The Process

As part of all resident contracts with Fairseat, AAR ambulance insurance is taken out for all residents. This covers residents for the cost of the trip from Fairseat to any of the major Nairobi hospitals, and in most cases the return trip as well if desired. The cost of this is to the resident’s account. Medical insurance often offers ambulance cover but it does not cover non-emergency situations.

If you need assistance to visit the doctor, optician, dentist and outpatient department etc, you will be accompanied by a carer or a nurse. If a nurse accompanies you there will be a charge. Please ask the office for an up-to-date list of charges that includes this fee. If your appointment results in the staff missing a meal normally provided by Fairseat then you will be charged for them to buy a meal.

You may notice small white boxes hanging around the Fairseat environs. They have Stingless Bees in them and they are quite harmless. Even if you are allergic to honey bees these bees cannot harm you.

There is a car and a driver, which may be hired whenever they are not required for Fairseat business. The charges are based on mileage and the driver’s time. Should you need a driver to deliver you somewhere in your own car this can be arranged. Please make your booking through the office, not with the driver. Please ask the office for an up-to-date list of charges that includes this fee. Please appreciate that the car and/or driver are often not available so contact the office early to avoid disappointment.

You are each assigned a carer who will clean your room/cottage, do your laundry, fetch and carry meals, help with bathing and generally assist you. Under the standard situation, your carer will have one other resident to look after, and the cost is included in the monthly service charge. So, you share a carer with another resident and it may take a bit of time for the system and staff to fully understand your personal requirements, habits and needs. Please be patient as everyone gets to know each other.

The weekly roster for carers is prepared on the Friday for the following week starting Monday. A copy is put on the “residents’ notice board” in the corridor outside the dining room if you wish to check on your allocated carer.

If you feel you need more care then please talk to the manager and/or the care manager. Options include “Full-Day Care” where a resident has a dedicated carer with them from before 8 in the morning to just after 4 in the afternoon, less the time for staff to have meals. Alternatively, we offer a 24-hour-care option where a resident will have a carer with them day & night, every day of the year.

Fairseat traditionally gives all staff an annual Christmas cash gift. Residents are free to donate as little or as much as they choose towards this exercise. If residents choose to donate, they can either give a single payment at the end of the year or they can ask us to apply an agreed amount to their account monthly to avoid a single large amount in December. It is to be stressed that this is a voluntary donation – please do not feel any compulsion to contribute if you do not wish to. You can discuss this with the manager.

These are held every month and are normally highlighted in the “Menu & Events” sheet distributed weekly or the newsletters that are sent out as and when appropriate. The Anglican Communion Service is held at 11 am on the 2 nd Friday of every month in the Widgery Room. We used to have a Catholic mass every month but our numbers presently are too low to warrant it. We do not appear the have demand for other services but this can be considered if the situation changes.

There is an Admin Manager, an Accounts Manager, an Accountant and a Clerk in the office who are available to help you with any query on your account or other problems when the manager is not available. The office can assist you with photocopies, postage, emails and telephone calls as required, for your own account. If in doubt, simply ask. There is telephone list attached to this information document and all the necessary names and phone numbers are on there for your information.

Residents need to provide all their own crockery, cutlery, glassware and any other items that they intend to use in the own residence. Meals in the dining room are served using Fairseat’s items but any service to the individual’s residence needs to be done on or with personal items. Essentially this means that residents need to have at least one set of crockery, cutlery, condiments etc. for their personal use. If they are intending to have people to stay, visitors for meals in their residence or in any way entertain then they will need more. They will also need a tray to receive their meals from the kitchen on.

The Fairseat office look after the DSTV accounts for many of the residents and if you wish us to manage your account as well then speak to the Admin Manager about it. The DSTV account remains in your name but we make a single payment that is then apportioned to the individual accounts accordingly.

Ultimate Security Limited is contracted to give Fairseat emergency security assistance 24 hours per day. This includes emergency assistance and roadside help to all our residents should they ever need it. If you ever feel threatened, have an emergency, your own car breaks down or has a puncture while in the environs of Nairobi you can call Ultimate Security. The number to ring is clearly stated on the vehicle sticker available from our office. The “Road Rescue” Service is available to all residents in need of assistance, in a car or not. You are advised to keep the number with you when out – 0722725310, 0733778410.

We organize regular entertainment as and when residents want it. At the time of this update, we have bingo, bridge, videos, exercises and talks from appropriate people on subjects that we think will interest our residents. All these events are detailed in the weekly “Menu & Events” sheet and in any newsletters that we send out.

Fairseat has practice fire alarms once or twice a year to familiarise residents with the appropriate action to take. If you hear the fire alarm, please move onto your verandah and stay there if it is safe to do so. If it is not safe on your verandah, then simply move into the garden close by where it is safe but where you can be easily accounted for in any headcount.

Residents are responsible for furnishing and decorating their accommodation to their own taste. Any structural changes must be approved by the manager before they can be undertaken. Residents are reminded that the verandahs are subject to the vagaries of the weather and there is always the danger of furniture getting wet.

The Fairseat gardens are cared for by a team of gardeners who have the duties shared out. Most areas around a resident’s location will be on the regular roster for a particular gardener. Please ask the office for details and, if necessary, an introduction to your gardener so that you can be involved with the way your garden is developed and grows.

Fairseat has a generator that comes on automatically when there is no main power. It takes less than a minute from the loss of mains power to the supply of generator power. If, however, you are in a vulnerable position, be confident that the lights will come back on and simply wait patiently. A minute can seem a long time in such situations. Likewise, when the mains power is restored then there is a very brief period of power loss whilst the switch back is undertaken. It is suggested that for your TV, DSTV, music, computers, and other such electrical equipment, that you fit a small UPS (“Uninterrupted Power Supply”) that will keep the equipment running until the generator kicks in. The cost is moderate.

You may invite guests for meals or to stay in your cottage at any time and the appropriate fee will be charged to your account. Please notify the office in good time if any extra meals are required. For lunch, the earlier the better but at least by 10 am. Please ask the office for an up-to-date list of charges that includes this fee.

Guns of any description are not allowed at Fairseat.

We have a hairdresser that visits Fairseat every two weeks. The dates are always put in the Menu & Events Sheet that goes out every week. There is a booking sheet put up on the Residents’ Notice Board or simply talk to the office. You can pay cash or have the amount put on your account.

All Fairseat residences have internet “Fibre-to-the-home” installed in them. There is normally a choice of provider. If you wish to activate the internet connection, please see the office and they can explain the way it works and the costs.

The library has a good selection of books, DVDs, videos & audiotapes. Please enter in the book the date you take out and the date returned.

There is a person who comes every four weeks to do pedicures &/or manicures for residents. The dates are always on the Menu & Events Sheet that is issued weekly. There is a booking sheet put up on the Residents’ Notice Board or simply talk to the office. You can pay cash or have the amount put on your account.

There is a map of Fairseat with the residences and other useful places marked on it. Please ask the office for a copy if you want one.

The next week’s meals are detailed in the “Menu & Events” sheet sent out to all residents at the end of each week. There is also a copy on the “residents’ notice board” in the corridor outside the dining room. There are always occasions when the promise is not delivered but generally the housekeeper is very reliable. The housekeeper does her best to produce varied and interesting menus with a choice to suit most tastes. If you have allergies, special dietary needs or particular preferences, please let the manager and/or the housekeeper know and she will endeavour to accommodate you.

In the dining room there is a “Comments Book” for feedback on meals. Residents are  encouraged to use it and to keep their comments polite and pertinent. Positive and negative reactions to meals are both appreciated and useful for the housekeeper.

It is most helpful if you inform the kitchen if you are planning to miss meals. This can most easily be done through your carer and the order book that all residents have. If you are going away for an extended period, please let the office know in good time so that staff can be re- assigned and you will be eligible for a credit. In order to be eligible for a credit: you need to be away for more than seven consecutive nights; you need to give no less than 14 days’ notice; the first and last night are not eligible for a credit. The amount of the credit is varied from time to time and is available from the office.

Residents are encouraged to have visitors and to invite them for meals as much as they wish. All visitor meals are charged for but normal tea, coffee and similar beverages are not. Please ask the office for an up-to-date list of charges that includes the meal fees. It is the responsibility of residents to report their overnight visitors to the accounts department so that the charges can be raised. Your carer should be able to give you the necessary form to fill in.

All meals are served either in your residence or in the dining room. Most residents take breakfast and supper in their room/apartment/cottage and lunch in the dining room. There are a few residents who take either or both breakfast and supper in the dining room. Speak to the housekeeper or the manager about your preferences but over time you will work out a routine that suits you. Breakfast is generally served at a time that suits you. Lunch is at 1 pm in the dining room. Supper is delivered by 7.30 pm generally.

There are nursing staff available at Fairseat to attend to your minor medical needs at all times - although Fairseat is not a nursing home, every effort is made to care for you. A nurse will normally visit every resident every morning and every evening. Please take this opportunity to openly share concerns or problems.

At some point most residents will get to a stage where it is preferable for them not to be managing their own medications. This is a very difficult time and effectively represents a tipping point in their life journey. Fairseat strongly recommends that the resident hands over this responsibility before they need to and when they still appreciate that the outcome is inevitable. It is not an admission of old age or weakness rather than good planning and good sense. It is also one less thing to worry about which is to be encouraged.

Residents are required to purchase their own medications however, if requested, Fairseat will procure prescribed medication on your behalf. These costs will then be applied to the resident’s account.

In theory, the monthly service charge is payable on the first day of each month, in advance, as your contribution towards the cost of services provided by Fairseat and other general administration expenses. In practice, the office normally takes a few days to get the individual accounts out and residents can then pay their monthly service fee and personal account together. If you have cashflow difficulties please talk to the manager about it.

Newspapers can be ordered through the office; they are delivered daily and the cost will be charged to your account.

The office is generally open from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm on weekdays and from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and Public Holidays.

Any resident who wishes to have a pet must get permission from the manager. Approval for any pet is subject to on-going good behavior and, more importantly, a positive impact within the community and no negative effects on other residents. If there is a negative impact upon the community or any individual residents the manager reserves the right to have the pet removed from Fairseat.

Every resident has a pigeon hole for mail in the office. Please talk to the office about the way it is sorted so that you can find your own and other people’s easily.

Residents are welcome to have all their personal post redirected to the Fairseat postal address. The post is generally collected about three times per week and put into the appropriate mailbox. Please note you cannot access your pigeonhole when the office is closed. Residents can also give the office any mail they want to be posted.

You will be required to attend to internal redecoration, whether or not this is due to fair wear and tear, minor repairs or replacement of any fixtures and fittings that may be broken or damaged by you or your guests. If you have any repairs or maintenance to be done, please contact the office. Do not under any circumstances contact the maintenance staff directly.

In case of emergency, it is important that Fairseat are able to contact a resident’s relative, a close friend, or the holder of the Power of Attorney. These details are recorded on the arrival of a resident. It is important that residents and their closest contact inform the Management of any change of address, phone number, or email address, be it temporary (going on holiday) or permanent.

Fairseat can do shopping for you. However, you are asked to make your order in writing through the office. You will be supplied with an order book with two copies, one of which remains in the office. You will be billed at the end of the month for your purchases. Please DO NOT give cash to the staff for your purchases.

Residents are requested to treat all staff with respect, to deal with them politely and under no circumstances are they to enter into disciplinary measures. If any resident has any issues with any staff, please report it to the appropriate authority. If the issue is your carer, report it to the Care Manager or in her absence, to the office, the manager or the duty nurse. Kitchen issues should be taken to the Housekeeper. Please do not go into the kitchen and deal directly with the kitchen staff if you have a problem. Any other staff issues should be taken to the office or directly to the manager. If in doubt, talk to the manager.

The Housekeeper issues residents with reasonable inputs for day-to-day living. With time, the Housekeeper will learn the particular foibles and likes/dislikes residents have. There are some items that are charged for and these will go on your account. If you have any problems see the office or speak to the housekeeper who can give you a list of items available and chargeable. Please only ask for what you genuinely need.

We have a regular residents’ meeting known as “The Link” during which residents are encouraged to participate and make suggestions. The manager also uses these meetings as an opportunity to update residents. Please make every effort to attend.

Residents are required to provide their own washing machines.

All waste water is treated in septic tanks and then released into the environment through a system of soak ways. Fairseat has over 8 different sewerage systems and they all need monitoring and loving care to maintain their efficiency. It is CRITICAL that residents & staff do not flush anything down the toilet that has not already passed through their digestive systems other than standard simple toilet paper. Please DO NOT USE “Flushable Wipes” as they are an ecological and operational nightmare for us to deal with and DO NOT break down in the septic tanks. Thank you for your understanding.

The water at Fairseat comes from three sources, namely borehole, Nairobi City County, and Rosslyn Development Authority.

Fairseat borehole water is our main source of water and is used for everything other than drinking and cooking water. It is stored in the large overhead tank between Cottage 13 and Apartment #1. It is very high in iron content and as a result, it has an orange tint to it which is unsightly and will often stain the sanitary ware. Do not be alarmed - it is perfectly harmless and has no detrimental effects if drunk. However, our borehole water is also very high in Fluoride content and this is detrimental to your health if drunk regularly. It can result in chronic conditions that affect the health of your teeth and bones. So - please do not drink water directly from a tap. Whilst many residents are not concerned about their teeth anymore, they should all be very concerned about their bones. For staff, the issue of teeth is a very real one and especially if they are pregnant. Likewise, do not give it to your pets.

Fairseat also receives, and stores, water from Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company which is safe to drink. We nonetheless treat this water through an Ultra Violet water filter in the kitchen and we have it tested regularly. Your carer will provide you with bottles for you to use for drinking and beverages.

Fairseat also gets water from Rosslyn Development Authority which is essentially a mix of bore water (high in fluoride) and NCC water which makes it safe to drink. We also store this in our tanks.

Fairseat Foundation has a Board of Directors who are ultimately responsible for the management of Fairseat. With the exception of the MD, they are all voluntary, are not paid for the service they perform, and do not claim any expenses. The make-up of the Board is given in the footer of this page. The day-to day management of Fairseat is the responsibility of the Managing Director and his senior staff. They are listed below:

• Managing Director - Ben Allen
  • Ben is the only executive member of the Board. He is required to live on site in the “Manager’s House” and is essentially available 24/7 for emergencies. For day-to-day issues he can be contacted during normal office hours.
• Housekeeper - Gladys Wanja
  • Gladys is responsible for all the catering requirements of our residents and our staff when on duty; for providing the necessary condiments, cleaning materials and general household needs that the residents may have; for all the staff uniforms.
• Care Manager - Lucy Mwaura
  • Lucy is responsible for managing the nurses and the caregivers who are the frontline of residential care. She is a qualified and registered nurse and comes with considerable experience in geriatric care.
• Admin Manager - Carolyne Wangu
  • Carolyne is responsible for all administrative matters in the Fairseat office. If you are not sure what to do or who to talk to, contact Carolyne.
• Finance Officer - Elijah Mwiti
  • Elijah is responsible for providing reliable financial accounts in a timely fashion that assist management in decision making and meet the expectation of our auditors. He is also directly responsible for the Accounts Manager.
• Accounts Manager - Anne Macharia
  • Anne is responsible for managing the day-to-day receipts and expenditure of funds: paying our creditors and collecting our debts: preparing the necessary accounts for residents to pay: preparing the monthly payroll for staff; meeting all our statutory financial and reporting requirements. If you have any accounting issues then Anne is the person to talk to.
• Clerk - Eric Mutindi
  • Eric is our most recent addition to the office team and is responsible for assisting all the above with their work. He is also able to assist residents with technical issues such as mobiles, TV, DSTV etc.