Enter and view: Brooklands Care Home

Healthwatch Liverpool carried out an Enter and View visit to Brooklands Care Home in April 2016. Overall, the home provided a positive and caring environment, with residents speaking warmly about staff and describing the home as friendly and supportive. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of residents’ needs, and Healthwatch found good continuity of care, with a number of staff having worked at the home for many years. The home also operated a “home for life” approach, seeking additional support where needed so residents could remain in familiar surroundings. 

Residents were generally satisfied with the care they received and praised the staff’s responsiveness and kindness. Activities included bingo, crafts, games, outings and visits from entertainers and community groups, with residents encouraged to take part according to their interests. The catering team adapted meals to residents’ preferences and dietary needs, while some residents appreciated being able to buy and prepare some of their own food.

Healthwatch identified a number of environmental and housekeeping issues. Dining rooms required more thorough cleaning following meals, communal areas contained some clutter, and one shower room contained personal items and equipment that had not been cleared away. There were also concerns about a damaged garden pathway creating a trip hazard, blocked grab rails in corridors, exposed water heaters beneath sinks and some maintenance issues within bathrooms. A smell of urine was noticeable in parts of the home during the visit. 

Healthwatch concluded that Brooklands provided good care and positive support for residents, but recommended improvements to cleanliness, storage of equipment, management of odours and accessibility of garden areas for people using mobility aids. The provider responded positively, outlining actions taken to improve cleaning routines, storage arrangements and consideration of access improvements to the garden.