A nurse, who has worked in healthcare for more than 35 years during which time she commissioned two new care homes, has been appointed as the new Home Manager at Millway House in Andover.
Claire Lousteau (58) is now heading up the team at the nurse-led care home and brings with her a wealth of experience.
Qualifying as a nurse in 1985, Claire spent 25 years at Salisbury District Hospital apart from a two-year spell in Berlin where her husband worked in the military.
Claire said: “I followed my mum into nursing and spent many happy years caring for patients in hospital. When I returned from Berlin, I settled in Durrington, Wiltshire, where I’ve lived ever since.”
In 2009, the experienced nurse moved into care home management in the county.
She said: “I was keen to manage my own team of nurses and wanted to be in an environment where I could get to know the people I was looking after.
“As a nurse, you take care of patients until they’re better, and then they go home. As a Home Manager, it’s wonderful to have the chance to build up a relationship with the residents and their families.
“I’ve been at Millway House for seven weeks now and I’m getting to know the residents as well as my team here. All of them are incredible.”
A career highlight came when Claire was involved in the commissioning of two new care homes from start to finish. Both in Wiltshire, one was a 60-bed care home, and the next a 63-bed home where she subsequently worked for eight years.
Claire added: “Commissioning a care home involves working on everything from project managing the build, recruiting staff, arranging protocols, carrying out risk assessments, to eventually showing potential residents and their families around and welcoming them to their new home.
“In my role as Home Manager at Millway House, I oversee everything happening in the home. I lead and support my team and, most importantly, I ensure that the service delivered to the residents here is of the utmost quality.”
Millway House is part of Sears Healthcare and CEO Richard Adams is thrilled to be welcoming Claire to the team.
He said: “At Millway House, we are a nurse-led care home, so our approach focuses on providing a home-from-home for our residents while we meet their healthcare needs. Claire’s wide-ranging experience, together with her warmth and compassion for the residents and their families, is a real asset to us. I’m delighted to be welcoming her to the Sears team.”
Situated on the outskirts of Weyhill near Andover, Millway House offers excellent accommodation for nursing, dementia and end of life care.
For more information, visit www.millwayhouse.co.uk.
