Pride of Guernsey: Summerland House nursing home

‘My mother was a resident at Summerland and the staff looked after her very well. They are all very kind and caring to all of the residents and families,’ said its nominator, who wishes to remain anonymous.

‘I would like to nominate them [staff] for all the hard work that they do 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

‘They also raise money for various charities through the year.’

This year, the charity chosen as the beneficiary of its annual fete was Dementia Friendly Guernsey.

Summerland House has been open since 1988, and in that time no resident has ever had to leave the home for financial reasons.

The staff currently outnumber the residents at 75 to 52, making room for personalised care.

When asked what Summerland prided itself the most on, group nursing director Cathy Bailey said it has to be ‘the family atmosphere, first and foremost’.

‘We treat everyone with respect. We try to make a difficult part of their lives as happy as possible.

‘There’s a buzz about the place, there’s always something going on.’