Inspectors have suggested the health conditions of residents at an Aberdeenshire care home “may have gone unnoticed or worsened” because they were not regularly offered showers or baths.
The Care Inspectorate carried out an unannounced visit at Craigard House in Ballater last month, and described the provider’s services as “unsatisfactory” – the lowest possible rating – in two important areas.
It is the fourth visit the home has had this year, following an initial weak rating in March.
They said staff had failed to support people to effectively manage their medical conditions, “including those who experienced pain”, and said ineffective medications were not reviewed and replaced due to insufficient admin.
Some residents had to wait for extended periods of time to alert staff that they needed to go to the bathroom, resulting in “unnecessary discomfort”, the inspectors said.
The report says: “Some people did not look well cared for, some had food residue on their clothes and faces, and we saw that some people’s nails were dirty and uncut.
“Records showed that people were not regularly offered or encouraged to have a shower or a bath, despite some having a physical health need that would benefit from this.
“As a result, some health conditions may have gone unnoticed or worsened.”
Toilet ‘too high to safely use’
Inspectors also criticised Craigard House itself, calling attention to “insufficient lighting” and a sliding door to a bathroom that had come off its runner and offered no privacy.
They added: “One toilet was built on a plinth meaning that it was too high for a person to safely use.”
The unsatisfactory rating was given in response to the questions “How well do we support people’s wellbeing?” and “How good is our setting?”
The question “How good is our care and support during the Covid-19 pandemic?” was answered with a weak rating, the second-worst possible.
In that section, the report says: “Providing meaningful activity and engagement for people had not been a priority, resulting in some people becoming bored and feeling isolated.
“No support had been offered to those who were apprehensive about accessing the community following the lifting of some restrictions.
“This resulted in some people feeling disconnected from their community.”
Craigard House criticised previously
Following the inspection, the Care Inspectorate identified a number of requirements that would need to be met by the provider by a deadline of December 17.
The care home was criticised by the organisation on a previous inspection in March, with bedrooms and private bathrooms being described as “highly cluttered, visibly dusty and occasionally dirty in places”.
Two other inspections have taken place since, with the care home’s support during the pandemic improving from weak to adequate between March and May, before dropping back to weak in September.
‘Not a representative and accurate representation’
Stephen Cowie, the managing director of operators Craigard Care, said the negative feedback was “hugely disappointing”, and pointed out staff had made sure the home was “one of very few” in Aberdeenshire without any cases of Covid among its residents.
He added: “We absolutely refute some of the findings in the Care Inspectorate report but, due to issues of client confidentiality we are not able to elaborate on this due to the risk of identifying an individual resident.
“However, we would state that, when a resident refuses personal care we are, quite rightly, not permitted to coerce them against their will.
“We believe that the report is not a representative and accurate representation of the care given at the home.
“We will, of course, continue to try to work with the Care Inspectorate, as well as Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership towards ensuring we do address any valid concerns they may have.”