Enter and view: Abafields

Healthwatch Bolton undertook an Enter and View visit to Abafields Residential Home on 24 October 2018.

The visit found that the home provided a warm, homely and welcoming environment where residents generally appeared happy and well cared for. Residents were clean and well presented, staff interacted with residents in a friendly and respectful manner, and relationships between staff and residents were positive. The home was observed to be clean, well maintained and operating to a good standard, with staff morale described as high and turnover low. 

Residents were generally satisfied with the care they received and praised staff for being attentive and compassionate. Staff were observed supporting residents appropriately at mealtimes and responding to requests for assistance. The home had an activities coordinator and volunteers providing activities such as baking, bingo and shopping trips, although some residents reported feeling bored and felt there were not enough activities available. A small number of residents also said they were unaware they could use the outdoor space independently. 

Healthwatch Bolton identified a small number of areas for improvement, including reviewing food choices to reduce waste, improving access to drinking water at mealtimes, making information more accessible through easy-read and pictorial formats, improving communication about access to outdoor areas and considering residents' views about food preferences. Overall, the report concluded that Abafields was a well-run home where residents felt safe, respected and supported, and where staff were committed to providing good-quality care.