Residents at a Highland care home are unable to bathe regularly as there is not enough hot water – despite inspectors repeatedly flagging up the issue.
Lynn of Lorne at Benderloch, Oban will be issued with a formal improvement notice this week by the Care Inspectorate, which has raised serious concerns about the quality of care being provided.
In a report from early this summer, inspectors mentioned concerns about the hot water supply had been repeatedly raised but no action had been taken to ensure elderly residents are able to shower or bathe regularly.
They also noted that during their visit, they had found wheelchairs and laundry baskets stored in most of the bathrooms, providing “further evidence” that the bathrooms were rarely used.
There was also a lack of clean clothes and bedding as a result of the poor hot water supply.
There were also recent medication errors and people who had dementia were not routinely having pain assessments carried out, the report said.
Following the visit to the privately-run care home, its care and support, environment, staffing, management and leadership was graded as “weak”.
The inspectors wrote in their report: “We continued to be concerned about the hot water supply and this has been raised over a number of previous inspections. Staff reported that the baths and showers are rarely used because there was insufficient hot water during the day particularly in the morning and evening. This meant that residents could not get a shower or bath when they wanted or indeed needed one. This leaves residents more susceptible to skin problems and infections and does not promote the dignity of the residents.”
Last night, a spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: “Repeated visits by the Care Inspectorate have identified serious concerns about the quality of care being provided to residents at Lynn of Lorne care home.
“The service provider has not delivered the necessary improvements, so the Care Inspectorate is serving a formal Improvement Notice. This details the matters which must be addressed and indicates how quickly we expect to see improvement. If the provider does not meet these requirements, we will not hesitate to take further action.
“We continue to work closely with Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and the care home to support improvement so that residents receive good quality care which meets their needs and respects their rights.”
While inspectors praised the staff, calling them “kind, caring and hard working,” it was noted that they were over-stretched, with delays in responding to the nurse call system.
Councillor Julie McKenzie said: “This Care Commission report is seriously alarming. Residents and their families now require urgent action and also reassurance that everything possible is being done to ensure that the recommendations in the report are met.”
Fellow Oban councillor Roddy McCuish added: “I would urge the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to take urgent action to form a task force to address this immediately as these people in our care deserve much better than this.”
A spokesman for the HSCP said: “We will be working closely with the Care Inspectorate and the private provider who runs the home in relation to the welfare of the residents. We have also arranged for a key member of our local management team to work with the home in order to provide them with support and guidance and we hope this will assist them in ensuring they meet the necessary requirements.”
McKenzie Care, owner of the Lynn of Lorne, did not respond to requests for comment.
