Medication concerns noted in council-run care home report
Inspectors have raised concerns over medication and pain management at an Edinburgh care home.
The council-run Royston Court is registered to look after up to 60 older people at its premises in Granton. It was visited by the Care Inspectorate a week before councillors voted through £60 million worth of social care cuts which will see two other homes close and charities’ funding slashed.
In its report, the watchdog noted residents of Royston Court “did not always receive the right medication at the right time”. It said: “The use of ‘as required’ medication for pain, and more generally the assessment and management of pain, was not well understood or well managed. Prescribed supplements to help maintain people’s weight were not given when they should have been.”
Inspectors also pointed out “inconsistencies” in the quality of care, with some staff forming good relationships but some residents feeling isolated.
“Not all staff were able to build good relationships with people and this had a negative effect on the distress of some residents and their relatives,” the report added.
“When staff showed an enabling attitude towards people, this made residents feel safe and happy in their home … This contrasted with how people showed signs of stress and distress or frustration because they were not always heard or acknowledged by some of the staff team.”
Complaints was another problematic issue. “People’s views were not being heard and complaints were not properly logged,” the inspectors said.
And the report said: “There was a lack of analysis of incidents, accidents and falls and no demonstrable effort to learn from these.”
It was suggested staff performance should be monitored more closely, and that the extensive use of agency staff left residents more anxious due to not knowing many of their carers well enough.
A spokeswoman for the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We welcomed the findings of the recent inspection at Royston Care Home. We are already implementing changes as a priority in the home, so we can continue to keep people in Edinburgh as happy, healthy and safe as possible.”