Enter and view: Arden Court
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Healthwatch Salford carried out an Enter and View visit to Arden Court, a nursing and residential care home with places for up to 47 residents.
The home was evaluated against eight quality indicators: strong, visible management; staff with the time and skills to do their jobs; good knowledge of each individual resident and how their needs may be changing; a varied programme of activities; quality, choice and flexibility around food and mealtimes; ensuring residents can regularly see health professionals such as GPs, dentists, opticians or chiropodists; accommodating residents’ personal, cultural and lifestyle needs; and being an open environment where feedback is actively sought and used.
Arden Court had recently undergone a change in management and this was reflected in the positive attitude of staff members. One week prior to the visit the home had received a further CQC inspection, with the initial feedback from the CQC deemed as promising and that the home was ‘travelling in the right direction’.
There were a wide range of activities for residents to get involved in, although due to the nature of their physical difficulties, participation was limited. Evidence from the conversations suggested that staff included residents in decisions (where capacity allowed) with the resident being empowered to make essential choices on their daily life preferences.
There seemed to be clear communication between the manager and the care staff each day, with any changes to the resident’s care noted by all. Staff felt that they could have a say in how the home is run and the manager appeared to be receptive to this.
Although most residents were provided with nursing care, staff appeared to involve them in making decisions on their daily life.
Healthwatch Salford made four recommendations following this visit, based around:
- Residents external activities
- Dignity and care (privacy)
- Updating staff and improving feedback
- Streamlining back office systems.
The report includes a positive response from the service provider.