Enter and view: The Dales Care Home, Skipton

Healthwatch North Yorkshire carried out an Enter and View visit to The Dales Care Home in October 2015. Overall, residents and relatives were positive about the care provided and spoke warmly about staff, who were described as caring, attentive and approachable. The home provided residential, nursing, dementia and end-of-life care, and relatives reported feeling involved and well informed about the care of their family members. 

The home offered a range of activities, access to healthcare professionals and personalised care planning. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of residents’ needs and the home had introduced Advanced Care Plans and telemedicine links to support healthcare provision. Residents generally appeared well cared for, and relatives frequently praised the quality of support and communication they received from staff. 

Healthwatch identified several concerns relating to the environment and staffing. The home cared for many residents with high levels of dependency, including dementia, mobility problems and complex health needs, and Healthwatch questioned whether staffing levels were sufficient, particularly at night. The environment was not consistently dementia-friendly, with limited signage, some maintenance issues and a lack of secure outdoor space for many residents. Observers also identified hygiene concerns, including an unhygienic toilet seat, and highlighted the need for alternatives to support hand hygiene for residents unable to wash their hands independently. 

Healthwatch concluded that The Dales provided caring support and positive staff-resident relationships, but recommended improvements to staffing levels, dementia-friendly design, hygiene, maintenance and access to secure outdoor spaces. Additional recommendations included reviewing the use of dining equipment for residents with dementia and considering extra safeguards for residents whose dementia may place them at risk.