Enter and view: Sundridge Court Care Home

Healthwatch Barnet carried out an announced Enter and View visit to Sunridge Court Care Home on 15 February 2018 to assess residents’ mealtime experiences. Sunridge Court is a long-established charitable care home providing residential, but not nursing, care for non-Orthodox Jewish older people. At the time of the visit, 38 residents were living in the home. 

Healthwatch found that the home provided a pleasant, calm and attractive dining environment. Most residents were mobile and independent, and meals were usually taken together in a large dining room overlooking the garden. Residents could choose where to sit and were encouraged to dine communally to promote social interaction, although room service remained available for those who preferred it or were unwell. 

Food was prepared by an external catering company using fresh ingredients and cooked on site. Residents selected their lunch choices each morning using a tick-list system and were offered alternatives if they did not wish to eat the main options. Special dietary requirements were accommodated, and staff modified meals appropriately for residents requiring soft or pureed diets.

Healthwatch observed that the dining room was well laid out, with tablecloths, flowers, drinks and condiments available at each table. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, as residents preferred not to have music or television during meals. Care staff supported less mobile residents into the dining room and assisted those who needed help with eating. 

Overall, residents were positive about the quality of the food and appreciated the efforts staff made to meet different preferences. However, several concerns were raised. Some residents felt menu descriptions were unclear and did not always accurately reflect the dishes served. Others felt certain evening meal choices lacked variety and suggested additional vegetarian options. There were also occasional complaints that residents did not always receive the meal they had selected. 

A key issue identified during the visit was that some residents experienced delays in receiving their meals, particularly those served later in the dining room. Several residents reported that food could arrive lukewarm or cold, especially when meals were delivered to bedrooms. Healthwatch also observed that serving staff appeared rushed because meals needed to be served and cleared within a limited timeframe. 

Residents were generally very complimentary about the staff, describing them as caring and supportive. They recognised the challenges involved in catering for a diverse group of people with differing preferences and felt that staff made considerable efforts to provide a positive dining experience.

Healthwatch concluded that Sunridge Court provided a welcoming and enjoyable mealtime environment and that residents were largely satisfied with their dining experience. Recommendations included improving arrangements to keep food warm before serving, providing clearer menu descriptions, simplifying meal choice forms, considering a vegetarian soup option on Friday evenings and reviewing lunch timings to give staff more time to serve meals. 

In response, the home agreed to consider all of the recommendations. Planned actions included exploring the purchase of a hot trolley for meals delivered to residents’ rooms, redesigning menu information and meal-ordering forms, considering additional vegetarian options and discussing meal timings with residents.