Enter and view: Eric Williams House, Coventry

Healthwatch Coventry conducted an Enter and View on Eric Williams House, a care home specialised for residents with some level of dementia, owned by Coventry City Council with 43 places on 12th August 2015.

Observations by the Enter and view representatives reported that: the care home had a fun and relaxed atmosphere; was brightly decorated, airy and spacious with recent refurbishment; the home was safe and clean with no unpleasant odours; all the home was on one ground floor; there was a great and secure garden with rare birds. The residents had regular visits from the hairdresser and the GP. All rooms were single and there was a total of 12 communal bathrooms. The catering services were very good and offered various options including vegetarian dishes. There was a positive culture of volunteer involvement that had fundraised enough to buy two PARO therapeutic robots which had received very positive feedback amongst the residents. The activities were organised and ran by volunteers who encouraged outdoor activities as well as interactions between residents. The staff appeared to be very knowledgeable, professional and caring and received regular training. However there was also a low turnover of staff and the staff felt there was insufficient gaps between there shifts.

The care home had a dementia friendly design such as: memory boxes outside each residents’ rooms; decorations and handrails were in contrasting colour; and none of the staff wore badges or uniforms as to avert making residents more confused.

The residents commented that: they were happy and comfortable in the home and felt they always had a choice as to what to wear, eat or do. They were also happy with how they were treated and looked content. However, residents and staff said that they would like to go for picnics, to a beer garden and the seaside.

The Healthwatch Coventry representatives recommended: a review of the signage around the home; organisation of more trips outside for the residents; creating a website; making sure the resident’s preference of having TV in their rooms are met; and ensuring that there are sufficient gaps between the staff’s shifts. The manager responded positively to the report with changes already made, explanations or their plans for further actions.