The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Elizabethan Care Home

220 Old Bedford Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 7HP (01582) 720010

Provided and run by:
Heritage Care Homes Limited

All Inspections

28 November 2012

During a routine inspection

When we visited the Elizabethan Care Home on 28 November 2012, we found that people were very satisfied with the care and support they received. They told us they felt safe and the staff were friendly and supportive. One person said "By and large the staff are very good and I'm quite happy here."

There was a relaxed atmosphere in the home, and we observed that people were offered support at a level which encouraged independence and assured their individual needs were met. The staff were friendly and courteous in their approach to people and interacted confidently with them. Staff told us they felt well supported, and records we looked at showed us that staff development and conduct was monitored by the registered manager through a supervision and appraisal process.

We noted that people were encouraged to express their views about the quality of care in the home. They were also involved in planning their care, making decisions about their support and treatment, and how they spent their time. One person talked about the range of activities that was available to them however said "I'm not interested in activities, it's nice and quiet, it's decent here". Another person also told us that although there were activities available, there was "no pressure to partake". Within the care files we saw that people had been involved with, and agreed with the particular care needs that had been identified for them.

25 January 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our early morning visit on 26 January 2012 we spoke with people living in the home. Two people told us that they were happy to be up and that they had been awake when staff asked them if they wanted to get up. Another person said that they did not want to sleep in their bedroom and was comfortable in the lounge.

7 September 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

We had been given information that told us that people living at The Elizabethan Care Home were being cared for in away that did not respect their dignity.

We spoke with those people that we could and observed the care provided to those who were unable to communicate with us.

Those who were able told us that they received the care they thought they should have and staff asked them about their likes and dislikes. This was evident from our observations, as when the staff gave people breakfast; they spoke to those with mental capacity and asked them to make choices, but made no attempt to find out what those who lacked capacity wanted. For example they were not shown the breakfast options but were given either toast or cereals.

During our visit we observed that a number of the people using the service called out and sought attention from staff for care needs and for stimulation. Staff did not deliberately ignore people, but were often not in the vicinity and were busy when attention was required.

During the inspection we used a tool that allowed us to observe a group of people and how they were being supported and stimulated by staff for a period of time. The group was made up of people who were able to talk to us and share their experiences and those who could not. One person said to us, 'the staff are so busy in the morning they can't just keep coming to us'.