Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Patients given no dignity and records falsified

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PATIENT records were falsified and staff used derogatory language at a failing Mirfield care home.

Woodlands Care Home in Sands Lane has been placed in special measures after being rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The home, to 55 people during December’s inspection, was given the lowest rating for its safety, management and its compassion towards patients.

It was given amber ‘requires improvemen­t’ ratings by the government health watchdog for effectiven­ess and responsive­ness.

The report said: “Although some staff treated people with kindness and compassion, showing respect for their privacy and dignity, other staff did not.

“Some staff used derogatory terms and spoke over people to each other.

“Some staff failed to recognise when people’s dignity was being compromise­d.”

The report noted other safety and dignity issues.

It said: “People were not always provided with safe care and treatment.

“Some people were not assisted to move regularly and some people did not receive adequate assistance to meet their continence needs.”

CQC inspectors found that residents’ care records were incomplete – and some had been ‘falsified.’

The report said: “Some care records were inaccurate and incomplete and, in some cases, records were falsified.

“Audits were not robust and did not identify some areas for improvemen­t.”

CQC inspectors discovered that admissions to one of the home’s four units had been suspended.

The report said: “Admissions to ‘Thornhill’ had been suspended by the local authority due to safeguardi­ng concerns on this unit in relation to staffing, the role of one-to-one staff and the management of medicines.”

The CQC raised concerns about staffing shortages at the home.

The report said: “Despite a dependency tool (scale of support needed) being used to help determine staff numbers, there were not always sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs.”

A spokespers­on for Woodlands Care Home said: “The wellbeing of people entrusted to our care is our priority and we are sorry that Woodlands Care Home has fallen below the standards that we expect all of our homes to provide.

“We are implementi­ng a comprehens­ive programme of improvemen­ts that is being overseen by our home manager supported by the regional senior management team working in close liaison with Kirklees Council and the Care Quality Commission.

“We have also held meetings with residents and relatives to tell them about the improvemen­t programme.

“Before the inspection, we had already identified areas where we needed to improve.”

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