Lodge Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

The service had a clear process in place for visitors. Signage on the door alerted people to the current restrictions on visitors and a free standing thermal scanner was in place to check people’s temperature on entry. Sanitising hand gel and masks were provided.

The provider had installed ‘Wavewash’ timers in areas where staff washed their hands. The timers use lights as a visual aid to count down the time needed to effectively wash hands.

People were supported to stay in regular contact with their families. The provider had created an easy to read guide for families and friends explaining the different options for visiting including use of the garden, window or drive-through visits and virtual visits through the use of technology.

The provider had recently installed an electronic blind in a designated area of the lounge to enable people to have indoor visits with relatives in the future. When lowered the blind created a plastic screen between the person and their visitor. After each visit the screen could be cleaned and rolled back up to the ceiling.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

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

Lodge Care Home is registered to provide accommodation with personal care for up to 36 older people, some of whom may have needs associated with dementia. Care is provided in one adapted building across two floors. At the time of our visit there were 28 people living at the service.

This was the first inspection of this service following a change of ownership.

There was a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Feedback from people and relatives about the staff and management team was positive. People told us staff treated them with kindness and care provided with dignity and their rights to privacy protected. People were at ease in their surroundings and told us that they felt safe with all of the staff who supported them.

There were systems in place and training provided for staff to safeguarded people from the risk of abuse. Alleged safeguarding incidents were reported and investigated appropriately.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people's needs and this was closely monitored and reviewed. Staff received training relevant to their roles. Opportunities were provided to support staff with regular supervision and annual appraisal. This enabled staff to discuss their work performance as well as their training and development needs. We recommended staff be provided with additional training to meet the needs of people they cared for such as, people diagnosed with Parkinson’s, those with in-dwelling catheters and support for people with sight and hearing impairment.

There were safe systems in place to safely store and ensure people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff were trained in medicines management and regularly had their competency to administer medicines assessed.

People’s care was planned and reviewed. However, further work was needed to ensure guidance was provided with regular review for staff where people needed support with their catheter care, support for people with a sight and hearing impairment and for those with a history and at risk of skin cancer. We recommended guidance be provided to staff on how the associated risks should be managed. This should include how staff should undertake regular monitoring of people’s skin and prompts as to when to consult with specialists for advice.

Work had been carried out to produce guidance for staff as to people’s life history and what was important to them. This was particularly important when caring for people living with dementia.

People's nutritional needs were assessed and met. Professional advice and support was obtained for people where risks such as choking, swallowing difficulties and inadequate food and fluid intake. People were provided with a choice of pleasantly presented food suitable for their individual dietary needs.

People were supported to access when needed, health and social care professionals to ensure they received appropriate care and treatment. However, people did not have access to dental and eye health care checks. The regional manager told us they would address this as a matter of urgency.

The management team and staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to the to the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and related Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). For people who were assessed as lacking capacity, assessments had been carried out to ensure care provided was planned in their best interests. Further work was needed to ensure a regular review of ‘Do not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation’ orders.

There was an open and transparent culture in the service. People’s suggestions, concerns and complaints were responded to. An audit trail of people's complaints was recorded and it was evident people had been listened to and their concerns addressed in a timely manner.

The management team had clear oversight with systems in place to review the quality and safety of the service. There was a strong emphasis on continually striving to improve the quality of the service. The management team had a vision for improving systems and ensure sustainability of the service.

Staff morale was high as a result of the management support provided and staff incentives which commended good practice.