Enter and view: St Patricks Care Home

Healthwatch Halton gather information on people’s experiences of health and social care services and there are times when it is appropriate for Healthwatch Halton to see and hear for themselves how services are being delivered: these visits are called ‘Enter and View’, they are not inspections.

Healthwatch Halton visited St Patricks Care Home on 27/11/2015.

The summary of findings highlighted areas in relation to patient feedback, staff feedback and observation. The findings in the report inform St Patricks Care Home has a wide range of nursing and support staff who care for up to 40 residents. All Staff are required to undertake mandatory training which includes safeguarding and senior staff have been trained in mental capacity in relation to Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS). There are three part time activity co-ordinators The home is in the process of ongoing refurbishment to create a dementia friendly care home environment. Signage is used extensively throughout the home including resident’s rooms, bathrooms, toilets and dining rooms where photographic menus are used to promote choice of meals. Residents are encouraged to furnish their rooms to their own personal taste. Flooring, furnishing and colour schemes have been updated in various parts of the home to aid the orientation and memories of residents diagnosed with dementia. Residents of St Patricks have access to primary care services including GPs, and medicine review, physiotherapists, dentists, opticians, chiropody visits, and the ‘Care Home Team’ from the Brooker Centre and the ‘falls prevention team’. Services such as a hairdresser, lay preachers, aromatherapy and a ‘snoezelen’ are also available. The home provides drinks and snacks throughout the day to residents and vending machines for both residents and visitors. All the known food allergies of residents are recorded Relatives are encouraged to visit at mealtimes to encourage the food and fluid intake of family members, and one to one support by staff for residents is available during mealtimes. Throughout the tour of the home, residents appeared happy and comfortable with staff and other residents.

The report contains 4 recommendations.