Enter and view: St Martins Nursing Home

Healthwatch Coventry carried out an enter and view visit to St Martins Care Home on 18 October 2017 to gather information about residents’ experiences of living in the home and to assess quality of life, care and support. During the visit, Healthwatch spoke with six residents, four members of staff, the manager and four visitors. 

The visit found St Martins to be a welcoming and homely care home with a close-knit community atmosphere. Residents and visitors spoke positively about the quality of care provided, and Healthwatch observed staff treating residents with dignity, respect and compassion. Staff were highly regarded by residents and visitors, and the home was found to be clean, comfortable and well maintained indoors. 

Residents were generally satisfied with the food and support available, with flexible meal options and snacks available throughout the day. However, staff and residents highlighted a lack of organised activities and outings, with staff suggesting that an activities coordinator would help reduce boredom and increase engagement. Healthwatch also identified opportunities to improve access to and maintenance of the garden, address storage issues in communal areas, and strengthen dementia-friendly design features such as signage, handrail visibility and step markings. 

Healthwatch concluded that the home's caring staff and family atmosphere were key strengths. Recommendations included appointing or supporting an activities coordinator, improving the garden and outdoor access, enhancing dementia-friendly features, improving equipment storage, and addressing maintenance and safety issues within the environment.