Enter and view: Orchid Lawns Care Home

Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire conducted an announced Enter and View visit to Orchid Lawns care home in April 2019. The care home provides care for up to 24 residents with varying forms of dementia and physical impairments. The Enter and View representatives used observational activity and spoke to residents, visitors and staff.

The report found that the home was clean and tidy but no windows were open to let fresh air in. There were noticeboards with pictures from the past and memory boxes next to every resident's room. An activities plan was evident but there was little observation of activities taking place during the visit. The Chef explained the change to the day’s menu to representatives and took the time to serve residents with care and dignity and assisted them when needed. All staff were friendly and helpful, and generally interacted with residents who they clearly knew well, using their first names, however a minority of staff openly ignored residents. It was observed that a new member of staff was left alone with 16 residents and other members of staff did not assist the new care worker or residents appropriately. For example, asking the new member of staff to assist a resident when she had not been trained in manual handling. The majority of relatives were very pleased with the care provided and had not had any recent complaints.

A number of recommendations were made and included that food menus are presented in pictorial formats; that the activities plan is in place and adhered to; and that those residents without family members should be considered for advocacy services to be used when decisions are made.