciliary care service and an independent GP practice, the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary is regulated by the Care Quality Commission and required to demonstrate compliance with their fundamental standards. Our latest inspection report can be found here.

Inside the Infirmary

HRH The Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) opened our care home in 2009. The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary (the Infirmary) is a unique nursing home with a GP medical centre, for the exclusive use of Chelsea Pensioners.

The Infirmary building houses our care home with nursing, which can accommodate up to 68 Chelsea Pensioners. Three additional ‘long wards’ provide supported accommodation for other Pensioners.

Each room has an excellent view and all Pensioners have access to beautiful gardens. Every ward has communal lounges and dining rooms. Pensioners, staff and visitors can enjoy the ground floor café with conservatory.

Some of our Pensioners live permanently in our residential nursing ward. Others stay for short periods when they are unwell or convalescing after hospital treatment or surgery. Families are welcome to visit at any time and close relatives visiting Pensioners who are seriously ill can stay overnight.

Support to live well

We aim to support all Pensioners living in the care home, so they can live their lives to the full.

• on-site GP services are available for all Pensioners.
• An excellent team of nurses, therapists and carers provide care and treatment for Pensioners living in the care home and in the Royal Hospital’s other Long Wards.
• Our gymnasium provides a full physiotherapy and occupational therapy service for all Chelsea Pensioners.
• Our committed volunteers play a vital role in providing a greater quality of life for Chelsea Pensioners in the care home.

Therapy Services

The Royal Hospital Chelsea’s expert therapy team provides support and rehabilitation to all Chelsea Pensioners. 

The therapists work with Pensioners to maximise their independence and quality of life by providing specialist assessment and goal-centred treatment and rehabilitation. The team is made up of an Occupational Therapist, two Physiotherapists and the Therapy Lead.

If a Pensioner has had a serious injury or illness, the Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist work together to provide a personalised programme. They continue to provide support throughout the Pensioner’s journey to regain as much independence as possible.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists provide a holistic assessment of a patient’s needs before devising a treatment plan to work towards agreed goals.

Physiotherapy treatment at the Royal Hospital may include rehabilitation to support mobility, function and independence, as well as symptom management (without medication) and advice and education for both Pensioners and staff.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists (or OTs), are specialist healthcare professionals who focus on developing, recovering, or maintaining the daily living skills of people with physical, mental, or cognitive impairments.

At the Royal Hospital, Occupational Therapists aim to help Pensioners improve their ability to function as independently as possible, so that they can take part in the activities that are meaningful and important to them.

Our domiciliary care

We believe that the Chelsea Pensioners have the right to live purposeful, independent lives for as long as possible.

The domiciliary care team provides support with any of the following tasks and activities, enabling the Chelsea Pensioner to stay safe, comfortable, secure and independent in the long wards, for as long as possible.

• Planned personal care, such as help getting in and out of bed, washing and dressing
• Planned bathing or showering
• Prompting and administering medication
• Prescribed dressings, as directed by the Medical Centre
• Safety or health monitoring, in conjunction with healthcare professionals
• Support after a stay in hospital, where a move to the Infirmary nursing wards is not appropriate or desired.

Pensioners can contact the team by telephone if they need to discuss their planned care or change an appointment time.

Our social care support

The Social Care team, provides the advice and support which enables Pensioners to live independently, free from unnecessary stress and worry. 

Social care support for our Pensioners includes:

• providing practical assistance with changing or making appointments, arranging transport and escorting those going to outside hospitals, opticians, dentists or clinics. 
• supporting Pensioners to manage their finances, make purchases, register their Power of Attorney, or make arrangements for travel and holidays (with the necessary assistance and insurance).
• helping Pensioners to replace lost bank cards and freedom passes, renew passports, and make applications for disability-related support such as taxi cards and blue badges.
• issuing wearable pendants for Pensioners who would benefit from alerting a staff member in the event of a fall. 
• addressing individual needs and requests via the daily drop-in service and providing phone or email support, as required.
• as well as providing transport to external appointments, the minibus and driver also take Pensioners on shopping and activity trips and a weekly visit to the cinema.

Assessing and supporting Pensioners

Introducing an electronic record system has allowed us to improve the way we plan the assessment and support of Pensioners living independently. It has helped ensure that it reflects the strengths, goals and support required across a range of different areas for each individual. 

All new Pensioners now have an assessment and support plan in place, within three months of arrival. As we move forward, a ‘case finding’ approach will allow the Social Care team to reach out to Pensioners living within the Long Wards who have identified needs. Offering them personalised support, in collaboration with other teams at the Royal Hospital, will help to ensure that they are able to live independently for as long as possible.

Our Welfare team

The Royal Hospital Chelsea’s multi-disciplinary Welfare team includes both ex-military and civilian staff members. They work within the Department of Health & Wellbeing, on East Road.

• Regimental Sergeant Major
  Responsible for the coordination of Chelsea Pensioners’ attendance at external events. He is also the lead for ceremonial events, such as our annual Founder's Day parade and national remembrance events. The Regimental Sergeant Major meets with the Company Sergeant Majors daily, to update them on relevant issues concerning the Pensioner community.
   
• Captains 
  Responsible for the overall welfare, conduct and behaviour of the Chelsea Pensioners within their Company. Pensioners should address any queries or concerns they have to their Captain in the first instance. Captains are also able to keep in contact with Pensioners’ family members and next of kin, if they have consent to do so. 
   
• Social Care team
  This consists of the Social Care Manager, Social Care Assistant, Admissions Officer and Minibus Driver. They are responsible for helping the Pensioners to live stress-free and independent lives.
   
• Chief Clerk 
  Responsible for a wide range of administrative tasks which support the Department of Health & Wellbeing. As well as compiling the Bulletin – a weekly publication for the Pensioners – the Chief Clerk supports the Sergeant Major in arranging external trips.