Enter and view: Holme Lea Care Home

Healthwatch Tameside carried out an Enter and View visit to Holme Lea Care Home, a 46-bed residential and dementia care home in Stalybridge. Overall, residents, relatives and staff spoke positively about the home, describing it as comfortable, homely and caring. Residents were generally satisfied with the care they received and highlighted the positive relationships they had with staff, who were observed to be friendly, respectful and attentive. Communication with families was identified as a particular strength, with relatives reporting that they were kept well informed about changes in their family member’s care. 

The home benefited from an experienced staff team and visible management, although staff feedback about management support was mixed. Staff valued the training and development opportunities available and generally felt they had the skills and time needed to perform their roles effectively. Residents reported that staff understood their needs well and adapted care appropriately when needs changed. Access to healthcare services, including GPs, opticians, dentists and podiatrists, was generally viewed positively.

Healthwatch found the environment to be clean, welcoming and generally well maintained, with a large accessible garden that contributed positively to residents’ wellbeing. However, several environmental improvements were identified, including empty hand sanitiser stations, items obstructing a fire exit route, empty noticeboards, deteriorating bathroom décor, incorrect clocks and opportunities to improve dementia-friendly signage and bathroom features. Some residents also felt the activity programme was not sufficiently tailored to their interests, reporting fewer activities than in the past and limited opportunities to pursue preferred hobbies or spend time outdoors. Feedback on food was mostly positive, although a small number of residents raised concerns about menu changes and meal quality. 

Healthwatch made a range of recommendations focusing on safety, communication, staff engagement, activities, environmental improvements and dementia-friendly design. These included improving feedback systems for staff, reviewing activity provision, enhancing menu accessibility, increasing visibility of resident and relative meetings and strengthening dementia-friendly features throughout the home. The provider responded positively, confirming that many actions had already been taken, including improving menu displays, introducing anonymous feedback systems, relocating feedback forms, correcting environmental issues and expanding activity opportunities, while longer-term improvement plans remain underway.