One person living at Yaxley House told us 'the staff work very hard to keep the place clean. I like to try and help them where I can'.
A relative said that they found everything satisfactory and thought matters had improved of late, especially now that the driveway had been repaired.
People we spoke with told us that the cooks are good and very kind and provide suitable meals which meet their dietary requirements. We were informed that the food is good and that people enjoy their meals.
We were told that staff are good at monitoring peoples health needs. People living in the home and relatives told us that people living in the home have access to the GP and district nurses as and when required to attend to their health needs. During our visit we met with one of the district nurses who told us the home is still improving. The care and cleanliness is a lot better and they had not noticed poor odours when visiting. They told us overall the service is a lot better; however commented staff language can be an issue, as not all residents understand the staff. One person summed up the views of people living in the home and relatives, by saying that the home employs people whose first language is not English. Whilst the staff are kind this can make communication difficult. We were informed by the registered manager that overseas staff have now completed a course English for Speakers of Other Languages [ESOL] to improve communication within the home.
We spoke with one person who had recently moved into the home. They told us, 'it was strange living in the home for the first two weeks, however the staff soon settled me in and made me feel welcome'. The person explained they had spent six weeks in rehabilitation, before moving into Yaxley House and confirmed that the manager had visited them whilst in hospital, to discuss their needs, before moving in to the home.
We spoke with two relatives visiting a person currently living in the home. They told us that they have been pleased with the management of the home. They confirmed they had been shown around the home prior to their relative moving in and had been provided with information about Yaxley House by the social worker. They told us the basic care is very good and that they had been involved in developing their relative's care plan. They told us that overall they were very happy with the care their relative is receiving.
People also told us they are happy with the meals and that they have a good choice of food and drink throughout the day. People we spoke with had differing opinions on the environment. One person told us, "The home is clean and tidy, but could be better'; although they commented this had improved recently. Another person told us, 'The d'cor is OK but bland; it could do with some colour, a border or something.' This person also commented, "What do I want to look at white walls for? Colour would make it more homely.' A visiting relative told us that they do not have an issue with the environment as their relative's room is always ventilated and they had not noticed any obvious odour issues. The district nurse told us that the service has improved and that the people living in the home seem fine, happy and well cared for. They told us the cleanliness of the home had improved and staff were now following proper moving and handling guidelines.
People we spoke with during our visit confirmed they feel safe living in the home, have no complaints and that they had never needed to make a complaint; however, if they did have cause for complaint, they told us they would talk to the manager. People living in the home and a relative told us that the staff are friendly and helpful. Comments included, 'I am grateful for what the staff do for me' and 'the staff are very helpful.' One person told us, 'Staff attend a language course to help them learn English but it is a job to know what some staff are saying sometimes.'