‘Inadequate’ care home is put into special measures
ACARE home where vulnerable residents were seen being manhandled has been put into special measures by the health watchdog.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) bosses have raised serious concerns about Edge Hill Rest Home – branding it ‘inadequate’ in a damning report.
The home, in Royton, has been ordered to make drastic changes in the next six months – or risk being stripped of its licence.
The CQC report reveals that Oldham council chiefs have suspended new admissions to the home following a number of concerns raised by health and social care bosses. MP Jim McMahon has also criticised the home.
The facility, run by Edge Hill Limited, cares for up to 36 people, aged 65 and over, with dementia, mental health conditions, sensory impairments, or nursing or personal care requirements. It was graded ‘inadequate’ overall – and in the ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ categories.
The home was deemed to ‘require improvement’ in the ‘effective’, ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’ categories.
Inspectors said five breaches of the Health and Social Care Act were found.
They concluded staff were kind and caring but ‘often poorly trained’.
Particular criticism came after staff were seen moving and handling residents in an ‘unsafe’ way. Two carers were seen repositioning a resident in bed using a ‘drag lift’, where they are taken under the armpits and moved. Inspectors say it can cause injury.
A member of staff was also found to have fed a person who was lying down in bed, without sitting them up first, which the inspectors said put them at risk of choking.
Serious concerns were also raised about poor infection control and food hygiene practices, inadequate staffing levels, poor record keeping and a failure to handle complaints properly.
Care plans were out of date, as were risk assessments. Inspectors blasted management for being ineffective.
Residents, some of whom were under stimulated, were not given the chance to get involved in a decent range of activities and opportunities to socialise.
The medicine management was up to scratch, as were the safeguarding arrangements to protect residents from harm and the abuse and recruitment processes.
Our sister paper the M.E.N. has repeatedly tried to contact management of the home for comment.