Enter and view: Hillesdon House Rest Home
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Healthwatch Staffordshire conducted an unannounced Enter and View visit to Hillesdon House Rest Home on 4 March 2014, after two CQC reports had raised concerns.
The CQC concerns were the environment, safety, and suitability of the premises; cleanliness linked to infection control; staffing numbers, training and support; and the management of the service was also a concern.
The Enter and View Representatives noted some good caring practice being carried out, some internal decoration had been completed approved and more work was being undertaken. The visiting team thought that the entrance could be more inviting with some window frames and sills needing attention. Authorised Representatives felt that the garden area could be made more attractive but noted that the owners were aware of this and it part of their long term planning.
There were no call bells as the manager advised that most of the residents would not know how to use them, but there were pressure mats connected to an alarm system so that the staff would know when the residents had got out of bed. There was also an alarm system that indicated when anyone approached the stairs, although this sounded so frequently that there was a fear that it could be ignored or that carer’s could begin to stop noticing it.
The visiting team noted that there was no personalisation on the bedroom doors, only the room number. The Authorised Representatives suggested adding photos/ memorabilia and the name that the resident liked to be called. The bathroom downstairs had been newly decorated but it was noted that noted that it would benefit from a blind or a curtain across the window to ensure privacy.
The Authorised Representatives also noted that one of the bedrooms was being used as a training area with DVD’s for two team members. Although the resident was not in this room at the time it still seems inappropriate to use the room for this purpose.
The report makes recommendations including: providing a blind or curtain to the downstairs bathroom to ensure privacy; replacing a makeshift metal fence with a more permanent structure; the installation of a washbasin in one of the bedrooms, as identified by the CQC; personalising each resident’s bedroom door to help with recognition; and complete the redecoration of the upstairs bathroom.
No response from the provider is included with this report.