A Moray care home has hired an independent consultant to drive improvements following a damning report.
Care Inspectorate reporters found “unpleasant odours” through Abbeyside Nursing Home during an unannounced visit last month.
Inspectors also had concerns about the nutritional health of some residents after reviewing charts which showed some had lost “significant” amounts of weight.
A total of 11 requirements have been made to management at the Elgin nursing home to ensure it complies with legislation within a two-month deadline.
Yesterday, Brian Yeats, managing director of Abbeyside Care Group, revealed they had enlisted outside support to make changes.
He said: “Obviously we’re concerned about the report. We’ve taken it on board and have been working with the Care Inspectorate since then to address their concerns.
“We’ve already had six or seven works to work on them and have gone to the point of getting an independent view.
“A consultant has been coming in weekly during that time to make sure we’re going in the right direction.
“It’s right that we do that because we’ve got to make sure we provide the proper service for our clients.”
Questionnaires responses distributed during the inspection said they “searched 30 minutes once for staff” and they had “never seen activities” run.
Meanwhile, inspectors also reported not seeing staff visible in “high risk” areas for accidents while some people remained at “significant risk” of falls.
Inspectors graded the quality of care and management at the Institution Road care home as “unsatisfactory”, which is the lowest category, while the quality of environment and staffing were classed as “weak”.
December’s inspection followed annual visits in 2016, 2015 and 2014 which classed the areas as “good” and “adequate” and a visit in April 2013 when it was rated “very good” across the board.
At the time of the visit there were 24 residents living at Abbeyside, which is a converted Victorian house.
The Care Inspectorate report states: “Staff told us that the service was often short-staffed. Staff appeared busy throughout our inspection but they told us that the layout of the building impacted on their work load.
“As a result, we observed people sit for long periods without a staff presence and some wait for assistance at lunch due to insufficient staff numbers.”
