Inspection on 28/09/06 for Dove Court Nursing 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 is purpose built and provides modern accommodation in which residents may live. It was bright and airy and decorated to a satisfactory standard. A very attractive garden is available for residents to sit out in good weather. One of the residents is responsible for the planting of this and is to be congratulated on the high standard achieved. Residents spoken to stated that the standard of food was good and that choice was offered.

What has improved since the last inspection?

The environment is now clean and maintained in a satisfactory manner. There were no unpleasant odours. Windows above ground level have had their openings restricted to reduce the risk of resident`s falling out. Medication storage rooms have been fitted with cooling systems in order to ensure proper storage of medication. A maintenance man has been employed to attend to repairs and redecoration as needed. Staff are in the process of undergoing refresher training for Moving and Handling to ensure the safety of both them and the residents in the home. Residents assessed as requiring pressure- relieving mattresses, now have these in place. Those seen were working correctly and the residents concerned stated that they were comfortable. Records of the incidence and treatment of pressure ulcers are in place but these records are sometimes illegible owing to the poor standard of handwriting.

What the care home could do better:

Residents are accommodated at random throughout the home and are not cared for in beds registered to meet their assessed need. For example residents in the dementia unit do not all have a diagnosis of dementia. Although residents have care plans in place to guide staff on the care required, these are not up to date, contain conflicting evidence and in some cases are illegible. The recording and safekeeping of medication in the home is inadequate with residents put at risk through poor practice. Four separate incidences have been reported to the Protection Of Vulnerable Adults team, who investigate allegations of abuse, since the last inspection. These concerned two separate incidences of bruising to resident`s arms, one of a carer borrowing money from a resident and another of a resident being held down while an injection was given. Staff recruitment has not been in line with company policy and steps have been taken by them to rectify this matter in order to ensure the protection of residents from potential harm. Although residents with a diagnosis of dementia are allocated to a designated unit, this area has few environmental adaptations to assist these residents to maintain their independence. Staff in this area have received little or no training in meeting the specialist needs of this group and the company have put in a training programme to address this shortfall. The activities co-ordinator has left the home, leaving a reduced programme of activities for residents. There are no activities designed to meet the specialised needs of residents with a diagnosis of dementia. Staff appear unaware of the need to maintain residents privacy and dignity, with residents being given personal care with doors open and personal information being shouted along the corridors.