Home from Home

Healthwatch Isle of Wight visited 13 nursing and residential care homes across the island to look at the quality of care provided to older people and they spoke to staff, residents and their families about their experiences. (This was 14% of the total number of local residential care and nursing homes).  They spoke to 56 people 

Healthwatch found a vast difference in the quality of care provided in nursing and residential care homes across the Island. Some homes had a clear vision and strong leadership which contributed to a culture of continuous quality improvement and a desire to improve the quality of life of the vulnerable people they support. Other managers and their staff seemed to be drowning in a wave of bureaucracy, paperwork and staff shortages leading to an inevitable drop in standards and a poor quality of care. 

Some staff felt that there were not enough staff on duty to meet the needs of residents and this was often worse during the evening, at night and weekends. Most homes offered a range of activities for their residents, but the quality and quantity of activities offered varied enormously amongst the homes and not all managers demonstrated an understanding of the need for meaningful stimulation and the effect this can have on a person’s quality of life.

40 registered nursing or care home managers (50%) completed a survey. Half felt valued or extremely valued.