It’s all ‘good’ on care home visit

Burnham: Inspectors find previous concerns now addressed

Staff at Burnham Lodge care home in Parliament Lane. Credit – Sean Gavin

A care home has received a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after being told it ‘requires improvement’ last year.

In a report published last month, inspectors visiting Burnham Lodge said they observed ‘warm and friendly interactions from staff towards people’ during their inspection in November

2019.

In a previous report, published in June, the CQC had deemed the home, in Parliament Lane, to not be safe, with risks not being ‘assessed appropriately’.

But the care home was found to be safe following the latest inspection, with changes including pendants used to summon staff for assistance.

Residents' nutritional and hydrational needs were also found to be met, following concerns raised at the previous inspection.

The report said: “The provider had participated in a hydration project run by a local clinical commissioning group (CCG).

“The aim of this project was to encourage people to drink more fluids and bring about a reduction in urinary tract infections (UTI) requiring medicines or hospital admissions.

“Staff told us about the positive outcomes. For instance, they told us about a person who had a grade three pressure ulcer which had healed due to improved fluid intake.”

However, inspectors found that while care records were detailed and documented, regarding people’s care preferences, it was not always clear what gender of staff member was preferred, and recommended that this was clear in their records.

Inspectors also recommended that the care provider seek guidance to ensure it complied with the Equality Act 2010 after finding that care records

‘documented how people wanted to be cared for’ but did not ‘identify all individual needs’ relating to protected characteristics identified in the act.

Catherine Emekwuo, Burnham Lodge’s registered manager, said: “I feel really proud of our achievement as we have all worked really hard to make sure that our residents live their lives to the fullest within a safe and secure environment.

“I am thrilled that Burnham Lodge has received such a positive rating especially for its warmth and friendliness. I am incredibly proud of my caring and compassionate team, who play such a huge part in delivering quality care to our residents 24/7 and supporting them in their daily lives.”

Sean Gavin, CEO of Hartford Care, which runs the home, added: “Huge congratulations to Catherine and the team at Burnham Lodge for this terrific inspection result. I know the team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the quality of care offered is of the highest standard.”