Enter and View: Alma Barn Lodge Care Home, Didcot

Healthwatch Oxfordshire undertook an announced enter and view visit to Alma Barn Lodge Care Home on 23 January 2024. They spoke to 14 people altogether.

The main reception area of the care home was calm and had a welcoming environment for visitors and residents but looked a little bare. 

The presence of residents enjoying the communal lounge area and watching TV reflects a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere within the care home, allowing residents to engage in recreational activities and socialise with their peers. 

The care home offers bedrooms with ensuite wet rooms decorated to a good standard, providing residents with comfort and tranquillity. The care home is newly built and state-of-the-art, offering various care services, including nursing, residential, dementia and respite care. 

Residents had praise for the staff and valued the care and support they received. 

The first floor rooms at the care home have not been used to date, however, they are well-furnished, and the decor is new.

Residents did not know how to complain, how to give feedback, or how to make suggestions. The residents were willing and able to talk to staff if needed which highlights the importance of establishing clear communication channels and feedback mechanisms within the care home environment. This would enable residents to more clearly feed into giving suggestions about the home, activities and care. It was also not clear how comments and suggestions were acted on by the home. 

Residents could be engaged in suggesting activities, and gave ideas such as dog therapy, cooking, and going out on trips to garden centres as well as growing vegetables. 

All staff members wear name badges which is a positive practice that contributes to creating a transparent and person-centered environment within the care home.

Alma Barn Lodge Care Home is managed by a dedicated staff team whose aim is to deliver excellent person-centred care and who are working hard to make it possible. 

Residents and family members generally feel able to raise concerns with the staff team verbally or during the care plan meeting about their loved one’s treatment and care. 

The care centre in general was very clean; the carpets, paint, kitchen, and the entrance area were tidy, clean, and smelled fresh. 

The quality of the laundry service and the time taken to wash the clothes could be improved according to residents’ comments. 

Introducing more outdoor activities, such as trips to garden centres or other locations, could greatly enhance the quality of life for residents in the care home. 

A lower staff-to-resident ratio may result in reduced supervision, which could have an impact on safety, quality of care, and overall resident satisfaction.

The report contains eight recommendations and a response from the provider.