Dementia and elderly care home in Urmston put into special measures by CQC

CQC, England's independent health and social care regulator, has issued York Lodge Residential Home, on Crofts Bank Road, with a six-month warning to improve.

The inspection report, published on March 3, revealed the care home was rated ‘inadequate’ in two out of the five areas – safety and leadership.

The remaining three areas – effectiveness, level of care and responsiveness – have also deteriorated, each falling into the ‘requires improvement’ bracket.

There could be a possible review of registration or, ultimately, a call for the home to be shut down if improvements are not made.

During their visit in October, inspectors identified a number of key issues, in particular lack of cleanliness, breach of safety regulations, lack of medicines protocols and risk assessments, and safety hazards.

Despite positive reports from residents regarding the cleanliness of the home, inspectors observed several issues deemed to pose an increased ‘risk of infections spreading’.

In the communal bathroom, inspectors found a ‘thick brown layer of matted hair and dirt’ in the bottom of a drawer. The toilet, which was touching the rack of laundered clothes, was ‘stained with faeces’, as was a commode in the room.

A ‘malodourous smell’ was identified to be coming from a lidless bin full of used incontinence pads.

Inspectors said they also encountered a resident complaining to a member of staff about his sore leg.

After asking to see the leg, inspectors found a large bruise and open wound. None of the care home workers knew about the injury as the resident, described by staff as ‘challenging’ and ‘dangerous’, ‘often makes things up’ and ‘complains a lot’.

Care plans were ‘generic and lacked detail’, the building was ‘not dementia friendly’ and there were discrepancies in care between day visitors and those living at the home.

Alan Machen, manager of York Lodge Residential Home, said the inspectors were ‘aggressive, unprofessional and punitive’.

“We are amongst the first care homes to be subject to the revised inspection regime, and in over 30 years this is the first negative inspection we have experienced from any regulatory body,” he told the Messenger.

“The inspectors were uninterested in evidence of actual ‘care’, such as the outstanding positive feedback we receive from our happy clients and their families, and instead focused on a particular format of paperwork and record-keeping.

“The excellent person-centred care we provide, and vast knowledge we hold on each of our residents, that CQC acknowledged, seemed to be of no interest unless presented in their newly-devised format.”

Alan said that the care home immediately acted on the recommendations, without prejudice, and enrolled an accredited CQC compliance company.

“We have also acquired a state of the art computerised care planning system,” he said.

“We now look forward to the pending re-inspection in total confidence of our ability to meet the latest requirements. “Our previous care-planning system was created in collaboration with our advisor from Trafford Council as we have always strived to meet, if not surpass, the required standards.

“Since our CQC inspection we have been subject to three further visits from Trafford Social Services, who evidenced first-hand the information we are purported to have omitted. They left satisfied, making no recommendations.

“In February alone over 700 homes were judged inadequate or requiring improvement under the new model of inspection.

“As a result CQC has met with much valid criticism from care providers, with many seeking legal advice.

"We too will be submitting a complaint to the inspectorate.”