A care home rated 'inadequate' last year after officials uncovered a catalogue of failings will remain in special measures. Lyndhurst Residential Care Home, in Middleton, could be shut down if it fails to make ‘significant improvements’ within the next six months, a new inspection report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) says.
The home - run by Atlantis Medicare Limited - was put in special measures last August after inspectors found elderly residents were left waiting for help, not showered regularly and had their medicines ‘mixed up'. When officials returned in February this year, they found some progress had been made - staffing levels and infection control practices had improved while people ‘felt safe’ and ‘were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives’.
However, the home - which provides accommodation and personal care for up to 42 people, including those living with dementia - was still in breach of a number of care regulations. These included those related to medicines management, risk management and the requirement to send appropriate notifications to the CQC.
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“The service had made some improvements in medicines management since the last inspection, however, we found medicines were not always managed safely,” a new report reads. Not enough improvement had been made at this inspection and the provider was still in breach of [care regulations].
Inspectors found ‘no evidence’ that people had been harmed’. But the report adds: “Medicines management was not always safe which put people at risk of harm.”
Officials also found that risks were not always being 'appropriately identified and managed, while recruitment practices were ‘not safe’ “Risk assessments were not in place around ongoing redecoration work in the home, which could lead to risk of harm to people being unmanaged,” the report states.
However, it notes that the general manager started to implement them during the inspection.
