A NORTH EAST care home has been told to make improvements after inspectors found people living there were not always treated with “dignity and respect”.

The Care Quality Commission rated The Beeches Care Home in Stockton, as requiring improvement following its most recent inspection, which took place over five days in March and April.

The home, which is part of the Hillcare group, said it was "deeply disappointed" with the findings and had taken immediate action.

The CQC said staff at the home in Green Lane did not always have time to check on residents’ general wellbeing and there were concerns about medicines being managed safely.

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On one occasion, loose pills were spotted on the floor of a “dirty and disorganised” treatment room.

The CQC also said bathrooms and dining rooms were dirty, while some areas of the home were in need of redecoration and were in a poor state of repair.

Concerns were also raised about staffing levels, with carers described as “kind” but with limited time to spend with people.

The Northern Echo:

There were lengthy periods when staff were absent from the communal areas because they were supporting people and call bells rang for prolonged periods.

But staff were praised by residents and their relatives who said they were kind and caring and would “do anything for you”.

The CQC said: “We saw lots of examples of kind and caring interactions. However, staff had limited time to spend with people.

"This meant that when support was given it sometimes focussed on the task and not the person. One relative told us, ‘Some staff just do tasks to people and not treat them as individuals.’

“Staff did not always check on people's general wellbeing. During the inspection we saw two people sitting in a lounge watching a blank television.

"Later we saw three people who had been left sleeping in a dining room with their meals in front of them.”

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The home, which was previously rated as 'good', was rated as requiring improvement in all five areas, and was found to be breaching regulations regarding systems to monitor and improve the safety and quality of the support people received with eating and drinking.

A spokesperson for The Beeches Care Home said: “We are deeply disappointed with the findings in our latest CQC inspection report and took immediate action to address the issues raised by inspectors during their visit.

“An action plan has been submitted to the CQC covering the steps taken to ensure the quality of service our residents, their loved ones, and we expect.

“Our highest priority is providing a safe, comfortable, and caring environment for those who reside with us.”

 

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