Care inspectors have ordered a Highland care home to make a series of improvements – including providing adequate heating at night – but also praised the care and compassion provided to residents.
Shoremill Care Home in Cromarty was visited on June 26 this year, with inspectors dropping in unannounced to assess the quality of care being delivered.
The home, which has room to accommodate up to 13 residents, is situated on the banks of the Cromarty Firth. It also has capacity to take in two further patients on a respite basis.
On the whole, the care home was largely well-received by patients and family members, with feedback provided through questionnaire responses praising the care and passion of staff members.
However, there still remains areas for Shoremill to improve upon, the inspectors reported.
The home scored a level three out of six on four of the five categories assessed, weighing in with the “adequate” result, with the quality of leadership marked down as a level two, translating as “weak”.
Inspectors have recommended that bosses of Shoremill should look into reviewing the heating in all areas of the home through regular monitoring to “ensure all residents are warm during the day and night”.
Recommendations have been issued by the Care Inspectorate, with Shoremill required to prove that the “level of staffing is adequate to provide the assessed level of support to service users at all times”, with this to be met by August 31.
Shoremill also must ensure that a “suitably qualified” and “competent” member of staff is on duty each night to administer medication in line with health and social care standards. This also must be met by August 31.
In response, Shoremill has committed to taking on four new members of staff.
Owner and manager Sarina Duncan said: “We are reviewing the report with the help of social work in Dingwall and the NHS, who are already satisfied with our work, and as soon as this review is complete I will be inviting the Care Inspectorate back in to address the issues.
“We have a very good team here and I very much praise the work of my staff. We are all committed to looking after our elderly residents.”
One relative stated to the inspectors: “The staff have endless patience, compassion, concentration, care and dedication.
“Without this home, my relative’s life and my own would be a very much more difficult and stressful one.
“Before my relative went into care I was concerned and worried about his future wellbeing. I do not find these issues difficult or worry some now as Shoremill is so small it provides warm, loving and very personal care.”
The delivery of compassion, dignity and respect to support people’s well-being was the highest performing marker in the report, achieving a level four point-scoring, translating into the “good” category.
