Enter and view: Widnes Hall Care Home, Halton

Ferndale Mews is a purpose-built care home in Widnes run by HC-One and primarily caters for older people with dementia or enduring mental health conditions. It is registered for 34 residents and currently has 27 residents in place. There are 17 single en-suite bedrooms for dementia patients on the ground floor Residential Unit (13 residents) and 17 en-suite bedrooms upstairs in the Nursing Unit (14 residents).

It was noted that any room that was a bathroom or toilet had had the door painted in yellow to help the dementia patients distinguish those rooms as being different. All bathrooms and toilets were bright & fresh and had recently been refurbished. It was observed that interaction between staff and residents was calm, friendly and dignified.

Medication is administered by Nurses on the Nursing Unit and Senior Care Assistants on the Residential Unit. All are appropriately trained and wear clothing (red tabards), to indicate that they are administering medication to make sure they are not disturbed. Resident’s family meetings are held a monthly basis. They are not always well attended. Ferndale Mews currently employ one part time Activities Coordinator, they are advertising to recruit a second Activities Coordinator.

Recommendations; to engage with Healthwatch Halton when any health or social care issues arise for staff or residents, to continue allowing Healthwatch Haltom to attend resident’s Family meetings. Once building work is completed, to make sure the parking spaces for Disabled drivers are clearly marked.