Enter and view: Eliza House
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Healthwatch Enfield undertook an Enter and View visit to Eliza House on 8 November 2022. They spoke to 5 residents, 1 relative, 2 staff members and the manager.
The home specialises in residential care for older people with dementia. It also provides specialist care for respite and short stays, hearing, speech and visual impairments, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.
The front door is securely locked, requiring a code to either enter or exit. The home looks very pleasant from the outside – set-out like a train station with ornamental fixings.
Dementia friendly signs are used throughout the home to designate communal spaces such as the lounge, dining room, shower, lifts/stairs, and hairdressing room.
The doors to resident’s rooms are each coloured differently along the corridors and have the appearance of house front-doors. This gives a homely feel, at the same time it helps residents to remember their room. All stairs and corridors are fitted with handrails.
There is a small back garden accessible from one of the lounges and a ‘sensory room’, with items and bric-a-brac to touch and smell.
The resident’s rooms are a moderate size, have a large window enabling plenty of natural light, appeared tidy, and have an ensuite fitted with either a bath or shower.
The general cleanliness of the home was not of a high standard. The toilets had a strong odour of urine (and of bleach) and there was dust and grime on some of the toilets. Shower fittings were also dirty.
A hairdresser attends every Friday, and the service is said to be ‘very popular’. A dedicated hairdressing salon is located upstairs.
A District Nurse/Matron visits weekly or when needed to make special visits or bring equipment. A GP visits on a Tuesday and a Chiropodist comes every six weeks.
Popular in-house activities include bingo, cards, movie nights, entertainers, karaoke, pantomime, foot spa, manicure and pet therapy. Over 30 activities are reportedly on offer.
All staff were polite and punctual throughout the visit and residents and relatives said they were nice, caring and helpful.
The report contains several recommendations.