Failing care home improves

A care home which was compared to a concentration camp by a resident has been re-rated as requiring improvement.

The comment was made to inspectors from health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by a patient at Acorns Care Centre in Hindley following a visit in February.

The home was rated as inadequate following the inspection and placed in special measures but it has now been re-rated as requiring improvement following another visit in October.

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In a report published by the CQC, the inspectors said: “Although we found the home had made significant improvements in several areas, we did identify continuing breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

“These were in relation to medication, complaints, good governance and staffing.”

Inspectors found that people were mostly given their medicine at the correct times and systems had been implemented to ensure safe intervals between doses.

But antibiotics were not always given before a meal and some people had missed medications due to stock not being available.

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Improvements had been made to the environment with pictorial signs and sensory room created for patients with dementia, memory issues or sensory impairment and an activities coordinator had also been appointed and a comprehensive programme created.

At the previous inspection, inspectors found staffing levels were not sufficient, meaning people were often observed shouting for help because no one was available to help them.

But this had improved and staffing levels were deemed to be enough on the day of the inspection in October while staff were found to be motivated and working well together.

However, staff had not received annual appraisals and there were gaps in their training records found.

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Following the latest inspection, the home was found to require improvement for how safe, effective, responsive and well-led the service was and was rated as good for caring.

A spokesman for the home said: “We have worked closely with Wigan Council and the CQC and the rating has come up. We are still working closely with them as time goes on.”