Care home with smelly rooms told to improve
GoogleA care home which was found to have smelly rooms has been told it needs to improve following an inspection by the watchdog.
The Oaks Care Home in Blyth, Northumberland, was found to be in breach of laws about providing safe care to its residents after it was told to make changes two years ago.
An inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September found "aspects of the service were not always safe" and some areas, including several people's bedrooms, were "malodorous".
Hillcare, which runs the home, said it was disappointed and an improvement plan was in place to address many of the issues raised.
Among the concerns raised were that safeguarding allegations had not been reported to the local authority "in a timely manner".
The CQC also found risks relating to people's care were not being assessed and managed effectively.
"Information relating to people's nutrition and hydration, the risk of malnutrition, falls management and positional changes to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers was not always accurate," the report said.
'Significant changes'
Inspectors said there was not an effective system in place to ensure medicines were safely administered and medical equipment was not always serviced appropriately.
Management at the care home said this would be "addressed immediately".
While the CQC said the home was cleaner than it had been in the past, it said areas of wood and paint were broken making it difficult to clean, while some rooms smelled.
Hillcare said non-slip flooring was to be fitted in many carpeted rooms to address the problem.
A spokesperson for the company said an improvement plan had already been put in place at the time of the inspection.
"Since then, we have worked closely with the local authority and integrated care board to make significant changes to ensure the high standards of care our residents, their loved ones, and we expect," they said,
"As always, our top priority remains providing a safe, comfortable, and caring home for those who reside with us."
