Enter and View: Alderwood Care Home

On 23^rd January 2018, Healthwatch Salford undertook an Enter and View visit to the Alderwood Care Home to engage with residents of the home and understand their experience of living there and identify examples of good practice. They found that the home was well-managed offering a wide range of activities for the residents to take part in. Accommodation was spacious, providing a homely atmosphere with a number of communal areas for the residents to utilise. Food and drink reviews were mixed but the manager appeared to be supportive of the staff and welcomed input on how the home is run. Some residents felt isolated for long periods of time due to lack of adequate activities and entertainment. The home was sensitive to the residents’ cultural and religious beliefs and also used pictures to communicate with residents who did not speak English. The report made five recommendations which included undertaking an assessment of the drainage of the new wet room, make provision for residents to have a conversation with visiting nurse/GP in a confidential environment, consider providing a motorised hoist or fitting an accessible bath, consult with residents to ensure that their concerns about the food and drink are addressed and for residents to be able to use café area for socialising. The report contains a response for each of the recommendations from the provider.