Care home residents ‘sit in rooms all day’
‘INADEQUATE’ RATING AGAIN
A HUDDERSFIELD care home has again been rated ‘inadequate’ by a health watchdog.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Aden House Care Home in Clayton West where around 60 people are residents, some of whom are living with dementia.
According to the CQC, the overall rating remains ‘inadequate’ and the care home is staying in special measures, which means it will be kept under review. The CQC says it is also taking further regulatory action which will be reported on when it is legally able to do so.
Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “When we inspected Aden House, it was disappointing that leaders had made little improvement or progress since we last inspected and we continued to identify repeated shortfalls that compromised the safety of people and the quality of care they were receiving.
“Leaders submitted an action plan following our previous inspection, yet we saw continued concerns relating to risk management, incident reporting, safeguarding, infection control, safe management of medicines, record keeping and person-centred care which must be addressed urgently.
“Understaffing remained a concern which posed a risk as many people required two staff members to support them due to their needs. This meant housekeeping staff were regularly asked to break from their cleaning duties to assist people with their meals.
“In addition, not all staff fully understood the needs of people living with dementia. The manager was aware of this, but no action had been taken and we continued to see people sitting in their rooms all day with no activities or stimulation. It was also concerning that people’s care records contained inaccurate and conflicting information.
“However, we did see some improvements. At the last inspection, people had to wait a long time for drinks in the morning. At this inspection, we saw people had plenty of opportunity for drinks and snacks and all meals looked appetising.
“We also observed staff speaking to people in a kind, caring and respectful way. People and relatives told us staff were supportive and looked after them when they felt down or needed additional help.”
A spokesperson for Aden House Care Home said: “We are deeply concerned with the outcome of our latest CQC inspection report and we will be discussing the findings with the CQC.
“Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection and some of these have been acknowledged by the CQC in this report.
“Our new home manager and regional manager will continue to oversee and implement further improvements. We have been working closely with the local authority and partners who have acknowledged improvements during the period between the CQC’s inspection reports.
“We have reassured our residents and their loved ones that our highest priority is providing a safe, comfortable, and caring environment for those who reside with us.”
It was disappointing that leaders had made little improvement or progress since we last inspected.
Sheila Grant of the CQC