Enter and view: Ashgrove Care Home

Healthwatch Hounslow undertook an announced enter and view visit to Ashgrove Care Home on 22 September 2016.  They spoke to 7 people. The purpose of the visit was to observe service delivery, speak with staff and visitors, and identify both good practice and areas for improvement. 

Ashgrove Care Home is a privately funded residential care home providing accommodation for up to 50 residents, most of whom are elderly and living with dementia. The home employs a range of staff including nurses, care assistants, and an activities coordinator, with approximately one care assistant per five residents. 

Overall, the environment of the home was found to be clean, safe, and welcoming. Communal areas were tidy, there were no unpleasant odours, and efforts had been made to create a dementia-friendly setting. Residents appeared clean, well cared for, and treated with dignity. Staff were described as polite, compassionate, and easily identifiable, and the home demonstrated good staff retention.

The care home provided a range of services to meet residents’ needs, including daily meals prepared on site, monitoring of nutrition and hydration, and access to healthcare professionals such as GPs who visited regularly. Activities were organised based on residents’ interests, including games, entertainment, outings, and use of the garden, although participation was encouraged rather than forced. 

The referral and admission process was described as responsive and flexible, with the home often able to accept residents within 24 hours. Care plans were developed for each resident, covering medical, dietary, and personal preferences, and families were kept informed about changes in residents’ conditions. 

Feedback from staff and a visitor was generally positive. Staff reported feeling supported by management and valued the friendly working environment, although some concerns were raised about staffing levels, particularly at night. The visitor expressed satisfaction with the quality of care but suggested that staff could benefit from a better understanding of dementia and noted concerns about night-time supervision. 

Several areas for improvement were identified. These included providing more in-depth dementia training, extending staff induction with more practical elements, increasing staffing levels (especially at night), improving staff pay to the London Living Wage, and ensuring regular safeguarding training. The report also recommended developing additional support for staff and increasing opportunities for residents to go on outings. 

In conclusion, the report found that Ashgrove Care Home demonstrated many examples of good practice, including a caring atmosphere, supportive management, and quality service provision. However, it also highlighted opportunities for improvement, particularly in staff training, staffing levels, and resident engagement.