• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Parkview Lodge Care Home

2 Park Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 2JY (01234) 219620

Provided and run by:
Mr & Mrs G Tramunto

All Inspections

8 May 2014

During a routine inspection

During this inspection, we gathered evidence against the outcomes we inspected to help answer our five key questions; Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read our full report.

Is the service safe?

Overall, our findings showed that people's needs were assessed, and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual needs. However, some people were being placed at risk due to a lack of documentation to support changes in their circumstances or specific healthcare requirements.

Although people received their prescribed medication at the right time on the day of our inspection, they were being placed at risk of not receiving their medication when they needed it and in a safe way in the future. This was because medication records were not accurate, or were not being completed at the time of administration.

People were cared for in an appropriate environment, but the manager recognised that it was in need of updating and redecoration. He told us he had secured funding to refurbish the whole building. A date for this to happen was not yet known.

People who lived in the home were safe because appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work, and their health and welfare needs were being met by sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled staff.

The manager had introduced new systems to monitor the quality of the service provided to people living there, but these were not sufficiently robust. Further improvements were required to ensure all aspects of the regulated activity provided to people living in the home were assessed, and identified concerns or risks managed appropriately.

We also found that some records maintained by the home, were not accurate or fit for purpose. For example, we found handover notes for each person living in the home that had been completed almost two and a half hours before the end of the shift.

We have asked the provider to tell us how they will make improvements and meet the requirements of the law in relation to risk management, medication, quality monitoring and records.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs had been assessed and care plans were in place. Care plans we looked at had been reviewed regularly.

Systems were in place to monitor people's healthcare needs. Records we saw showed that two people identified as being at risk of malnutrition, had gradually gained weight over time and been discharged from the local dietetic service as a result.

Is the service caring?

People we observed looked well-presented and cared for, and staff we spoke with understood their needs well. We observed some friendly and positive interactions between staff and people living in the home.

Staff were patient, caring and genuinely warm towards the people they were supporting. One person living in the home described staff as 'gentle.'

We noted through lunch that staff paid attention to people's needs when eating, to enable them to retain as much independence as possible.

Is the service responsive?

It was clear from our observations that staff knew people well, and they were attentive to their needs throughout. One person was heard coughing several times, and staff responded promptly to ensure their wellbeing.

Is the service well-led?

Staff we spoke with were clear about their roles and responsibilities. They told us they felt well supported by the manager and providers.

Despite new systems being introduced to monitor the quality of service provision, it was clear that not all of the shortfalls found during this inspection had been identified or adequately addressed. The manager told us he was working additional hours because of delays in filling a staff vacancy. He admitted that this was having an impact on the amount of managerial time, which had resulted in some things getting behind.

10 December 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our inspection of Parkview Lodge Care Home on 19 August 2013, we identified areas of non-compliance regarding care and welfare of people, nutritional needs, safeguarding and safe medicines systems, staffing numbers and monitoring of the quality of service provision. We found the provider could not fully evidence the service had effective processes in place to protect people from poor quality care.

We imposed compliance actions and told the provider they needed to make improvements. The provider submitted an action plan in October 2013, which stated they had implemented improved systems to ensure the identified areas had been addressed and that compliance would be achieved by November 2013.

On 10 December 2013, we found that people looked relaxed and well cared for, and we observed staff took time to talk with people. We spoke with four people who told us they felt supported by staff. One person said the care was "great." Another said, "It is like family, I cannot say anything bad, they are wonderful.'

Staff maintained accurate records of people's dietary intake and could identify those who required nutritional assistance. Training had been provided in safeguarding of vulnerable adults and staff aware of the process for reporting issues of concern. There were updated systems for management of medicines and we found that changes in the staff structure had benefitted the home and supported staff to understand their roles and better monitor quality.

19 August 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our scheduled inspection of Parkview Lodge on 2 April 2013, we identified non-compliance regarding the training and support of staff. We found that the provider could not fully evidence that the service had a robust training process in place which protected people who used the service from staff who were not suitably qualified and skilled. We also found records were not maintained appropriately so people did not always receive appropriate care. We imposed compliance actions and told the provider they needed to make improvements in this area.

On 19 August 2013, we reviewed the action the provider had taken on the non-compliance but also inspected some additional areas following information of concern from the local authority.

We found that improvements had been made to address past issues with staff training and supervision. The manager had implemented a more regular system of staff supervision and we noted that refresher training for relevant subjects was also available to existing staff.

We found issues with regards to staffing levels in the home and identified concerns that the number of staff on duty was not consistently sufficient to meet the needs of people. Staff told us that, "It can be hard to care for people when there are only two staff." We also reviewed people's nutritional status and the safeguarding and medication processes within the home. We found that the systems were not always effective to maintain people's safety and well being.

11 April 2013

During a routine inspection

When we visited Parkview Lodge Care Home on 11 April 2013, we saw that people were at ease, living in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. The 15 people who lived at this home had various levels of verbal communication. We therefore used different methods to help us understand people's experiences, and observed the interactions between people and the staff they were supported by.

We observed positive engagement between staff and people, and noted that people's consent was sought before care and support was delivered. People were encouraged and supported to make their own decisions. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions for themselves, appropriate processes had been followed to ensure best interest decisions were made on their behalf.

People had care plans and risk assessments in place so that care could be delivered safely and with continuity. We saw that these were not always regularly updated and did not give an accurate reflection of people's current needs.

Medication systems ensured that people received their prescribed medication on time and in a way that was appropriate to their needs.

Although people we spoke with told us they were happy with the staff that supported them, we found the supervision processes were insufficient to ensure that the staff employed were consistently supported to work in this environment.

8 May 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our visit to the service 08 May 2012 we spoke to people from 8am onwards who were sitting in the dining room. Each person was being served breakfast as they were ready for it. One person said 'I like my breakfast early', and she told us she had had hers at 7am and had enjoyed it. She told us that she was offered choices and could have what she liked to eat and drink when she wanted. Other people confirmed this.

During our visit we noted that staff spoke to people in Italian if this was their first language. One client told us how she enjoyed helping the non Italian staff to learn some basic Italian vocabulary.

A person who used the service told us that the staff were attentive to their needs and always asked after their general health. One person told us that the staff always asked if they wanted pain killers when undertaking the medication round. She confirmed that pain killers could be requested outside of the routine times for medications.

People told us that there was a plan for activities throughout the week that they could take part in if they wanted. People told us that the staff, including the provider, spent time with them during the day. One person said, it is like one big family here, everyone does everything together.

During our conversations people told us that they felt happy and safe living at Parkview Lodge and were confident that the staff treated them appropriately. One person said, 'you can ask anyone of the staff to do anything, they are all so helpful'.

10 January 2012

During a routine inspection

During our visit on 10 January 2012, people we spoke with were complimentary about the care and support they receive. One person told us that the food is very good. People told us that the owner and his family were in the home every day and always ask if we are ok. One person told us 'the staff are very friendly and happy in their work'.