Enter and view: Ditton Priors Care Centre

Healthwatch Shropshire gather information on people’s experiences of health and social care services and there are times when it is appropriate for Healthwatch Shropshire to see and hear for themselves how services are being delivered: these visits are called ‘Enter and View’, they are not inspections.

Healthwatch Shropshire visited Ditton Priors Care Centre, on the 23/03/2018.

The summary of findings highlighted areas in relation to patient feedback, staff feedback and observation. These findings informed Ditton Priors Care Centre is a residential home in a rural location for up to 21 residents including residents with dementia. It offers respite beds unless the number of permanent residents fills the capacity. Recently the number of residents has increased to. A new Manager, who started last Christmas, has introduced changes. A new electronic information system was implemented in May 2017 and a comprehensive re-decoration programme has started. Five of the members of staff are also new within the last year. The redecoration programme is currently focusing on the bedrooms and includes new furniture. The home is clean throughout and the new décor is mainly in neutral colours. There was a mild smell of urine in the smaller lounge. There are no dementia friendly picture signs. The kitchen is short staffed as the cook has left suddenly and has yet to be replaced so other staff are filling in. Residents are not always offered a choice of food at mealtimes. The manager has told us that ‘there are three trolleys’. The manager has told us that the activities coordinator is ‘trained’ to work with food and is currently performing a ‘dual role’. Although staff are finding the rate of change difficult to cope with, they do appreciate the need for change. Some staff feel frustrated and do not find the new electronic record system as easy to use as the old paper files. Most residents are very supportive of each other and enjoy living in the home. Most residents like to spend time in the communal areas. Residents felt that staff had less time to sit and chat with them recently. Few residents we spoke to wore glasses or used hearing aids. One resident had lost their dentures and was waiting for a Dentist appointment and one resident had no batteries for their hearing aid. One resident had dirty finger nails. There are five smokers amongst the residents and they have to ask to go outside where there is no shelter. Healthwatch Shropshire did not find any evidence of a formal complaints procedure that all staff were familiar with and which residents and their relatives could easily use. Healthwatch Shropshire saw a weekly activities planner on the wall but the activities organiser told us that these rarely took place due to the need to help out with caring and other duties. Residents would welcome more opportunities to go out. The alarm system is very loud.

The recommendations within the report was make sure that there are enough staff to ensure scheduled activities can be delivered and residents can go out regularly if they wish. Ensure that all residents are offered a choice of food at every meal. Make the environment more dementia friendly, for example using signage with words and pictures. Ensure that the complaints procedure is clear and easily accessible for residents, relatives and staff and that all members of staff are familiar with it. Reduce the volume of the alarm system. Remind staff to regularly check residents’ hearing aids, dentures, glasses and fingernails. Provide a shelter for smokers when carrying out the planned improvements outside.