Wardrobes may 'fall on residents' at 'poorly led' care home
A litany of problems have been uncovered at the Leicester care home
Last updated 7th Jan 2023
Residents at risk of having wardrobes “toppling” onto them was among a raft of problems found by inspectors at a Leicester care home. Elliott Residential Care Home, in Highfield Street, off London Road, has been rated as ‘requires improvement’ – the second lowest ranking – by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which deemed it unsafe and poorly led.
Inspectors also found residents were not getting timely pain relief, medicines were not kept safely and needles were not disposed of properly. Outdated fire evacuation plans left residents at risk of being left behind, they added in their damning report published at the end of December.
People did not always receive “as required” medicines at night because there were no staff trained to administer them on duty, the report stated. One person told inspectors: “There is no-one to give me pain relief in the night. Sometimes, I don’t sleep because of the pain.” The independent home is registered to care for adults who have dementia, sensory issues, mental health issues and/or learning disabilities, according to the CQC.
Medicines and cleaning products were not always locked away, so there was a risk of them spilling or residents ingesting them. The medicine fridge was noted by staff to be at too warm a temperature over several months, but this had not been properly addressed, the report added. Checks to make sure staff were safe to give out medicines were not regularly carried out, so any necessary training could not be identified.
Wardrobes were also not fixed to walls, creating a danger they might “topple” onto people, the report stated. When people moved rooms, this was not always quickly changed on documents, putting them at risk if there was a fire as evacuation plans would be incorrect.
Where residents had been prescribed creams, there were not always clear directions on where they should be applied. Staff ran the risk of applying these medicines to the wrong part of the body without realising, inspectors said.
Care plans and risk assessments were not complete for some residents, inspectors said. One resident was on blood thinners which meant they were in danger of additional bleeding. Their medicine was not mentioned in their file, despite them being a fall risk.
A diabetic resident did not have the symptoms listed in their care plan, inspectors said. While staff at the home had “good knowledge” of these when asked, there was a risk that agency staff might not, leaving the resident at risk.
Safety hazards at the home were also identified. Sharp items such as needles were not always disposed of safely, with inspectors finding the pot for used items was too full and therefore put people at risk of injury.
However, residents told the CQC they felt safe at the home. One said: “I do feel safe, the staff have learned to protect people from bad behaviour from other residents.” Inspectors also said the registered manager acted quickly when concerns were raised with them.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the home for a comment on the CQC’s findings. One has not been supplied.