Athlone House Nursing Home

Updated 18 November 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Athlone House Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. Athlone House Nursing Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at all the information we held about the provider, including notifications of significant events and any contact from members of the public.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service, 5 visiting family members and the GP. We also met and observed staff on duty. These included the registered manager, the deputy manager, nurses, care staff, the activities coordinator, administrative staff and domestic staff. We met with the regional director who visited the service during this inspection. Following this inspection, we received positive feedback from staff and a manager with the Continuing Healthcare Team (CHC).

We observed how people were cared for and supported. Our observations included the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at care records for 6 people and other records used by the provider for managing the service. These included records of staff training, audits and quality assurance checks. We looked at medicines audits and checked how medicines were being managed. We also looked at the environment and infection prevention and control systems.

Updated 18 November 2023

About the service

Athlone House Nursing Home is a residential care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 23 people with continuing and palliative care needs. The service is set out over two floors and is fully accessible, with a lift serving both floors. There were 19 people living in the home at the time of this inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Risk assessments had been carried out to identify the risks people faced. These included information about how to mitigate those risks. There were enough staff working at the service to meet people's needs and the provider had robust staff recruitment practices in place.

Medicines were stored, managed and administered safely. Infection control and prevention systems were in place. The premises were suitable, well maintained and ‘fit-for-purpose’. Accidents and incidents were reviewed to see if any lessons could be learnt from them. Staff understood how to support people in a way that promoted their privacy, independence and dignity. The service sought to meet people's needs in relation to equality and diversity.

The service assessed people's needs before they began living at the service, so they knew whether they could meet their needs. Staff were supported through training and supervision to gain knowledge and skills to help them in their role. People were supported to eat a balanced diet and were able to choose what they ate. Systems were in place for dealing with complaints. People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends, and to engage in meaningful activities.

When a person was at end of life, appropriate guidance and input was sought from the GP and other healthcare practitioners to make sure the person was comfortable, dignified, pain free and reassured at all times.

People were supported with care that was person-centred. There was strong and visible leadership and a positive staff culture in the service, which helped to achieve good outcomes for people. People told us the registered manager was approachable and supportive. The provider was aware of their legal obligations and worked with other agencies to develop best practice and share knowledge.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (Published 21 May 2018).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection based on the date of the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.