Enter and view: Highcroft Care Home

Healthwatch Waltham Forest undertook an Enter and View visit to Highcroft Care Home on 16 January 2018.

The visit found that the home was generally clean, well maintained and had recently been refurbished. Residents gave generally positive feedback about staff and food, and staff were observed treating residents with respect. Activities including bowling, puzzles, films and outings were available, and the home provided support for a large number of residents living with dementia. 

However, a number of concerns were identified. Healthwatch observed limited interaction between staff and residents, insufficient support for some residents at mealtimes, a lack of choice being evident during lunch, and inconsistent support for residents with dementia. The environment was not considered fully dementia-friendly, with few personalised bedroom doors, limited signage and neutral décor that could make navigation difficult for some residents. Concerns were also raised about staff morale, communication within the staff team and the need for greater resident involvement in decisions about their care. 

Healthwatch recommended improving staff engagement with residents, increasing opportunities for residents and relatives to contribute to service development, addressing communication issues within the staff team, enhancing support for people living with dementia through more personalised and dementia-friendly environments, and developing partnerships with community organisations to expand the range of activities available to residents.