Tuesday, 3 October 2017

Dementia sufferers get lost in care home where corridors all look the same, says health watchdog

Care Quality Commission says 'similar-looking corridors' can stop patients finding their way round
A Beverley care home has been told to become more "dementia friendly" following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Lindum House cares for around 46 patients, nearly half of whom have dementia and other degenerative brain conditions, at its premises in Deer Park Way in the town.
The home was handed a "good" rating on three out of five criteria following a visit in July, but has been told that "the environment did not meet peoples' specific needs in all cases and had not been adapted to support their disability".
In their report, inspectors said the home had not benefited from a programme run by its management designed to improve the lives of those with dementia, and their communication with health professionals.

The report said: "The environment had very little signage and colour contrast was not used as a means of supporting people to find their way around the building.
The home was given a 'good' rating on three of the five criteria, but was still handed a 'requires improvement' overall rating.
"We heard one person frequently asking where they should go. The corridors all looked very similar and the doors, apart from different numbers, were the same.
"There were small name plates on the doors but nothing else to help identify a person's room. The environment did not meet or support people's needs."
However, Lindum House was praised on multiple points. Staff described the culture as "transparent and honest" and patients described the home's manager as "approachable".
It was noted by inspectors that the home had made improvements since their last visit in May 2016, when it was told to give staff more support and make its management of medicines safer.

The report said: "The service was safe. Peoples' medicines were managed safely in line with the service policy and procedure and national guidelines.
"People felt that staff cared and we observed many positive interactions between people and staff. Relatives echoed this view."
A statement from Barchester Healthcare Homes, which runs the home, said: "We are pleased that the latest report from the care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, reflects the improvements in the home and the high quality care we give to our residents.
"We do recognise that improvements can still be made and we are working to embed these in our home."

SOURCE: Hull Daily Mail, David Spereal

Isnt it surprising how seemingly small changes can have such a large overall impact. 

No comments:

Post a Comment