Enter and View: Cuerden Grange

Healthwatch Lancashire conducted an announced Enter and View visit to Cuerden Grange Residential Home on 7 October 2015 to assess the quality of care, environment, nutrition, activities and overall resident experience. The home accommodated 63 residents at the time of the visit and provided residential care for older people with a range of specialist needs. 

Overall, Healthwatch found the home to be welcoming, clean and well maintained in many areas, with friendly and caring staff who generally treated residents with respect. Residents spoke positively about staff, saying they were helpful, approachable and responsive when assistance was needed. Staff also reported feeling well supported, adequately trained and committed to providing person-centred care. 

The physical environment received mixed feedback. The home's location, reception area and first impressions were rated highly, and residents were generally happy with their private rooms, which they could personalise with their own belongings. However, communal areas were considered cramped, noisy and in need of refurbishment. Carpets in lounge and dining areas were heavily stained, seating was limited in some communal spaces, and outdoor facilities were not fully accessible for residents with mobility difficulties. Bathrooms were generally clean but some maintenance issues were identified, including malfunctioning hot taps and the absence of a bin in one bathroom. 

Inspectors observed mostly positive interactions between staff and residents, but they also identified concerns about dignity and respect during one resident transfer. A resident was left exposed during movement and subsequently remained distressed in a wheelchair while waiting for assistance. The report also highlighted the continuous sounding of the call-bell system, which residents and relatives found disruptive and irritating, particularly at night. 

Residents were generally satisfied with the care they received and reported feeling safe in the home. They felt able to raise concerns with staff and said they had flexibility over daily routines such as bedtimes and mealtimes. 

Food and nutrition emerged as a significant area of concern. While some residents praised aspects of the catering, many felt that meals lacked variety and imagination. Several residents described the menu as repetitive and reported relying on alternatives to the main meals. Despite these concerns, all residents stated that drinks were readily available and that they could choose where to eat their meals. 

The activities programme was viewed positively. Residents enjoyed a range of activities including crafts, games, outings, entertainment and animal visits. The recently appointed Activities Coordinator was praised, and efforts were being made to introduce new opportunities such as computer use and Skype to help residents stay in touch with family members. 

Feedback from relatives and friends was largely favourable. Most felt their family members were safe, well cared for and encouraged to participate in activities. However, some concerns were raised regarding communication, items of clothing going missing, and uncertainty caused by the impending departure of the home's manager and team leader. 

The Enter and View team awarded the environment and facilities an overall score of 3.6 out of 5, indicating that the home provided a generally good service but required improvements in communal spaces, food provision, residents' dignity during care, maintenance issues and activity planning. 

In response to the findings, the provider reported that several improvements had already been implemented. These included making a brochure available, adding seating in reception, personalising bedroom doors, addressing bathroom issues, introducing carpet-cleaning schedules, removing unsafe furniture, reviewing staffing levels, providing moving and handling refresher training, refurbishing parts of the home, reviewing activities and planning changes to menus.