Dewsbury care home where residents 'wander without purpose' and are 'bored' put in special measures

A care home in Dewsbury has been put in special measures, after inspectors found residents sat all day in the lounge areas with no stimulation apart from the television.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found staff at Serene Residential Care which looks after people aged 65 and over, ‘did not have time to spend in conversation or meaningful activity with people because they were busy completing care tasks’.

Despite this, interactions ‘between staff and people were gentle, patient, kind and respectful’, according to inspectors.

The report revealed that the home had no activities staff and inspectors said: “Some people said they felt bored and we saw most people spend their day seated around the room or wandering without purpose.

“People sat all day in chairs around the lounge areas and televisions played at each end of the room. People were not consulted about what they would like to do or to watch on television. There were no activity staff available to engage people in meaningful occupation or conversation and there was no management oversight of this.”

In addition to this, risks at the care home were not robustly assessed or measures put in place to reduce the risk of harm to people.

Inspectors found that staff did not know who was at high risk of choking, or what to do to support them.

‘Where people needed modified texture diets to prevent the risk of choking, these were not consistently given and there was conflicting information in care records. One person who should have had a very soft food consistency was given biscuits and sandwiches. There was no choking risk assessment in the person's care plan,’ according to the report.

Staff did not know which people were at risk of pressure ulcers or who should be seated on pressure relieving cushions. They also did not all know who had diabetes or the signs of concern and which people had a catheter or how to provide appropriate care.

Unsafe moving and handling techniques were used to support people to transfer between wheelchairs and armchairs.

The home, which was previously rated as requires improvement, is now rated inadequate overall and has been placed into special measures. CQC has also rated the service as inadequate for being safe and well-led.

'Significant risks around choking'

Sheila Grant, CQC’s head of adult social care inspection, said: “When we inspected Serene Residential Care Limited, we were very concerned that the provider hadn’t made sufficient improvements since our previous inspection in May and they were still in breach of regulations. This is why we have placed them into special measures and downgraded their rating from requires improvement to inadequate.

“We found a service that didn’t have robust systems and processes in place to ensure there were enough staff with appropriate skills to safely care for people. Staff weren’t appropriately trained in first aid or catheter care which is essential when caring for people in this environment. Also, recruitment checks and references weren’t always received before staff started work.

“Our inspectors saw significant risks around choking. Staff didn’t know who was at high risk, or what to do to support them. One person who should have had soft food was given biscuits and sandwiches. There was no choking risk assessment in the person's care plan which could put them at serious risk of harm.”

She added: "Staff worked with patience and care, although it was disappointing that they had little opportunity to engage with people, other than when supporting them with their care needs."