Aran Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. The registered manager told us people were fully assessed before they started using the service and this was regularly reviewed with them. Before people started using the service their care and support needs were discussed with them and their relatives. A person-centred care package was then put in place and regularly reviewed. All staff are given a pen picture of people before they arrive to get to know them. Each person is assigned a key worker and this information is displayed in their bedroom so they know who their key worker is.

Staff had access to up-to-date information on people’s care in their care plans.

A member of staff told us, “I read the care plan thoroughly whenever someone moves into the home. It is really important for us to know how best we can support them and help them live their best life. Their safety and happiness are most important to us.”

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. Staff knew people well and how they wished to be supported with food and drink. People were given options at mealtimes and were able to choose what they wanted to eat. Pictorial menus were used where indicated to support people to make choices. Assessments were in place to help staff recognise the support people required, and staff had undergone training to recognise if people were choking and how they could intervene. Where required, the service worked with speech and language therapists to ensure people were receiving the correct support with their food and nutrition.

A person told us, “I have a special breakfast. I really like crackers and cheese for breakfast, and they have been doing that for me here.”

A relative told us, “Staff are attentive to [relative’s] health needs and provided oral care for a dry mouth and pureed their [relative’s] food and put thickener in their drinks. An assessment had been carried out prior to [relative] going to Aran Lodge and there was a care plan in place.” Another relative told us, “[Relative] is very well looked after and treated respectfully. My [relative] is unable to speak, and I am pleased to see that staff anticipated [relative’s] needs when caring for [relative] and regularly give [relative] drinks.

The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services. Staff had access to the information they needed to work with people and where required, helped them safely transition between healthcare teams. The registered manager told us they had developed good links with the health professionals. Where appropriate, staff supported people to attend health appointments. Staff meetings, handovers and supervision sessions were all in place to ensure staff were provided with current information to work together to support people. The registered manager told us, "We discuss each resident at handovers and if they need any visits by other professional, such as dentists, Chiropodist, SALT, Respiratory nurse, Diabetic nurse input we contact and work with them to give the resident a positive and personal outcome."

A staff member told us, “We know how make referrals and we know when we need to seek medical attention. We have regular GP visits and other health professionals visiting our service which make it easier for us to raise any concerns or issues we have.”

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. People were supported to access healthcare professionals and services to reduce the risk of health deterioration and promote their independence.

Staff attended regular meetings to ensure they had all the information they needed to support people and involve them with their health. Staff completed referrals to health professionals such as the GP, dietician, speech and language team and district nurses. People’s records contained information about any health conditions and referrals people might need to promote good health. Staff received training to support them to recognise early signs and symptoms of deteriorating health.

A relative told us, “I had visited the home this morning and staff had told me they noticed [relative] got thrush so had arranged for the GP to see [relative]. Staff had also arranged for the SALT team to come and assess [relative]. A person told us, “I need a fan to help me with my breathing and staff got one for my bedroom and I also have mini one for when I am out in lounge. Staff always make sure I have this with me, and ensure it is always charged for me to use.”

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both people’s and clinical expectations. The registered manager told us they had several systems in place to help them monitor outcomes for people. This included asking people for their feedback through meetings, telephone calls and the completion of surveys on their care experience. Survey results had been analysed for themes and trends to see where improvements were needed and could be made. Management created a ‘you said, we did’ poster and this was displayed on a notice board in the hallway for everyone to see.

A person told us, “I would be able to raise any issues I needed to if I had any, but I haven’t felt the need to complain about anything.” A relative told us, “There was a time when I needed something discussed and the manager held a meeting, and we were able to share our thoughts and things were immediately resolved. Communication is key and the home is very good at listening and responding.”

The registered manager told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People’s consent for care was sought and staff understood the requirement to seek consent for care from people. Staff supported people to make decisions for themselves and offered them choice during all interactions.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The MCA requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The registered manager was working within the principles of MCA and had applied for assessments and renewals of DoLS when required.