A CARE home in West Lothian has been told it must make improvements after the quality of care and support provided to residents was graded ‘unsatisfactory’ by inspectors.
The Care Inspectorate carried out a high intensity inspection at Heatherfield care home, a care service for older people in Armadale, in August. The report has just been published.
It found that the quality of care and support, the quality of the environment, and the quality of management and leadership was ‘unsatisfactory,’ the lowest possible grade. A previous inspection in February had graded these areas as ‘weak,’ the second lowest grade.
In their most recent report, inspectors found that “the service is providing a level of care to service users which is less than adequate. In some respects the situation has worsened since our last inspection.”
Inspectors found previous requirements unmet, with continued 'deficits in care-planning', where 'care plans were not reflective of current needs...care staff freely admitted that care plans were not up to date.' There were further concerns identified about medication, the garden area being unkempt and unsafe, poor handling of soiled linen, and unclean kitchen areas.
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said:
'We continue to have serious concerns about this service and are monitoring them closely to ensure they take action to meet the standards we expect.
'We will be inspecting again soon and if we are not satisfied that improvements are being made quickly on the areas we have highlighted, we will not hesitate to take further action. The level of care provided is unacceptable and must improve.
'Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate care which meets their needs and respects their rights.
'Anyone with a concern about a care service can contact our helpline on 0345 600 9527.'
ENDS
You can view the services inspection reports on our care service list