Enter and view: Caseside Care Home

Healthwatch Lancashire carried out an Enter and View visit to Chaseside Care Home, a 20-bed dementia care home in Lytham St Annes. Representatives spoke with residents, staff and relatives and observed the environment, care, nutrition and activities provided. The home was described as having a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with residents appearing comfortable, confident and engaged with staff and visitors. Overall, the home received a rating between Green and Amber, indicating a generally positive service with some areas for improvement.

Representatives found the home to be clean, bright and well maintained, with good access to local amenities and attractive views over Ashton Gardens. Residents spoke positively about their bedrooms, feeling safe and the opportunity to take regular walks in the nearby park. Staff interactions were observed to be respectful and person-centred, with staff addressing residents by name, supporting independence and maintaining residents' dignity. Relatives also described staff as caring, understanding and supportive. 

The atmosphere within communal areas was friendly and relaxed, and residents generally expressed satisfaction with the food, activities and care they received. Daily activities included games, baking, arts and crafts, colouring, music sessions and walks. However, Healthwatch felt the environment could have been more homely and suggested that dementia-friendly features could be developed further. Representatives noted that some communal spaces appeared sparse, seating arrangements did not always encourage social interaction, and a designated therapy room was rarely used and was partly being used for storage.

A small number of environmental issues were identified. Two communal bathrooms required attention, including one with a noticeable odour and another that was out of use due to equipment needing replacement. Healthwatch also noted that some areas would benefit from redecoration and a more imaginative dementia-friendly design. The deputy manager advised that refurbishment and improvements were already being considered and expressed enthusiasm for developing the environment further.

Overall, Healthwatch found a positive, caring service with good staff morale, supportive management and positive feedback from residents and relatives. The report highlighted the welcoming atmosphere, quality of care and strong staff-resident relationships as areas of good practice, while recommending improvements to the environment, communal spaces and dementia-specific provision.