Inspection on 04/10/06 for Albion Lodge Retirement Home

What follows are excerpts from this inspection report. For more information read the full report on the next tab.

What the care home does well

The home had a satisfactory admissions procedure that enabled prospective service users to visit the home prior to admission. The home also had a comprehensive assessment form for assessing the care needs of prospective service users. There was evidence to show that the service users` health care needs were being met, that they were treated with respect and that their right to privacy was upheld. The service users` medication was stored securely in an organised manner and the home had a good relationship with the local GP. The service users were encouraged to exercise choice and control over their lives and they expressed their satisfaction with their lifestyle and with the social activities provided by the home. The service users were able to maintain contact with their relatives and friends and their links with the wider community. The home provided a wholesome and balanced diet. The complaints procedure was clear and simple. The service users lived in a clean, pleasant and comfortable environment. The registered manager was experienced and competent and there was evidence to show that the staff were caring and committed. The staff received further training to enhance their skills. There was evidence to show that the home was being run in the best interests of the service users. The registered manager felt that the home had a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, looked after the service users on a personal basis and provided a high standard of care with good food in nice surroundings. He also said that the home provided regular outings and happy and well-trained staff.

What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the previous inspection improvements have been made to the care planning system. Staff training has taken place in a number of core areas and in NVQ. The level of the windows in four bedrooms has been lowered to provide a view for the service users when seated. The laundry and storeroom have been tiled. The boilers and refrigerators have been replaced. Handrails have been fitted to the rear patio. All of the old windows have been upgraded and re-balanced. Several areas of the home have been re-carpeted. A fulltime head chef has been appointed. There had been some improvement in the documentation of the service users` medication and this had helped in the management and control of medication in some areas.

What the care home could do better:

There was a need to make improvements to several of the records and other documentation that the home is required to maintain including the statement of purpose and service users` guide, the statement of terms and conditions of residence (contract) care plans and the policy and procedure for protection of vulnerable adults from abuse. The medicine policy needed to be reviewed and updated to reflect how the medicines are controlled and handled, particularly in regard to service users who self medicate. Detailed risk assessments must be carried out and recorded in respect of service users who self-medicate and the control and handling of medication should be further developed in order to maintain the safety and wellbeing of service users. Some aspects of the environment needed to be improved. The home`s staff recruitment procedure, particularly in relation to staff recruited from abroad, needed to be more robust. The procedures for monitoring the quality of the service and for ensuring the safety of the service users needed to be fully developed. The registered manager stated that he intended to install a water fountain in the garden and provide block paving to the garden paths in order to make it easier and safer for the service users to walk round the garden.