The health watchdog known as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has criticised the management teams running five care homes in the Cheltenham area after recent inspections raised concerns over a number of key failings.
CQC officers carried out a round of inspections at the homes, taking place between March and May 2013. They uncovered a number of problems, including:
• Elderly residents not being treated with dignity and respect
• Staffing levels which could put people at risk
• Patients not being involved in their own care
• Staff lacking the appropriate care training to meet patients’ needs
• A lack of systems in place to assess and monitor whether people were being protecting against infection
• A lack of sufficient arrangements to maintain cleanliness and hygiene levels
• Patients’ care records not being properly maintained
• Inadequate record keeping
Until the five care homes under scrutiny take the recommended measures in the CQC report to improve standards of quality and care, there is much concern about the safety and wellbeing of residents. Age UK Gloucestershire’s Christina Snell said:
“It’s alarming to hear that there are homes that are falling significantly short of required standards in some cases.”