Mill Lodge Residential Care Home

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 which was previously registered under a different provider. 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 provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People’s needs were assessed prior to them living at the home, and care plans were developed following the assessment. Regular reviews took place and where people’s needs had changed this was recorded and guidance for staff was updated. Records showed that the registered and deputy managers also involved healthcare professionals when they assessed people’s needs and their input was included to ensure people’s holistic needs were met.

Where possible people and their relatives were involved in reviews and their views and wishes were considered.

The provider 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.

The management team worked with external agencies, such as healthcare partners to ensure people’s care was supported by current best practice guidance. This included guidance within care plans relating to people’s mental health or mobility needs. Staff sought specialist advice to ensure practices were current and positive for people. This included working with occupational therapists, community nursing teams and social workers.

The provider 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.

Communication with partner agencies was positive and we observed the staff team worked directly with external professionals who supported people’s needs, such as GPs and community nursing teams. The management team also shared information with the staff team through communication logs and daily updates. This ensured staff were aware of people’s current needs.

Relatives spoke positively about the staff team working with visiting professionals. One relative said, “Recently they called an ambulance. My mum was in the lounge and when the paramedics came they [staff] put a screen around her when she was being seen to. In the ambulance the paramedic told me that it was a fabulous home – every question that they asked staff was answered without any hesitation or referral to notes.”

The provider 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.

We observed there were opportunities for people to be involved in activities that supported their well-being. This included discussions on current affairs, singing, music and physical exercise. One person told us, “I don’t like sitting down all the time and they take you out to different places, like the garden centre. They have quizzes, exercises and the garden.”

People had access to healthy food and were given options at mealtimes. One person told us, “The food is very good and there is always a choice.”

People were supported to attend healthcare appointments. Where staff had concerns for people’s health, records showed timely action had been taken to ensure they had access to support from healthcare professionals.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Staff recorded information that was essential for the monitoring of their health and well-being. This included food and fluid intake, people’s weight, to ensure there were no significant changes, and repositioning to reduce the risk of skin damage. These observations and records enabled staff and the management team to take timely action where there were changes to people’s health or well-being. Care plans were then updated to ensure support was provided that met people’s current needs.

One person shared with us how positive their move to the home had been for their health and well-being. They told us, “When I came here from the hospital, I felt so relaxed that my hearing came back. My anxiety was lifted.”

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff sought people’s consent before providing care and support. Care plans contained clear information about people’s mental capacity to make specific decisions and staff understood people’s needs well. Where possible, staff supported people to make their own decisions and discussed options with them, communicating clearly in a way people understood.

Where people lacked capacity to make specific decisions there was a formal process in place, involving relevant professionals and relatives, to ensure decisions were made in their best interests.