Enter and view: Stonedale Lodge, Liverpool

Healthwatch Liverpool conducted an Enter and View on Stonedale Lodge, a privately owned care home with 155 residents, with capacity for 180, on 15 August 2017.

This visit was arranged for Healthwatch Liverpool to learn more about the service, and to find out from observations and speaking with people where the service appeared to be doing especially well, as well as finding out if any improvements could be made. The visit was not in response to any prior feedback or concerns identified relating to the quality of this service.

Observation by the Enter and View representatives reported that:

Overall, they were pleased with the quality of care and environments observed. Positive and friendly interactions between carers and residents were observed and staff were seen taking their time, talking and chatting with residents, not solely focused just on their care needs.

The home did small, innovative things that made a big difference to residents such as creating the library and pub, and having an ice cream trolley with a jingle during hot weather.

In Dalton House, we saw street name signage and front doors in different colours which help people with dementia with orientation. These touches are key to creating a dementia friendly environment and are recommended in best practice guides by The Dementia Centre at The University of Stirling.

After talking to some residents and their relatives, those spoken to were happy with the care given. Residents also seemed happy, on the whole with the choices given with regards to food.