Residents at an Inverness nursing home have suffered poor and inconsistent care – including going to bed hungry – which left their health and wellbeing at risk, care inspectors found.
Southside Care Home was rated “weak” for both care and management during a recent inspection which found residents with long, dirty fingernails and long toenails affecting their ability to walk and causing pain.
The unannounced Care Inspectorate visit also discovered residents who required assistance to eat were not always receiving the help they required – with some regularly being left going hungry at night.
The new manager at the home, brought in since last month’s inspection, yesterday pledged to “improve the situation”, which was described last night as “distressing” by Labour’s shadow health minister and Highland MSP David Stewart.
And Inverness SNP Councillor Ron MacWilliam added: “Those least able to help themselves need dedicated, professional care. No elderly person should ever have to suffer this indignity.”
Both politicians were surprised by the findings given the good reputation of the home, which has had good ratings as recently as 2016.
The Care Inspectorate report stated: “Suitable food should be available at all times and appropriate help given. We observed drinks and food being taken away from a resident without the staff asking if they wished more.
“Residents who needed assistance to eat did not always receive the help they required. Some residents were reported to be regularly hungry at night.”
It added: “Residents should be able to go to bed when they wish and get up when they want. We observed that many residents were still up and dressed though sleeping in chairs until quite late into the evening. Some residents were agitated about waiting to go to bed.
“We also heard reports of residents being woken up to be washed and dressed early each morning.”
It stated that there were residents who liked to walk around the home and who might try to use the stairs, adding: “We saw that when a couple of them got tired they started climbing the stairs and looked at high risk of falling down the stairs.”
The inspectors said they had received several anonymous complaints about staff.
They added: “At the time of the inspection a new experienced manager was due to start in a matter of weeks. It was hoped that this would help to settle the staff team.”
During the unannounced visit on February 18 inspectors spoke with residents, including one who said:“I like to keep my room locked as other residents will wander in. There have been many changes of staff and I have seen a few managers. Staff treat me well.”
Another said: “Sore legs, people always stand on feet and it’s sore, makes you shout, they’re not pleased, but what else are you supposed to do.”
The inspectors made a number of recommendations, including giving residents appropriate skin, continence and nail care as well as making food available 24 hours a day.
Yesterday, manager Georgina Symes admitted the findings by the Care Inspectorate were “disappointing”, but added: “I am new in post since the inspection and my job is to improve the situation.
“We will be working hard to meet the recommendations made and to bring Southside up to the standard that should be expected of it.
“It is difficult to comment on things that happened before you arrived but we will work to improve the home.”
North politicians surprised by findings
North politicians were surprised at the inspection findings of a care home that had good ratings as recently as 2016.
Labour’s shadow health minister David Stewart said: “To read that some residents reported being hungry and others had long, dirty fingernails and long toenails affecting their ability to walk and cause pain, is just distressing.
“However, think how distressing it must be for the residents themselves and also those who have family or friends there?
“On the plus side it appears the home is under new management, the feedback on the type of activities offered for residents was good and comments made at the time of the inspection from relatives and friends were positive. Hopefully there will be the required improvements.”
Inverness SNP Councillor Ron MacWilliam, a member of the local authority’s care and learning committee as well as adult services scrutiny sub-committee, added: “What’s so shocking about this report is that it flies in the face of the excellent reputation of the Southside Care Home.
“The new management need to take immediate and radical action to ensure that not another resident goes hungry or is left uncared for.”
He added: “Everyone involved will be watching the situation closely and I have every hope that the management will turn this situation around.
“If not, the Care Inspectorate will need to come down on them hard. Those least able to help themselves need dedicated, professional care. No elderly person should ever have to suffer this indignity.”
