Enter and view: Threshfield Court Care Home

Healthwatch North Yorkshire carried out an Enter and View visit to Threshfield Court Care Home in September 2015. Overall, the home was found to provide a very good standard of care. Residents appeared well cared for, safe and comfortable, and staff interactions were generally warm and respectful. The home offered specialist dementia care through its Memory Lane Community and benefited from attractive grounds, spacious communal areas and personalised bedrooms. 

Residents and relatives were largely positive about the care provided. Staff were described as caring and attentive, and there was evidence of personalised care planning, regular activities, outings and support for maintaining social connections. The home also offered a varied menu, catered for specialist diets and used telemedicine services from Airedale Hospital, which staff felt helped avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and transfers.

Some concerns were identified, particularly regarding the dementia environment and consistency across different areas of the home. Healthwatch felt that dementia-friendly design features such as signage, flooring and décor could be used more consistently throughout the building. A relative also raised concerns about conditions on one floor during a recent heating-system failure and felt some areas offered a lower-quality environment than others. Healthwatch additionally noted unpleasant odours on the upper floors, limited use of outdoor spaces despite attractive gardens, and a need for more stimulating activities for residents living with dementia. 

Healthwatch concluded that Threshfield Court was providing good-quality care with many positive features, including strong staff commitment, attractive surroundings and effective telemedicine support. Recommendations included increasing dementia-friendly adaptations, expanding dementia-focused activities, making greater use of outdoor areas, addressing unpleasant odours and considering wider first-aid training for care assistants. The provider accepted the recommendations and confirmed actions were already underway to improve the environment and dementia support.