30 December 2010
During a routine inspection
People told us they had given their consent for some things and they were satisfied that they had been consulted.
One person said they liked living in the home and described the staff as brilliant. Another told us that care is ok here. One visitor said they thought their relative was well cared for by individual staff when they have the time.
We saw that people were dressed appropriately and some people told us that staff had assisted them to wash and dress. One relative was concerned that people were not given regular showers and people said they sometimes had showers, but most days had a strip wash. Other people were more independent and one person had independently had a bath during the morning of our visit.
Most people told us they enjoyed the meals provided. People told us they had a choice, though some people did not remember what was available or what they had chosen.
Some people ate their meals in the lounge or in their own room. One person told us that one of the staff came to her room to prepare her for dinner, but no one came back with it, so she had to use her call alarm later to remind them.
People told us of other professionals who had visited the home. These included district nurses, doctors and occupational therapists.
People told us that they felt safe in the home.
People said that cleaning was done regularly and they were satisfied that their rooms were kept clean. Visitors noticed an odour in the main lounge areas, but said the home was always kept clean for people.
People had a choice of lounge areas and seating was arranged in small groups.
They liked the homely furnishing and one person explained that the walls had recently been painted in the colours they chose.
Several people and their relatives were complaining of cold draughts coming from the windows. They showed us some with gaps between the windows and frames and told us there were other windows with gaps around the home.
We saw people using walking frames, wheelchairs, rotunda standing aids and standing hoists. They told us they had the equipment they needed.
People living in the home and their relatives were not aware of how new staff were recruited, but had no concerns about the staff they knew.
One person told us they were waiting a while for assistance to use the toilet. Another person said, The more you shout here, the better you get looked after. People told us they often had to wait, as there were not many staff.
One relative that visited frequently on different days told us that a lot of the staff were very good individually, but they need more staff on duty. We were told that some staff worked as carers as well as in the kitchen at weekends.
People we spoke with were not aware of training given to staff, but had confidence that care staff knew how to meet their basic needs.
Some people told us that the area manager visited quite often and one person told us in more detail of helpful conversations held with managers. There had also been some group meetings between some people and their relatives and the staff.
People living there and relatives told us they were not aware of how to complain.
One relative said, I didn't know there was a complaints procedure. Another said I don't know how to make a complaint.
Some of the people living at the service and relatives told us that they knew staff had relevant information about them and they had no concerns about this.