- Care home
Dr Anderson Lodge
Report from 26 March 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 21 May – 28 May 2025. The service is a nursing and residential care home providing support to older people living with dementia and nursing needs. At the time of our assessment there were 34 people living in Dr Anderson Lodge. We carried out a comprehensive assessment of the service covering all quality statements in all the key questions. We carried out this assessment of the service because of the length of time since the previous inspection and based on some concerns we had received about the service. We found no concerns at the service as part of this assessment.
Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The provider reviewed and analysed accidents and incidents to mitigate further risks or harm. The provider shared safeguarding concerns quickly and incidents were reviewed and analysed appropriately. Care plans were detailed and well set out. Care was delivered in line with people’s care plans. Members of staff were recruited safely. People who lived in the care home were involved in the recruitment process and their feedback was used to help the provider make decisions about successful candidates. When we reviewed how medication administered, we found it was generally safe and people received their medicines as prescribed. However, we identified some areas for improvement around how topical patches were applied and rotated. We highlighted this to the registered manager who took immediate action which reduced the risk to people.
People’s likes and dislikes were included in their care plans and any specific dietary advice was shared with the catering team to ensure their nutritional needs were met. Evidence in care plans and daily care records confirmed people had access to local healthcare services and interventions were well documented. People were involved in developing their care plans and we saw evidence of discussions about consent to care and support. Signed consent forms were in place for such things as care, support and voting.
We observed members of staff interacting with people in a kind and caring way. People’s independence was promoted so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Members of staff were well supported by the management team and had access to supervision meetings and support.
People’s care plans were person centred and included their personal preferences about how they like care and support to be provided. It was easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. The registered manager knew people in the care home and was aware of where and when people might experience barriers to care.
There was a shared vision, strategy and culture in the care home. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty. There was a comprehensive system of audits, quality assurance checks and care delivery reviews in place. The registered managed had a good understanding of governance. The service had good links with the local community and supported active community involvement in the care home. The service had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 5 people who lived in the care home and 8 relatives who were visiting loved ones on the day of inspection. People had no concerns about safety and relatives told us their family members were safe in the care home. One relative told us, “My [family member] loves it here. They feel safe and this is now their home.”
The staff team knew people and how the preferred their care and support to be provided. This ensured people felt safe and happy in the care home. A relative told us, “My [family member] did not want to come here but now realises staff are kind and just want to do their best for them and [family member] can always say no to something.” People told us members of the staff team were always visible and call bells were answered very quickly. People confirmed response times to call bells were also quick during the night. People were happy with the quality of food, snacks and drinks. Written menus and the use of ‘show and tell’ menus, ensured people were able to make informed choices about their meals. One person told us, “The food is good and plenty of choice.”
We listened to feedback about the staff team and heard they were well trained and delivered safe and excellent care. People told us the staff team were caring, polite, funny, friendly and very approachable. Whilst respecting people’s privacy, members of staff also recognised signs of distress and sadness and would spend time sitting and comforting people. We heard from family members who told us care was always delivered with dignity and respect. A family member told us, “My [relative] has to have personal care but is not able to get up but the [staff] do their best not to cause distress. They always check they are ok even though [relative] cannot answer.”
People told us the registered manager was visible and they would tell them if there was a problem or a concern with care. There was a high level of confidence in the registered manager from the people who spoke to us. People who shared their experience with us confirmed both the quality care and the management of the care was good.