Enter and View: Penn House Care Home

Healthwatch Wolverhampton undertook an enter and view visit to the Penn House Care Home in the Penn area of Wolverhampton, which provides provides general care for up to 26 residents.

The visit was part of Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s quality monitoring. Penn House was made aware that there would be a visit by Healthwatch, but no specific date was given.

Key findings

• The home is not brightly lit and is currently being refurbished with décor undergoing changes to the colour scheme. The newer part of the building has freshly painted walls while the older part is still to be redecorated. Healthwatch found that signage throughout the home does not sufficiently support residents with a dementia diagnosis to identify their own rooms, for
  example, by using names or photographs. Healthwatch also found that sanitary ware does not have contrasting toilet seats to assist residents.
• The activity coordinator is on long term sick leave and so staff have to fit in engagement with residents as they carry out their duties during the day. This does mean some residents lack sufficient stimulation to meet their needs and encouragement for them to be involved in day-to-day activities. Staff were observed engaging kindly and appropriately with residents
  while doing during record keeping activities and while assisting residents with meals. The majority of residents lack capacity due to a diagnosis of dementia.
• The activities board was outdated with the last activity announcement being from November 2022.
• The menu was detailed on a weekly basis with a good range that catered to a variety of dietary requirements.
• The garden was not in use due to building work and there are plans in place to restore access for residents to a green space and a patio area. Healthwatch were assured that these plans will be developed as soon as possible.
• Staff presented as comfortable in their roles, however they expressed that the shifts were quite long, and that the lack of an activity coordinator causes additional work for the other staff.
• There were a few health and safety issues identified. These included a black wire hanging low from a ceiling in a corridor and a sluice bathroom which did not have a lock on. Healthwatch also found the staff toilet unlocked and the bin inside was a hand operated bin.