Enter and view: Lyle House Residential Home

Visiting care homes that do not provide nursing continues to be a strategic priority of the use of Healthwatch Wandsworth Enter and View powers, as we feel these homes get less scrutiny than other health and social care services.

Lyle House specialises in looking after older with varying levels of need. The home has capacity for 45 residents.

Healthwatch Wandsworth aimed to use interviews with residents, relatives/friends and observations at mid-morning and lunchtime during our visit to Lyle House to report on: The quality of individual care. The responsiveness of services to individual residents’ needs. Healthwatch Wandsworth spoke to 9 residents, 5 relatives and a visitor.

The key findings informed most residents were positive about the level of personal care with residents feeling reassured that help was available if they needed it and they were confident that they could express any concerns if necessary. Residents were satisfied with staff attitudes. Relatives were also happy with the level of care provided by staff and reported being kept well informed about any changes in their relative’s health. However, there was some negative feedback from residents including: Residents were unaware of having a keyworker. Little interaction between residents with a few residents reporting boredom.

Based on our observations and conversations, Healthwatch Wandsworth recommend: The keyworker system should be reviewed and perhaps given a higher profile. The new activity co-ordinator should review each resident’s capabilities and interests and what they might like to do with their time as well as organising group activities and should think through how all residents’ lives might be enriched individually or in groups. Opportunities for working with residents and relatives about displaying more memory prompt information should be considered.