Enter and view: The Oaks Residential Care Home, Havering

On 6 March 2017 Healthwatch Havering conducted an Enter and View visit to The Oaks Residential Care Home.

The Oaks is a residential care home with 26 rooms, at the time of the visit all rooms were occupied. On arrival the team was met by the Manager and after an initial discussion, split into two groups; two members stayed with the Manager who answered their questions whilst the others went around the home speaking to Staff, Residents and Relatives.

The report provides a summary of the Enter and View team’s perception of Staffing, Care Services, Facilities and Resident and Relative views.

All Residents spoken to during the visit told the team that they felt they were treated with dignity and respect and that they were very safe. The son of one resident who is over 100 years old told the team that ‘her health had improved, that she was more mobile, and that her legs were well cared for’. He visited her regularly and was very positive about all aspects of care and encouragement given.

Recommendation:

The team were concerned that the medications round they observed might not have been conducted entirely appropriately. Staff should ensure that residents do take their prescribed medication at all times and therefore procedures should be revisited and enforced to ensure that this is carried out.

In response to this report the Manager has advised that, prior to its publication, the home had identified the shortcomings in medication administration mentioned in the report, had taken steps to retrain the staff member in question and could confirm that the process had improved significantly as a result.