Staff had‘no specific’Covid-19 infection training

The report stated: “... it was concluded residents were not benefiting from regular interactions and engagement from staff, and experiencing support that promotes independence, dignity, privacy and choice.

“This includes encouragement and resources to take part in meaningful occupations that validate the person’s identity, and providing opportunities to feel included and attached to others, resulting in psychological comfort and minimising the risk of social isolation and poor mental wellbeing.

“We had concerns that some people in their bedrooms were not receiving the adequate support to ensure sufficient fluids were being taken throughout.

“There was little evidence fluid intake was being accurately and closely monitored.

“Some people in their rooms and the communal areas were unable to call for assistance and they did not have access to a nurse call button.”

Inspectors said the service was “found to be clean” but said that, while most staff were wearing PPE, “there were a few staff who were not and this was highlighted to the manager”.

They added: “There were PPE stations available, however, we discussed how additional stations could be made available.

“There has been no specific Covid-19 infection prevention and control training provided to staff over the period of the pandemic.

“We did not observe people who use the service being encouraged and supported by staff to wash their hands frequently.”

It was acknowledged in the report that a new manager had taken over at the Crieff home on June 1.

And the inspectors did note that this new manager has already identified areas for improvement which has given them “reassurance that improvements will be made”.

The report said: “Some [staff] expressed that they had felt ‘under pressure’ over some periods of the pandemic and were unsure [of ] certain aspects of guidance provided regards to Covid-19 management and infection prevention and control.”

Inspectors concluded that staff worked hard and residents praised them, but staff numbers and deployment were “not sufficient to effectively support people’s physical, psychological and emotional needs and ensure their safety”.

The report recommended infection control training, more frequent PPE usage and stricter adherence of self-hygiene.

In response, a spokesperson for Balhousie Care Group said: “We are disappointed about the feedback from the Care Inspectorate regarding Balhousie Dalnaglar and take their comments extremely seriously.

“We worked immediately to address their concerns and remain committed to providing quality care both at Dalnaglar and across the Balhousie group.

“We are proud to have put in place a strong and dedicated team at Dalnaglar and feedback has been positive among relatives and loved ones for how we have supported and cared for our residents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This was evident, too, in all of the comments from residents quoted in the Care Inspectorate’s recent report.”