Inspectors have raised ‘serious and significant concerns’ over the quality of care at an Inverness care home.
Castlehill has been issued with an urgent improvement notice by the Care Inspectorate that calls for swift action.
In a four-page letter, inspectors identify a number of failings.
They have given the care home two months to address the issues.
And inspectors have warned that if improvements aren’t made, they may propose the closure of the service.
Operators at the home have stressed there are “two sides” to the story and stressed they are “committed to excellence”.
They told the Press and Journal that the service and its staff are highly praised by the families of residents.
And they said many would recommend the home and its quality of care to others.
The care home said it is to have further talks with the Care Inspectorate.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “An inspection has identified serious and significant concerns about the quality of care experienced by residents of Castlehill Care Home in Inverness.
“We understand this is a difficult and distressing time for residents, their families and staff at the service.
“However, our first priority is always the health and well-being of those experiencing care.
“Because of our concerns, we have issued an Improvement Notice to the service.
“This sets out the significant improvements that must be made within a specified timeframe.
“We are in contact with and monitoring the service to follow up on the required improvements.”
What improvements have been set out by inspectors?
During a recent inspection at the city facility, inspectors identified a number of changes that need to be made.
Staff have been instructed to “put the person at the centre” of their care to maximise “health, safety and well-being”.
Inspectors are looking for a baseline record of people’s health, safety and wellbeing needs to be kept and monitored.
Any risks must be “clearly recorded as part of the care planning process and that they are protected from harm”.
Care home staff have been given just nine days to make these adjustments.
Concerns over the administration of medication, people’s movements, nutrition and fluid intake have also been identified.
Staff have until June 11 to ensure residents enjoy “safe and compassionate” care.
Staff numbers have also been identified as an area of serious concern.
Managers have been instructed to maintain a standard of qualified and skilled workers on shift to meet people’s needs and preferences.
They added that it is important “staff have the right knowledge, competence, training and skills to safely care for and support people within the service”.
Castlehill have also been instructed to implement a “robust process” to address concerns.
In a statement to the Press and Journal, a spokesperson for Morar Living, which operates the Castlehill Care Home, said: “There are two sides to this story.
“We will be having further talks with the Care Inspectorate.
“We are distinctly uneasy about how this situation developed and the conduct of certain players.
“However, our chief concern is the wellbeing of our residents and we are committed to excellence in every aspect of care provision.
“The families of residents at Castlehill tell us time and time again how well their loved ones are treated.
“Indeed they recommend us to others because of the extraordinary dedication of the care team.”
Conversation