‘Adequate’ grade for care home

Inspectors have graded the standard of care and support provided to people residing at ochil Care home in perth as “adequate”following an announced visit last month.

Assessors from the Care Inspectorate observed kind and caring interactions between staff and residents during their visit and heard relatives of residents were kept well informed of any changes to their loved one’s health.

they also noted residents were served nutritious and appetising food during their stay and that social distancing had been“thoughtfully considered”in dining areas while still enabling residents to hold conversations.

however, the inspectors also observed examples of“poor practice”involving hand hygiene and the disposal of ppe and have now recommended management ensure staff practice in relation to infection prevention and control“is regularly checked and quality assured”in future.

their report on the Barchester healthcare-run home said:“Whilst there were appropriate and sufficient supplies of ppe, disposal arrangements and the location of clinical waste bins needed to be improved in order to reduce the risk of transmission for people living in ochil Care home and staff.

“Whilst cleaning schedules were in place that outlined tasks to be undertaken, these were not always completed or recorded and it was therefore difficult to determine how often enhanced cleaning and cleaning of frequently touched areas took place.

“We discussed with the manager the need for an increased overview and reliable audit systems in order to provide assurance that effective cleaning is taking place.

“the oversight of quality assurance processes is an area for improvement to ensure standards are maintained in relation to the environment and staff practice.”