25 August 2011
During an inspection looking at part of the service
One person told us that they were hoping to go home very soon but they had been very well cared for during their stay at the home.
People we saw had drinks accessible to them and where necessary staff were recording and monitoring fluid intake. People we spoke to said that they were offered plenty to eat and drink and that if they asked for a drink they could have one.
We saw dining rooms laid ready for lunch with menus on each table detailing the choices available to people. We saw a fridge in one dining room which was used for the storage of residents own food and drink. We saw a number of food items which were out of date. We brought this issue to the attention of the registered manager during our visit who took action to remove the items from the fridge.
On the day of our visit a hairdresser was working at the home. We spoke to one person who was with the hairdresser. They told us that they were able to have their hair done each week which they enjoyed.
One person told us that they had been experiencing health problems and staff had arranged for a doctor to visit them. They said they had been prescribed tablets by the doctor and staff were arranging the medication for them.
One person's relative praised the way staff kept them updated of their relative's well being. They said that the person's care needs had recently increased and staff had been very attentive to them. They had been told that a doctors visit had been arranged to review the persons medical needs and also the medication they were currently receiving. They said they were aware of the person's current prescribed medication and that whenever they asked staff about this they took time to explain.
On the day of our visit there was an unpleasant smell in several areas of the home including communal areas and vacant bedrooms. One visitor we spoke to said that there were sometimes unpleasant smells in the home when they or their friends visited. The registered manager told us that they had identified several carpets within the home that needed replacement and we saw quotes that had been obtained for this. Work had not been able to go ahead as planned due to recent changes within the organisation and in the meantime carpets were being shampooed on a more frequent basis.
Rooms we saw were personalised. Bedrooms and communal rooms all had locks fitted to the doors. Locks could be operated on the inside but required a key to open from the outside. We were told by staff that people did not usually choose to use these locks but we found no evidence that the issue had been risk assessed with regard to fire safety procedures. We discussed this issue with the registered manager and they began taking action to address this.
When we visited in April 2011 we saw that bedroom windows in some rooms were heavily smeared restricting vision. Since our visit this issue had been investigated and problems identified with the glazing. When we visited this time we saw that quotes for window replacement had been obtained but any remedial work had been delayed as a result of changes to the organisation.