Random inspection report
Care homes for older people
Name: Address: Ascot House 28 - 36 Wingrove Road Fenham Newcastle Upon Tyne Tyne & Wear NE4 9BQ two star good service The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home, agency or scheme is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full review of the service. We call this review a ‘key’ inspection. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed review of the service. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Janet Long Date: 2 8 0 6 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home
Name of care home: Address: Ascot House 28 - 36 Wingrove Road Fenham Newcastle Upon Tyne Tyne & Wear NE4 9BQ 01912721020 01912725171 sheilahead@caringhomes.org.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mr Michael Cave Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Ascot House Care Home Limited care home 35 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 35 dementia Conditions of registration: 0 One resident is under pensionable age, within the DE category. Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Ascot House is a 35 place care home with nursing providing care for older people with dementia. Care in the home is provided by Registered Mental Nurses supported by care staff. The home is owned and managed by Caring Homes Ltd a national provider of care to vulnerable client groups. The home is situated in Wingrove Road in the west of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne close to local shops and good public transport links. The building is on four floors, the basement being staff and office accommodation and the upper three floors being residents? accommodation. Some bedrooms have en-suite
Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home facilities. There are a number of lounges and dining rooms on the ground floor. The current fees are between #365 and #400. A service user guide and statement of purpose for the home is available. A brochure and inspection reports are also available. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 9 What we found:
The reason for this visit was to look arrangements within the home that support the safe handling of medication. We did this in response to concerns raised following information we received since the last inspection of the home. The visit lasted five hours and involved looking at medicine records, storage and administration. We also spoke to the area manager and staff on duty. The medication policy needs to be reviewed. The current policy does not fully reflect current practices within the home and changes made due to a new pharmacy supplying medicines. Copies of prescriptions supplied as part of the monthly cycle were checked and kept by the home but there were some medicines supplied during the month where no copy prescription could be found and the medication administration record (MAR ) had been made from the pharmacy label. The room used for the storage of medicines was neat and tidy however there was a large amount of medicines still awaiting disposal which had been previously identified by another health care professional. There was records kept of fridge temperature but the member of staff on duty was seen to record the minimum temperature on the thermometer and when asked was unsure what to record and how to reset the reading. There was no record kept of room temperature and we noticed the temperature at the time of the visit to be 28 degrees centigrade. The morning medicine administration round was observed. Time was spent with each person and encouragement given to help them take their medication however the medication round started at 10am and was not completed until 12:45 shortly before lunchtime administration was due to take place. This means there may be insufficient time between doses of medicines for some people. Medication was mostly administered in the sitting room whilst other activities were taking place and whilst visitors were present. We saw that one person had a patch removed and a new patch applied and eye drops administered in full sight of other people,visitors and staff. This impacts on the individuals dignity and privacy, in that the nurse failed to properly plan for, or acknowledge the intimate nature of the procedure and the person became agitated during the process. There was insufficient oral syringes and spoons on the trolley to administer liquid medicines. There were good records of staff training. Competency assessments were available and some identified areas for improvement and development others had all issues ticked as yes. We saw that staff had difficulty measuring liquid medicines. One person had the incorrect dose of a liquid medicine administered, and there was no syringe available in the home to measure the correct dose. Where the prescription is unclear clarification should be sought from the pharmacist or prescriber. The list of staff authorised to administer medicines was not up to date, some staff still on the list had left, and one member of staff signing on the current medication administration record (MAR) was not listed. This makes it difficult to identify who was involved if a problem or error was to occur.
Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 No significant administration gaps were seen on the MAR and an audit of current stock and records suggest that people living in the home can expect to receive their medicines correctly. What the care home does well: What they could do better: If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 2. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 9 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes R No £ Outstanding statutory requirements
These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards.
No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 12 16 (2) (n) The range of activities must 19/08/2008 be improved and advertised, recorded and monitored through the care planning process. This will ensure residents are social needs are met in a way that reflects their individual interests and wishes. The chef and kitchen 19/09/2008 assistant must receive training in basic nutrition for the elderly and special diets such as fortified foods. Damaged bedroom furniture must be replaced, as it is unsightly. Care should be taken when bed making to ensure beds are tidy but also comfortable to sleep on. Bare and clinical toilet areas must be updated. 19/08/2008 2 15 16 (2) (i) 3 19 23 (2b) Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 9 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection:
Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours.
No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set.
No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 9 13 The medication policy should 27/08/2010 be updated in line with current guidance and practice This means staff understand how to handle and administer medicines safely. 2 9 13 The temperature of the fridge and medication room should be regularly monitored. This makes sure that medicines are being stored at the temperature recommended by the manufacturer. 27/08/2010 3 9 13 Additional training that 27/08/2010 reflects best practice guidelines must be provided to all staff involved in the administration of medication Having well trained staff helps to reduce the risk of medication errors Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 9 Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service.
No Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations 1 2 9 9 the timing of the medication round should be monitored to allow the correct interval between doses. Steps should be taken to make sure that staff understand the concept of privacy and dignity and this should be reflected when and where medicines are administered. Medicines for disposal should be removed from the home in a timely manner. 3 9 Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 9 Reader Information
Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report Care Quality Commission General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for noncommercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 9 - Please note that this information is included on www.bestcarehome.co.uk under license from the regulator. Re-publishing this information is in breach of the terms of use of that website. Discrete codes and changes have been inserted throughout the textual data shown on the site that will provide incontrovertable proof of copying in the event this information is re-published on other websites. The policy of www.bestcarehome.co.uk is to use all legal avenues to pursue such offenders, including recovery of costs. You have been warned!
