Enter and view: Blakesley House

Healthwatch Ealing undertook an enter and view visit to Blakesley House Nursing Home on 31 October 2023.  They spoke to 13 people.

Building and decor

Residents are free to decorate their rooms. Artwork created by residents could be found hanging on the walls in the home. · There were large comfy chairs in the lounge that residents were taking advantage of. 

While t the home was clean, the lounge did seem to be cluttered.  The TV in the lounge showed signs of failure.

Staff

Staff and residents had a good rapport. It was clear that staff cared greatly about those they were working with. Many of the residents of this home are in the advanced stages of dementia, and Healthwatch observed tremendous patience from staff regarding this. All residents are assigned a key worker who knows them on a more 1:1 basis than other members of staff. These key workers act as a champion for their residents. They inform other staff members of any potential issues or changes for the resident during handover. Each key worker has between 2-3 residents in their charge.  Healthwatch witnessed good rapport between staff and management.

Staff had ample break and handover time and were all trained in safeguarding

Food, hydration and nutrition

There is a dementia-friendly menu in the lounge. Large pictures of what is on offer for the day is displayed.  Residents liked the food which was filling and there were plenty of options.

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