Enter and view: Braeside Care Home

Healthwatch Rochdale conducted an announced Enter and View visit to Braeside Care Home, as part of a programme of announced Enter and View visits to care homes in the Rochdale borough,12 July 2018. The visit was based on the eight care quality indicators developed by Independent Age.

The Enter and View Authorised Representatives found that residents knew who the manager was and spoke highly of her and the Care Home and that residents and relatives, on the whole, felt that the staff were caring and well trained although it was felt that more staff would allow a more unhurried relationship with residents.

Mealtimes were reported by residents and relatives as being very sociable with high quality food, and relatives being welcomed to stay and eat with the residents. One resident said they would prefer more flexible mealtimes although staff said that this was possible, as was where anyone chose to eat their meals.

Residents and relatives told the visiting team that their cultural and spiritual needs were well catered for and, while not many people knew what the official complaints process was, they all said they would feel welcome and confident in speaking to the manager if they needed to.

The visiting team noted that two emergency cords in bathrooms were broken, and reported this during the visit as well as making a recommendation in the report to ensure that these were working and tested regularly. The report made three other recommendations including a suggestion that the residents with more advanced Dementia would benefit from a calming/ sensory room for those times when they may become agitated.

The provider responded very positively to all recommendations contained within the report including detailing how the emergency cords, which were already fixed by the time of the response, would be checked and tested. They also outlined how they would manage the need for a calming/ sensory room until space came available for a more permanent fixture.