Cold bedrooms and spilt urine - Lincolnshire care home put into special measures

Elderly people have been left shivering cold in a dirty care home which has been put in special measures following a scathing report.

The Care Quality Commission inspected the Limes Care Home at Scopwick in an unannounced inspection and rated it as inadequate.

Inspectors found residents were not cared for safely, privacy and dignity was not respected and there was poor infection control.

The report states: "Three of the bedrooms we looked in had unpleasant smells despite being cleaned. We found in one bedroom a feeder cup with dried faeces on and spilt urine on the floor which was an infection risk.

"One person had a sandwich crust on their chest of drawers when we visited their room in the morning and it remained there in the afternoon.

"One of the visiting professionals we spoke with told us that the home was always dirty and people often appeared unkempt."

The report also showed that people were at a risk of harm in the home - people who had swallowing difficulties were not cared for.

It added: "We found that people with swallowing difficulties were put at risk of choking. We saw that someone who had been assessed as needing thickened fluids to prevent choking had been left with a drink that had not been thickened.

"We took a drink away to show the manager because we were concerned about the risk.

"We observed another person eating a bowl of pasta with their fingers, lying down in bed therefore there was a risk of choking. A risk assessment had not been completed."

The report also found there were very few kind interactions at the home.

"When tea was served mid-morning people were not offered a choice and in most occasions not spoken to.

"We observed two people were given biscuits in packets, one person took five minutes to struggle to open them and another person took 10 minutes. Despite staff being in the room they did not offer to assist or ask if they could manage."

There were 25 people at the home when it was inspected but the accommodation can provide care for up to 40.

A number of people living there had also been left in the cold.

"We found bedrooms were cold. We spoke with a person whose bedroom was cold and found them also to be cold to touch. We observed visiting relatives come into the lounge to pay a visit to their family member who was sitting in a chair. The person appeared to be cold and shivering, we observed the main doors were open.

"The relative commented that their family member was cold and that they would benefit from a blanket. We observed the staff member directed the relative, by pointing to where they could collect a blanket from, they did not assist the relative or check that the person had suffered any ill-effects from being so cold."

But despite the home was noted for keeping records of medicines received into the premises and given to people.

The home was also aware of people who were allergic to certain medicines.

Residents at the home also said they felt safe living there and there was enough staff to look after them.

Overall the home was rated as inadequate for whether the service was safe, effective or well led.

It was also rated as requires improvement for whether the service was caring or responsive.

SOURCE: Elaine Davies, Lincolnshire Life