- Care home
Louth Manor Care Home
Report from 2 October 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 17 Feb 2025 when we first visited the location site. We conducted a further site visit on 27 Feb 2025 and assessment activity concluded on 5 March 2025 when we gave feedback to the provider. This service is a residential care home for adults of all ages, some who may be living with dementia, and sensory or physical disabilities. At the time of our assessment, 62 people lived at Louth Manor Care Home.
The home had a well maintained and tastefully decorated environment and grounds that were used by people, their friends and relatives. There was a positive culture and atmosphere at the home and visitors were welcomed with no restrictions. Staff were kind and caring and keen to promote people’s independence. People’s food and fluid needs were met but there was mixed feedback on the quality and variety of the food. Care plans were person centred and medicines administered safely. Risk assessments were in place and regularly reviewed but were not always detailed enough to provide sufficient guidance for staff.
Staff recruitment processes meant staff were suitable for their roles and supported people safely. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding processes and respected people’s wishes. Where people were unable to make their own decisions, they were supported in-line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Feedback from external professionals was positive. The management team were knowledgeable and understood the responsibilities of their roles. They had quality assurance systems in place to ensure oversight of the service.
Staffing numbers did not always ensure people’s physical and emotional needs were being fully met. Technical difficulties in relation to the call bell system were being investigated. Call bell’s not always being heard meant response times were sometimes longer than they should be and impacted on concerns about staffing levels. The provider was working towards improving both areas.
People's experience of this service
When gathering people’s views, we spoke with people and their relatives, reviewed written complaints and compliments, looked at feedback from surveys and minutes of meetings. We also conducted observations of people and staff using our ‘short observational framework for inspection’ (SOFI).
Overall, most people told us they felt safe and spoke positively about the quality of care, especially for those who were at the end of their life. They felt staff were kind and respectful and treated them well, upholding their dignity. People’s rights were respected and consent sought. People felt able to complain or make suggestions, however, some people felt they were not always listened to or that improvements following complaints were not always sustained.
People told us they had access to various ways of spending their time such as trips out, quizzes, gardening and listening to singers. However, most people felt there was not enough staff and told us this had impacted on their waiting times for receiving support with personal care, medicines or being able to use the toilet. People also felt this meant staff were unable to simply sit and chat with them. One person told us, “Staff are kind and caring but rushed off their feet.” A relative said, “The staff really do try to answer the call bells but my [family member] needs 2 staff and it is hard to get just 1.”
People had mixed views about the quality and variety of the food on offer and felt strongly about the need for more fresh vegetables, different textures of food and more variety of puddings. This was discussed in residents committee meetings and the menus were regularly reviewed. People were able to ask for alternatives to the menu options.
People did not always feel involved in reviews of their care. While we saw these were taking place, the records of care reviews could be improved to better record how people were involved and what their views were.