An Aberdeen care home has been slammed for repeatedly neglecting residents, leaving them dehydrated, injured and unable to speak.
Inspectors described the residents’ experience as “unpleasant and undignified” after visiting the Persley Castle care home in Bucksburn without prior warning in May.
The Renaissance Care facility, which caters for 38 people, was graded as “weak” in every criteria, with the Care Inspectorate highlighting several areas of serious concern.
It comes just three months after bosses were told they must improve the home’s conditions and care more for the residents’ wellbeing.
However, inspectors found that none of the requirements set out in March have been met, and there were now further issues that urgently need to be addressed.
Number of issues have ‘detrimental effect’ on people’s quality of life
The watchdog identified significant risks to people’s health and wellbeing, and pointed out their “oral health, dignity and comfort were compromised”.
A few residents with mobility issues had dry lips and struggled to speak after they were not given enough water, while others were found with “long, dirty fingernails”.
During the inspection, the team discovered several people had fallen a number of times and suffered “significant injuries”.
Residents also had wounds, which were not treated appropriately and had not healed.
In light of the findings, inspectors said the home “did not have an accurate overview of people’s wounds” and their treatment plans were “confusing and inconsistent”.
They added in the report: “We were concerned that when people experienced pain, this was not recognised or appropriately addressed. This had a significant, detrimental impact on people’s quality of life.
“The care home did not have a proactive and effective approach to falls prevention and management. Several people had experienced several falls within the home which resulted in significant injuries.
“We were not confident that a thorough review was carried out after every fall to identify how to reduce the risk of the person falling again or to reduce the risk of injury.”
‘Significant risks to people’s health and wellbeing’
The watchdog praised the “kind, caring interactions between people and the staff team”, however, said little effort was made to offer residents meaningful activities.
This left many feeling isolated and bored in their rooms.
Inspectors also expressed concern about the lack of oral care within the home, stressing the residents’ “oral health, dignity and comfort were compromised”.
People were prescribed topical creams to help maintain healthy skin, but they found some of the medication was out-of-date which meant it may not be effective anymore.
Communal areas within the home were found clean, tidy, and free from clutter, but residents’ individual rooms were not to the same standards.
The report continued: “We identified significant risks to people’s health and wellbeing. The risks related to falls, stress and distress, continence, hydration, pain management and wound care.
“We checked and found a number of odorous mattresses that were contaminated with bodily fluids. This was an unpleasant and undignified experience for people and it was also an infection risk.”
Persley Castle ordered to improve
Bosses of Persley Castle care home have now been ordered to carry out urgent improvements by July 7 and provide better personal care to all of the residents.
The requirements outlined by the Care Inspectorate include:
- They must ensure that at all times people living in the care home are supported to drink well in accordance with their health care needs and preferences.
- They must ensure that people are supported with their oral care needs.
- In order to ensure people do not feel bored or isolated, the management team should engage with people and ascertain their preferences and choice on how they would like to spend their day.
- The provider must ensure that staff access training appropriate to their role and apply their training into practice to promote the safety and wellbeing of people supported.
A spokeswoman for Renaissance Care said: “We are aware of the issues highlighted within Persley Castle’s Care Inspectorate report and are working hard to correct them.
“An internal investigation was launched following the recent inspection as the level of care and wellbeing found does not reflect the high standards held by Renaissance Care.
“We are currently working with our care partners to ensure the ongoing support for the home. Senior management are providing onsite support and training for staff and we are confident of delivering improvements before the next inspection.”
Conversation